The Campaign to Save Chatham Docks gained national attention this week with the Leader of the Labour Party, Sir Keir Starmer, QC, MP voicing his support to protect nearly 1,500 highly skilled jobs located there and through local supply chains.

The Labour Leader’s support is just one of many voices to support the campaign that also includes Conservative MP for Rochester and Strood, Kelly Tolhurst, MP and local Liberal Democrats and Greens.

The Docks are currently in the freehold of Peel Land & Property, who intend to develop the site for luxury housing and retail uses at the end of the lease in 2025. The move threatens £150 million of annual investment into the Medway economy.  Peel are hoping to persuade Medway Council to remove Chatham Docks’ protected status for employment use as part of its new Local Plan that will be published in Spring 2021. 

Keir Starmer, Leader of the Labour Party said:

“We can’t recover from a health and economic crisis like coronavirus on the back of unemployment. That’s why I’m proudly backing the campaign to protect quality jobs at Chatham Docks.”

Cllr. Vince Maple, Leader of the Labour Group on Medway Council, who will be asking a question at Medway Council next Full Council meeting on 8th October added:

“At a time of national crisis and the detrimental consequences this is having on the employment market, it is unfathomable that Medway Council are silent on this matter.  It is simply counter-intuitive to purposefully axe local jobs at a time whereby the number of people on national payrolls are down by almost 700,000 since March 2020, particularly in place of luxury housing and retail sector development.  I’d urge the Conservative administration [on Medway Council] to use common sense and intervene in this situation immediately, particularly given the further uncertainty to the local economy beyond the Covid-19 crisis”.

Responding to Sir Kier Starmer’s statement, Phil Taylor, Chief Executive of Arcelor Kent Wire said:

“We are delighted that Sir Kier Starmer has joined our campaign and given it national attention.  It shows that there is cross-party support at a national level for our campaign with the backing of Kelly Tolhurst and local Liberal Democrats and Greens.  I would urge Medway Council to wake up and ensure that its new Local Plan protects Chatham Docks and the nearly 1,500 jobs that depend on it.”