BUSINESSES have been told to keep quiet after complaining about lost waterfronts.

The attack came from veteran Labour councillor Bill Davis, after the Medway River Users Association had expressed concerns about the loss of jobs in water-based businesses caused by redevelopment.

Solicitor Brian Kingsley-Smith was given permission to speak to the environment committee when it discussed a new rolling plan called the regeneration framework.

Mr Kingsley-Smith said the problem for Medway was its economy.

"There are references in this document to increasing river access and the river users association is anxious to see this," he said.

But he said the association was unable to gain access to the documents.

He added: "Members of the committee should recognise the very severe economic situation in the Towns. These are people interested in the waterfront economy of the Medway Towns."

Cllr Davis said: "It was allowed for many years to go to ruin and, now, commercial interests want us to do something which they could have done.

"They allowed it to get into a mess. We have said we want to open up the riverfront for everyone.

"Now, to talk about commercialism coming in really annoys me. There has been no interest of which we know. No one contacted this council when we were buying up land in that area.

"That was a right mess. We have done the right thing."

The committee chairman Cllr Roy Hunter (Con) said the association should be given access to the documents. Mr Kingsley-Smith had nothing to say about the comments which were made by Cllr Davis.