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Dartford Hospital Management Committee,
The Bow Arrow Hospital,
Dartford,
Kent,
30th December, 1953.
Dear Dr. Morgan,
Kent Development Plan, Part B.
Proposed Gas Works at Gravesend.
We thank you very much for your letter of the 23rd December and enclosures.
At the invitation of the Clerk of the County Council I recently attended a conference
at Gravesend for a preliminary discussion of the matter, when representatives of a
considerable number of Authorities likely to be affected by the scheme were present,
including representatives of the Port of London Authority insofar as the proposals were likely
to affect that Authority's responsibilities for the river.
You will, no doubt, have heard that the South-Eastern Gas Board's proposals will
involve the use of an area of the marshland up to 150 acres, upon which the Board proposes
to erect a very large Gas Works which it is intended eventually to serve an area extending
from and including Belvedere to the Medway Towns.
Not having had any prior information, it was, of course, impossible for me to form any
clear impression as to the effect of such a project upon the future of the Denton Hospital,
but it would seem to me that the proposal will be of no possible advantage to the hospital,
and can only add to the problems of its future administration.
The Gravesend Borough Council is raising strong objection and I understand that there
are to be further detailed consultations with the County Planning Authority. My personal
impression is that the Gas Board is proceeding in the matter with some determination and
that the strongest opposition to the scheme comes from the Gravesend Borough Council.
I have reported the matter to the Regional Hospital Board and propose to submit a
report also to the next meeting of the General Purposes Sub-committee of the Management
Committee. The observations which you have made in your letter to the County Planning
Officer will then be submitted to the Members.
Without having available the detailed plans of the project I cannot say precisely how
close the final boundary of the new Gas Works will be to the boundary of the Denton
Hospital, but my impression is that the Gas Works boundary may come within 500 feet of
the boundary of the Hospital on the east side, and apart from its proximity to the hospital,
quite obviously so large a project is likely to affect materially the development of the whole
area on that side of Gravesend.
Yours sincerely,
(Sgd.) E. J. M. DURRANT,
Group Secretary.
The Medical Officer of Health,
Port of London Health Authority,
5, Church Passage, E.C.2.
5, Church Passage,
London, E.C.2,
31st December, 1953.
Dear Mr. Durrant,
Kent Development Plan, Part B.
Proposed Gas Works at Gravesend.
Many thanks for your letter of the 30th instant and for kindly writing so fully about
the proposed development at Denton Hospital.
I was always under the impression that the marshland in the vicinity of Denton was
not to be developed but I suppose there has been some change of mind about that. The
prospects of a large gas works in the near vicinity of Denton Hospital is somewhat depressing
but it might not perhaps be dangerous unless residential accommodation for the employees
is to be developed near the site.
In any case, your Committee, and also mine for that matter, will doubtless wish to
know a good deal more about the plans in due course if they ever reach such a stage of
possible materialisation, and it seems to me that the important thing is to make certain, as
far as possible in such circumstances, that we are kept fully au courant with the proposals
and have a very early opportunity to make observations on them.
In recent years my Authority has been involved to some extent in the development of
the new Basildon town in Essex, and particularly of the proposed sewage disposal scheme
for that town. We have repeatedly urged that we should be kept informed of proposals
but I am afraid that has not always been the case and we have been presented with plans
at a stage when it was difficult to resist what was practically a fait accompli.
Yours sincerely,
(Sgd.) M. T. MORGAN,
Medical Officer of Healthr
Port of London.
The Secretary,
Dartford Hospital Management Committee,
The Bow Arrow Hospital,
Dartford, Kent.
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