Delivery of one of Ashford’s key infrastructure projects could face delays after the decision was referred to a public inquiry.

Kent County Council Highways teams are working alongside contractors from Jackson Civil Engineering and Amey Design to turn Chart Road into a dual carriageway between the tank roundabout and Matalan.

The £30m plan is being funded from section 106 contributions by housing developers so the town can cope with more cars travelling from the Chilmington Green housing development.

It would see the A28 being widened into a two-lane carriageway by the Cobbs Wood industrial estate and Godinton Park.

But now KCC transport chiefs say there could be complications with the scheme as they try to agree deals with landowners to allow the road to be built.

In a report to be discussed by the Ashford Joint Transportation Board (JTB) next week, KCC project manager Barry Stiff has explained that there are eight landowners where deals will have to be reached.

Mr Stiff wrote: “Discussions commenced early on in the scheme development but a compulsory purchase order has been required to give programme certainty.”

He said that there were five objections to the scheme, which has prompted the Secretary of State for Transport to refer the decision to a planning inspector.

Objections include concerns of a resident in Chart Leacon cottages, who fears access to the property would become a left-turn-only onto the dual carriageway.

Matalan is concerned about the potential effect on its car parking spaces, while SHB Plant Hire is concerned about the effect on the business.

Network Rail has put in a holding objection while it reviews the plans, and a property company FPC Ltd also expressed concern.

But Mr Stiff believes that the speed of delivering the new road will be dictated by whether a public inquiry “can be avoided or significantly reduced in scale”, but said if there is a public inquiry, there will be a “high risk” of delays to the scheme.

His report will be discussed by the JTB on Tuesday at 7pm in the council chamber in Tannery Lane.