We are aware of the traffic disruptions caused by the daytime closure of the A249 southbound between Bobbing and Stockbury on Sunday, 23rd March. The official diversion route was the A2, A278, M2 J4 to M2 J5, and this was communicated in advance. However, Chestnut Street was not part of the diversion, and so no letters were sent to residents there. This led to Chestnut Street being used by drivers, causing congestion and safety concerns for residents and road users. The closure was requested by FM Conway as part of their maintenance contract, with Sunday chosen to minimise delays, as the work required needed to be carried out during the daytime. Planned routine maintenance was also moved to this closure, meaning further southbound carriageway closures by them should not be needed until September/October. They also confirmed that litter picking has been carried out recently during daytime shifts, reducing the need for additional network closures.

On behalf of residents, we have been actively seeking information from FM Conway and suggesting ways to prevent or reduce the impact of similar disruptions in the future. From this, they have confirmed that they will look into installing additional "not suitable for HGV" signage to help reduce congestion on future closures between Bobbing and Stockbury.

It is hoped that FM Conway will now work closely with Kent County Council (KCC) to discourage the use of country roads as unofficial diversions and take responsibility for the safety of all highway users affected.