A campaigner attends a protest against KIG. It is feared residents won't have time to respond to the latest details before October's public inquiry.

by Alan Smith

ajsmith@thekmgroup.co.uk

Changes to the Kent International Gateway (KIG) plan at Bearsted are expected to be confirmed today.

Developers announced in June that an updated proposal for the giant road-rail freight depot was on the cards, with reduced warehouse space and a more detailed survey of its environmental impact.

The amended plans are due to be submitted to Maidstone council today. A planning inquiry into the KIG proposal, including these latest plans, will be heard in October.

Campaigners are likely to have to wait until next week to see the plans, when they are loaded on to the council's website and advertised in the Kent Messenger.

As soon as they are available, we'll have a summary of the plans at kentmessenger.co.uk

Dr Felicity Simpson, chairman of the Maidstone branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England, urged objectors to examine the changes as soon as possible and to be sure to send in further letters of objection.

She said: “If there are no objections after the amendments, the developers will maintain that they have mitigated everyone’s concerns by the changes.

“People need to let the inspector know that trivial changes make no difference to their overwhelming opposition to the scheme in total.”

The public will have just 21 days to make any comment on the changed plans if KIG keeps its deadline and advertises the changes today as promised.

Brian Clifford, chairman of the Bearsted and Thurnham Society, said: “It is by no means clear why KIG is submitting amended plans more than two years after lodging the original proposal.

“We view this as a cynical ploy directed for the benefit of the inspector, certainly not for the local residents, as nothing has changed in relation to the building locations nearest to the main residential areas of Bearsted.

“Nor is there any change in the rail proposals or noise, air quality or sky glow impacts, or in fact any of the other issues that are of enormous concern to local residents, or to the surrounding area.”

As the KM went to press, Maidstone council had not received KIG’s amended plans. Spokesman Roger Adley said: “Once we have them, we shall post the details on our website as soon as possible.”