10 Nov 2009: Greens speak out against KIG

Green Party parliamentary candidate for Maidstone, Stuart Jeffery, will be speaking today at the public inquiry into the Kent International Gateway on behalf of Maidstone Greens and on behalf of Dr Caroline Lucas, Maidstone's Green MEP. The Greens have been strong supporters of the StopKIG campaign. Stuart will be focussing on the economic case against KIG.

Stuart Jeffery: "KIG claims to want to provide employment for Maidstone, but Maidstone simply does not have workers with the skills needed by KIG. KIG employees are far more likely to travel from Medway, adding to the appalling delays on the A229 each day. KIG's suggestion that it will provide a shuttle bus from Maidstone town centre for its workers is clearly absurd.

"KIG also claim that the development will benefit local businesses as workers will be spending £6 each day in Bearsted. It seems that KIG have not done their maths, £6 per day would equate to around 10% of these workers take home pay. Surely workers spending this proportion of their wages locally each day is ridiculous.

"There is a real need to localise the worlds economies to protect our environment and reduce CO2 emissions but we cannot do this with this type of interchange. While shifting freight from rail to road is great, KIG will simply allow for greater capacity for international trade. This will more than negate any benefit of switching from road to rail.

Pavement grit campaign on Facebook attracts 1000 members in 2 days
08 Jan 2010

Pavements need salt too
28 Dec 2009

Maidstone's 6 year backlog for social housing
15 Dec 2009

New evidence backs 20mph limits
11 Dec 2009

Maidstone Greens to join The Wave
01 Dec 2009

Greens speak out against KIG
10 Nov 2009

Save Maidstone's Maternity Services
07 Nov 2009

Postal Workers Dispute
29 Oct 2009

Maidstone's Carers Snubbed
15 Oct 2009

Lib Dems green claim is ridiculous
13 Oct 2009

Fant Ward By-Election
02 Oct 2009

Invest in jobs, not cuts as Maidstone's unemployment doubles
21 Sep 2009