‘This will create the mother and father of a bottleneck’

Controversial £70m plans to ease city centre traffic gridlock with a series of new roads on its outskirts face renewed attack from residents.

Canterbury’s draft district transport strategy suggests diverting motorists around the city’s congestion hotspots.

It tables four major detours – but they will only see the light of day if funding can be secured from private developers.

Last week Kent County Council officially voiced its approval for the scheme, though it opposed Canterbury City Council’s suggestions to sell-off swathes of Canterbury’s parking spaces.

Some residents have reacted with anger to the council’s support for the strategy, describing the document as “deficient”.

Andy Robinson, of Old Dover Road, says he is particularly concerned about the plans for the Wincheap area.

“Far from diverting vehicles away from traffic hotspots, this will create the mother and father of a bottleneck in Canterbury on the A28 at its junction with Simmonds Road at the Maiden’s Head pub.

“The back up of traffic currently on the A28 through Wincheap and Thanington is already bad, but this new proposal could make it far worse with jams all the way possibly to Chartham!”

Mike Armstrong, of Queens Avenue, says the plans will do nothing to ease the traffic congestion in Canterbury. He said: “A couple of the suggestions have some merit, namely the plan to bypass the Sturry level crossing and the extra slip road off the A2 bypass at Wincheap.

“But both of these proposals are flawed, as they will only direct more traffic onto roads that are already very busy and congested.”

Mr Amstrong suggests instead extending the A2 around the south of the city.

“This would allow traffic to flow freely around the city and only turn in at the appropriate junction if it needed to do so, thus avoiding the city centre,” he said.

City council spokesman Rob Davies said: “All of these matters will be discussed at the Local Plan examination.

“Transport issues are on the agenda for Tuesday, July 28.”