Last month we got some news that so many of us have been waiting to hear for years.
Brenley Corner and Bluebell Hill have finally both been given the green light for upgrades, funded by some of the savings made on HS2.
The Prime Minister made the announcement at part of the new Network North, which reprioritises £36 billion from HS2 to transport improvement schemes up and down the country - including major infrastructure projects, road resurfacing, fixing potholes, and keeping the £2 bus fare in place. While most of the funding is being concentrated in the north, there are several good news stories in the south too.
This is a massive win for our local area. I have been campaigning for these upgrades ever since I became an MP, and met the Roads Minister to press for both in recent months. I'm not surprised that Rishi Sunak has finally been the one to commit to them.
Brenley Corner improvements should make life better for residents of Faversham and the nearby villages, and anyone travelling to Dover too - and mean the end of hours upon hours of our lives stuck in queues up to the junction. Bluebell Hill is already a nightmare for my constituents in Boxley, Walderslade and Lordswood who have to deal with it every day, and any future development is only going to make this worse.
Investments like these are what we need right across the country, and I am realistic we’re not going to see these junctions fixed overnight. This is a long term decision about the infrastructure we need to support our economy into the future.
