Updated 10th June 2024
when asked about the benefits of a petition “There isn’t any benefit of creating an official petition, when we (Highways) receive them they receive the same response as what an email or complaint would. The only way it may make a difference is if over 1600 signatures are received and it would then be referred to full Council after consideration by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.”
At some point we may look at a petition but it would have to be a full undertaking.
Updated 20th May 2024
Emails from Highways 17th May 2024
“Regarding the A258/Station Road junction – when Crash Remedial Sites are identified the remedy reflects the pattern in crashes that are occurring. Traffic lights would not be feasible or warranted with the crashes that have occurred there to date, this cannot be commented on further because traffic lights or a roundabout have not been fully investigated because the crashes occurring there have not displayed a pattern that would support this remedial measure.”
i.e Highways currently do not believe traffic lights or roundabout, from an accident perspective, is warranted at this junction yet.
The Parish Council regularly submit a Highways Improvement Plan HIP and traffic control at this junction is on there. We are told that this allows Highways to progress if an opportunity (funding?) arises. In the meantime we have asked if a large scale community involvement could help our case
Your Parish Council has been lobbying for improvements on this junction for decades. 
This junction is recognised as a Crash Remedial Action Site and is under investigation by Highways.
Today – 9th April 2024, the Parish Council received the following from Highways
“Following assessments of the A258/Station Road – road in its entirety and the junction, the warning sign (including for this junction) are being upgraded to include yellow backs and passively safe posts. We hope to have this completed by June. The crashes occurring at the junction itself did not present a pattern in order for us to remedy and so we are continuing to monitor this location and I would expect it to be revisited for assessment. Traffic lights have been discussed and it is thought that these could actually cause more crashes and so not deemed feasible at this time. I will keep you up to date with any further progress here.”
We have responded asking for data/evidence/explanation to backup this assertion that traffic lights could make matters worse, as we do not understand this either. We are also not convinced that passively safe posts can be of any assistance for car on car perpendicular collisions.
We await and will share their response.
We suggest you hold back on your constructive and poignant emails at present and we will let you know who to send to (not us – we are the converted) as soon as we can. An organised campaign maybe more effective and when we can argue the specifics. Your Parish Council are coordinating with our neighbouring parishes too including Martin Mill, Langdon and Ringwould. However, if you really want to vent now, the cabinet member for Highways and transport is Cllr Neil Baker and his email is Neil.Baker@kent.gov.uk Our KCC representative is Cllr Steve Manion steve.manion@kent.gov.uk You are also welcome to try our MP Mrs Natalie Elphicke https://natalieelphicke.com/getting-in-touch/ or the prospective labour candidate Mike Tapp https://miketapp.co.uk/contact-me/
Please be aware that your Parish Councillors are probably as or even more frustrated that you are. We too have all been stuck at that junction and having to take our lives in our hands, to cross over to Martin Mill. This is particularly dangerous around train times or school drop off. And as for trying to walk from the village to the station…..
We have always been told that there is no money for major road improvements unless funded by a large housing development. This is how the new roundabouts were funded in Whitfield for example. It was a step forward (albeit a tragic one) when the junction was declared a Crash Remedial Site last year as this means Highways have to investigate- even if their current solution is a “passively safe post” rather than traffic control.
We are aware that a petition has been set up asking for action, we have not initiated it but are sharing the the link https://democracy.kent.gov.uk/mgEPetitionDisplay.aspx?ID=509&RPID=67914686&HPID=67914686
It is possible to check the number of incidents at this junction https://www.crashmap.co.uk/Search
Here are the records for the last 5 years (upto 2023) Please use the webpage for better resolution
and for the last 20 years
