THE company which wants to build a road/rail freight transport interchange across 250 acres of farmland at Bearsted has not provided enough information, Maidstone council has ruled.

The borough has demanded more details from Kent International Gateway. Alison Broom , the council’s director of operations, said: "These are not marginal or frivolous requests.

"We are asking for information that is critical to the determination of this application."

The council wants more evidence on whether the applicants want to build a road/rail interchange or merely just a road/road depot, which many of the objectors suspect.

Mrs Broom said that there were also "significant gaps" in the company’s analysis of the 3,500 employment opportunities it claims the project will bring.

But the council said there was "a whole raft of matters" where it was seeking further supporting evidence, including environmental issues, such as the landscaping, visual impact, the effects of the development on air and water quality, and traffic generation.

Health concerns, which were highlighted by Dr Will Mangar, a Snodland GP, last week, were among the areas where the application was deemed inadequate.

The company is obliged to make some form of response to the council within 21 days, but Mrs Broom agreed that the firm could not be compelled to provide further evidence.

If it did not do so, it would probably weaken the firm’s case if permission were refused and the scheme went to appeal.

The council is not looking to change its timetable on the application and expects to make a decision by February 13.

However, Mrs Broom said that the deadline might be legitimately extended depending on KIG’s response.