GORDON HENDERSON MP

19th July 2011
Local haulage problems raised with Transport Minister

Congestion at the Stockbury roundabout and problems facing local haulage companies were just two of the issues raised with the Minister for Transport, Mike Penning MP, when he visited Sittingbourne and Sheppey this week.

Mr Penning was invited to the area by local MP Gordon Henderson so that he could see at first hand some of the transport related problems in the area, including the need for the duelled section of the A249 to be extended into the Port of Sheerness.

During the visit Mr Penning visited Sheerness where he met with Captain Steve Gobbi, who is the Corporate and Marine Director for Peel Ports and Derek Hendry, Programme Director for the Vestas WTM development, who briefed the minister on the proposed plans by Vestas to build a wind turbine factory at the docks.

On their way to Sheerness, Mr Henderson took the opportunity to raise with Mr Penning the poor direction signage on the A249. In particular he highlighted the omission of Minster and Eastchurch from the signs and the way in which signs at the junction of the A249 and A250 direct Sheerness bound traffic through Halfway rather than down the Brielle Way, which is the logical route. Mr Penning promised to take the matter up with the Highways Agency.

Mr Penning met also with Pete Raine, who is the Regeneration Director at Swale Borough Council, and Jim Dodd who represented local hauliers.

Mr Raine raised a number of local road infrastructure problems including congestion at the Stockbury Roundabout, the need to complete the Northern Relief Road and plan for a Southern Relief Road.

Mr Dodd was able to lobby Mr Penning, who himself worked for many years in the haulage business, about unfair competition from foreign hauliers. Mr Penning was able to reassure Mr Dodd that the Government was aware of the problems faced by British hauliers and was working on a range of measures to mitigate the threat.

Mike Penning said:

“I welcome the opportunity to have been able to visit Sittingbourne and Sheppey to see for myself the area’s crucial transport links and hear the thoughts of Gordon Henderson MP, port and company bosses, senior council officials and local hauliers.

“I have asked the Highways Agency to look into the signage issues raised by Mr Henderson. It will also continue to closely monitor traffic flow at the Stockbury roundabout.

“The Government is committed to delivering transport projects across the country, including Kent, which improves journeys while also helping economic growth. However, any plans to further extend the Sittingbourne Northern Relief Road to join up with the A2 or for a Southern Relief Road would be a matter for Kent County Council to promote.”

Mr Henderson added:

“I appreciate that in the current financial climate the Government simply doesn’t have the money to fund all the road improvements we need. However, I wanted Mike Penning to come to the constituency so that he could see for himself how important those improvements are to the economic wellbeing of our community and hope this will give us an edge when Government finances allow an expansion of the roads program.”