04/07/2025
The Save Chatham Docks Campaign is deeply disappointed but not surprised with the outcome of the vote from last week's Council Meeting regarding the Draft Local Plan 2041.
This draft Local Plan is clearly not employment or business focused, and will result in higher unemployment for local Medway people and in reduced business investment. The reason for this is that this plan is shortsighted with only one focus, - to pile on more housing, totally regardless of the fact that the area will be unable to support the very large number of flats and houses that they say they want to see built. Councillor George Perfect was very clear in his address to the Chamber, when he stated that more than £300 million will be required to deliver the plan, and that money is simply not there.
During Labour’s time in opposition when campaigning for the 2023 Local Elections, they were absolutely clear about their strategy for Chatham Docks: if elected Labour would protect the site for port use and protect the existing high value manufacturing jobs. Indeed, Vince Maple said on many occasions that “the clue is in the name, Labour will always put jobs ahead of any other considerations”.
We - the workers and families that depend on the working Docks, took Vince Maple and the Labour Party at their word. Medway’s Labour Leadership and Councillors havenow reneged on those publicly stated promises, repeated many times on their own Labour Party website, and betrayed the 800 hardworking families dependent on Chatham Docks, and the countless more in the supply chain that are supporting the successful businesses in Chatham Docks.
Despite this shameless U-turn, the fight to Save Chatham Docks will continue, and when the Draft Local Plan is presented to an Independent Planning Inspector, we fully expect that they will recognise that it is not a sound plan is and will reject it.
