Heads ought to roll over bypass

I write regarding the approval of the viaduct and junction alterations adjacent to Sturry station.

Clearly the second part of the application for the Sturry Relief Road was against Sturry residents’ interests and of the as-yet un-built houses associated with it. We can understand that KCC officers and councillors had no desire to work for local people but their approval of the plans wastes huge amounts of taxpayers’ money.

KCC had thoroughly researched alternative layouts at the junction on the A28 outside the station and their conclusion was

that none of them was without serious fault. 45% of local people had expressed the view that no options offered worked.

To achieve the best movement of traffic, KCC, in the last planning application, put forward one without the ability to turn into Sturry from Island Road. This obviously did not work for local people, so in panic they changed their option to allowing that movement.

However, such a scheme means that just six cars queuing to enter Sturry from the east at the time of the train gate closure will effectively block the newly configured A28 westbound. It is likely that up to 20 cars would be queuing in that time but nobody seems to have researched it.

KCC have agreed to spending on a scheme that delivers no improvements and that’s what members voted for.

The junction should go further to the west. I have drawn sketch plans showing it but KCC officers have not responded. Members at the meeting praised officers’ work but sadly it was all founded on a false premise.

When the last application was considered, officers risked offering a footway on the east

side of Sturry Hill. All mention of that disappeared because, we understand, homeowners there would not assist to achieve a three-fold increase of traffic past their doors.

Officers have had from 2010 or before to design this scheme. They should all be made to resign by us, the people who pay their salaries.

Both the city council led by, oh dear, Ben Fitter-harding, and KCC have given us a dreadful result. Civil disobedience is now the only action possible. It would be in taxpayers’ interest.

Nick Blake

Leycroft Close, Canterbury