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A parish council has ‘major concerns’ about multi-million pound changes to the A249.
Borden Parish Council is worried about what it described as a “flawed” public consultation on improvements to the Key Street and Grovehurst Road junctions near Sittingbourne.
If approved, the changes at Key Street could include closing the existing A249 southbound slip road from the roundabout and creating a new one from Chestnut Street, plus widening some of the roundabout approaches.
In a letter to Kent County Council (KCC), parish council chairman Jeremy Bolas expressed fears that people were not asked for views on a key part of the Key Street scheme.
He said: “There are three options proposed for this access all involving directing all A249 southbound traffic along part of Chestnut Street. Clearly, this is a fundamental change to local traffic conditions for all road users within our parish.
“The consultation includes a survey designed to ascertain views from the public as to the proposed schemes. However, there is no question about the three options proposed.
“Elsewhere in the consultation about the Grovehurst Road junction improvements, three options have been identified concerning pedestrian and cyclists’ facilities. In complete contrast, the questionnaire seeks the views of the public about these options.
“The parish is concerned that KCC minds are already made up about the Key Street improvements and thus have deliberately omitted to ask about the three Chestnut Street options.”
Mr Bolas said the council’s second major concern related to the proposed new southbound slip road to the A249 from Chestnut Street, replacing the existing slip road from the roundabout.
"It must be remembered that traffic would be joining the A249 where the speed limit for vehicles is 70mph.
“The whole scheme revolves around a new slip road southbound onto the A249. If this does not meet road design standards, then the scheme is unsafe and should not be built as currently proposed.”
Parish council member, Cllr John Fassenfelt, said he thought KCC needed to re-do the whole consultation.
He said: “I think first and foremost, the design of the new slip road to the A249 from Chestnut Street needs checking to see if it conforms with the national road design standards because I am worried they are going to create a situation which is going to be unsafe.
“Secondly, no question has been asked about which options the people like for the Key Street scheme.
“I think they need to do the consultation again, with these two bits of information.”
One of the options was put forward by developers behind the as yet undetermined planning application for 675 homes at Wises Lane.
Cllr Fassenfelt added: “Residents are outraged, to a certain extent, that one of the options includes the Wises Lane development, which is still with the Secretary of State and hasn’t been decided on,” he said.
“And they are outraged by why this is being done. There’s a parish concern about why we’re doing this and whether it’s just being done for the Wises Lane development.”
The consultation ended on Tuesday, January 26. For more, visit tinyurl.com/A249Schemes.
