Railway star rails at rail depot

Background to freight depot plans

An actress has joined residents in their campaign against plans for a road and rail freight depot in Kent.

Jenny Agutter, who lived in Bearsted as a teenager, said the Kent International Gateway (KIG) project near the village was "ill-considered and terrible".

Members of the public have been giving evidence at a public inquiry, and more than 9,000 have signed a petition.

Developers AXA Real Estate Investment Managers said the scheme would create 3,500 jobs and take lorries off roads.

The project comprises a distribution park, warehouses and offices across 285 acres north of Bearsted, near Maidstone.

Obliterate swathes

Ms Agutter, who starred in films including The Railway Children and An American Werewolf in London, said the site would "change the landscape immeasurably in a very negative way".

"I just feel that it is ill-considered. Costs do come into all of this.

"The loss for the community will be very great in terms of something they will never be able to get back.

"It is spoiling an exceptional rural area."

Opponents of the scheme, led by the Stop Kent International Gateway (KIG) group, have said it will obliterate swathes of countryside, create visual, sound and light pollution and increase traffic.

A six-week public inquiry into the plans began on 13 October.

Following the hearing, the planning inspector will report his recommendations to John Denham, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, before a final decision by the government.