I took a stand against the HIF proposals and the previous Council Leader back in 2018 when the full plans were made clear. Along with elected Ward Councillors, Parish Councillors and the local community, I have fiercely represented the views of our community making our case in Parliament and with Government ministers, challenging the plans put forward within the HIF, which would legitimise the destruction of the Hoo Peninsula by pursuing the ambition of large-scale house building, merging 3 of our unique rural villages together which was not supported by the community or any of the elected representatives for the area.
I am pleased that after years of us all raising concerns about the deliverability and sustainability of the HIF project, which has been scaled down a number of times and fraught with issues and many unanswered questions remaining, Homes England, after carrying out an independent evaluation, have identified a number of risks and issues with the project and have recommended to the Government that support for this project should be removed. The Secretary of State, Rt Hon Michael Gove, has listened to us, the MP, local elected representatives and the community affected, and has agreed with the recommendation to scrap the HIF.
Since Labour took control of the Council, they have made it very clear they want to deliver the HIF project that the local community does not support. In desperation, over the last week they submitted another failed proposal to Government for a significantly reduced scheme. They have continued with the threat to local residents that large scale development is coming with or without the infrastructure and with or without the support of the community or the area’s elected representatives. Labour’s vision for Medway proves that their aim is to pursue large-scale development within the Hoo Peninsula, destroying our unique rural villages which are a special part of the Medway Towns. Labour have already pledged to reintroduce mandatory housing targets and remove greenbelt development restrictions, supported by Labour’s Parliamentary candidate, which is a worrying sign for those who want to protect the Peninsula.
The HIF plan was never truly about delivering improved infrastructure for the existing community as it totally failed to do that. It didn’t support development in the right place, with new home schemes that would provide the right type of homes for the needs of local people. Nor did it enable sustainable jobs, development of the local economy or protect our greenspaces and environment.
I, alongside fellow Conservatives MPs, worked with Government to get a consultation on changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) which will make the excessive housing targets advisory NOT mandatory. We need to build homes in Medway in the right places, with the right infrastructure including health facilities, improved GP provision and a new hospital which the 3 Conservative MPs are working towards. We also need roads that in reality will improve the ability to move around our towns, school provision in the right places and to protect our unique and nationally important nature sites and greenspaces, to improve the lives of our communities.
I hope the Labour Council will now listen to the communities they serve and take advantage of the changes the Government are committed to, in order to develop a local plan with a realistic housing target based on actual local need and re-think their flawed plan. It should not be down to our communities in Rochester and Strood to pick up the slack for London’s failure and the Labour Mayor of London to build enough homes for their communities.
I am working with local Councillors for the area to formulate our plans for improved infrastructure for our communities – improvements that the residents of this area actually want, including a deliverable road scheme. We will continue to fight for the improvement of our Peninsula.
