COUNTY councillors say plans for a huge land bridge the National Trust wants to build to cross the Lamberhurst bypass would be an environmental disaster. Now KCC is poised to try and block the plan after councillors recommended that it formally opposes the £3million scheme. The planning authority’s objections could force a fresh public inquiry.

Councillors met to consider the land bridge –which at some points could be as wide as a football pitch - at a meeting of KCC’s Highways Advisory Board. They made little effort to disguise their anger at the plans and hit out at the National Trust for the way it had acted.

Cllr John Bullock, who lives in the village and represents Tunbridge Wells Central, (Con) led the attack on the scheme. He said the National Trust, which claims the bridge would preserve the traditional access to Scotney Castle, had behaved “abominably.”

He stressed: “They did not carry out any public consultation with any authority. The National Trust appears to have gone straight to the cabinet to persuade the government to sponsor the scheme. The proposed structure is huge. At its smallest, the width would be 30 metres and at its largest it may be as much as 80 metres. It seems a pretty large bridge for just a few pheasants and rabbits.”

The original plans for the bypass were less environmentally damaging and at £3million, the bridge would cost half what was needed for the entire bypass, he added.

County transport chiefs have warned that if KCC does formally oppose the land bridge plan, it could lead to another public inquiry. A final decision will rest with the county council’s Conservative-run cabinet – now the key-decision making body at County Hall.

After the meeting, cabinet member for regeneration Cllr Alex King, who will take the decision, said he understood the fears of villagers but would not be drawn on his intentions.

A final decision may not be made for several weeks but will have to be made by early December when the public consultation period ends.