I’ve just been to the one-day consultation at Faversham Library for the proposed A2/A251 junction works.
I was told:
1. The scheme has been designed to balance the needs of road users.
2. There are no pedestrian or cycling facilities because there is no budget for them. The budget for pedestrians and cyclists is a separate budget.
This isn’t acceptable. This isn’t a balanced response. How could it be when it only serves the needs of road vehicles? When it doesn’t serve the needs of vulnerable road users?
And it gets worse.
3. The junction designer isn’t aware of any pedestrian crossing demand across The Mall.
I suggested he might like to visit one morning and see the large numbers of schoolchildren who have to run between moving traffic to cross The Mall.
Incredible. Inadequate. Irresponsible.
Tim Stonor for Faversham 
I completely agree Tim, this is an ill conceived plan that does not provide a solution to the current junction problems never mind the future ones. The proposal is up for discussion at Monday nights town council meeting where I will be raising concerns of my own with regard to the emergency response time of our fire brigade and the creation of a one way rat run up Preston grove which has no proper footpath currently. I would like to see this plan suspended until the local plan is heard and we know exactly what the new volume of traffic is likely to be, from both pedestrians and vehicles. Let’s imagine for a moment Perry Court farm goes ahead, lots more people and cars crossing the A2 and the Mall, we could even insist that the developer finance the additional pedestrian infrastructure as Tesco had to in crescent road and court street.
Ben Martin
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