Rebar giant loses high court fight to save Chatham Docks base

The authorized problem focused planning consent granted by Medway Council for the regeneration of the docks as a part of Peel Waters’ Basin3 scheme – a proposed 31,000 sq m waterside campus.

ArcelorMittal Kent Wire, which operates a big rebar fabrication facility on the positioning, argued that repurposing the warehouses it leases would have “seismic adversarial penalties” for British business.

The agency warned that dropping the bottom would power the closure of a plant supplying round 30% of the UK’s rebar wants.

ArcelorMittal rebar fabrication facility

The dockside manufacturing unit sits inside an 18-acre waterfront industrial property now being readied for regeneration. ArcelorMittal claimed it had no viable various websites in southern England, arguing the Chatham location was uniquely positioned near its core buyer base.

Matthew Brooks, managing director of ArcelorMittal Kent Wire, had beforehand written to the Authorities warning that the corporate could be left with no various however to exit Chatham Docks and, doubtlessly, stop operations in Britain altogether because of the lack of appropriate substitute websites.

The corporate has mentioned the compelled closure would outcome within the lack of as much as 800 direct jobs.

Peel Waters dockside enterprise park plan

Following the ruling, Peel Waters confirmed it’s going to now press forward with its plans to ship 31,000 sq m of adaptable workspace underneath the Basin3 banner, with ambitions to finally triple the variety of jobs on the positioning.

The developer mentioned the scheme will enhance flood resilience alongside the waterfront, whereas new buildings will incorporate inexperienced applied sciences and high-performance energy-efficient design as a part of the broader regeneration of Chatham Docks.