Sadly today the news came through that Labour’s Secretary of State Angela Raynor has decided NOT to call in the decision made by the Labour Medway Council to allow Peel Holdings to redevelop Chatham Docks. This now directly puts at risk the livelihoods of 1000s of local “working people”.
This could signal the end of high skilled employment at Chatham Docks and businesses who are responsible for supplying large UK infrastructure projects. The impact on the local economy would be significant and would be detrimental to future opportunities. Chatham Docks and its basins are a significant regional economic asset for this area, yet the developers see its value only as a nice plot to build flats that won’t be sold to local people.
The guidance is clear, a planning application for a regionally significant asset such as this should have been Called-In. Sadly the new Labour MP has singularly failed to back local people and fight to protect the docks and the jobs, choosing to hide behind the decision her council took last year, which she is still a part of as a councillor.
I have fought alongside the businesses and workers to protect this asset, to try and save the jobs of local people and I will continue to fight alongside Save Chatham Docks who will be looking at next steps. I am clear this is a bad decision for the local businesses, local people, the Medway Towns and our local economy. Shame on Labour.
