Plans for a roundabout at a busy junction has been given fresh backing but how it will be funded remains uncertain.

Swale Joint Transportation Board voted to formally support the idea of a full-sized roundabout as opposed to a mini one to replace the traffic lights where Barton Hill Drive meets Lower Road.

The last time the board met, it decided against a Kent Highways’ proposal to ban right turns from Lower Road on to Barton Hill Drive and it asked for designs to be drawn up.

A report given to councillors indicated that even a mini roundabout would require the purchase of land from a third party as it would exceed the existing boundary.

It also put the estimated cost of a full-sized one at £200,000 plus the cost of buying the land.

Peter MacDonald, of Minster Parish Council, said: “I think the land needs to be purchased for a start, whether that is as a compulsory purchase order or by agreement.

“Every day there are huge tailbacks. Weekends, there are tailbacks. It just doesn’t work as it is at the moment.”

He added a large roundabout would be needed in anticipation of more traffic from future developments.

Swale council leader Cllr Andrew Bowles (Con) said the junction was “horrendous” for motorists and the traffic lights needed to be replaced.

Guidance from the Department for Transport states that mini roundabouts should not be placed on roads with speed limits in excess of 30mph, so to install one would require the existing 40mph restriction on Lower Road be lowered.

It is possible that firms behind future developments on Sheppey could be required to stump up the cash, however, this may not be for a long time.

In the meantime, Kent Highways has submitted an application for funding for the project to Local Transport Package (LTP) Fund, which is part of a larger bid to the South East Local Enterprise Partnership, and it expects to find out if it has been successful later this year.

But the report cast doubt on this as LTP funding is mainly targeted at schemes where safety is a key issue and Lower Road has a relatively good record.