Disappointment at Delay to Junction 10 Improvements

3.41.44pm UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 9th Mar 2005

How familiar will this sign be to Ashford residents?

County Councillor George Koowaree, Member for Ashford East, spoke at the Joint Transport Board meeting last night, of his disappointment at the postponement of the interim improvement to Junction 10 of the M20. This important work had been due to start in June 2005 and this was agreed at the last Joint Transport Board.

George said: "The developers of Park Farm and Cheeseman Green have been dragging their feet for too long and are now saying that they cannot give a commitment to start this work until the end of the year due to financial pressures. I believe the Government should have agreed to pay for these improvement works and reclaimed the cost from the developers. After all it is the Government, which is demanding more homes to be built in Kent, and it should take responsibility for the road infrastructure which needs to be improved as a result.

"I feel very strongly that this work should be a top priority. The people in Ashford have been promised an end to the congestion at this junction which is quite horrendous and the delay is not acceptable."