Representation by GRT Holdings Limited (GRT Holdings Limited)
- Date submitted
- 17 February 2023
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
• Statement of Reasons 4.1 under Annex B Schedule of Negotiations No327, identifies the engagement between the parties up to the point of submission of the DCO application and its subsequent acceptance by PINS. However, this does not provide the context of those discussions nor the misrepresentation by the applicant regarding the terms of the voluntary agreement and purchase price with the applicant reneging on the heads of terms that were previously agreed in the Summer of 2022. Whilst the value of the land is not a matter for the Inquiry, the background and discussions between the parties has influenced the subsequent design of the scheme and therefore alternatives have not been considered appropriately. • The Claimant was willing to engage with the applicant on the grounds of a voluntary acquisition due to the inevitability that the land take required for the Scheme would make the golf course redundant. The blight of the scheme arising from the Preferred Route announcement immediately affected the ongoing business with the loss of 30 plus employees seeking alternative jobs due to the inevitable closure of the course. The course had to be closed in August 2022 due to this blight and employees had to be made redundant. The applicant has refused to compensate for any of these closure costs even though it is contended that National Highways actions have been a material reason for the loss of a profitable and accessible sports/leisure facility in the borough of Gravesham. • Previous scheme designs for the use of the golf course land indicated varying options, part of which was to endeavour to replace the sport/leisure facilities. The land now forms part of the named Chalk Park and will consist of grassland and woodland planting and will provide public open space replacement. We consider that due to the closure of the golf course, the applicant has now over committed with its proposed replacement of what is referred to as special category land across the scheme and would ask PINS to question the applicants’ calculations for replacement special category land. • Following the closure of the golf course, even though security was put in place by the claimant, the whole site has been over-run by motorbikes and antisocial behaviour. By creating a grassland park, together with walking, cycling and horse-riding routes. this will only encourage this illegal use and cause significant detriment to local residents and nullify any alleged ecological and environmental mitigation proposals in the area. • An area of land extending to circa 8 acres, to include the clubhouse has not been identified for use by the scheme in the General Arrangement Plans, Sheet 11 and 13, and yet remains shaded red for permanent acquisition. If a voluntary agreement to acquire the full extent of the claimant’s land is not reached, there is no justification for this area to be subject to compulsory purchase.