Please see our comment on week's decision on the Northfleet Harbourside proposals.
Responding to the decision of the Secretary of State to refuse permission for the Northfleet Harbourside application, Cllr John Burden, Leader of Gravesham Borough Council, speaks about the decision in the below YouTube video.
“This is a significant decision contained in a lengthy document and we have taken the time we needed to review and understand the reasons behind it and its implications for both the future of the site and its impact on our draft Local Plan.
“We are very disappointed at the decision to refuse, which does not reflect what we as a council aspire to achieve on this site.We granted permission for this development two years ago, and the expense and delay from then until this decision is not acceptable for anyone involved."
"We need to speak to the developers behind the scheme to understand their thinking now the decision has been made. I can’t speak for them, but I would completely understand if they wanted nothing further to do with the lengthy and expensive planning process in this country and walked away. We also urgently need to understand the seriousness of the contamination issue which was given as one of the reasons for refusal."
“Understandably, this has caused considerable concern for those already living and working in the area. We are seeing and receiving questions about just how serious this is, and they are not questions we have the answers to.
“The idea of contamination serious enough to stop this development going ahead cannot just be left hanging. What are the levels of contamination on the site? How long has this been an issue? What’s being done to prevent further contamination? What’s being done to clean the site up?"
“We are asking the Environment Agency to work with us to get answers to those questions from Britannia Refined Metals as a matter of urgency, answers local people need for their own peace of mind, and we need to know to understand whether any regeneration can take place there at all."
“Which brings me to our Local Plan. Our plan is currently out for Regulation 19 consultation and has been drafted on a brownfield first basis when it comes to site allocations. Clearly, the refusal of this development on one of our largest brownfield sites has implications.
“We are not going to allow this to derail our draft Local Plan.
“We still view this site as appropriate for employment, residential and commercial development, but given the Secretary of State’s decision, our draft Local Plan will need reviewing and adjusting.
“These will not be easy choices to make.
“Make no mistake, the refusal of the Northfleet Harbourside application is likely to have impacts beyond Northfleet and for residents elsewhere in the borough.”