VILLAGERS campaigning for a bypass in Borough Green have been told by Kent County Council that the plans have not been scrapped and now is the time to fight for their road.

Borough Green Parish Council was concerned that the bypass plan was being brushed aside by KCC after it was earmarked as being considered for deletion in the county's structural plan.

But Cllr Alex King (Con), KCC's cabinet member for regeneration and infrastructure, has told residents that this does not mean the bypass will automatically be dropped. Instead a consultation will be held in the village and if there is enough support for the bypass then it will be given the go-ahead by KCC.

Cllr King said: "We are sending out consultation letters to a lot of people about the bypass and there is already a lot of pressure building up on us to keep plans for the road in place." He added: "I would hope we can make a decision about the Borough Green bypass fairly quickly."

The idea for a Borough Green bypass, supported by Borough Green Parish Council, has been in the pipeline for more than 20 years as a way of stopping traffic passing through the village on its way from the M26 to Sevenoaks.

The bypass has been granted planning permission by KCC but plans were halted because the road will cost less than £5million to build - meaning the county council cannot get a Government grant to pay for it.

Instead the council will either have to pay up the £3million needed itself or - more likely - encourage private investment in the road from developers who plan to build in the area.

A further delay could be the arrival of a Government transport report, the Orbital Study, which is due in the autumn.