Residents call for A262 through Biddenden, Goudhurst, Cranbrook and Sissinghurst to be downgraded to B-road
Frustrated villagers hoping for a quiet life in a rural corner of Kent say the traffic chaos caused by lorries makes it more “like living on the M25”.
Pictures show how HGVs keep getting stuck on “unsuitable” tight bends along the A262, which runs through Biddenden, Sissinghurst and Goudhurst.
More than 230 people have now joined forces in a bid to get the route reclassified as a B-road, with restrictions for lorries.
The A262 is a main route for traffic travelling between Tenterden and Tunbridge Wells and a road usually picked up by sat navs to avoid the A21.
But residents say the roads were not built for the number of vehicles they see each day and the narrow twists and turns mean HGVs getting stuck is a common site.
Sarah Banbery, a committee member of the Traffic Action Group A262, moved from Cambridge to Biddenden “at the end of lockdown when everything was quieter”.
“We certainly didn't expect to be living on a road with this volume and weight of traffic. The noise is relentless,” she told KentOnline.
“Our house was built in the late 15th century and it shakes when these lorries go past and that's quite worrying.
“It's miserable sometimes because we came to live in a rural village and it's like living on the M25 - it's ridiculous.
“Some lorry drivers look so surprised when their sat navs take them down these little roads.
“This is not an A-road, it should be a B-road.”
Since joining the A262 action group, Mrs Banbery has heard countless stories from other residents who say the issue is making their lives miserable.
She added: “It's not just the main road, it's also the little roads that come off it.
“There's a small road called Cot Lane in Biddenden - it's tiny and someone who lives there said they get enormous lorries thundering past and it's completely unsuitable.
“One of the problems is we have thousands of lorries a day coming through Kent which is extraordinary and there's no policy in place to manage them.
“They should be kept to motorways and the dual carriageways.
“It really affects people's lives and it gives nothing back to the community because these lorries are not stopping, they're not spending money, and they're not putting anything into the economy.
“They're just ruining our roads and making people miserable.
“In Goudhust they spend thousands having to constantly repair the church wall.
“In Sissinghurst, because cars park on both sides, it creates huge jams through the village.
“In Biddenden, we have accidents on the bend outside the church because these lorries are too big to fit on their side of the road.
“There are lots of Grade I and Grade II-listed properties, and it's degrading everybody's property. If Kent County Council (KCC) had a proper strategy this might not happen.”
[embedded content]
The group was launched in Goudhurst in response to lorries knocking down the wall at St Mary the Virgin Church and constant traffic jams.
Members commissioned a professional traffic management report to put the case to KCC to redesignate the A262 to a B-road and restrict the lorries that could use it.
The report by consultancy company Socium said that reclassification of the road would be feasible within the Department for Transport (DfT) guidance, particularly the stretch between the A21 at Lamberhurst and the A229 at Cranbrook.
It added: “Few medieval villages in Kent would be expected to tolerate such high traffic volumes and unsuitable vehicles passing directly through the heart of the community, causing damage to buildings of immense historical value and danger and disruption to the community.”
Despite the findings, KCC said it was unable to take action.
“It's not just about our road, it's about how Kent manages lorry routes through what is mainly a rural area…”
Now the group has expanded to cover the parishes of Biddenden, Cranbrook and Sissinghurst, to put greater pressure on authorities.
With more members and support from each parish council, the group now hopes to raise funds to commission another report to challenge KCC’s decision.
Chair of the group, Kevin Rampling, said: “You can be accused of being NIMBYs because lorries have got to go somewhere, but we need Kent to have a much better strategic plan for the management of the lorries.
“The lorries just come down it because it's an A-road and then get stuck.
“It's now getting worse in Kent with all the problems we've got on our motorways.
“It's not just about our road, it's about how Kent manages lorry routes through what is mainly a rural area.
“It's got to be done better.”
Speeding is also an issue the group would like to tackle and is working to put speed watch groups in each village.
A KCC spokesperson said: "Changing road classification is not a simple process and requires detailed assessment of both the road in question and the nearby network which may be impacted by such changes.
"KCC will review the petition request when it has been submitted.
"Petitions submitted to KCC are processed in accordance with the Petition Scheme, which is published on our website.”