DEVELOPERS who want to create a £60 million Westwood Cross shopping and leisure centre in Thanet have promised “an efficient, state of the art public transport system” to serve the complex. Chelverton Properties promises “significant improvements” to existing services and says it has worked closely with Thanet council, Kent County Council and Stagecoach buses on the scheme.

Buses would be re-routed to take passengers directly into the new town centre, with evening services extended as well.

Chelverton say the initiative would help underpin the sustainability of the project and is part of its Green Travel Plan to encourage people to leave the car at home and to make the complex accessible.

Chelverton would also contributed up to £430,000 to the ‘BusNet’ system for local bus services throughout Thanet, which uses satellite technology to track locations, speed up journey times, and provide information about arrival times.

Carlo Comninos of Chelverton Properties said: “An essential element of our proposals for Westwood Cross is to ensure that everybody, regardless of car ownership, will be able to shop here. As a result of detailed discussions with the highways authority, and public consultation, we believe the proposed transport improvements will deliver substantial benefits, while the leisure and retail facilities would offer local shoppers with a day out to compete with centres like Canterbury.”

Paul Southgate, commercial director for Stagecoach in East Kent, said: "We welcome this opportunity to work in partnership with Chelverton to increase the accessibility of Westwood Cross to our customers in Thanet. In providing more buses, later into the evening, we will be helping to ensure that Westwood Cross can provide a day, or evening, out for everybody."

Dedicated cycle routes are planned around the site perimeter, and would integrate into existing and proposed cycle routes throughout Thanet. A pedestrian toucan crossing on Margate Road is also envisaged.

Chelverton also says it may improve the road network in Thanet to help ease traffic congestion around its proposed development, including a roundabout on Haine Road to allow easy access to the site, as well as the widening of Haine Road.

Thanet council leader Richard Nicholson said: "It has always been an important facet of the Chelverton scheme that local public access was improved. All forms of road transport will have enhanced links with an important emphasis being put on a first class bus service. Everyone is working to ensure all residents of the Thanet area will have the opportunity to use the new shopping which will be provided."

The Chelverton project won outline permission from the council a year ago but Thanet Action Group has been campaigning for the scheme to be dropped by the council because they say it will kill town centre trade.

Cllr Nicholson said that none of the proposals “are set in stone” and the council is willing to listen to all constructive comments about the scheme.