Council votes on the Local Plan / Rochester AirportThe most controversial aspect of the Plan, the partial or full redevelopment of the Rochester Airport site, was as always opposed a hundred percent by the Council's Conservative group, but this was outvoted by the combined vote of all the other political groups. Those groups have between them four more members than there are Conservatives on the Council, so unsurprisingly the vote count showed a difference of four.
During the debate on this item in the Plan, which came as an amendment by the Cabinet to the Council Officers' proposals, the Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, Cllr John Booth, referred to Rochester Airport as "a silly little flying field", which eloquently displays that group's attitude to—and lack of knowledge of—the airport.
Both Labour and LibDem members perpetuated the various myths they had previously propounded, such as their claim that it was used only by an elite of half-a-dozen rich pilots, the flying side could continue side-by-side with partial development of the site, and that redevelopment of even part of the airfield site would bring great job opportunities via a high-tech Science and Technology Park.
Conservative members, on the other hand, brought out the true picture, which is well-known to many of the public, especially in the Horsted and Warren Wood areas. Cllr Howard Doe clarified that there are many regular users of the airport, most being ordinary people whose love of flying is so great that they have made whatever sacrifices were necessary to enable them to fly.
Interestingly, the news that the nearby Horsted campus of Mid-Kent College would become available within the next year or two (an ideal site for high-tech businesses) did not enter the debate at the time. This would have been mentioned before this debate if it had not been for the recent Labour practice of changing the order of full Council meetings, which they do for political reasons: it ensures that the items from which they believe they can get political benefit are dealt with first, while the Press and public are in attendance.
All members had been notified of this development before the meeting, but no-one was surprised that it had no impact, as it is no real secret that the whole Rochester Airport closure obsession is nothing whatsoever to do with job creation—there is negligible chance of this Science Park working out—it has everything to do with concreting-over green spaces, something of which the Medway Countryside Forum has been well aware for nearly three years now. They have a map showing all the green spaces we have in Medway and surrounding areas, and those threatened have been marked in red.
Nearly all the green areas are coloured red!
So, don't be fooled: just as with the Cliffe Airport proposal and John Prescott's housing quotas and increased housing densities, all that is coming from Labour, both nationally and locally, is intended first and foremost to turn the Garden of England into a vast patio stretching from London to the coast. They are supported by the Liberal Democrats, regardless of what that group might claim in public, and the Rochester Airfield issue is just one more visible part of that general policy.
Please don't let them con you—vote them out: it's the only real power we all have. We must all send that signal to the political parties concerned, via the ballot box.