The Government does not intend to do anything about the "missing
link"
between Tonbridge and Pembury for years — if ever, claimed MP Sir John
Stanley this week. He was angry at the response from roads minister
Lord
Whitty who said the dualling of the A21 between the two bypasses would
be studied again. Sir John, together with his Tunbridge Wells
counterpart
Archie Norman, recently met Lord Whitty to press for the scheme to go
ahead
now. Sir John told the Tonbridge Courier this week: "The letter from
the
Minister for Roads, who should be called the Minister for Roads
Studies,
offers only studies and yet more studies. "It is a totally inadequate
response.
The Government clearly doesn't intend to do anything about the
Tonbridge
to Pembury dualling scheme for years — if ever." In the meantime, said
Sir John, there are potentially life-threatening delays in getting
ambulances
to Pembury and Kent and Sussex Hospitals; children are late to school
and
job opportunities in the whole Tonbridge -Tunbridge Wells area are
threatened
because of traffic congestion. He went on: "The Government's roads
policy
is very simple — it's more or less to stop roads being built and to tax
the motorist to bits. "The motorist has already been hit with big
increases
in fuel tax and car licence tax with no doubt worse to come in the
budget.
Round the corner are the government's new taxes to enter towns and
cities
by car, taxes on parking your car where you work, and taxes to go on
motorways
and trunk roads. "Motorists are Labour's top target for stealth taxes.
It's time for them to protest." Lord Whitty said the A21 dualling could
form part of the Access to Hastings review which will take "at least 12
months to complete". Any recommendations could then go to the South
East
Regional Planning Conference (SERPLAN) which would advise on the
regional
priority and then onto the transport secretary, John Prescott. The A21
scheme, however, is in competition with various plans to alleviate
traffic
problems in the Hastings and Bexhill areas which will also form part of
the study.
Last Changed 14/09/09, 12/08/09