Following a two-day site visit where the Inspector walked the full length of both proposed relief roads, the Day 22 session returned to Swale House with a sharper focus on deliverability and transport impacts.
Cross-examination of National Highways
- 🎤 Simon Bell (on behalf of the Teynham & Highsted Community Action Group) raised critical concerns in his cross-examination of National Highways witnesses:
- ❓ What happens if Junction 5a – the new M2 connection central to the proposals – cannot be delivered? Would the housing still go ahead regardless?
- ⚠️ Mr Bell argued that the highways approach is “light touch” and applicant-led, with real risks being “kicked down the road.” He suggested the scheme is not future-proofed, noting that even with Junction 5a, capacity could be exceeded by the time the development is completed.
- 🌿 Mr Bell also highlighted that National Highways had not fully assessed the environmental impact of the junction.
- 🔎 In his examination of the junction designs and modelling assumptions, Mr Bell pointed to a lack of scrutiny over such a major motorway change – stressing that greater oversight should be expected given the scale of the proposal.
Bruce Bamber
- 🚶♀️🚲 Bruce Bamber (transport expert for the Teynham & Highsted Action Group) delivered a powerful critique of the applicant’s claims about walking and sustainable travel:
- 🚷 Mr Bamber warned that the proposed layout discourages walking and cycling, with internal journeys dispersed and the new roads physically separating communities.
- 🚛 The southern relief road alone is expected to carry 1,400 HGVs per day, deterring safe pedestrian movement.
- ⏱️ He disagreed that walking 2km from the development to Sittingbourne centre would take just 22 minutes, saying it’s closer to 32 minutes. This debunks the claim of “modal shift” – residents will either use cars or it will be impractical for older/less mobile residents.
- 🕰️ Mr Bamber concluded that sustainable transport had been an afterthought, only introduced into the plans in recent months.
Key takeaway:
- 📌 The deliverability of key infrastructure – especially Junction 5a – remains deeply uncertain. Without it, the development is neither viable nor responsible.
The Teynham & Highsted Action Group is now just £3,500 short of its fund raising target.
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