Air Quality Management Area 5 - Pollution in Greenstreet (A2)

FAKE NEWS
SBC COUNCILLORS, OFFICIALS & DEVELOPERS TELL US POLLUTION IS GOING AWAY.

A SIMPLE TRUTH: There is an idiotic idea in the Council that if you join 11,500 new homes (20,000+ more cars and new commercial sites generating more traffic) to the A2 between Sittingbourne and Greenstreet the drivers will only go north or south. Apparently, none of the new traffic will turn right or left along the A2 and all the existing traffic will ... ... somehow change their behaviour? As I said, idiotic.

[Updated] On 20th March 2019, we read (Part 1 & Part 2 of the news article) that the then Council Leader Andrew Bowles was a firm supporter of the addition of 11,500 additional homes (the so-called "Garden Community"). This did not come as a surprise given his Ward location - outside Faversham. Since the Local Elections, it is anyone's guess where the Council willl go as the SBC Officials will be working hard for the "line of least resistance" - namely, they will probably promote the idea of the same development. They will point to the risk of going head to head with National Planning targets - that assumes that the housing targets cannot be reached by distributing housing where it meets social and economic needs. Of course, a more graduated approach will lead to more work for the Officials - their recruitment of new "Garden Community Officers" may need to be rebadged - "U-turn Officers".

If approved, housing will fill the entire space between the A2 and M2 and between Sittingbourne and the western edge of Lynsted with Kingsdown Parish (Dully Lane). This would dwarf the many new homes already being built within the Borough Plan. We already face the inevitable pollution from new build in Bapchild, Teynham and Ospringe. Councillor Bowles argued that the A2 will see a reduction in traffic, ignoring any existing natural flows between Faversham, Sittingbourne and and those living and working along the A249 ...

It is also utter foolishness to hand over such a large project to one building consortium. That will remove all meaningful control and supervision by SBC officials and Councillors over the coming years. We will be stuck with a "one plan fits all" and hang the health of existing communities.

SBC Officials and Councillors should be protecting us against harmful pollution. Instead, any misdirection is designed to deny us a voice in defence of our future health and those of our most vulnerable neighbours, workers and visitors.


SBC CLAIMS IT CAN DIRECT TRAFFIC TO THE M2 AND AWAY FROM THE A2

Some problems spring immediately to mind:-

No discussion and no vote. For as long as SBC are able to get away with their unsubstantiated assumptions, the closer they move to making decisions that tie their hands with Quinns and we shall have to 'lump it'. SBC officials are already advertising for several permanent appointments for officers to deliver on the "garden community" idea. I feel that this leaves our an important step - public consultation? We are not being asked whether the "garden community" delivers a better outcome for Swale residents and local employment rather than balanced developments around the Borough to meet local needs and conditions.


SBC APPROACH TO EVIDENCE-BASED POLICY-MAKING.

There is a solution. Measure all four toxic pollutants associate with traffic in "real time" under real conditions at all times of day and night and over an extended period.

Don't we deserve the same level of due care and attention that Swale Borough Council offers Ospringe and parts of Sittingbourne? Until then, we can expect more "smoke and mirrors" from SBC as they demonstrate just how much contempt they have for our health and well being as well as evidence-based policy making.

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