Lidsing Garden Community SPD

Comment

Representation ID: 700

Received: 15/12/2025

Respondent: Karen Springer

I am writing in respect of the above development. There are 2 points that are of deep to concern to my family and me.

We recognise the need for housing, however when this development was first mooted, our concern was always the lack of infrastructure to support a development of this size. The roads around Bredhurst and Lidsing are full of areas where 2 cars cannot safely pass. I cannot think of any development along the M2/A2 and M20 corridors that has started with such poor infrastructure to enable a housing project of this size.

The current traffic levels are intolerable in Bredhurst and Boxley. In addition, both the M2 and M20 become heavily congested on a regular basis. When this occurs the traffic issues in these small villages are compounded. Traffic has become notably worse in recent years (even without this development), to the point where my daughter now has to leave 20 minutes earlier to get to school on time. There have also been times when we have been unable to leave the village and have had to cancel arrangements.

I understand that changes to the M2 junction will not be made until much later on in the development, how on earth do you expect large industrial equipment to move safely around Bredhurst and Hempstead? Not to mention the further congestion that will be caused. The infrastructure issues simply must be resolved before a spade is put in the ground on this development.

The village was informed that Dunn Street would be closed to stop through traffic, however this appears to be missing from the latest plans. Given the issues I have previously described, I believe that while a road closure is much needed to alleviate the traffic congestion it will also create many more occurrences where we are trapped in Bredhurst. Therefore, a system needs to be in place for emergency vehicles to access the village (the Forge Lane access point will be insufficient) along with an ANPR system to enable villagers to have an alternative means of exit and entry when roads are gridlocked.

Comment noted.
The SPD sets out additional guidance on the approach to transport assessment and mitigation (Chapter 7.3) with further detail provided in the accompanying Transport Annex. More detailed assessment of transport impacts and the design of transport mitigation measures will need to be set out as part of the formulation and consideration of future planning applications.
The SPD takes forward the requirements of Policy LPRSP4(B) of the Local Plan Review which established the necessary scope of infrastructure.
Figure 41 at Section D of the SPD replicates the required phasing of development and associated infrastructure.
Infrastructure will be secured through the use of planning conditions and legal agreements, as part of the consideration and determination of future planning applications.