Cliffe reprieved (again)

The coastal wetlands of Cliffe in North Kent will always be linked with plans to plonk a four-run way airport on it (and much else besides).  The ‘No Airport at Cliffe’ campaign is now part of the RSPB’s battle-honours.

That particular campaign ended (successfully) well before the need to consider preparing our case for a public inquiry.  Cliffe’s recovering natural environment and its local community have, once again been at the centre of a strenuous planning battle – which I’m delighted to report, has been concluded successfully.

This time the issue was that land next to the RSPB’s Cliffe Pools Reserve was bought and developed by Britannia Assets in 2003 – the resulting industrial depot is known as the Thameside Terminal.  The development went ahead without planning permission and was slap bang in an area that was both important for nature conservation and of high landscape value.  Medway Council issued the company with enforcement notices to clear the site, the owner appealed and a public inquiry was called.

Public inquires are not for the faint-hearted!  The painstaking assembly of the case and the inevitable adversarial nature of the inquiry itself; with evidence given and rigorously cross-examined ensures that staff involved have to rise to the challenge.  That’s always the case, but this particular saga has been a tough nut to crack.  The ruling, earlier this week, that the development of the Thameside Terminal industrial depot is unlawful and must be cleared is, therefore, a particularly welcome outcome. Here's some news coverage of the story from, oddly, Peterborough!

Our role in the inquiry was to act as an expert witness for the council. We presented evidence on the potential impacts of the development on the neighbouring reserve which is protected for its wintering waterbirds which arrive in internationally important numbers (you can find out more about the reserve and its birds – here).  Their vulnerability to disturbance was an important aspect of the case.

The outcome of this public inquiry confirms that this site is totally unsuitable for such a development, not just because of the impacts on the surrounding environment but also the impact on local residents through increased traffic and unacceptable noise levels.

The inspector ruled that the site should be cleared because:

• An adverse effect on the internationally designated site cannot be ruled out.
• The development is insensitive to the surrounding environment which the council is seeking to restore.
• The development is likely to increase the risk to highway safety and is particularly hazardous to pedestrians.
• The development is detrimental to the living conditions of local residents.

Our North Kent Marshes area manager, Alan Johnson is clear about the message this decision sends: ‘The environment cannot be ridden roughshod over and the quality of life of the local residents is of paramount importance’.

So for a second time in a decade, the natural environment of Cliffe has won through – there’s a welcome pattern developing.   Let’s hope this is the end of the struggles to protect this special place, the signs are clear – the natural environment must be at the heart of this area’s future.