Parish councillors have hit out at road bosses for not consulting them on early plans to change a Sittingbourne roundabout.

In April, Kent County Council (KCC) decided to go ahead with designing the latest stage of improvements to the Key Street junction.

They include providing new access to the Maidstone-bound A249 from the A2 via a roundabout on Chestnut Street.

But members of Borden Parish Council, who only learned of the decision on KCC’s website, are concerned the scheme is being progressed despite being reliant on a controversial planning application being approved.

The Chestnut Street roundabout is the main access needed for a proposed development of 675 houses at Wises Lane which was opposed by the parish and borough council.

The application is now awaiting a decision by a planning inspector following an appeal.

Parish council member, Cllr John Fassenfelt, said: “The report that went to KCC said the improvements would use the proposed roundabout to access the Wises Lane development and that’s not got approval to go ahead. It was most concerning to the parish council a report outlining changes to Key Street roundabout would mention the development in this way.

“The parish council has lobbied KCC about this and is insisting it is consulted about the final design, including any new access arrangements to the A249, before any works begin.”

The first phase of changes to the Key Street roundabout have already installed, with new traffic lights on the Sittingbourne-bound off-slip, which now has two lanes, not three.

A KCC spokesman said the decision to move ahead with the roundabout design was taken so the authority could formally accept a government grant for it.

“It does not mean permission for the changes has been approved; work is not about to start and the parish council will be consulted on the designs,” he added.

“The design will depend on the outcome of the planning appeal, but this does not preclude KCC working on designs and does not assume the development will be given the go-ahead.”

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