(Item 7 – report by Mr Nick Chard, Cabinet Member for Environment, Highways & Waste and Mr Mike Austerberry, Executive Director, Environment, Highways & Waste)
(1) On 30 March 2009 Cabinet considered a report on the planning application for a Strategic Rail Freight Interchange known as the Kent International Gateway, at junction 8 of the M20 and its far reaching implications for transport and planning in Kent. At that meeting Cabinet resolved to object to the Kent International Gateway planning application and authorised the Council’s appearance at the planning inquiry to oppose the proposal. Cabinet also authorised the Executive Director for Strategy, Economic Development & ICT to appoint consultants and counsel and approved the creation of a small reserve to manage expenditure fluctuations arising from the appeal process generally.
(2) Since that time the position had progressed in a number of respects and these were detailed in the Cabinet report. Maidstone Borough Council’s Planning Committee had now considered the proposal and a date for the Planning Inquiry had been set with a commencement date of 13 October 2009. Also the County Council had appointed counsel to present its case at the Inquiry and had submitted a summary of its case to the Planning Inspectorate. The Kent and Medway Structure Plan had been replaced by the South East Plan and the appellant had submitted an amended scheme on which the County Council had now commented. The purpose of this report was therefore to confirm that Cabinet continued to support the County Council’s objections to the Kent International Gateway proposal and its appearance at the Planning Inquiry in support of Maidstone Borough Council.
(1) Following consideration of the report Cabinet agreed:-
(i) to note the amended Scheme, and endorse the County Council’s views as agreed by the Cabinet Member for Environment, Highways and Waste;
(ii) to note the replacement of the Kent and Medway Structure Plan by the South East Plan;
(iii) to endorse the County Council’s Rule 6 Statement and its case against the Kent International Gateway proposal;
(iv) to the County Council’s appearance at the Planning Inquiry in support of Maidstone Borough Council; and
(v) to note that the budget reserve for planning Inquiries was likely to be exceeded this year.