China Gateway - The Facts

China Gateway
China Gateway - Key Points
China Gateway - The Players

The following entry is based on information provided by:

IMS, 11 Grosvenor Road, BROADSTAIRS, Kent, CT10 2BT
01843 604 253 or inmeds@yahoo.co.uk

Thursday 9th October, 2008

Thanet Council will decide on whether to allow China Gateway to go ahead. Thanet's environmental future is at very serious risk. We need to act NOW if we want to prevent this.

WHAT'S HAPPENING?

A development company called Commercial Group Properties (CGP) plans to build a huge Chinese warehousing operation at Manston to distribute their goods throughout Europe. The site will cover roughly 175 acres. Phase 1 will be on the existing Manston Business Park. CGP has made it clear that they will only go ahead if they get permission for a further two phases which will cover prime farmland.

WHY SHOULD YOU BE WORRIED?

• OUR WATER. The plan is to build on one of Thanet's most important sources of drinking water - an underground reservoir or aquifer. There is a serious risk of our water being contaminated. And if they seal it off, then the aquifer may run dry.

• OUR FOOD. Across the world the price of food continues to rise, food security is now a serious issue. This is the time to protect our farmland, not build over it. Large amounts of farmland have already been lost - we simply should not lose more.

• OUR ROADS. Traffic already overloads Thanet roads. Combined with Thanet Earth's contribution of increased traffic, China Gateway's transport requirements as a major distributer for electronic goods through Europe will be horrendous. HGVs, lorries and vans will be required to service the operation bringing very serious congestion with gridlock a possibility and an immense increase in CO2 emissions.

• OUR COUNTRYSIDE. This is one of the last remaining areas of rural Thanet. Take a look at the Thanet Earth site (BBC video) should you want confirmation as to how quickly our fine rural landscape can disappear at an alarming rate. Make no mistake on this, once gone it will be irreversible. It's been suggested that Home Tourism may increase in these difficult times, but what limited tourism we now enjoy will surely dwindle to nothing if we don't protect what we have.
  

Any plans for a commercial airport will be compromised since access for potential travellers will be affected. Known difficulties would prevent holiday companies even considering Manston as a serious contender for an airport.

EMPLOYMENT

The developers claim China Gateway will bring jobs. The area does need jobs. But this is a WAREHOUSING project. Warehouses are highly automated. The numbers of jobs created will be negligible. China's economic fortune is based on cheap labour. The minimum wage here is twenty times that in China, so it would appear that this may be a cynical ploy to enhance the prospect of gaining planning permission.

WHAT CAN WE DO?

If we don't tell the council our views they will proceed; we need numbers of people to be active. Write, phone or e-mail you local councillors. If you need to find them call 01843 577000. Tell them of your concerns as listed above: WATER, FOOD, ROADS and ENVIRONMENT.

Tell other people about it, many simply don't know what's going on. You can give out leaflets and take part in demonstrations. Ring 01843 604 253 for more details.

IMS, 11 Grosvenor Road, BROADSTAIRS, Kent, CT10 2BT
01843 604 253 or inmeds@yahoo.co.uk