Issue details

Proposed decision

To approve the acceptance of Department for Transport Structures Fund funding, if awarded, and the progression and delivery of the A226 Galley Hill Scheme

Reason for the decision

There is a continuing need to address the significant highway and utility infrastructure damage caused by the collapse of A226 Galley Hill on 10 April 2023.

Following a report to Environment & Transport Cabinet Committee in May 2026, a Decision (26/00019) was taken to allow the A226 Galley Hill scheme to proceed through to detailed design.

To deliver the scheme, the Council has applied for funding through the Department for Transport’s Structures Fund. This funding, if awarded, along with identified match funding, will fully cover the scheme cost. An announcement is expected in Autumn 2026, it is appropriate therefore, to seek a further key decision to accept this funding.

The Structures Fund requires the grant to be spent and the infrastructure to be delivered by March 2030. As such, to meet this deadline, it is required to obtain governance approval to progress land acquisition and for procurement to start imminently.   

The proposed decision is a key decision as it requires expenditure of more than £1m of secured funding.

Background

The A226 Galley Hill is a strategically important route linking Dartford, Gravesham and Ebbsfleet, forming part of the Kent Resilient Network and supporting local communities, businesses, and planned growth within Ebbsfleet Garden City. A section of this chalk spine collapsed to the north of Galley Hill, triggering a significant landslide that resulted in the loss of part of the carriageway and footway and caused damage to buried utility infrastructure serving the local area. As a result, the A226 Galley Hill has remained closed since that time.

The ongoing closure of the A226 Galley Hill continues to have a significant impact on the surrounding highway network, with diverted traffic, including heavy goods vehicles, using less suitable local routes. The closure has disrupted public transport services, including the Fastrack bus network, and has wider implications for the delivery of planned housing and employment growth in Ebbsfleet and Northfleet. Restoration of the route is therefore considered critical to maintaining network resilience, supporting sustainable transport, and enabling future development in the area.

Following the previous decision (26/00019), design work has progressed, concluding the optioneering and appraisal process, and progressing the preliminary design stage. In parallel, further engagement with stakeholders has continued through technical review meetings, including discussions with Natural England regarding SSSI constraints and mitigation. This work has progressed ahead of a Structures Fund decision using identified funding.

Options (other options considered but discarded)

Completely pause all project development work until funding is secured

This option has the following significant drawbacks. KCC would place unnecessary delay on a tight delivery programme and reduce our ability to meet the deadlines set by the Structures Fund. Delay at this stage would continue to cause ongoing congestion and have a significant impact on the surrounding highway network, with diverted traffic, including heavy goods vehicles, using less suitable local routes.

Completely stop the scheme to reinstate the A226 Galley Hill

This is not considered a viable option. Separate legal advice concluded that stopping up of this route would have significant ramifications and did not recommend it as an option for KCC.  Modelling work of this scenario also shows current and future significant congestion completely curtailing all growth across the Ebbsfleet area.

How the proposed decision supports the Council’s Strategic Statement

Restoring A226 Galley Hill strongly supports Kent County Council’s Strategic Statement by directly delivering against its core priorities around infrastructure?led growth, resilient communities, and economic stability.

The Strategic Statement emphasises an “Infrastructure First” approach to ensure that growth is supported by the right transport and physical infrastructure at the right time. The ongoing closure of Galley Hill has demonstrated the consequences of infrastructure failure, placing pressure on local roads, public transport and communities. Reinstating the route addresses this directly by restoring a critical east–west link and ensuring that infrastructure capacity is in place to support planned housing and employment growth in Ebbsfleet Garden City, Dartford and Gravesham, in line with the Council’s commitment to building better communities and supporting sustainable growth.

The Strategic Statement prioritises improving connectivity and network resilience. The A226 Galley Hill is identified in Local Transport Plan 5 (LTP5) as a key part of the local road network, with its restoration recognised as essential to reducing congestion, improving journey time reliability, and enabling the return of bus and Fastrack services along this corridor. Restoring the route directly contributes to the Council’s objectives to improve transport reliability, reduce pressure on the wider network, and enhance sustainable travel options.

Finally, restoring Galley Hill aligns with the Strategic Statement’s focus on supporting economic growth and quality of life. The closure has had a material impact on local businesses, access to employment, and journey times across the area. Reopening the route would unlock economic activity, support investment, and provide certainty to developers and employers, reflecting the Council’s ambition to put residents first while creating the conditions for long?term prosperity.

Financial Implications

KCC has submitted a Structures Fund bid for £45.3m, comprising of £40.8m funding from the DfT and £4.5m match funding. This scheme cost estimate includes substantial risk and contingency to protect against potential cost increases.

Ebbsfleet Development Corporation have committed a total of £1.5m match funding towards the scheme and will work in close partnership with KCC due to the importance of the scheme to Ebbsfleet. If successful, KCC will fund £3m towards the scheme. This funding is proposed to be funded from the Strategic Transport Infrastructure Fund and KCC Highway Capital Funding.

In accordance with the requirements of the fund, c£2m historic development costs have not been included within this match funding, or within the scheme costs. The £45.3m figure also does not include operational costs to make the cliff safe or legal costs. These costs have been sourced from existing budgets and reserves.

Should the bid to the Structures Fund be unsuccessful, KCC will continue to pursue potential external funding opportunities. Early-stage development and design work associated with capital projects may result in abortive costs. Where a scheme is not subsequently approved or funded, these costs cannot be capitalised and must be met from revenue budgets. If funding cannot be identified in the longer term and the scheme is not able to proceed, there is a possibility that scheme development costs to that date will be abortive, representing a revenue risk of approximately £160k. 

Legal Implications  

The A226 Galley Hill is a highway maintainable at public expense, and KCC is the highway authority for the route. As such, KCC is subject to the section 41 duty under the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the highway and keep it reasonably safe for ordinary use.

The collapse of the carriageway and footway in April 2023 meant that the A226 was no longer reasonably passable without danger requiring the authority to act to prevent danger to highway users. Although KCC are responsible for the highway on the cliff spine, at the time of the collapse the Council did not own the chalk cliff supporting the road.

Given the complexities around ownership of the spine and the planned legal proceeding against those deemed responsible for the collapse, legal support and advice has been ongoing since April 2023.

A full legal review of any proposed grant agreement will be undertaken prior to acceptance of grant funding to highlight and reduce risk to KCC.