Chatham Docks redevelopment deferred by Medway Council following legal challenge

The Levelling Up Secretary, Michael Gove, has called it in to decide if he needs to intervene.

Transcript

00:00Protesting again to keep working dogs in Medway for future generations.

00:12Controversial plans could see a new business complex by the end of the decade.

00:17The Basin Fury would see many of these workers out of employment.

00:21I'm very worried, you know, it's my livelihood, I've just bought a house, something I've been

00:27able to do from working here at Kent Wire, the wage that I'm on has been able to support

00:32me for that.

00:33So, you know, people have futures, people have lives and you just can't just rip that

00:38all away.

00:39It's just not fair.

00:41The developer argues their plans would triple employment, with Medway council officers recommending

00:46approval on that basis.

00:49A vote on whether to accept proposals was due this week, but a legal challenge from

00:54Kent Wire called that off.

00:56We've been here since 1988.

01:00We've invested heavily in Chatham Docks and in the local community.

01:04We've got some really good people working for us.

01:08There's nearly 800 people totally working in the docks.

01:11Those jobs will be lost.

01:13And certainly for ArcelorMittal, the future looks bleak if we're not able to save Chatham

01:17Docks.

01:18The local authority will also have to deal with something called an Article 31 from the

01:23government.

01:24The bill prevents planning permission being granted until the Secretary of State has decided

01:28whether to call in the application.

01:30Chatham Docks is unique because there's nothing else like it in Kent and in the South East.

01:37It's absolute madness that an area would have this kind of infrastructure and then we would

01:42even consider closing it.

01:43The docks are a shadow of what they once were, with ageing infrastructure.

01:47Landowner Peel says, well, it's time for change.

01:51So actually what we've been working with, with all the occupiers is that, well, actually

01:55let's look at an alternative location on the river for you to relocate to.

02:00This is just all about putting different employment uses on an employment site.

02:04So what we have done, obviously the infrastructure around the port is very old.

02:09It needs huge amounts of investment and there's no monies or funding available to actually

02:14invest in that infrastructure.

02:15But that is not part of this plan application and that's the key point we must remember

02:20A decision has been a long time coming.

02:23The legal challenge to the proposed business park is another headache for the council.

02:28But the developer is hopeful it'll be full steam ahead before long.

02:32Gabriel Morris in Chatham.