Kentish Express Ashford & District
Pollution worries over dual carriageway plan
Residents fear they will be choked by fumes if plans to double the size of Chart Road get the go-ahead.
Kent County Council (KCC) unveiled plans to make the A28 a dual carriageway from the Tank Roundabout to Matalan before Christmas and asked residents in Godinton Park for their views in a consultation.
Residents expressed fears including air pollution, traffic gridlock, noise and construction traffic in their comments to KCC engineers before Christmas.
One wrote: “We live very close to the road, I am concerned about air pollution from extra traffic closer to our house than before.
“We will be breathing this into our lungs while in our garden.
“The children will be breathing this polluted air into their pure lungs.
“What will this cause as they get older? We have nine grandchildren, two of whom suffer from asthma.
“I would like the levels of pollution to be measured now and then the projected levels.
“The pollution will obviously permeate into our house, we will be living with this monster.”
Others said they feared being choked by fumes and argued that the £38.2 million price tag cannot be justified for a stretch of road less than a mile long.
Some said the traffic lights at the junction of Loudon Way on the Godinton Park estate and Chart Road cause gridlock, and said if traffic lights are kept, the gridlock will stay the same.
Others called for compensa- tion in the form of new treble glazed window and for their council tax to be cut.
There were concerns raised about the problem of parked cars in Loudon Way blocking the sight lines for motorists at the junction of Cypress Avenue on Godinton Park.
There were also some creative suggestions.
One suggested: “Rather than change the roads, build another train station using the train lines that are under the bridge of the section that is being widened.”
Another suggested: “This is bringing more traffic onto the A28. The answer is an outer ring road linking the A20, M20 and A28. This will reduce traffic by at least 60%, put the money towards an outer Ring Road.”
Some commentators stated that pedestrians and cyclists could be set to lose out on footpaths, while others felt it was time to give the Mata- lan roundabout a new name, perhaps with a new feature or artwork.
KCC and Ashford Borough Councillors will meet to discuss the plans at the Joint Transportation Board meeting next Tuesday at 7pm in the council chamber at Tannery Lane. The public are welcome to attend.
‘I am concerned about air pollution from extra traffic’
What do you think? Write to Kentish Express, 34-36 North Street, Ashford, TN24 8JR or email kentishexpress@ thekmgroup.co.uk