Development may need to move south of the A2 to meet Faversham’s housing demand and to control the traffic carnage which causes gridlock through the town.

In a heated debate on Tuesday evening, gasps were heard from around the public gallery and from some councillors as Cllr Shiel Campbell suggested that building south of the A2 may be the only solution to some of the crucial issues the town faces.

As amendments for the controversial planning application for Oare Gravel Works were placed before the town council, councillors expressed their shock that there would be just ONE access road out of the site into Ham Road.

Without access to Oare Road and an approximate extra 600 cars using the route if the new development goes ahead, councillors fear that traffic will clog up through Priory Road and create gridlock in the town centre.

The Gravel Works development is earmarked for 330 houses, nature park and business units, and is outlined for housing in Swale Borough Council’s Local Plan.

Oare Parish Council clerk Sue Akhurst spoke at Monday’s meeting. She said: “Oare parish council does support this development. However, we have big concerns with the traffic.

“The amount of parking spaces proposed are not sufficient to deal with the problems of parking around Davington School, Priory Road and Broomfield Road.”

Brenda Chester, of Barnfield Road, said: “The proposal now only allows for one access point on the Ham Road which will result in huge traffic and road safety issues for people living in Priory Road and the North Preston estate.

“Residents have previously tried to get a 20mph speed limits in places on the Oare and Priory Road, due to concerns over current traffic levels, but to no avail. The estate is already used as a ratrun from the town to the industrial estates on the Oare Road.”

Councillor Ted Wilcox said: “Whatever we do in Faversham, it will cause a problem with traffic. It is getting so blocked up everywhere.

“We need an overall traffic plan around the entire town.

“This development will make it so much worse and we need to think much, much more about the plans for traffic for Faversham.”

Councillor David Simmons said: “Is this a cunning plan to send traffic into Faversham and not along the Western Link and into Ospringe?

“We need to make sure that the town council opinions are put forward to the borough council and that they know about the volume of traffic this is going to cause. Traffic mediation is even more important now.”

Despite an initial outcry, it seems that councillors may not always be so against building south of the A2. Cllr Campbell said: “ The south side of the A2 is a better bet than this development. I know that this is controversial but I do think we need to think about not building on this side of the town to solve these endless problems.”

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