Two key junctions on the A249 are set to get a multi-million pound upgrade to pave the way for building almost 8,000 new homes.

Kent County Council has secured government funding to improve the Grovehurst roundabout and Key Street roundabout at Sittingbourne.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sajid Javid, has this morning announced its bid was successful and KCC is to receive £38.1 million for the improvements at the congestion hotspots.

According to the government website, the 'Swale Transport Infrastructure’ bid will make way for 7,899 homes to be built in Swale.

The money is coming from a pot of more than £250m, which has been earmarked for vital infrastructure that will unlock over 20,000 homes nationwide.

The investment, from the Housing Infrastructure Fund, will pay for roads, schools, public transport and utilities in six places across the Midlands, the East of England and South East.

The government said the money will "ensure new homes can be built in areas of high demand, where people want to live, connecting businesses with their workforce – boosting jobs, growth and living standards".

Mr Javid said: "When I was Housing Secretary I set this fund up to help ensure homes can be built in areas that need it the most, and enable people to live where they want.

"I have now launched an infrastructure revolution and this step-change in funding will ensure that all parts of the country benefit as we level-up opportunities.

"This £250m will increase the number of houses available to buy and help support people to achieve their dream of home ownership."

Michael Payne, KCC's cabinet member for highways and transportation, said the council was delighted to have been successful in its bid.

He added: "KCC appreciates the need for new housing but it is essential that housing and growth is well planned and sensitively located with appropriate infrastructure funded and built in advance of the building of new homes.

"Today’s funding announcement gives us the opportunity to ensure the necessary infrastructure is in place for the associated developments in Swale.

"We would hope that as further new homes are built across the county over the next 15 years this approach might become the accepted way forward.

“We worked closely with Swale council to develop our bid to support the long-term housing delivery on sites allocated in their Local Plan.

"We will also continue working on these schemes to ensure work can start as soon as possible, as well as working closely with Highways England to develop our programme and to take into account the planned improvements at M2 junction 5."

Swale council said the investment was needed and would help the authority meet its housing targets.

A spokesman said: “We welcome any much-needed investment in our road network, but we can’t pretend that this money isn’t about building more housing to meet the government-imposed targets.

“This funding is meant to address one part of the problem, but there still remains the need to invest in other local roads as well as schools, health services and the broader social infrastructure the borough urgently needs.”

There was a bid made for preparatory work for southern and northern relief roads for Sittingbourne, but this money will not be used for that.

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