Speed will bring new life to Kent's coastal towns
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by Trevor Sturgess
Quicker journey times between London and Thanet are key to
lifting the East Kent economy, according to Kent County Council
leader Paul Carter.
Cllr Carter spoke of the 'appalling housing conditions' he had
seen during a recent visit to Margate and Cliftonville. Earnings
were well below the national average.
He pointed to the contrasting fortunes of East and West Kent,
with 'enormous prosperity' in the latter and 'enormous deprivation'
in the former.
Recent unemployment figures showed a growing gap between the two
areas, with an emerging East-West divide. "If we are going to bring
prosperity to East Kent, we’ve got to improve the access times from
London," Cllr Carter said.
That applied especially to Ramsgate. It was essential that
Thanet was plugged into the high-speed railway network, so that
journey times between Thanet and the capital fell to around an
hour.
He called for a new station at Manston to serve Kent
International Airport which would, he said, be the biggest driver
for change and prosperity in East Kent.
Plans by Infratil, the airport owner, to boost passenger numbers
to six million a year would boost local prosperity. An estimated
2,000 jobs are created with every increase of one million
passengers.
"If we could get just 20 to 25 per cent of those jobs, it would
absolutely transform the East Kent economy," Cllr Carter added.
Cllr Carter made his remarks at the yesterday’s (28) four-stage
launch of KCC’s 20-year blueprint for the future of Kent. He
revealed his ideas at St Pancras International, Ebbsfleet, Ashford
and Folkestone.
He was accompanied by architect Sir Terry Farrell who
highlighted the huge potential of coastal Kent, including Thanet.
He said it was already coming back to life, pointing out the
importance of cultural regeneration such as the Turner Contemporary
in Margate. It was also an international destination for water
sports and recreation, with an active fishing industry and
aquaculture. Ramsgate was a 'hidden treasure' of the whole
coastline.
"Kent has most stunning and different coastal towns," he said.
"By 2030, Kent will have the UK’s most distinctive and thriving
coast."
Friday, January 29 2010
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