CAMPAIGNERS who are opposing a planned logistics park development in West Thurrock have outlined the reasons why they believe it should not go ahead.

A consultation has been mounted over recent weeks prior to submission is made for planning permission for the proposed Mardyke Park development on Ship Lane, close to Aveley.

An open consultation event by the developers took place at Aveley FC last week and was picketed by the scheme's opponents.

One of them, local resident Cathy Sisterton, spoke to Thurrock Nub News about why they believed the scheme was not appropriate for the area, saying Thurrock was already 'rich in logistics centres'.

She continued: "As it stands, the area is a perfect example of what can be achieved for nature by rewilding. Nature is under threat with great loss of biodiversity and many species facing extinction around the UK so we need to save what we have.

"The developers claim it is low carbon, but this is a downright lie. The buildings may be operationally carbon neutral, but the construction process certainly won't be, with the embedded carbon in the concrete production, construction vehicles, building materials etc. An enormous number of trees and established shrub land - which are carbon sinks acting as Aveley's green lungs - will be destroyed. Once operational, there are 520 parking spaces included, so the number of cars, vans, lorries coming and going on a 24-hour day basis will be huge. 

"The pollution in Aveley is already high, surrounded as we are by the A13 and the M25. Increasing it still further will clearly exacerbate existing health problems. It is also not acceptable to keep on adding to the traffic problems we get at the roundabout at junction 31 of the m25 whenever there is any problem on the Dartford crossing. 

"This area is a flood plain, and we all see the flooding around the Mar Dyke every year. Concreting over more of the flood plain just means the water has to go somewhere else. 

image3.jpeg

image4.jpeg

"At the consultation event, and in the scoping document on the Thurrock Council website, they claimed that there is no wildlife on the site! This is plainly ridiculous and a lie. 

"We also question the value to Aveley of the benefits they are claiming.

"Outdoor recreational facilities we already have at the Rec and at Belhus Park. A boardwalk for walking and cycling isn't needed, there's a perfectly good path for this alongside the A1306, edged by the woods and fields they want to destroy.

"We don't need a new community hub as we have one in the centre of the village, accessible to all, so why do we want one that we have to travel to?

"They are also offering a dog adventure playground … can they be serious?! A new roundabout near the bottom of Ship Lane for lorries to turn round before getting into Aveley might be useful but only minimally. They have apparently counted the number of HGVs travelling up and down Ship Lane every day - they say there are 400 which is absurd - on questioning this includes buses (6 an hour) plus vans larger than panel vans. So the HGV problem is nowhere near as bad as they are portraying it.

"Finally, they claim that a benefit would be 'opening up inaccessible outdoor space'. However, this is entirely wrong-headed from an environmental point of view, as nature and wildlife thrive precisely in places which are not very accessible to the public, where they can live in relative peace. 

"There is a questionnaire on their website for feedback. The questions are extremely leading eg do you support more jobs in Thurrock? Answering 'yes' does in no way imply support for this project, but no doubt they will try and use it in their favour. "