Letter from Councillor Roger Dalton to the Planning Inspector regarding Southern Water:

Dear Mrs Smith,

Ref: Appeal No. APP/W/2275/A/07-2035709

Site at Aylesford Waste Water Treatment Works, Bull Lane, Eccles,Aylesford ME20 7DA.

I am one of two Tonbridge & Malling Borough Councillors, the other being Councillor Dave Davis, who represent the residents of Burham, Wouldham & Eccles.

I know that Cllr Davis has written to you under separate cover in much more detail, I fully support his comments on this issue.

I do however need to state my support of both Kent County Council Planning Committee and T&MBC in rejecting this application, on sound, justifiable planning reasons namely:-

Policy TP15: Development Traffic & Heavy Goods Vehicles.

Policy QL: The Protection and Enhancement of Existing Community Services.

I am also in agreement with T&MBC over their concerns that the odour issues as submitted by Southern Water have not fully addressed the concerns raised by T&MBC.

That Kent Police has carried out a safety audit for Bull Lane, and I am led to believe that they are not happy with proposed traffic movements.

In light that Southern Water may or may not have explored at least two other routes into the works that by-pass the village of Eccles, I submit that there is another route open to them.

They have direct contact with the east bank of the River Medway, this river is tidal and barges still use this river to receive scrap metals from a yard further up stream to Southern Waters Works, in fact small coastal ships still collect cement products from a cement works further down stream.

Southern Water also have a treatment works further down stream on the west bank of the Medway, these works at Ham Hill are between two motorways namely the M20 and The M2 both being connected by the A 228, a mainly dual carriage roadway. I am led to believe that Ham Hill Works also has direct connection with the river Medway from the existing site.

I submit that Southern Water could bring lorries into Ham Hill, transfer to a barge, transport down stream and unload direct into Eccles works and bring back finished products by the same route.

What would happen if the new plant proposed at Ashford could not accept their quota of lorries due to the M20 motorway being closed as happened last week for some five hours due to a fatal accident?

Or Kent Police having to install Operation Stack on the motorway, shutting it down, if we have adverse weather conditions in the English Channel, or strike by French Port workers/fishermen and they shut down the port of Calais as they have in the past.

Then all these lorries would divert to Aylesford site via Eccles, the numbers of which would be un-limited. We would not have these problems if the River Medway was used.

I have attached aerial photographs clearly showing east bank Works.

If Southern water dismisses this other route that is open to them with this form of moving waste, London still move thousand of tonnes of waste by river every day, I can only conclude that the community must suffer for the profit of the company and share-holders. This cannot be fair on our residents.

In closing, I as a Borough Councillor for this Ward would like to speak at the enquiry, therefore would you please register my request to speak.

Yours sincerely

Roger Dalton
Tonbridge & Malling Member for Burham Wouldham & Eccles