1 week Ago By [email protected] (Louis Walker)
Plans for a new housing development remain on hold amid fears of a road accident similar to that which claimed the life of a young girl and her grandmother. The bid for 17 homes in Wingham, near Canterbury, has sparked concerns over the safety of a nearby junction if more properties are built in the area. Developers have proposed installing a pedestrian crossing and using double-yellow lines to stop parked vehicles blocking the view of motorists turning in and out of Preston Hill where it meets the A257.
But councillors argue the safety measures are inadequate, with one branding the junction an “accident waiting to happen” and fearing a repeat of a tragedy that occurred on the A249 near Maidstone 24 years ago. In October 2000, eight-year-old Jade Hobbs and her grandmother, Margaret Kuwertz, 79, were struck by a car and killed on a section of the road where there had long been calls for a crossing. It was only years later and after much campaigning that Jade’s Crossing – a bridge over the dual-carriageway – was built.
Dover district councillor Jeff Loffman voiced his concerns over the Wingham plans as the authority’s planning committee met to decide whether to approve the application. “People may know of the A249 that joins the M2 and M20, and down the hill is a crossing called Jade’s Crossing,” said the Labour member. “Those of you will know that a girl was killed in a motor accident.
“Everyone who knows that road would recognise that it was an accident waiting to happen, but KCC Highways, in their infinite wisdom, refused parish council [calls for] any form of crossing. “I am convinced that the buildings in this development are good, and I would love to support this developer in providing good-quality homes. “But it would be singularly wrong of me to vote for an application where I can see an accident waiting to happen.
“I go up and down that hill regularly, and the amount of parked vehicles and traffic is highly significant.” A previous application by a different developer for 15 homes on the same site off Gobery Hill was rejected on appeal by the Planning Inspectorate due to concerns over the safety of the junction. The new bid has been submitted by Esquire Developments, which says it has addressed the issues by including a pedestrian crossing set back from the junction by 12 metres of double-yellow lines, as well as a proposed overrun area for larger vehicles joining the A257.
However, councillors remain unconvinced by the renewed plans and the impact of new traffic created by the development. Cllr David Cronk (Lab) said at the meeting: “I drive an HGV lorry up and down this road, and it’s absolutely ridiculous because it’s one-way traffic going up the hill because of all the parked cars, and it’s an absolute nightmare to get out with a 40ft trailer. “What they have planned for the junction is unbelievable because you can’t get the clearance coming down the hill, and if someone is standing on the path, they’re in danger of being clipped by my wheels.
“Has KCC surveyed to make sure it’s safe enough for a lorry to use that junction? Because it’s unsafe, in my opinion, as a lorry driver.” Andrew Wilford, the head of land and planning at Esquire Developments, defended the scheme and the proposed road changes. “Whilst we were not involved in the refused application, we have worked accordingly to provide an appropriate junction arrangement and worked closely with Kent County Council’s highway team to ensure a proposed upgrade to this junction is now safe and suitable for existing and future users,” he said.
“The road safety audit and Kent Highways are wholly satisfied that the proposed upgrade is safe and acceptable and meets all industry-standard guidelines. “The local community has positively influenced the scheme; it has no statutory objections and combined with the high-quality design approach will deliver local homes for local people.” The development has already proved divisive, attracting 214 objections on Dover District Council’s (DDC) planning portal.
One resident, Dominic Dowell, branded the plans “utterly ridiculous and not needed”, adding: “Traffic will be increasingly stressful, and our small roads cannot take much more. “Our little village will be drowning in nothing more than cheap, tacky houses. “This corner of the country will no longer be called the Garden of England – more like the dumping estate of the UK.
” Councillors were initially keen to reject the scheme on safety grounds, but because Kent County Council – as the local highway authority – had not raised any objections to the junction proposals they were told this reason for refusal could not be defended at appeal. They instead voted to defer the decision so DDC could seek its own independent traffic survey to allow any highways concerns to be put forward. However, the delay has left open the risk of developers submitting an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate over non-determination of the application.
Esquire Developments has been contacted for comment..
