Fears ‘piecemeal’ plans could increase gridlock and pollution

A ‘piecemeal’ approach to traffic management and housing schemes in Wincheap and Thanington will lead to further gridlock and pollution in the area.

That is the fear following the submission of two separate applications for a fourth Wincheap slip road and the first phase of 105 homes of the 1,150 planned in Thanington.

The Wincheap Society and ward city councillor Nick EdenGreen believe they must be assessed together as part of a comprehensive scheme for the area, because each will impact on the other.

They are also questioning the design of the new ‘problematic’ £4.4 million slip road – drawn up by highway consultants for Pentland Homes – which they fear could lead to even longer delays on the A28 at the Wincheap junction traffic lights.

The environmental screening submissions have come from developers ahead of full planning applications.

But Cllr Eden- Green said: “They should have been submitted as part of a single comprehensive plan for the new Wincheap A2 junction with full details of the replacement park and ride, pedestrian and cycle access routes, a Wincheap relief road and its junction onto the ring road.

“Piecemeal applications of this sort are deliberately designed to obscure the cumulative impact of these proposals.”

Thanington Parish Council branded the slip road design ‘a joke’ and also has serious concerns about the effect on traffic on the A28.

Cllr Eden-green says the traffic lights system will have to be weighted towards traffic coming off the A2, leading to longer red lights hold-ups on the A28.

He is also disputing the applicant’s claim that ‘the development is not likely to give rise to significant environmental effects ....or significantly impact on the air quality management area’.

He said: “Wincheap is already known to be an air quality black spot, regularly failing standards yet there are no details of how the junction will function or the effects on traffic flow on the A28.”