Issue - meetings

To receive a report on the proposed improvement of the A28 Chart Road, a strategic proposal designed to ease local congestion andprovide additional highway capacity to allow for the strategic growth identified by the adopted Ashford Core Strategy 2008, including the Chilmington Green development.

1.            The Project Manager, Mr Farmer, introduced the report which as the Cabinet Committee to consider and endorse or make recommendations to the Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport on his proposed decision relating to the delivery the A28 Chart Road Improvement, Ashford Scheme.  He said the proposal was to move to a dual carriageway scheme that was first considered by this Cabinet Committee in 2014.  Since that initial report public consultation had been held and the preferred scheme to take forward was approved in early 2016.  Network Rail was engaged and Local Growth Funding had been approved.  Land acquisition discussions had started and a compulsory purchase order was also required to give programme certainty.  There was therefore a requirement to update the original proposed decisions considered by Members to ensure robustness of governance and decision clarity.

2.            Mr Farmer received thanks for his work and discussions with Ashford Borough Members and local residents

3.            The concerns and questions by Members were responded to by Mr Farmer as follows:

(a)   . A Member asked that the scheme be as close to the commercial side of the A28  as possible and agreed that, along with the improvements to junction 10 proposed by Highways England, the scheme would relieve congestion. He also asked that officers liaise with Highways England to minimise the disruption caused by the road works

(b)   A comment was made that there was already too much development across Kent.

(c)    Mr Farmer thanked Members for their comments and said as much of the scheme as possible was being taken towards the industrial side of the A28 to retain as much land as possible on the Godinton Park side for landscaping and noise mitigation.  Construction would commence in spring 2018 and would take approximately 18 months.

(d)   Mr Farmer assured Members that if East Lodge was acquired the asset would be well managed until such time as it was resold.

(e)   A further comment was made that the Chilmington Green development was the worst development in Kent.

(f)     Mr Farmer agreed to discuss negotiations with Network Rail on another scheme with Mr Whybrow outside the meeting.

(g)   Mr Baldock asked that his opposition to the recommendations be noted.

4.            RESOLVED that:

(a)    the responses to comments and questions by Members and the report be noted; and

(b)    the Environment and Transport Cabinet Committee endorsed, the proposed decision to be taken by the Cabinet Member for Environment & Transport as shown at Appendix A of the report to give approval to:

                             (i)     all acts required to carry out and complete the A28 Chart Road Improvement scheme;

                            (ii)     all acts required to acquire the land and rights for the carrying out and completion of the A28 Chart Road Improvement scheme, including by means of a compulsory purchase order and/or blight notices;

                          (iii)     the delegation to the Corporate Director of Growth, Environment and Transport, and any further or other decisions as may be appropriate to deliver the A28 Chart Road Improvement scheme.