Medway Liberal Democrats campaign to save Chatham Docks
Liberal Democrats have started their campaign to save Chatham Docks and are calling for the land to be protected for employment use only.
The announcement that owners Peel L & P are to close the Docks by 2025 would be a body blow for Medway. The land being earmarked for new housing, leisure and retail under the Council's Strategic Land Availability Assessment (SLAA).
A spokesperson for Liberal Democrats said "Chatham has already lost its naval dockyard and now faces the loss of its commercial Docks. Chatham has been a commercial port for centuries, and we believe that the Docks are an asset for Medway as a thriving viable enterprise for ship repair.
The Docks provide employment with 800 highly skilled manufacturing and port related direct employees - many of whom are local people - with more again employed through various supply chains.
Medway needs economic vitality and the departure of the Docks will leave a deep hole, risking a massive number of jobs, loss of future apprenticeship schemes, which would take years to recover from. The impact and ripple effect of the closure would be catastrophic.
The Docks give continuity of employment as well as a sustainable location for industrial activity, which deserves protecting for future generations, and that's worth fighting for".
ENDS