A2 Transport Steering Group

New evidence only made available today as part of the consultation exercise expels many of the myths surrounding the Southern Relief Road including the so-called benefits to the rural road network.

With traffic relief to the town centre its major selling point, and most of the surrounding network predicted to get far worse can this road even be justified on transport grounds?

We can finally put to bed some of the myths that a Sittingbourne Southern Relief Road will be a significant factor in regenerating Swale’s fortunes.

THERE will be no major congestion-busting additions to Sittingbourne's road network over the next 10 years, it has been suggested.

BUILDING the Sittingbourne Southern Relief Road (SSRR) will not necessarily stop congestion in the borough.

It todays East Kent Gazette Council leader, Cllr Andrew Bowles, emphasised that a Southern Relief Road (A2/M2 Link) would improve traffic on the A2 to the east of Bapchild.

Even though many Councillor’s present at the LDF panel meeting last Thursday had no prior knowledge or involvement in the decision making process, it appears that someone in the Council had agreed to limit the scope of the traffic model to four alternative routes all of which were drawn up by the Kent Science Park themselves.

It was interesting to observe the commentary from Councillors on the LDF panel following Thursday’s unveiling of the second run of the long awaited transport model.

If the local Labour Councillors believe for one minute that trying to incite a class war between the residents living in the urban areas of Sittingbourne and those living in the rural areas is a good way to go about solving the traffic issues of Sittingbourne, then quite frankly we all now know that they have nothing useful to say on the subject.

WE WERE very interested in your report of a New Group set up to reduce congestion on the roads in Swale (Gazette, June 8).