Representation by Tony Rice
- Date submitted
- 16 January 2023
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I am currently the borough ward councillor for Cobham and Luddesdown and helped to represent my community during the lengthy LTC consultation process. However I am also a resident of Cobham on the main route through the village, on the doorstep of the LTC and I am applying in that capacity. Cobham is in a conservation area and is constrained by single file section in the medieval centre of the village. These roads, and the surrounding rural roads at Sole Street and Luddesdown are often single track and unsuitable for large vehicles and heavy traffic. During the LTC consultations, I have engaged heavily with the applicant, who has consistently been unable to answer how it will prevent these roads and villages from being overrun by traffic accessing, or exiting the LTC, particularly when severe traffic events occur, causing traffic to navigate towards unsuitable diversion routes. The traffic modelling has not reflected the local nuances, because it has concentrated on the bigger picture, main roads and intersections. As a local borough councillor, I have had the opportunity to study its traffic modelling in detail, which reveals Green Lane and Sole Street nearby to my property, as a route forecast to suffer significant growth in traffic due to the LTC, up to 95% capacity in the PM peak. The junction at Green Lane and the A227 is already a significant congestion hot spot. Neither has it been taken into account how these villages will cope with diversions off of the A227 and A228 corridors when there are problems on the M25, or at the Dartford Crossing, causing a massive traffic increase towards the LTC. I have also engaged with KCC who's own modelling forecasts a disbenefit to Henhurst Road and Sole Street. If the narrow roads and hot spot minor junctions in this area are not subject to examination and scrutiny in more detail, then significant community and village damage could occur. Cobham and the villages immediately south of the LTC are at high risk if these issues are not understood and mitigation is not embedded into the plans. I fear the consequences of high traffic volumes going past my house and those of the community around me. Thank you for considering my application.