Sort out the traffic problem or the estate will die.

That's the message from business owners who say increasingly lengthy jams are crippling companies on the Medway City Estate.

Last week we reported Medway Council was facing calls for urgent action to end the daily nightmare for 6,000 people getting to and from work on the estate near Strood.

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But still the problem remains, with the council standing by its line that it is "exploring options" to address the situation.

That is not good enough, according to Roland Beaumont, director of Information Technology System Support based in Anthony's Way.

He said he had been contacted by one company asking to help their managing director relocate his office to his home.

This marked, said Mr Beaumont "the first of many I fear, and the potential death of the estate if it catches on".

And he added: "It's a sizeable company and he's got to the point where he can't deal with the traffic any more.
"He's looking to move his staff out too."

Mr Beaumont said he had also begun asking lorry drivers parked on the estate and blocking traffic to move on, because Medway Council was not addressing the issue.

"Can you imagine a chemical spill or serious other fire on the estate at this time of night," he wrote in a shared email to the council.

"I’m uncertain how many of us would make it out of here, or perhaps we have a medical emergency, how would the police, fire, ambulance services deal with it?"

Hugh Edeleanu, chairman of electric car hire firm EVision, also spoke of the problems faced by businesses.

Speaking at the Kent launch of Jaguar’s new all-electric I-PACE, at his headquarters in Whitewall Road, he would no doubt have preferred to talk about the innovative new technology he hopes will transform motoring throughout the county.

But Mr Edeleanu admitted the estate’s problems needed fixing.

"There’s no easy solution,” he said.

"We have to time staff’s arrival and the departure of vehicles to avoid peak times. It can take an hour to get off the estate.

"Something needs to be done - it’s not acceptable.”

He said the annual amount of money lost to businesses due to traffic would easily pay for the cost of work that needs to be done.

"The council needs to look at it like that," he added.

"It’s been like this for years."

Medway Council said it was taking steps to alleviate congestion, following an online survey conducted among people on the estate.

Michael Edwards, Medway Council’s head of integrated transport, said: "Following the survey we are exploring a number of options to ease congestion including parking restrictions on the approach to the Anthony's Way roundabout following concerns raised regarding HGVs parking on the estate and causing traffic flow issues."

The council says it is also exploring the automation of lights controlling traffic at the Medway Tunnel to help traffic leave the estate quicker.