No, but if you are spending a mass of money building a new Slade Green you don’t want to be building it on top of the Crossrail route (which is already passively protected isn’t it?).
A bit more difficult in practice. The siding opposite and the southerrn shed are 10 car max so the extension would need to be length wise by quite a bit to cope with both going upto more 12car as well as sideways to the east and this bring big issues with junctions and then there is Crossrail extension provision...
There is planning permission in progress for a large logistics park with rail access "Howbury Park" on the fields so there insn't a huge amount of extra width for more rail stuff just 5-6 tracks worth for rail shed.
a) The Dartford station pinch point need addressing anyway.
The rail link was just to get planning permission, no actually things it would ever get used...
I'm sure the oweners wouldn't mind too much if it was removed fairly soon afterwards for a better use after they have "ticked the box"
Having been through Canterbury East today there appears to be some old siding land beyond the Dover end of the platforms; perhaps a couple of sidings there could store the late weekday CBE terminators that currently go to the Faversham sidings overnight, freeing those up for something else (or an alternative stock arrangement)?
There are some peak Strood starters and terminators in the respective peaks that currently come from/go to Slade Green or Plumstead as ECS, if the staff logistics can be altered the rolling stock would have a much easier move from Hoo Jct to manage those peak services if converted.
Those sidings are favourites for Tunbridge Wells' services and some other long distance stablings, so 465/9 sets and Electrostars are commonly stored there.
Metropolitan Green Belt issue is too difficult to break and I don't think SG Depot expansion does have the justfication to de-designate Green Belt designation.
