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Highways chiefs are being urged to push ahead with a vital multi-million-pound road project between Herne Bay and Canterbury – or risk traffic misery for motorists.
Kent County Council has not confirmed a date for construction to begin on the Bullockstone Road Improvement Scheme, but aims to submit plans and purchase the land over the next 12 months.
The authority hopes the project will ease congestion created by the planned developments across Herne Bay and offer an alternative route out of the town to the A291 Canterbury Road, which runs through the centre of Herne.
But residents fear work will start long after hundreds of the new homes have been built, forcing construction vehicles to travel through the village.
Alistair Russell, who works for construction firm Ian Sayer & Co, believes this could lead to a serious crash.
“It’s dangerous now,” he said. “There will be the added construction traffic and, once the homes are built, there will be more people travelling to Canterbury.
"For the next 10 years we’ll get large construction vehicles before we even get the additional traffic.
“Without the Bullockstone Road improvements there could be a serious accident – the great fear is somebody will get knocked over. It’s a disaster waiting to happen in the middle of the village.”
Mr Russell, who lives close to the junction with Bullockstone Road, has worked on 300- and 500-home developments in Harlow and Brixton.
KCC is expecting to fund the £7.7m scheme through contributions from developers at the former Herne Bay Golf Club, Strode Farm and Hillborough.
However, the £2.3m from Hollamby Estates, the developer of the site in Herne, has not been received yet. Documents state the company will have to hand the money over before 250 homes are moved into on the plot. And no agreement is in place with the house builders at Hillborough for the remaining £2m.
“It would be preferable for it to be forward funded by KCC to build the road so we don’t take any more construction traffic,” Mr Russell added.
“Herne already gridlocks – you can’t get two vehicles past each other outside the Smuggler’s. The construction traffic will make the centre of the village more unpleasant than it is now.”
He also fears added congestion could result in more accidents at the junction of Bullockstone Road and the A291.
Herne and Broomfield Parish Council is also calling for KCC to carry out the work before receiving all of the contributions from the developers.
Vice-chairman Carol Davis said: “If there’s so much more traffic in the village – and particularly if there are people who are not local – they are going to be less aware of the hazards.
"It’s going to make it really unpleasant for people who live here. It’s a shame that such a lot is being imposed on us once again.”
The parish council also fears all of the contributions towards the project may not be received, meaning only part of the project will be completed.
KCC is planning to widen Bullockstone Road, install a shared footpath and cycleway and extend the 40mph limit along the entire route.
The scheme, also called the Herne Relief Road, will see roundabouts installed at the junctions between Bullockstone Road and Canterbury Road and the thoroughfare running through the planned Strode Farm development.
A KCC spokesman said: “As part of the planning process, money from the developers will be allocated to the scheme so construction can go ahead.
“KCC is a consultee in the planning process and can only make recommendations. Canterbury City Council’s planning committee is the determining body and decides applications.
"These sites, together with the requirement for the improvements to Bullockstone Road were identified by Canterbury City Council in its Local Plan.”
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