Decision details

Maidstone's Local Plan was adopted in October 2017 and includes the following:

4.157 Some of the VISUM modelling options tested included a proposed Leeds-Langley Relief Road (LLRR) that would relieve traffic on the current B2163 towards junction 8 of the M20 motorway.  The results indicate that construction of such infrastructure may have a beneficial impact on some traffic movement patterns in the south east sector of Maidstone.  This is however seen against the context of traffic movements generally in which Maidstone town centre itself and intra-urban movements (from one part of Maidstone urban area to another) are the key drivers behind trips on the network.

4.158 The case for the justification of the construction and the delivery of a LLRR lies with the County Council as the highway authority.  To date, the detailed costings (estimates vary between £50 and £80 million), environmental and route appraisals and also an assessment of whether future housing requirements would necessitate and also support construction of a LLRR which will be required to progress the proposals, have not yet been undertaken.  It is therefore considered appropriate to give detailed consideration to the potential construction of the LLRR post 2031 at the review of the local plan (which will be completed by 2021).

The implication is that at the start of the formal review, sufficient work would have been done to establish a preferred route for the Relief Road and to have prepared a business case and identified potential sources of funding.

Although the Inspector, at the Examination in Public of the draft Local Plan, dismissed the Relief Road as an early contributor to delivery of the Local Plan housing needs, poor traffic conditions in south east Maidstone have led to increasing public interest in a Relief Road.

The scheme supports the Strategic Statement objectives of supporting existing businesses and encouraging economic activity with housing growth and job creation by reducing congestion and improving infrastructure and accessibility. 

The County Council is under severe financial pressure and has no revenue to fund this development work.  However, there are three existing section 106 unilateral undertakings from developments currently under construction on the A274 Sutton Road from which up to £200,000 can be used.

As Cabinet Member for Cabinet Member for Planning, Highways, Transport and Waste, I agree to give approval to the Director of Highways to progress feasibility work on B2163 Leeds & Langley Relief Road utilising section 106 developer contributions.