Northern Relief Road

Report on Northern Relief Road Scheme

The following is taken from the update on the Northern Relief Road Scheme by KCC Head of Transportation and Development on behalf of the Swale Joint Transportation Board

Swale councillors call for Northern Relief Road to be finished

A motion has been passed by members of the Swale Joint Transportation Board (SJTB) urging the authority to work with the group to create an “up and ready plan” to extend the route to the A2.

Council bury their heads in the sand on Northern Relief Road report findings

The Council have spent literally hundreds of thousands of pounds on traffic modelling work in order to substantiate their grand plans for Sittingbourne’s future. So what happens when the modelling work proves that it isn’t going to work, they plough on regardless.

Completing the Northern Relief Road is no longer necessary

In a surprise move Kent Highways have just informed us that completing the Northern Relief Road to connect with the A2 in Bapchild is no longer essential to deliver the growth planned in the Local Plan up to 2031.

The Councils lack of planning leads to an uncertain future

The Council has had to concede during a recent planning application that its current Local Plan cannot effectively protect the future alignment of the Northern Relief Road because there is currently no approved route and the policy drawn up for the up and coming LDF (Local Development Framework) which seeks to protect an area of search for the road is also unenforceable until the LDF is adopted.

Time for a new transport strategy

Recently there has been an explosion of coverage regarding the perilous state of our transport network, and rather unsurprisingly local politicians have resorted to a relay of tit-for-tat letters each accusing the other of failing the public.

Failure to finish road 'irresponsible'

Failing to complete the NRR is irresponsible and once completed would put additional pressure for the construction of the SRR.

Transport links - the bigger picture

Completion of the NRR cannot be taken in isolation, it is part of a bigger jigsaw, which is why I share the view of Swale council that completing it would be irresponsible, without first solving some of the other interlinked transport problems.

Northern Relief Road Route under threat by Doubleday’s transport hub plans.

Plans for a large scale expansion of Hempstead Farm could eliminate route options for the Northern Relief Road discussed during the consultation in early 2010.

Row over relief road deferment

SWALE Council has been accused of “sacrificing” people in urban areas in favour of rural residents over its halting of the Northern Relief Road (NRR).