ROLLIN UNDREDS of thousands of get-rich-quick lorry noses at Britain’s police— and getting away with it. Danger- ‘| ously and illegally overloaded, the - juggernauts mutilate our roads, tear chunks out of beautiful old buildings {| and pollute the countryside. 4 One fifth of all lorries inspected by Weights and Measures men last year _ | were carrying more than their legally | permitted load. And in spot checks a few months ago 4 at Folkestone, Kent, nearly all Contin- j ental lorries arriving by ferry were well | over the 32-ton permitted maximum. ‘| Headlight, the haulage industry’s mag- }| azine, reports that in a two-weeks’ blitz {| check at Newhaven harbour, Sussex, 40 per cent of lorries were infringing some 4) regulation and half the lorries weighed were overloaded. Death traps f According to the Department of the ‘| Environment, a heavy lorry is setting off || somewhere in Britain with an overweight {| load every two seconds. | These overweights of the road. are {| potential death traps. A recent Road )| Research Laboratory report found that at least 50 per cent of car occupants are }| killed in crashes involving lorries. What are the police doing about it? In some counties, nothing at all. In Kent, overloaded lorries were not the responsibility of the police until three months ago. Even now there is no ee special squad, only a few traffic officers, to cope with the growing menace. Traditionally, Britain’s police have tended to leave checking of overloaded lorries to Weights and Measures inspec- tors. But with inadequate equipment and too few men, it is impossible for these already overworked men to operate effectively. The police are also impeded by the lorry drivers’ jealously-guarded code whereby drivers warn each other with flashing headlights of checkpoints ahead. And there is an effective grapevine that keeps overloaded lorries away from ~ Ports on days when checks are made. Without the Y Protection of a police uniform, the Weights and Measures men Sometimes are abused and intimidated os Nose to tail! How many of these are overloaded? by lorry drivers they catch cheating. “Guilty lorry drivers are very hostile,” said Kent’s chief Weights and Measures inspector, Mr. J. Stokoe. “Most drivers get paid by their load size. Asking them to carry less is like making them take a whacking cut in wages.” Phone threats Mr, Stokoe’s deputy, Bryan Dixon, was given police protection for three months after threats on his life, “1 orry drivers with a grievance broke into my home and poured red paint over everything,” he said. Drivers have driven straight at him Every day Continenta drivers hurtle their - monstrous lorries through Britain thumbing their noses at the police. . . and little is being done about them when he has flagged them down in the A course of duty, And there have even been phone calls threatening the lives of his wife and five-year-old daughter, Mr, Stokoe and Mr, Dixon head a tough manor, With the Kent ports of Folkestone and Dover still inadequately equipped with weighbridges, hundreds of overloaded Continental lorries pour into Britain every day. Because the EEC countries permit heavier loads than Britain, foreign drivers are a major cause of our appal- ling road problem, “Iv’s a matter of economics,” said Mr. Stokoe. “A driver may travel across Europe from Hungary to Calais with a weight of 40 tons. He’s obvi- ously going to take a chance on the few miles left to him in Britain.” But despite this, it was not until the Foreign Vehicles Act came. into force last August that offending Continental drivers could be prosecuted. A French lorry loaded with steel was impounded at Southampton dockside in September—the first victim of a prohi- bition order under the Act. It was 26 tons overweight! Feeling against the heavyweight in- vaders runs high in towns and villages through which they pass. In Bridge, the Kentish village on the A2 from Dover to London, a house has been knocked down. Elizabethan cot- tages and an 18th-century terrace partly demolished, and many other houses are crumbling because of the Continental lorries that thunder through. Following a recent fatal accident, hundreds of villagers protested by lying down in the main road at Bridge and blocking the traffic. And all this in'a village that was recently named as a conservation area! Residents of eight Sussex villages around Battle sent a strongly worded protest to Mr. John Peyton, the Trans- port Minister, complaining about the damage that giant container lorries are causing to roads in their area, Stopping all foreign lorries as they come off the ferries—even if the immense amount of money and the huge staff needed were forthcoming—is just not on, It would bring chaos to the ports and strangle Britain’s economy, But Britain’s lorry drivers are as bad if not worse than_ their Continental counterparts, says Mr, Stokoe, “I can prove that several well-known firms with fleets of 30 lorries or more habitually overload,” he said. f Even if law-breakers are caught, fines are frequently as small as £10 and cannot exceed £200. So while the overloaders rampage unchecked, innocent lorry drivers suffer because of their colleagues” greed_ “The boys are sick and tired of being knocked all the time without being given a chance to reply,” said an official of the Road Haulage Association. that it is asking too much of humar nature to expect drivers to obey weigh! Testrictions whose enforcement is Sc haphazard. Busy ports The Department of the Environment whose 800 inspectors supplement the police and Weights and Measures men is introducing portable weighbridges in some areas but this may take years to get operating effectively on a national scale. Meanwhile, Common Market entry lorries to Britain’s busy ports. Recent talks about the weight limits o juggernauts broke down, but are to b resumed later this month. The Government should not wait for the chaos that will surely ensue. Fines must be harsher. Licences should be withdrawn from persistent offenders. ‘And lorries should be checked by ¢ freeing the hard-pressed Weights. anc Measures inspectors and police for othe: duties. The lifeblood of Britain's economy flows down her roads. Last year 63 pe: cent of all freight went by road, As we prepare to enter the EEC, we must not let our relentless pursuit. 0: economic wealth drive England's. one green and pleasant land to the brink ©! becoming Europe's battered, tatty lay-by. 13th June 1972 Dear Mr. Purchese, Enclosed is 2 reply Mr. Thorpe has received from the Minister of Transport which you might like to gee. I don't know if you are aware of the terms of the Road Traffic Regulations | Act, but it may be possible for your Association 1 authority to bring more pressure on your loca t ne tnprenens it in such a way as to relieve e Ae. So = case Yours sincerely, pa Js Personal bern Bet to The Rt. Hon, Jeremy Thorpe M.P. John Purchese Esq., 25 High Street, Bridge, : Canterbury, — Kent. From: David Crouch, M.P. June 13,1972 Dear Mr.Lewis, Thank you for your letter of June 8th concerning the recent terrible accident at Bridge and the urgent need for the proposed improvements to the A.2 including the by-passing of Bridge and other villages to be given much greater priority. = I entirely agree with your concern in the matter and I am determined to do all I can to persuade the Government to revise its plans with a view to hastening the improvements to this road. I believe that the real answer is to complete the motorway — the M.2. - to Dover. Any other solution will be second-best. I further believe that our entry into the European Economic Community has altered the situation and the need for the motorway is now of top priority and urgent. As you probably know, I have been campaigning for this road improvement for six years and I was prepared to accept the solution of making the A.2 into a dual- carriageway road with by-passes of the villages when I saw the Minister responsible two years ago,providing the Government got on with the job with speed. I also obtained from him the promise,at long last, of a by-pass for Canterbury. Our entry into Europe must make us think again. The motorway is essential. I have therefore asked to see the Secretary. of State,Mr.Peter Walker,to ask-him for a complete reappraisal of this road problem,with the object of giving a safe highway to the continent as soon as possible. Yours sincerely, Neve Cpe . Brian A, Lewis, Hsq., ‘weston Villas', 1, High Street, Bridge, Canterbury, Kent. LD PROTEST ASSOCIATION guror: WHITFIE coi Stes eh WONTLS y 4 Court Road 48 ur, ve . f an ers our ’ Arohe ee : 9 Hewsbury Ores “ gestae Arohers a TOW, amittield. Dover. THAGL LEAs . ey 4 Dover. Honeywood Road. “TMairtield, Dover. Keansney 3503 8th June 1972 Dear Mr. Purcheseé, Thank you very mach for your letter. Unfortunately I shall not be able to attend on Sunday morning as I shall be away. If I can get someone to be over there who is good in front of a camera I most certainly will. Regarding contacting people I have not stopped from the word "Go" and I have now the Dover Harbour Board and D.R,D.C. on my side and Dover Borough-in a somewhat hesitant mood, Ea Yours sincerely, Se John Purchese, Esq. Rosebank, tae High Street, Bridge, Canterbury. + i ee fh bans ge ‘ i. oo ds Let Te Bale Shairman: Dri Ass: Archers Arvow, Honeywood Road. “hitfield, Dover. The |A2| Group iH WHITFIELD PROTEST ASSOCIATION A Secretary: Treasurer: Hoss hie Levi ae : 4 hows, kins J. A. Lewis; Ur. GR. Wf. Dampier, 9 Bewsbury Crescent, Whitfield, Dover. hitfiela, Kearsney 35035 Dover. 14th June, 1972. Mr. John Purchese, Rosebank, High Street, Bridge. Dear Mr. Purchese, It would appear that the time is now ripe for a concerted effort to improve the whole of the A.2 from Brenley Corner to Dover. T understand that your M.P., Mr. Crouch, has spoken on these lines and I have written to him today to suggest that a meeting of all interested parties should be arranged. Do you think this a good idea? If so, can we meet fairly soon and discuss ways and means? I am very anxious that we should go full steam ahead as no doubt we shall not get another opportunity as good as this. Yours sincerely, Chairman. wed. sage ALL = Pll a 1 6 Archers Court Road, Kr if OBSERVER ae forfeit ‘the Courkty [’s support for the by- oO : an sia hee “pass i rticular nonsense would O one can. blame the; The start of the by-pass pass is a pat \ : | “residents of Bridge fot could be speeded up, but i bila oS eae aie Nt mate | eS ens to esas Se oied: DF ATE to follow a- single Our Member of Parliament, | David Crouch, has kept. up| sive governments to by- | landowners over the pro} C t i i et width carriageway to be con- _k route, We do orgy Coun 5 the Hall pressure on the Minister -of | ee SORES he hether the County Council ‘structed through i ssi whether the Count 5 i a te Passth there and his started the legal process Place estate and Dukes | Transport to eg the| ecessary destruction of of ‘acquisition. Meadows. The Canterbury programme. He has_ suc: . by-pass, the route of which is ceeded in getting the by-pass | The village has) the jong term solution.) not publically defined, is too in the Ministry programme, | but a start is not envisaged tient long enough and obviously, is to extend the M.21 close to. the city ‘and must before 1978 and completion in romise of a by-pass in : ; S O74 does no solve either the. (0, Dover. It is obvious [0 result in unnecessary demoli- i © everyone who lives near Can-| tion of good houses. 1980, 3 Can we, in Canterbury, wait — the long term bury, but-apparently not to ie ; the government, Even if this Canterbury cekeainly ur-| nother eight years? ~ Are the gently needs a by-pass, but it Villagers of Bridge prepared Th abinccias proble m is were agreed, it would take two | massive build-up o! CATS ears for the purchase of land, | should be sufficiently far away}, wait for four more years? i | “ Se aie pace mat AL the moment there is no ey eee of the answer, surely, is “No”, hunder through the village tentative routes eo. | Waeheap. the number of: theaivy lorries ‘passing through the docks dur- ing’ March had). ‘iniereased by 44.46 sper cenit over March last = Se ba - B-6-W ane considering the pos- sib! ‘of i / Fe eer pee pncing thaei TmAsay t Dover's Eastern Decks, which would A2 protesters buttonholing Ministry man Mr. Rex ‘Hammond outside Bridge-Blean Rural District Council offices yesterday (Monday). Bridge lorry | crash mystery — still unsolved - | Inquest told driver’s pain HIE accident in which a 31 grocery store anda mystery,” said the Coroner, of ae S -ton lorry demolished a Beds family’s home “remains. an. unsolv Mr, Wilfred Movwll, on ‘Tuesday at the end of a two-hour inquest on the driver, A verdict of accidental death was returned by the jury on Mr, Reginald Christopher, aged 53, of 11 Cornwallis Road, Dagen- ham, His Scania articulated lorry erashe i 0/92 High Street, p wy) May 26. it was loaded with 144 tons of chilled beef. At. the inquest & statement was read trom Mrs. Grace. Christopher, the widow, which said that for 18 years he had suffered from Aah Ha ago had prought and two. y' up blood while driving, More ulcers At the beginnlt Mr, Christopher ment for more ulcers and haé begun to complain of pain be- neath his shoulder plade. I nad told her the pain was contac and felt. as if a knife n through him. ng of this year received treat had been FU Bee Two days pefore the acciden Pp we } t midnight he went to work a Raut fter c aining © after complaining ‘te had sut- wgine z at 7 &.m, returning f° of pain during tc forewing. day and Bie om 4 ralel rking & little 1#leeps A Rect morning: 11 p.m, until the ne stomach. ulcers, } A) been about two years before. K& 23°692 On the night before the Acci- dent Mrs. Christopher woke him at 10,16 and gave him a meal she ~had prepared. She. later | found he had not eaten it by the time he left for work at 11.30 pm, Mr, Christopher enjoyed night | duty, and said he did not find it tiring. He’ had often driven | to Dover and knew the A2, His last medical examination had Mr. Joseph Palmer, transport manager, 38 Myrtle Road, Romford, said that he had not} known of the pains from which Mr, Christopher suffered, He roduced the driver’s log for the|| | day of the accident which had Inot been completed, {\ » Gy) B. Forbes, consultant | pathologist at Kent and Can- terbury Hospital, said that apart | from lacerations Mr. Christo- had suffered fractures Ca IL re phopine and neck. | pedals. | ‘High revs’ ; | from the vehicle being driven in j low gear at “high revs” so that | 935. a.m, that Mr. Christopher | Hotel at, 8.ine | He had found ‘no ‘evidence of peptic ulcers, but” ; sizeable _ cancer es tee tae which could have ‘caused the pain in his shoulder afd back. This. cancer was inoperable and Mr. Christopher would have died within the next year cr two. There® was nothing wrong with his, heart*or,brain and he Meee bas state of hedlth to e Torry. No was souls 7 nis blood, Renal r. Forbes gave the death. as daceanatots thesenine! pests ee instantaneous. | r. Léonard’ Turner, of | Cottage, 51 High Street,, Bees | said he had been awake’ before the accident and heard @ heavy, | lorry coming from Canterbury. Its engine was making a whin- | ‘ing noise and sounded as if it was doing 40-50 m.p. pee the cra. are = aster baker Mr. i Baker. was eeorkiie: one bakery. in High Street, Bridge, when’ he also heard a whine from a lorry coming from Can- terbury just before the. crash. He said the whine ‘sounded as if it came from the transmis- sion. Police Sergeant Brian said-he had “examined “a Scania lorry of similar design, but had found no way. a. driver could catch his foot under-any of the The whine could have come it could climb the hill on the other side of the village. Police Sergeant Stanley} Groves said that it was not until | was released from the cab his 40ft. lorry. Set. Groves read a report from an inspector from-the Depart- ment of the Environment which outlined the damage to the vehicle. Tt said that the vehicle had been serviced on May 14, and the trailer had good» tyres. and brakes. The tyres on the lorry were only 10 per cent. worn, but because of the damage the brakes and steering could not} bel tested, | No mechanical fault could be found which might have caused the*accident, Mr, Mowll said that although the brakes and tyres appeared to be in good order there had been no sign of brake marks on | the road surface, He felt that combined cir cumstances might. have led to the accident in that Mr. Christo- pher might not have been conscious, and might have suf fered from pain as he was driv- ing through Bridge, perhaps go- ing too fast, Meeting © | over A2 A massive public demonstra-| inst the traffic terror on) the ny trunk road will take! place in Canterbury this (Pri- day) evening. Speakers who -have been in- vited to ‘address the meeting, which starts in the County) Speke Cantarhites “Psy Mr. David Crouch, an Tr yee ‘Moate, M,P.. for Faver- sham, HET KONINKRJJK DER NEDERLANDEN AMBASSADE VAN ROYAL NETHERLANDS "EMBASSY Economic Department 38 Hyde Park Gate London S W 7 Dear Sir, . 40th June, last, i handed your letter, addressed to the : Transport, to the Netherlands representative. the European Conference of Ministers of Transport held in London this week. ; However, 1 should like to point out that the proper person to whom to address your representations is the Minister for Transport Industries in the Department of the Environment. “ Ci il Yours faithfully, C.H.A. Plug, VA Gounsellor (Economic). Mr. John Purchese Rosebank High Street Bridge CANTERBURY Kent. From: . Roger Moate, M.P, HOUSE OF COMMONS LONDON SWIA OAA : 2ist June 1972 Dear Mr. Purchese, Thank you very much for your letter of 15th June on behalf of the A.2 Group. May I offer my own congrat- ulations to you on the formation of this group and wish you every success in what I believe to be a vital cause. I am very sorry indeed that I will not be able to attend the meeting because of prior constituency engage- ments but you can be assured that I am whole_heartedly behind all}efforts, not only to improve the A.2 but to ensure that the Government takes steps to remedy the previous failure to make motorway provision# from Brenley Corner to Dover. The maps of the proposed motorways of Britain demonstrate clearly the glaring omfission of proper motorway connec- tions to the crucial south east ports. We mus strive to correct this, both in the interests of the quality of life in the south east and for the sake of commercial common sense. At last we are getting the proposed Boughton and Dunkirk by-pass and I have been informed that, subject to the satisfactory completion of the statutory procedures, work should commence in th iddle of next year. That we have had to wait so long). or this piecemeal approach is a major criticism of all previous Governments. J. Purchese Esq 25 High Street Bridge Canterbury Kent ona Sea VN) Ay i Some of the 300 A2 protesters who decided on Frid 1A MONE i) aay \N "A2 Group is re-formed Traffic terror protests | reach new PROTESTS against the traffic in 1970 it carried .36,250,. said [terror of the A2 reached.a new peak at a public meeting on} Friday. Angry: villagers living} along the road mandated the te-formed A2 Group to take} “whatever action necessary” to} change the Government’s mind.} There were calls for a “com- mando group” from. the. 300-} strong audience at the County Hotel, Canterbury, which. would’ take direct action.to press de- mands for a continuation of the M2 motorway. One speaker ‘suggested: “Hire |' @-TIR lorry and take it to West- minster” and veteran cam- paigner Clir. A. J. Ross. said they~ should sit down on the} Minister of the Environment’s |doorstep. * | Traffic problems at~ each of the villages on the road be- ‘tween Breniey Corner and’ Dover Were outlined and Kent County Council representatives _reaf-| firmed their support, but warned | against pressing for a motorway 60 much that-other work was stopped. The A2 Group, which was first | formed in 1966 and died through Cllr, “Payne. Dov ee Harbour aes the busiest in Europe an con- tinped to’ expand. In < 1962, 2, freight lorries were shipped through the port, in 1970 there} were 83,277 andthe 1971 figures were running 49 per cent. up. * The Harbour Board predicted a total of 230,000 lorries a‘ year by 1975. + The protesters must be deter- ined not only to stimulate faction but to ensure the job of improving the inished, he said. ONLY AGENTS Cllr. R. H. Cooper, chairman of Kent County Council's Roads Committee, said they sympa- thised but. were only agents of the Department of the Enyiron- ment. injury accidents at Bridge were half the national» average for that type of ‘road. “We would have liked to have seen a motorway ‘very, much said. The County Council wante lack of interest; was re-formed fby.the meeting which elected ii committee members, who represent every affected com- mvnity. ;Three local. MPs. were _in-! (vited to the' meeting but none yattended. Mr. (Canterbury), |(Dover)» and Mr. Roger Moate | Faversham) sent apologies and | gave their support to the pro- testers. | Mr. Crouch wrote that’ the motorway should have top) | eee especially as entry into the Common Market had} {altered the situation. | } The meeting’s chairman, Cur,| Tony Payne, of Harbledown, said: “The traffic. situation is spttvgiat apystch be extent is. serious interferi with daily life.” id eee Villagers could not walk the: pavements without fear and they were at risk even in their | pb homes, he said, | ¢ reasons for the situation! were a total lack of overall, planning for roadg in this rt. of Kent and the failure of thos] responsible to grasp the ele- mentary evidence of their own statistics. The A2’s capacity was, 9,000 passenger car units a day, but David Crouch} Mr. Peter Rees “Help us into a coffin,” ; Woman cried out. ‘Mr. Allen Smith, the County he said. is an Mr. John Purchese, of Bridge, overall plan, for the road—ad- said that the Village’s problems mittedly it is not the best plan! were caused by the hills at each} The County Council certainly end and the closeness to. the’ Surveyor, said: “There wanted a motorway and ° wer pressing for this. back = i 1963-64.” Work took so long becausi of the statutory processes whic were laid down to ~proted people. The Dartford diversio: took 10 years from start t finish, he pointed out. “A lot of tripe—lies and hum} Wanted a pedestrian-controlled | said a woman as shq 0he—any other’ kind’ was use- bug,” walked out of the’ meeting, It was central government! policy that the M20 motorway b. extended from Maidstone ‘t Folkestone, said Mr. Smith. MAIN ROAD Asked whose fault it was that of joini: the A2—the main road fro; London to Europe with entr: into the Common Market. com ing—could not cope with th trafic, Mr. Smith said: “It j, the fault of all of us, it is th fault of the elector,’’ ' Since. the war peak A2~ was; motorway .so «much + that . the} but were not able to get it,” he to’help people living along the A2. q only eight hours instead of an successive | So || | ; This énd of the A2, was more |} lightly trafficked than the other} end, he said. There were 14,000, a day here but at'Dartford the) figure is 50,000 and that was where the money in Kent had been spent. Toll roads were suggested, and | Mr. Smith said this was being looked into but junctions were relatively close and tolls would be. expensive to collect. Mr. Smith warned the pro- testers: “Do not press for a‘) present work is stopped.” Dr. A. K. Thomas, of Whit-} field Protest Association, said } the proposéd line for the Dover| eastern, by-pass was unaccep- table as it ran through the hub of Whitfield. aA second line was being put | forward by the County. Council | but the whole process of a public inquiry had to be gone through, | |he said, |. Cllr: CC. B. W. Stevens, of Boughton where work on a by- pass is due to start, also warned of the delays caused by inquiries. Their public. inquiry: lasted: jexpected four . days » because} |many objectors failed to appear}! High Street of the speed limit signs. it was traffic to slow down to the cor-| rect speed in the distance given, he said.; There was. no: crossing because pedestrian}! villagers| less. Of the section completed above Barham and! Teneathe? Mr. Purchese, said: “They have tackled the open ‘sections first and it is sheer bosh,” People driving from the: Villages still face the Deen ng an.A2 where vehicles | er passing at more than 70. Mr. Roy Seaborne, 0; = bury, criticised the Renters 1 parting time og ee Canterbury “pass of “the early 1980s,” a acs 2 governments had not spent the money on needed, he said, roads which was | Harbledown nonsense ~ to expect! es lay to take “whatever action necessary” to get a motorway from Brenley Corner to Dover. IN OPERATION he Buchanan Report of 4969/70 had said nothing. could be done about trafficcin the city ‘untjl a by-pass was in operation. roposed Upper.and Lower The. Prop Ny naseos would tause a block when the traffic reached the built-up areas of Canterbury. : Cllr. Michael Fuller, chair- man of Canterbury. City Coun- cil’s Town Planning Committee, said that a by-pass for the city was vital. The City Council was getting together with other councils from: Brenley: Corner to Dover to co-ordinate joint action to get the road finished. Clir, Ross said he had been fighting this battle for 12 years. “It must be apparent. from what they themselves have to say that the County Council can- not do anything except support our. protests,” he said. “They. are only agents. The person you have to get‘at is the Minister of the Environment, “If you cannot get any. satis- faction out. of him, go and sit on his bally doorstep—and. if you are aggressive enough you will eventually ‘get. something done,” said Cllr: Ross: There were two lines of action open to the’A2 Group, Said Mr. Purchese: The official channel, which meant getting more facts through a census and then push- ing through every savenue of approach, and) the unofficial sit- ins sears Be een suggested that the best place to sit was outside the Eastern. Docks | at Dover bos Ot there: acre enough of ylem, 1b wou ei S au sem all, he Bide es £9) 9 take unofficial action they | needed the mandate of the meet-| ing, he. said, ‘h: 3° gi unanimously. This was given e committe elected were: Mr Sonn Eu chese (Bridge), Mr. Roy Sea- borne (Canterbury), Cllr. Mi- chael Fuller (Canterbu SOEIS (Harbledown), Ge . Bo Ww, evens (Bi Mr. Brian Lewis (Bragerneny Dengsentatives come ” fro: Mnkirk, Lydden, Temple Ewell. | Whitfield and Guston, ‘j EK. 27-620 ment change its mind.o M.2. : _Anger over the hazards in- flicted on villagers by gigantic Jorries using the. A:2°was’ brought to a new crescendo ANTERBURY and villages along the A.2 from Brenley Corner to Dover have formed a com: mando squad determined to take whatever action necessary to make the Department of the Environ- | Canterbury, on Friday when | Committee Mr. R. H. Cooper. wan veverknice Whist drive House, | Stephen's Legion antetbury ‘ ver the extension of the when a 30 ton T.I.R. meat transporter - demolished a house and shop at Bridge, killing the driver. ; The commando squad move followed a packed public] meeting at the County Hotel, | the village protest groups con- ‘fronted a team from Kent County. Council’s Surveying Department and the chair- man of the county Highways People came prepared to listen and to answer back. Angry hecklers who challenged “Mr. Cooper's statement that the A.2 improvement programme was “rolling ahead acording | to - schedule but taking.a long time” |) either walked out of the meeting || or stayed to hear the full story. But the militant protesters were warned. by Mr. Cooper; ‘Tf you are prepared to scrap all the Worl in DEOR TSS Ss pn i s you wi aes at the public en- in a new road} 15 to 20 years. |) eeting was opened - by || ‘puidue-Blean Rural ONO | i ‘ony ° aan reasons for the A2 situation. es — ly there was a t0 5 see iil planning for trae, tp this part. Kent, and secon y | | Dover continued-to expand as 230 pm, Holter's’ Mill, . st. jae (Royal British en’ + branch op "the ||Allen Smith, said the || council acted as agents Refuting the claim that there overall im- bee quote tate 1078 WT sufhnent funds are available,” Coun- cillor Payne told the meetii Kent County Surveyors lel ‘ eo | pAb gttid over major ti ee no plans ies the rovement oi ie A. there was a scheme meee road all the way from Breni || Corner to Dover. to\ grasp the elementary evi-| dence of their own. st: ie : i FREIGHT FIGURES: 26% =| He said the A:2 road capacity || ‘was°9,000'car passenger units (a! Sia oes er ‘used -by. officials) but™in*1970.it\ carri 16,250. : ee a~ port... In .1962°.2,052 freight lorries were -shipped through Dover harbour.. By 1970 this |} figure=rose®*to* 83,277 -and ‘last }| pyear's figures were 49 per cent} || was probably the late “70s or Upson. this: oe) ~ “By 1975 Dover Harbour ‘Board confidently predict that ‘they will be handling 230,000 CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 ko. ‘a total’ failure by the authorities ‘|; ments wl 4j|them was Bridge scampaigning for. a. bypass for All th ie proposed were tied down by ~ || however much the villages pro- tested they could not alter law as it stood. be The extension of the M29 motorway to Folkestone was ~ about to be advertised. Tt was” soverunen policy to build the all the proposed A-2 improve- rhich includes 4 bypass for Canterbury. But a con struction date for this has not been fixed or even the line clearly established. ‘ The date according to Depart- ment of the Environment's plaw | early “80s. A.2 CHAMPIONS 2 All the protest groups along the A2 were given a chance to speak to the meeting and among. ion Mr. John Purchese, who first began the village ten years ag. ~~ Councillor Payne, speaking: for Harbledown, said its was ridiculous to consider building: a bypass for the village before the complete Canterbury bypass was considered- ee He disliked the proposals for | the village on all grounds: and the parish council. were stat pean after a_year for the Ime tobe p : we Mr._R e e ee = Canterbury's views to the ing, said the concept of & z for the city was not new. Nothing could be done about the euty's raffic problems ul a | ss was built. ~~ : *Gouncillor €. B. W. Stevens. bypass 35 for Boughton, whose S esters Purches' borne and Te 1 roury) and Councillor is Mrepresenting Harble- down, TP Rent Herald, June 27, Wr: : - Bridge death erat, at 8.15. a accident in Which a 31- ee at lorry demolished a Bridge yay tons of chilled beef. _ store and «a. family’s : ‘remains an unsolved} ywas read .” said the Coroner, Mr. /Chsstophen ig wid ‘ilfred Mowll, on Tuesday at apes gt tnd of ‘a two-hour inquest He ha and two yeers a up blood while Sins: A. vere Sea att verdict of accidental death} Mr CSS Opnet: returned , ment for more ulcers and ha hy the jury on a begun to complain of pain ; 5 nald | | of PRT ERT i} neath his shoulder blade. | ne ‘ham. His Scania articulated to crashed into the home of and Mrs. Colin Lewis, at{had been run through hime Council, . our’ agent road, have | ; the. : z " : Dep rtment | , scretary of Sta! 3 ‘pf the Environment an ‘of Kent | traffic} | Its eng “The proposals for the Chan: ‘ ‘Tunnel have neither delayed the pub-| comprehensive improvement the A2 nor influenced the deci not to extend the M2 aa loaded with | he w ining. of, the pain Bhar complaining ft u At the inquest 4& statement from. Mra. Grace ' Ghich suffered from. stomach ulcers, had brovght is year/she had pre) Rani found he Had ‘ot eaten It by. i be- | pans He had told her the pain was duty and \saf sudden and felt as. if a knife e had often driven to Dover and knew the A2. His : atora the accident’ | t ude! Cor at midnigh' apni t7 am. He suf ier nT Mot of et aunbe Avr Sanit ollowing lara little sleep, working d| 11 pam. pti the next morning: On the night before the acel- dent Mrs, Christopher woke 0.15 and gave him am he 4 red, She. later @| time he left for work at Mr. Christopher enjoyed | night ie it tiring. Hi \last. medical examination had jbeen about two years before. Mn Joseph Palmer, transport lmanager, of 38 Myrtle Road, Romford, aaid that he had, fot known. of the pains from whie |Mr,_ Christopher suffered. He produced the driver’s log for the ‘day. of the accident which had ‘not been completed. ‘ |. Dr. Ge B. Forbes, consultant pathologist at: Kent and Can- iterbury ‘Hospital, gaid that apart \from lacerations Mr. Christo- \phere had suffered fractures of the spine and neck. » He had found no evidence of ‘peptic ulcers, put had found a ‘sizeable cancer of the lung |which could have caused the his shoulder and back. inoperable a ear cr tw ee ing wrgni with his heart or brain aad he | was in a fit state of health to icohol, was Ee Forbes gave the cause’ of '\death as fracture of the spine. tantaneous. ard ar, of. Forge . High Street, Bridge, ‘been awake before , || the n Wy lorry coming from Canterbury. aking a whin- no: id Gag 40-50 auge th | 9.15 a.m. would have | ¢ jow gear at “high yeva’ so. that low, seat Climb the hill on the other side of the Miers, Police. Se! rarer anley roves said that. it w t until ebad cis Mr: Chiistoptier was released from the cab of his 40ft. lorry. a gt. Groves | a report from an inspector from the Depart- ment of the En ronmént which outlined the = mage to the vehicle. & Tt said that the vehicle had peen serviced on May 14, and the trailer had good tyres and prakes. The tyres on he’ lorry were only 10 per cent. worn, but because of the damage the brakes and could not eal fault could be ave cuused id that although fyi appeared er there had the brakes- to Beane 0 é marks on in “good ign .o the « sul ‘ "He felt: that. combined cir- cumstances might have led to the accident in that Mr. Christo- -|pher might, not have been full conscious, and might have aide as he was driv- perhaps go- ITALIAN EMBASSY No. 1599 - E/5/Trasp. John Purchese, Esq., Rosebank, High Street, Bridge, Canterbury, Kent. Dear Sir, T refer to your letter of the 10th June 1972 LONDON, 14, THREE KINGS YARD 3rd July, 1972 Wal to which you attached a communication for transmission From: Peter Rees, Q.C., M.P. 30th June, 1972. Dear Mr. Purchese, Thank you for your letter of 29th June and for the newspaper report of your meeting, which I read with great interest and sympathy. As you know, I am working with your own M.P., Mr. David Grouch, towards the same objective. Yours sincerely, Mint XA) John Purchese, “The A.2. Group, 25 High Street, Bridge, Canterbury, Kent. Esqe, he question — y to secure its cial traffic t. resentative attended the peen requested concerns a talian Autho- al situations lance, the question esented to the ssure you that, ling the discus— f., the Ttalian to the solution Ihfully, D (3 paren COUNCIL OFFICES. OLD DOVER ROAD, (ENTRANCE FROM COSSINGTON ROAD ) BRIDGE-BLEAN RURAL DISTRICT COUNCIL CLERK OF THE COUNCIL: 1. F: SOILLEUX, D.M.A. TREASURER: B.G.S.HASTE, AA.C.C.A) A.C.CA.) ARYA: CANTERBU RY, a ENGINEER A SURVEYOR! RU. THACKRAY, C-ENO), AWM, L:MUN. Ey AiM, 1H. Ee SENIOR PUBLIC HEALTH INSPECTOR! J.W.A. BREWSTER TELEPHONE: CANTERBURY 6641 (4 LINES) Your Rer. merer PUT/SD 3 July 1972 ‘ Dear Mr Purchese The Council at their meeting on 28 June adopted a recommendation from their Building and Planning Committee that I should be instructed to take steps to have the lettering vemoved from the boarding erected at 90/92 High Street, Bridge . The Council appreciate your group's motive in painting the boarding in this way at that particular time but feel that it is not now unreasonable to ask that it be removed I would point out that the letting constitutes an advertisement for which planning permission should strictly have first been obtained and that Bridge is within an area in the Kent County Developement Plan designated as one of special control for the displaying of advertisements In the circumstances I should be pleased to receive your assurance that the letting will be painted out at an early date or a planning application deposited for its continued display : Y¢urs ely _ Engineer and Surveyor J Purchese Esq. “ 25 High Street. « « Bridge Canterbury Kent Ser ne iy The |A2| Group Brian A. Lewis, Canterbury, Kent We care about the A2 Trunk road to Dover from the M2 Please reply to:- Mill Cottage, Bekesbourne, Kent. P.J. Thackray Esq., Engineer and Surveyor, Bridge-Blean Rural District Council, Old Dover Road, Canterbury, Kent. 4.7.1972 pJt/sD Dear Mr. Thackray, I am very grateful that you should have written to me concerning the property at 90/92 High Street Bridge, because - firstly - it gives me an opportunity of expressing the thanks of everyone in the village and those sympathetic to the road problem in the County for the extremely efficient and prompt way in which your Department and you yourself coped with the immediate problem of safeguarding the property at the time of the incident. As to the slogans BAN TIR NOW and BY-PASS BRIDGE, you may be interested to kmow that a great many people reading the decision of the Planning and Building Committee expressed their surprise that 4 local body could be so far out of touch with the feelings of those who have to live in the vicinity of the road. I am not speaking of young radical people but middle-aged and elderly and responsible folk. One man of 66 volunteered to me to paint the sign back if your Council was foolhardy enough to obliterate it (his words). We are not anxious to create difficulties with an no control over the road; and there must of necessity Left before the hoarding is dismantled for rebuilding you would send me the Council's Authority who has be only some weeks of the premises, so I would be grateful if planning application form which we will re Council, so that a Planning Application can be made. wording has a salutary effect on drivers as we know from our surveys the interviewed TIR drivers at the cafe stopping places on Pears limb should be firmly in the fo front of the order of priorities in this matter. Yours sincerely, Hon. Secretary/Treasurer: 1 High Street, Bridge, to Bri é een eracy ich,” z \ ‘inhabitants: of ne pee need havé 10 _ swe extra weight and momentum | only lead to, greater) and worse injury, and) “Blean loss of life, Mr. Percival sald he Heenan this score, Nothing did not see how we could be \ onneting from Brussels.) 18) pecrutary, complacent aout ible. 9 Oy, | likely to match, far. less exceed, en} Discussing possible fons, ) the absolutism practised }; Buropa Mr. Percival, said in the short | Rural DistriebaCounell.di Uae earn sould Tts ukase on the BUbjdét o nate either all heavy lorries, or ice ‘only bureaucrat! fyi Rented, street or area. { ery itd but Bleo udier . Lrogant and pe . | Th the long term, more, Use i hecausen b sage if not by, -| could be made (at least for bull \finition,” thes term “advert freight) ‘of ‘the nation’s most “ment” implies the promoti vuunder-utilised capital asset— an event, an offer of Ne rellway ayacem.. ‘services, etc.; the « secon | cause it ig indicative of ‘viction on, the part of ; 4 £ that they te; mnaster 19 i “Jast because it, is agains! Boga G a eins interests of the. a Waive meee parece ere S| ~ whom the council Following Mr. Percival’s talk, | | volunteered, to ser’ the conference passed a resolu- ) I cannot escape th imp! that it is high’ time’ the: ‘tion, drawing attention to the} grave injury done to the struc- ture of ancient buildings, ‘and | the degradation of whole street Hitlers were cut down to eas wD, JO. Umop ps%doq o1,04 pue jusord THOS 00} Useq TB" 9AM, ]e.. pimoar | S194 Pom Ix Jey) ouAB JOT 10, ; i 2 0 , Ssoy poly[y oPIOuN0D s0usivdmes Ty UIA ‘moHenzIs oy) urepdxo sera shee Bey San eiRae Ang BaOs st JoyeUl oyT,, ” x 3 et hale a Sees aU) posowue Ureyg uoyat puy’ ¢ ~ =}uno: HIM povise xnoIog — IH woppAT Jo 300} 9y1 Jv Oy} JO oyNUIUT ¥ 0} UNpuoppr sale Pen risk Eo eanetosd fae so omnes ayy JO AID ~—«sPeyseio jeYy} AoyUL} [IO jeYyY,, ue posodoid oudeg s0jjDuN0D Sa1Ip 0} JUEM NOA sI94M zi ‘pasudoyine i GSR se i ey ey) — SUOISDep ISU} SOAVUT} 59g pey -sseddq oy) | Jey) x AMOPUIM WOOIpsg je pzo1 f MOUITTDAOS) 24} 84D, | jlounos ey) pouLoyut Ajfeuosied “Io}SeF puv JosUO] 403 0} -ALY JO Ysu oy) uNI pjnow jsorojur Surssed ve ueyy pey ‘yonoIy ptard “IW “dW wloas ivy} syneusssnf snowlous YoINYD Jo Wo}0q oy} 1v osoy se e OU SI 9194} BSI[aI 0} DUIOD SAINqIN}ULD ey} WIY POPUIUI soy} WOIJ s}uopiooe snoLios AroA yons ‘sonsiodoid Ayjunod [[eUIg - Z usiedwes 7y .juade[dWIOD 00} 91,n0X,, Sees Department of the Environment, Room 86/05 2 Marsham Street London SW1P 3EB Direct line 01-212 7102 Switchboard 01-212 3434 Your reference B A Lewis Esq Weston Villas Our reference 1 High Street \ TPRA 2344/19/01 Bridge Date CANTERBURY Je June 1972 Kent Dear Sir 1. Ihave been asked to reply to your letters of 5 and 8 June, both with enclosures, which were addressed to the Minister for Transport Industries about the A2 trunk road between Brenley Corner and Dover. 2. I should like to say how sorry we were to hear of the recent fatal accident in Bridge. Our Regional Controller (Roads & Transportation) is investigating the circumstances of this with the local police to try to discover its cause and to determine whether there are any measures which might minimise the risk of further accidents. 3. I understand you have already written to the Department about the improvement of A2 and that replies have been sent to you from the Regional Controller's office in Guildford. I am afraid there is little I can usefully add to what has already been said to you. As you kmow plans are already being implemented for the conver- sion of A2 to dual carriageways from the end of M2 (Brenley Corner) to Dover, with by-passes of the villages along its route. The schemes associated with this comprehensive improvement are going ahead as fast as resources permit. lk. Then the construction of the proposed by-pass of Bridge depends among other things on the making of Statutory Orders which are required to establish the route of the new road, the layout of the associated side roads and possibly for the compulsory acquisition of land. These @rders have to be published in draft form and a period has to be allowed for objections to be made. Dependent on the volume of objections and their nature it may also be necessary to hold a Public Inquiry. I am afraid these are time-consuming processes, but they have been designed to protect the interests of the individual by giving those who may be affected opportunity to comment on or object to the proposals. I am sure you would agree ig ae as oneeneert fom the Naaeete of the public to be so protected. We expect s) rs in the autumn and if the ork should start on the by-pass in 197). yee © 5. Because these statutory procedures have to be undertaken I am afraid I can offer no hope that an earlier start of work would be possible as you have suggested. Yours faithfully (ROADS AND TRANSPORTATION) Department of the Environment riche (South Eastern) 4 ‘ ’ ear ” + fe md 4s Edgeborough 74 Epsom Road Guil Nae ' canals \ Telex 85335 AB Drese Guildford Heacit ges dandy Telephone 0483 (Guildford) 71101 ext 274 Your reference J Purchese Esq Rosebank Our reference High Street Beage DSE 200/09/TR 34/020 Kent. 4 duly 1972 Dear Sir LONDON-CANTERBURY-DOVER TRUNK ROAD A 2 — BRIDGE BY-PASS 24 1. Mr Harold Wilson MP has passed your letter and enclosures dated 5 June 1972 about the need for a by-pass of Bridge to Mr John Peyton, Minister for Transport Industries, who has asked me to reply to you on his behalf, 2. At the present time, the main through traffic routes between London and the Channel Ports are by way of the A.2 and A.20 trunk roads. Ultimately, however, it is proposed that these two routes will be superseded by a Mid Kent motorway running roughly parallel to the A.20, details of which were published in draft foxm for public comment on 27 June last. This new motorway, when constructed, would attract mech of the through traffic which now uses the A.2 trunk road and would also provide access to the Channel Tunnel if constructed. It is however, still accepted that it will be necessary for the A.2 to be improved, and this is being and will be achieved by providing second carriageways along- side that existing where possible and constructing by-passes around the villages including Bridge. It is anticipated that this work will be substantially complete by the mid 1970s. 3. Preliminary work on the preparation of the Bridge By-Pass is now in hand and is proceeding satisfactorily. It will not, however, be possible for any construction work +o be put in hand until such time as the necessary Legal Orders under Sections 7 and 9 of The Highways Acts 1959 to 1971 have been made. These Orders are required to establish the route of the new road and to authorise the alteration of side roads which would be affected, and it may well be necessary, because of objections, for a Local Public Inquiry to be held. In connection with this, I can advise you that it is hoped to be able to publish these Orders in draft for public comment later this year. It will also be a necessary for the land which is required for the scheme to be acquired. Whilst be x to acquire such land by agreement wherever possible, it may be necessary to reso: compulsory purchase, in which case & further inquiry may be required, These legal ae t d basically to protect the individual by giving members processes have been designe 4 th ty tae t public whose property or interests are likely to be pages see i omment on or object to the proposals. Whilst Those Rrooemaes en ‘tuna pod Wee EA i to complete, you would agree, sure, of considegable amount’ of tame be protected in this way. I am attaching a copy a for the interests of the public to be P Ose lasetammace appa: you may pooklet which is published by the Department abo think find of interest. 4 I have c ted wy ds vehicles should be the suggestion that hea §o00! . arefully investig@ , 5 : f the A.2 which passes through Bridge This, however, could prohibited from the section 0 Rgcnpeal only be done if there was 4 guitable alterna for this type of traffic which would be immediately available. The Oy ox) bg nia paneer through a number of small villages and i road whi we. larger volume of traffic oreo a apd soe ic oremonlal: In fact the A.20 one ints, the diversion of isiataens eae’ ay el Ports than the 4.2, and in oe eptified, between London and the rage ii ateate this route could no any additional traffic ‘ This paper is suitable for Dyeline photocopying 7 REGIONAL CONTROLLER ye | From: David Crouch, M.P. AS July 6,1972 Dear Mr.Purchese, Thank you for your letter of June 29th and the newspaper report of the meeting of the A2 Group in Ganterbury last week. I had already seen one report, but I was glad to have your copy as it served as valuable material for my meeting yesterday with the Parliamentary Under— Secretary of State at the Department of the Environment,Mr.Keith Speed, M.P.,with whom I discussed the whole problem. I will keep you informed of progress in this. Yours Sincerely, eS Ve Cosa John Purchese,Esq., The A2 Group, 25, High Street, Bridge, Canterbury, Kent. . ag M, R, Crux, A.R.I.B.A., M.S.1 Helios House, : im? The Street, Barham, Nr. Canterbury. 4Q1- 3334 5th July, 19726 J. Purchese, Esqe, Rosebank, High Street, Bridge, Nr. Canterburye Dear Mr. Purchese, I attended the meeting that you held in the County Hotel a fortnight ago and made the point that the road proposal to by pass Dover has been designed as a single carriageway road, If there is to be an Inquiry about this road it seems to me. that your group should make representations about this proposal which in some ways seems to me the most extraordinary proposal of all when one considers that no major road nowadays is built to single carriageway. 1 visited the Exhibition at Dover when the road was first shown and asked one of the Ministry's designers how they had arrived at the conclusion that the road should be single carriageway and he assured me that this had been done on the basis of projected figures for continental traffic in 1990. By chance we had obtained forecast figures from the Dover Harbour Board sometime ago in connection with another purpose and on checking through these figures I cannot possibly see how they can be reconciled to the Engineer's claim. According to information that we were given, the Harbour Board were expecting a compound annual increase of 12% per annum of traffic until the opening of the tunnel. This would bring about by 1977 a load of 2k million vehicles per annullle Should the tunnel be built somewhere abou 1978 they estimated that this would halve the amount of traffic but that there would then be a rise of 8% compound per annum so that by 1985 ey thought they would be back to 2 million vehicles per yeate We ve woes on given information showing the amount of anticipated traffic pet SY “ii ehtly - = + of 1985 there wo out the year which showed that in mid: eens plcnecraer in each direction. in excess of 13,000 vehicles per day going T wenld think 22 mugelaenumerghat at lecet) (ameMialc ae the) sche sence traffic about which we are all complaining and for these, as y° 2 ; jed in one direction passenger car units are allowed making 4 total to be ree. ce the he Depa only of 16,912 peceu's, As far as I could tell t excess pay eerinen, A that dual carriageways be provided fo Ae eae of 9,000 pec.u's so that clearly there must bets Sas eracala even be a case and in fact if the calculations are only 20% under there for three lane dual carriageway e Teeet a otherwise I think someone must press for the proper design of te Downs where think we shall see the same situation that is EE cas Bishopsbourne wat a second carriageway is +0 be added to that be kat saat f, of course, was built as a single carriageway road ‘3 z motorway road to by Pa ge they would we could get the section Be he Whitfield village problem beaau perhaps be the standards this would solv! no longer make use of rol best solution, Hon, Secretary/Treq, Brian A. Lewis, “urer 1 High Street, Bridge Canterbury, Kent We care about the A2 Trunk road to Dover from the M2 Please reply to:- M411 Cottage, Bekesbourne, Kent, D. Crouch Eeq., MePoe eo House of Commons, London Swi « Dear Mr. Crouch, Last week the Committee Members of the A2 Group mét to plen the first moves over the road following the public meeting held in Canterbury. We are going to hold @ 24hr. census which will record types of vehicles as well as numbers, and as soon as we have held this we will provide you with the figures obtained, broken down into hours, numbers and types, together with any analysis we feel would be helpful. One of the problems as we see it is that the Department of the Environment surveys have only counted axles (with the electronic counters) and made these figures up into peu's rather than checked what vehicles are involved. I enclose a copy of our newsletter sent to the 200 — people who attended the public meeting. You will see that we intend, delivering a memorandum to the D. of E, at 2 Marsham Street SWion Saturday week. The intention had been to ask you if you would be able to attend to help in the handing over; but Brian Lewis (our Secretary) was due to enter Kent and Canterbury Hospital for the extraction of four wisdom teeth and between /wée have not contacted you early enough to give fair warning. What we will do if we may is to give you an advance copy of the memorandum early next week, and should you agree with the contents possibly you could endorse the views. We wish to stress to the Minister the need for overall planning, a minimum of dual carriageway the entire way from Brenley Corner to Dover and some sense of urgency, with the EEC so close. The latest figures from Dover are disturbing; in the month of April 1972 there was a 37.93% increase in goods vehicles compared with @ year ago, and the tonnage carried stood at 190,542 tons against the previous year, an increase of 22,69%, Thank you for your barrage of questions in the House reaps week. I Brg aad Lip pecan ey views that it provoked some thought minds e authori could result in a spee bringi 42 up to fit European standards. : use dcg _ Yours sincerely, V SS. os Ae | In any future correspondence \ please quote Dear Sir(s), ys Your application for planning permission dated the Whitehall, London, S.W.1.).* You may, however, by agreement in writing with the the cee in which a decision of the fh hee is to be given. Wy Purchese Esq, Mill Cottage Bekesbourne Canterbury f To EL ate . ‘ } 4 : ¥ Delete when necessary. The |A2| Group Hen Serta (trea 1 High Street, Bridge, | Canterbury, Kent We care about the A2 Trunk road to Dover from the M2 Please reply to:- Wu tottage, Rcherourne, Lek, 22.7.1972 The Minister of State, The Department of the Environment, 2, Marsham Street, London, SWiP 3EB Dear Mr, Walker, I have been instructed by my Committee (which was elected at a public “meeting held recently in Canterbury by some 300 interested people) to write to you concerning the Department's attitude to the A2 trunk road. In 162 days from today’s date we are due to join the Common Market, : but there appears no sign of recognition of this fact when the present \| pietemeal improvements on the A2 south of the M2 are examined. The A2 is at present carrying a high proportion of the heavy goods vehicles arriving from countries in Burope and parts of Asia by cross- channel ferry at Dover. "In the month of April 1972 there was & 37.93% ; increase in goods vehicles through Dover compared with a year ago, and the : tonnage carried at 190,542 tons was 22.69% up". (Freight Transport Association). The A2 in parts is 18' wide. Following the Brussels Agreement 40 ton lorries will start using the road next January. We feel that tremendous danger will result for both the drivers and the people who live on the road. There has been no hint of urgency put into the work of improving the 42 where roadworks have started, and we continue to receive bland assurances from all official sources that the A2 is adequate. The Member of Parliament for Canterbury, Mr. David Crouch, recently tabled 11 Questions on the subject, and we join him in his anxiety. Se The M20 is offered by the Department as the answer to the A2 problems, | but even when this is built it will not present the relief your Department | : Suggests, since — for one thing - there are no links at the ends. The | I proposed M20 stops at Folkestone, so Dover traffic will be impeded reaching | the M20. At the London end it does not link satisfactorily with either | the Dartford or Blackwall Tunnels, but lurches into the suburbs of Lewisham. Excepting for a short section in the Rochester Way area, the A2 | | NT, OF THE ENVIRONMENT; | inquiry please quote DEPARTMENT aun In any inquiry P pad ees wA2/SBRCY LONDON, s.W.1. Cc AERA ae ONT : ar postmnatk dated Receipt is acknowledged of your letter 92 July 1972 reference 42 jon which is receiving attentit —— eg. 54 a speed 720640 100M cww.LTO 1 High $ re Street, Bridge, Canterbury, Leta We care about the A2 Trunk road to Dover from the M2 Please reply to:- provides an excellent road from North of the Blackwall Tunnel all the way to Brenley Corner, with good connections for the Dartford Tumel. Consequently, when one also considers that the A2 is the old Roman Watling Street, you have a straight line road from London to within twenty miles of Dover - and the heavy goods driver will continue to use A2. The planned hovercraft link between Foulness International Airport and the Herne Bay area of the Kent coast will additionally load the A2 with goods and passengers. The census figures on which so much of the Department's calculations rest, appear to be peu figures obtained with electronic counters. We are not satisfied with this, and propose to hold a 24 hour census of our own, analysing types of vehicles as well as numbers, in hourly groupings. To make the BEC countries aware of the risks their TIR drivers take in journeying from Dover to Brenley Corner we have been in touch with the Ambassadors of each country, and their Ministers of Transport were contacted when in London recently for discussion with Mr. Peyton. We now propose to ensure that the commercial interests of the EEC countries are made aware of the inadequacies of the 42. They may be surprised, as it is commonplace in Europe to find motorways right up to the principal ports, as you probably know. A German Television team has already filmed on one of the bad A2 spots. The crew were in Britain posing the general question "Is Britain ready to join the EEC"? If the M2 is not to be extended from Brenley Corner to Dover, an immediate concerted programme must be implemented to include 4 Canterbury bypass (taking in Harbledom), bypesses for the villages undertaken end route Mr the Dover Docks section so designed that does not bisect the village of Whitfield. wing se in its Hes 162 days is not long. If the Government is serious 8. attempts to Resthaynhiset = of membership of the Community it might not, now, be far-fetched to suggest that the ant of t Environment treat the matter as one of national urgenc Feit 4 Departnent of The ERVIN fa Easiral | 7 The Divisional Road, ineer (Sou! stern), 20094 /TR34 Jo20 gto “Epsom Road, Reference. No. re Guildford, Surrey, . Date ET hee AWG: 1972 \ T have to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated wdidag....L2. po (amd-enclosures) which is receiving attention’ Yours faithfully, fr Divisional Road Engineer, bject: so AMOR 2d Qos APACE Horr geteeee rier cary te Hon. Secretary/Treasurer: Bri wis, : NARS PIL 12 IY Soa mks r your letter rep rti the A2 Group : Rik to. oad census t valuabl The |A2| Group Hon. Secretary/Ti 7 Brian A. Lewis, fees 1 High Street, Bridge, Canterbury, Kent We care about the A2 Trunk road to Dover from the M2 Please reply to:- Mill Cottage, Bekesb ; : 18.7.1972 D. Crouch Esq.) M.P.,» House of Commons, London, SW1 Dear M#, Crouch, t Thank you for your letter received this morning. By this time you should have received the draft memorandum to Mr. Peter Walker, so in due course we will hear your comments. I shall be having talks this evening with my colleagues about the Census, which we agreed in principle at our last Committee Meeting. The problem of course is how to hold one on @ weekday/night 24 hours, as figures taken over a weekend would tend to be inpactrate. Brian lewis and I did in fact have a Census back in May 1964, where heavy commercial vehicles Peroduced the following facts:- Highest numbers: 4-5p.m. 8 heading N, 23 heading S Lowest ve : 12 midnight - 5a.m. None heading WV 424 ~ 6a.m. None heading S Traffic flow was 6,645 vehicles for 24 hrs. I have the full figures, but they are rather academic now. When we have held the Census (about two to three week's time) I will see you get the figures ahead of any publication we male do. wis) write would be good enough to telephone or : at 1 High Street, Bridge ~ Tel: Bridge 254 jal meeting with you to discuss common + the information I telephoned tte the list of your Questions If your Secret to Brian Lewis, (our Secretary)» we would be very happy to hold a spec arrangements and strategy. I hope you go through to Ir. Brown when I saw in the Gaze asked the other day. Yours sincerely, Shia Purchese ‘ nth ree profelen They USere AL raturlrstes olayure o b4pan try Cankedmery — Oar aergcuk anteeyrly » THE A2 GROUP Newsletter *1 es 8.71972 i e A2 Group are to persuade the Department of the eeictont, ait ind ote of Transport Industries, that ea present policy of piece-meal improvement along the A2 Trunk oh) E from Brenley Corner to Dover nee@ radical rethinking. _The Pp - lem is one that should be conceived as one major problem, with traffic densities far higher than envisaged at present. There should be dual carriageway the entire lengta of the road if the policy of extending the M2 to Dover is not followed. These points have been made in Parliament by our Members without the Government giving any sign of recognition of the size of the problem. To help them understand vhis better the A2 Group will be delivering a Memorandur to the Department of the Environment at 2 Marsham Street, London SWiP 3EB on Saturday July 22 at {14,50 a.m. It would be helpful if our supporters who can manege it could be there to give some encouragement. We can arrange bus transport from East Kent Bus Station in Canterbury to and from Marsham Street if sufficient members wish to use this means. The cost would be about 70p per head. Would anyone wishing to go please drop a note to the Chairman at the address at the end of this Newsletter, by Saturday July 15 giving details of numbers required, name address and telephone number please. On Saturday August 5 we propose to hand in Memoranda to the Consuls of the EEC countries who have offices in Dover, followed by a Note to Dover Harbour Board. Meeting place is 134 Snargate Street, Dover at 10.30 a.m. No buses will be laid on for this as there are plenty of ways to get to Dover cheaply. Naturally, we would be delighted if you came to both gatherings with posters, placards or devices saying that action must soon be taken over the A2 as there are only 176 days to our joining the EEC (as at 8.7.1972) ! People you may wish to contact in the A2 Group are:- Sec/Treasurer: Brian A, Lewis, 1 High Street, Bridge, Canterbury, Clir. A.G.L. Payne, "Woodside", Bigoverry Hill, Harbledown, “EEG Canterbury, Kent Roy F. Seaborne, 11 Manwood Avenue, Canterbury, Kent | Cllr. Michael F. Fuller, 33 St. Michael's Place, Canterbury, Kent. Clir. C.B.W. Stevens, 14@ High Street, Boughton, Faversham, Kent. Although a lot of figures are available of traffic returns from a number of sources, few of these clearly differentiate between private cars, lorries and the very large TIR lorries; tHe peu unit was devised since the electronic counters merely recorded the number of axles passing the check point. We will be mounting our ow traffic census at a midpoint firstly aiong the A2 to get some fresh figures, and one who could help with this work which would involve shifts over oe 24 hour period, should get in touch with the Hon, Secretary. Good campaigning, & We will be in touch with you again shortly. amatel JOHN PURCHESE, Chairman A2 Group, Mill Cottage, Bekesbourne, Canterbury, Kent, ) [oe ae lO ee ee 4 . Cottage, ee at sbourne, Canterbury, Nokta East Elevation. 2 = eee at ay | \ Tee. heseduign = a ces Se = Bett quale ee Seer aee a: +X" by RLS Sipe eae BL Bree [arcs Pat ae Me Cea! cent 4 BAN TIR's NOW! a8 ap. Ladies HAlRDRESSERS . jie i Crewery Lane i Ter bore oye | —— a Ta > = \ o" «Halt beth : a TRunk oad 22 ae Ia tes ; “ | QWVERTISENENT SIGN 0/92, Wien Street, hedge. Ex PLANNING APPLICATION Pig No. 72/369. | <——_— To Dover - Tose UA. Lew'S., DAES: .* “WASTON Yikias." lo VHIGH Smreer, BRd«e| a so CANTERBURY. KENT, pret a ene ne RI NN TOSI AR a = es aa As the hard bargaining between Britain and the Six E.E.C. countries on. a-common road transport policy gets under way FRANK GOULD looks at the background to the dispute and its likely oute week a high level i EEC, delegation is visit- ing Britain to discuss with government officials the E.E.C. proposals for the weight and dimensions of road vehicles. _ A Common Transport. Policy is a part of the Treaty of Rome, -and, once’ a member of the Community, Britain will © be bound by whatever regulations are adopted. tise tote These discussions are likely to be the beginning of a series of long, drawn-out negotiations because to accept E.E.C. propos- als would mean increasing the maximum weight of lorries per- mitted on our roads from 10 al to 11 metric tons per le ‘weight and from 32 tons to 40 tons gross weight. The British government has expressed “very strong reser- vations” on the E.E.C. proposal, as it is entitled to do as jan applicant> country. Its opposi- tion tothe Community’s plan is supported by the three other applicant countries—Denmark, Eire and Norway—who © all broadly’ operate a maximum ee limit ‘of 10 tons per axle weight. But this is not the only reason’) why ‘the discussions are likely to be protracted. It has taken tthe Six E.E.C. countries ten years to reach a compromise on this problem which affects not only transport costs but also the ability of lorry manufacturers to produce and sell to the whole EE.C. market. In addition it affects other extremely sensitive social jissues like noise and air pollution, congestion’ and damage to buildings, historic ones, heavy lorries. The French have hitherto operated a maximum limit: of 13 tons per axle weight. So have Belgium and Luxembourg. Ger- many, Italy and the Netherlands have previously only permitted a maximum of 10: caused by ‘very So among the Six a consider- able compromise has already taken’ place. It therefore seems extremely -unlikely that © with the original Six ranged against the four newcomers any further downward compromise will be reached. The French group especially ~ ome. have, after all, already retreated from 13 to 11, which is quite a steep drop, and it seems unlikely that. the other three, having conceded a rise, can now renege. One of the pressures on the countries with the lower weight limits to-raise them has been the growth of the large roll on/ roll off sea containers and the increase in the use of articu- lated vehicles. But there have been pressures working in the opposite direction too. What seems to have brought about the E.E.C. compromise on a figure ‘towards the lower limits operating “among them was ‘the new evidence on the effect of lorry weights on road surfaces. Broadly, these new studies show that increases in weight per axle have propor- tionately a far more destructive effect on road surfaces than increases in’ gross weight. It is. precisely - this evidence that makes the proposals for an increase in weight per axle to 11 tons so important for Britain. The Government has. not dis- puted the estimate that an in- \crease in axle weight to 11 tons per axle would involve costs of E GREAT COMMON RKET LORRY ROW « £200m. for road and bridge re- inforcement. But in addition to these would have to be added the environmental costs “of heavier lorries in what is already a pretty overcrowded island. As. far. as heavy lorries are concerned we haye of course seen nothing yet. Although the number of big, heavy, Contin- ental lorries on our roads has © increased dramatically over the past year or so, once we are inside. the Common Market intra-Community road haulage will increase even more rapidly along with the rapid increase in intra-Community trade that will take ; place. In the last two years as it/is the U.K. Road Haulage Association estimates that road) haulage between Britain ‘and the Continent has doubled. The increase in maximum lorry weights will of course, if it materialises,; be welcomed for economic reasons by. British road hauliers. Greater maximum weights increase the -pay-load and simultaneously their pro- fits. But it will also accelerate the existing trend towards a greater ‘and greater proportion of freight being transported in heavier and heavier lorries. The economies from greater pay-loads if the E.E.C. higher maxima’ are ‘adopted are un- likely though to lead to lower’ transport unit costs because a further aspect of the common EEC. transport policy which we would be bound by is the pros- pective eight hour driving day of the E.E.C. in contrast to our own 10 hour driving day. Applied to the industry, overall this would’ mean a 10 p.c. in- crease in labour costs which themselves comprise about one third of total costs in the industry. In round figures this could mean an increase of £100m. on the industry’s wages bill for the year. This would more than offset any pay-load economies which. would in any case only accrue to operators at the heavy end of the industry. Harmonisation of transport policy is very precious to. the Community. It is clearly highly inefficient» and costly for lorries on international routes to have to unload part of their freight as they pass through one frontier to conform with a lower maxi- mum ‘weight limit or to travel underladen because of differ- ences in weight limits in different countries. Of course there will be a time period over which adjustments can be made, which makes the change a little less painful, and for Britain it is possible that an extension of time on this will be made available. It is also likely that the heavier lorries will be restricted to “ designated ” routes which means that small villages should escape the less attractive side-effects. Even so, the environmental lobby can be expected, not unreasonably, to scream blue murder. Hon, Secretary/Treasurer: ian A, Lewis, — Titel Street, Bridge, Canterbury, Kent We care about the A2 Trunk road to Dover from the M2 I 7 Please reply to ‘Weston Villas’, Bridge, Cc anterbury, Kent. 16th July 1972. Your Ref: (PRA 234/19/01. Department of the Environment, 2 ® Mershan Stre et, London Sul? 388, Dear Sirs, With further reference to your letter dated 29th June, I understand from the third peragraph that i should have received & communication from the Regional. Controllers office in Guilford, i have waited until thie date (16th July) for a reply and now my patience is expired. The interdepartuental efficiency can be desoribed as nothing other than disgusting. Let us be quite certain about the issue. We are entering the Common Market in January, just 168 days from now and are totally unprepared. Your Department are responsible for providing little other than a cart track between Brenley Corner and Dover, The fact is that 40 ton intercontinental freighters into an 18 foot wide so celled ‘highway" wont go. The present A2 situation must be treated as a national emergency. Lives are at stake on this stretch of road and no body living on it wishes to finish up as just another stastic entered onto a file and forgotten, Can I assume that the Regional Cont: roller is that apathetic that he can not even bother to write? Yours faithfully, Brian As lewis, Department of the Environment ° 2 Marsham Street London SW1 P 3EB Direct line 01-212 7102 Switchboard 01-212 3434 B A Lewis Esq Weston Villas “Ses noes Street Our reference e TPRA 234/19/01 CANTERBURY Date ails! Kent 2] suly 1972 Dear Sir 1. Thank you for your letter of 16 July. 2. Iam afraid you have misunderstood para 3 of my letter of 30 June. When I said that "replies have been sent to you from the Regional Controller's office" I meant their letters of 20 November 1970 and 8 December 1971 in reply to your letters to the Department of 28 October 1970 and 22 November 1971 respectively. My letter of 30 June was in fact the Department's reply to your more recent letters | of 5 and 8 June to the Minister for Transport Industries. There was I am afraid no intention that Regional Controller should also reply to these letters. 3. As I have already explained the statutory processes, with the provision for public objection to proposals, are time consuming, they simply cannot be speeded up and I am afraid I can offer no hope of an earlier start of work than 197k. Yours faithfully W H ALEXANDER 26.7.72 There is a great deal of confusion concerning the pros and cons of the construction of a proposed new road to relieve Church Hill, Harbledown. In a letter to me, dated 10th July, the County Surveyor said: "you will recall that Professor Buchanan supported the construction of a single carriageway by-pass to Harbledown in his report on Canterbury and the Department of the Environment has my full support in its anxiety to bring some relief to the residents of Harbledown.' Because this statement is far from representing the true facts, I am enclosing a copy of my reply to the County Surveyor, together with the relevant extracts from the Buchanan Report. I too am most anxious to see relief brought to Harbledown, but I,am quite sure that the only satisfactory solution is to build the Canterbury by-pass with the Wincheap road as envisaged by Professor Buchanan, This should be proceeded with immediately and all our efforts should be directed towards that end. A senior official, during a recent visit to the Bridge Blean R.D.C. agreed that this could be completed in five years. Let us see that it is done! Tony Payne A2 Group DOVER walkabout PROTEST Meet at Snargate St. Sat. August § 10.30am. Demand a safer A2 - bypass Canterbury and the Villages ¥ » bitviey , 3 3 gage - OO By DON A CLARION call on & bugle sounded in a West- minster street was the latest move in He re ers’ campai; win a Fetter Ab road for'Bridge, near Canterbury. > The musical” reveille was performed by Mr. Robert Richard Milford, who plays the bugle with the City of Canterbury band. It was his contribution to the Bridge residents’ call at the Department of the Environment offices in Marsham Street to present a memorandum for the Minister, Mr. Pe- ter Walker. Explained organiser Mr. John Purchese: ‘‘The. reveille was to wake up of the village. ’’ About a dozen cam-‘ paigners travelled to Lon? don on behalf of the A2 group. Their written memo: was the latest ef- fort to win a speeding-up , of improvements and a by-pass atan early date. The memorandum said -hat introduction next January of 40-ton lorries on the A2 would cause ‘tremendous danger”’ for drivers and roadside resi- dents. It said: ‘‘There has deen no hint of urgency put into the work of im- Proving the A2 where roadworks have been started and we continue to receive bland assurances from all official sources that the/A2 is adequate. ’’ Among other devel- 2pments in the A2 con- po SD a rallies AZ protesters the Ministry to the needs - PACKHAM troversy this week was the news that the pro- posed Canterbury by- pass is not scheduled to be completed until the ‘‘mid 1980's.” ‘ The news came in an answer to Bridge-Blean Rural Council's telegram plea for a meeting with the Minister of Transport, Mr. John Peyton. He he is’ fully engaged with meetings at present but he expressed sympathy for the council’s prob- lems. KCC divisional surve- yor Mr. Gilbert Bragg has agreed, to a_request from Bridge Parish Coun- cil to position a name-sign “Bridge'’ on the ap- proach hill from Dover to give drivers as early a warning as possible. 2877-92 R.M- Protest: 1,200 sign anti-smell petition _—— SE men petition TWO strongly worded protests, dealing with entirely ‘separate subjects, but both affecting the lives of hundreds ‘of people in villages around . Canterbury, Environment - Minister under fire The memorandum points out that there are only 162 days,left before Britain enters- the -Com- mon Market but says there ap- pears: to be no sign of recog- nition of this when the present piecemeal improvements ,of the Ke 25°75 Protest: A2-Group seeks urgent action > It urges Mr. Walker: “If M2 is not.to be extended fro: Brenley Corner to Dover,-an it mediate concerted pr must be implemented to imelu: a Canterbury bypass (taking Harbledown), bypasses for th villages undertaken and @ rou: for Dover Docks section so ¢ signed that it does not bis Whitheld.s =i ~~Having16z"Gays ‘issnemen) If the Government is serious ! A2, south of the “M2, are examined, were sent this weekend ‘to Mr. Peter Walker, the Secretary of i oi t says that the introduction State for the Environment, onthe A2vof~40 ton,-lorries next'} Oe, 2 ‘petition, signed py 1,200) witttause—‘tremend ous’ angry residen' Fed" ‘or-both the drivers, and MINISTRY * ‘STULL ASLEEP TO. OUR ment of the Environment on Saturday, A2 protesters outside the Depart its attempts te make a success | the people of det and Fordwich an end to the pollution Canterbury Sewage Ww ork For ‘the othe . rotest, bers of the AR GTQUP heading the fight to anc chaos on the London to trunk wed, weenk sandeep =} rday to hi Fee Department Environment offices “protest 2: hie, A2 Gre resenting village® al Stan toad took with it don Mr, Richard, ) Mu bugler from the 4 aA of bury Band, And Wh ie yandum was handec i moniously blew revel to ‘wake up oho preblem of the Aa, ” from along Milf ed in, he cere- oP e in a bid} inistry to the Sturry, to “put mem> spear- trafic Dover don on moran: of the up, re- the to Lon ‘ord, \& Canter- memo- | tacted }commonplace in the people who live ‘on the road, “There has been no hint of urgency put into the work of im= proving the A2. where roadworks have been, started, and we con: tinye to receive bland assurances from all official sources that the A2 is adequate.” The group feels that the Ppro= pdsed M20 London-Folkestqne motorway will not relieve the | A2 problem and has already!ton* Ambassadors and Tran: Ministers from the E.B.Cr road's “We sport countries to outline the dangers, The memorandum. adds: i now propose to ensure that ae commercial interests of he #.E.C, countries are made aware of the inadequacies of mes They may be sur rised, as it i. urope to find motorways right | principal ports.” up to .the of membership of the E.E.C, it} might not, now, be far-fetched }} to suggest that the Department}/ of the Environment treat. the matter as one of national ur-}} gency.” i Members of the A2 Group will jbe on the march in tomor- | at (Saturday) in. ‘protest ‘@gainst the traffic chaos on» ‘main link between London and} ports. \the Channel - They plan ‘Street at 10.30 a.m. During the lmarch through the town’s main ‘streets, they will call at consu- Mates of Common, Market coun- (tries to hand in a memorandum drawing industrialists’ attention ‘on the A2.. n to picket the port’s Eastern ‘through which’ the giant “lorries pass on their way If nothing else has been achieved in the past few months, | at least Harbledown folk are | taking an interest in what is has been said that I have also on Bridge-Blean Rural District Council and the choice of words is apt— the incubation period for road schemes is long and no one is sure what will finally be* hatched! ES apart, there is no doubt Hist, “ine, SP Hatbloaown i f rbledown is 3 for a rapid its ‘problem, desperate enough to turn out and. take pay polling to grasp at any Bper: as” Pp of aw, however od uate. 8) jal varia “meeting pink been an a “walkabout” -at| ‘Dover, starting from Snargate to the danger their drivers face _ Afterwards the demonstrators’ happening in their village! It~ criteria to be observed: a known proposition. parish council. If the village wants to have a poll to test opinion, then there are important (a) It should be well known, in advance what the poll is about and voting must be for (b) Everyone eligible should be invited to take part. (ec) Care should be taken to ensure that visitors are ex- cluded from the poll, although they may have a valuable con- tribution to make to cussion. * What a a problem which affects ey: and’ which is capable of all. the dis- tragedy it will be if ‘solution to the village becomes divided over éryone an ob- e and, perhaps, vious solution satisfactory to If Mr, Finn, whose property is so much at risk from collision the called for with traffic, would talk with his anter- 3 will be an interesting farmer colleagues along the cularly if — ict ieibtotake Sa elie [eR i Le those da: tel * against. 2 ; : if le on Church a nee 0 peorh f f were not ay the: pee route u he Dement of the possible, be Who knows, dozers move aloi seg? to Belg keep — a : Pp Bair ae route / money save down, wo! too. and easy might be when the bull- the south side might The || sponsible for road traffic. ||, ‘They posed the question that |] with only.162 days before Britain CE IE TRAFFIC CENSUS (CAUPAIGNERs FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF TRAFFIC CONDITIONS IN EAST KENT HAVE TOLD, THE DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT THAT THEY ARE GOING TO CARRY OUT THEIR OWN SURVEY ON TRAFFIC USAGE OF THE A2. Members’ of the A2 ‘Group have sent a‘letter.to Mr. Graham Page, the Minister of State re- joe the Common Market, was he-country ready to accept the! Volume ©of traffic which: could legally use our®roads after our "| European. Community and the entry? Forty-ton lorries. would be able* to“:use “our roads, they ointed “out, and that’ included he. A2—at present ohly 18 feet wide in parts, ~ = They. also questioned the ~ validity" of the Government's - comments that the M20 would relieve the crowded A2. = ‘Tremendous danger would result® both: -for~ residents and drivers after our entry-into the fact. that the M20.would_‘jurch into.-the:. suburbs of Lewisham” while= the A2/M2~ provided “an ‘excellént® route: from ference to the new road. ‘ The. group is plannigg a 24- | hour ‘census. of\traffic. be they say that the figures are not.satisfactory. cause! Government's | | Ambassadors of the European }| countries have been-“lobbied: by {| the-group:in“an effort to*bring/ to their attention the conditions esperate Harbledown It is the Canterbury, by-pass their drivers. are likely to en- counter in Britain. The A2 Group is planning a personal approach to the minis- ter ‘and 0 that Mr. David Crouch; M.P., will accompany them: yes . The ‘letter goncludes ; “We now. propose to ensure that the-commercial interests of the. Common. Market countries) gre madeaware of the inade- quacies of the A2:. They may be surprised, asiit is commonplace in Europe to find» motorways yight. up to-the principal ports. “Having 162,days is not long. If the Government is serious in its attempts) to*make a success of .membership* of. the: com-= munity.tit: might’ not, “now, far-fetche: suggest that the Department of the Environment} treat-the «matters as: one increase of goods, < “All this traffic would be wel- come had the British »Govern- ment shown awareness of’ the results of its own actions,” the letter ‘continues. “Unfortunately it has ignored the | road, feeding’ the’ port . of Dover — the A2— so that village streets of 53 metres width have to cope with 32-ton vehicles now, and 40-ton vehicles next year, “For the « safety of your nationals. who drivé heavy TIR | vehicles we urge you ‘to point out to your trading interests the dangers of ‘the inadequate road leading from Dover: to’ the M2 at Brenley Corner.” Mr. Kenneth Davis, ‘general |manager of Dover Harbour, ac- /cepted the A2 Group's letter to Sir Clifford Jarrett, chairman of the Harbour Board. . This saidvthat: the board had béen placed in-an “impossible position’! by ‘the Goyernment. However excellent the cargo- handling “facilities, ‘the road system ‘feedingthe port’ did not meet’ requirements. / i It*-was’.understood’ that the board had a member. from’ the Department of the Environment with a watching brief. The letter suggests this is to be made an acting brief “so that some reduction in the appalling pressure of traffic along the A2 from Brenley Corner to Dover can be expected before’ next year’s flood.” The protesters had an example of the’ inadequacy of. the® road system close at hand. On Lydden A2 protesters block lorry’s _ path at Dover side lane, waitin; a chance toventer the harbour. «> And "on | Barham ~ Downs another dozen lorries had’ been stopped by police “at the: lay-by to prevent too much congestion. Heavy’ lorries passing through Bridge make as wend noise cs a jet: aircraft taking ‘off 100 yards away, according to fi; released exclusively-to. the “Kent Herald” by Mr. Purchese. A student from the “Open University, Mr. . G, Marks, visited the village on Friday- morning. He is working“on a “noise map” of Britain and took readings in’ Bridge High Street. Noise levels reached a maxi- mum 98 dba —a reading repre- senting the noise pressure on the instrument. “This is equivalent to a jet‘air- ] craft taking off at about 100 yards,” said-Mr. Purchese. } “So obviously the: noise levels are considerably higher than we would have expected: I was very surprised.” Hill some 60 TIR lorries were The minimum reading taken parked nose to tail in the near-} was 74 dba. Soak esse Forty marchers warned 11 foreign consuls and Dover Harbour Board of the inadequacy and danger of the A2 on Saturday when they stopped one TIR lorry at the docks in a token protest. Meanwhile 60 TIR lorries blocked one lane of Lydden Hill, waiting to get to the KEEP EATH OFF KELP DEATH > harbour. © MINIS B Sy-PASS Tit TRY STULL ASLEGP| | “70 OUR |} * S/ The Channel tunnel From Mr a. G. L. Payne Sir, Your observation (August 7) that. the Channel tunnel is of more benefit to the French than the British, is one which should be given more and deeper con~ sideration. : It is, generally not appreciated that even now Kent is having to bear the brunt of our increasing trade exchange with the Continent, Last May Dover Harbour Board handled 43 per cent more heavy goods lorries than in May 1971 and that year was 40 per cent above the year before. Within a short. time of entry with the EEC the present flow of one heavy freight lorry every four minutes will increase to a flood, The diversion of British trade through, France via the tunnel is less significant than the diversion of traffic from the Continent, which will benefit France to a greater extent, * If built the ¢unnel will concentrate even more traffic in Kent, at the ex- pense of other east coast ports. Already, Dover is the focus for traffic entering from five continental ports, namely: Boulogne, Calais, Dunkirk, Ostend sn Zeebrugge, No wonder the roads on t e continental side seem empty when oon } pared with the A2 Dover to Fanden Road, which is still only eighteen ee wide in any place along the fronts ue to the Motorway M2, No won Sf < A2 is called the “Bridle Trac Zurope."’. van faithfully, A, G.L. PAYNE. Woodside, Bigberry Hull, Harbledown, near Canterbury: | August 8. ee | eS foreign consuls | were warned of the inade- \igQuacy of the A2 road and the (dangers to drivers using it-ina \Metter delivered by 40 protesters jwho marched through Dover on Their march ended at Dover Harbour where the path of a }large TIR lorry and trailer was locked as a token demonstra-, toe against heavy. traffic-on the | i Led by veteran campaigner,’ | Mtr. John Purchese, who is chair-; | |fman of the A2 Group, the group) | |istood in’ the path of the lorry | ce a short time waving placards. } Earlier Mr.“Purchese told the jjmarcHers: “We have told the || political people about this road |= now ‘we have to tell the com- pogesat interésts. You have got |pzehicles worth £12,000 each and “The letter suggests this. is to be made an acting brief “so that some reduction in the appalling pressure’ of traffic along the from Brenley .Corner to Dover! can be. expected before. ‘next year’s, flood.” : The protesters had an example of ‘the inadequacy of) the road system close at hand. On Lydden Hill some 60 TIR lorries’ were parkéd nose to tail-in the near- side lane, waiting for a chance to enter the harbour. And on -Barham. Downs another dozen lorries had been stopped by police at the lay-by to prevent too much congestion. A large TIR lorry and trailer was stopped at Dover Harbour by 40 marchers on Saturday as a protest a and danger of the A2. A2 protests go to the Continent M.P. sees A2 for himself An on-the-spot investigation of the proposals for the Harble- down by-pass was carried out on | Friday by. Canterbury’s M-P,, |Mr. David Crouch. He went to Harbledown to dis- cuss the by-pass and the prob-/ lems of the trunk road with two members of the A2-Group com- mittee, Cllr. Tony Payne and Mr. Roy Seaborne, who -was also representing the Canterbury Society. \ The importance of the Can- terbury by-pass. was discussed nt length and Mr, Crouch said ee had gained: a great deal of \rormation and appreciation of pie problem from his visit. i He felt conyinced that the | {Minister responsible should also - Lorries pees lives are at stake.” the A2 Group say traffic through [the harbour in May had’ in- 4 creased by 42.14 per cent on last | year’s figures. f > En i Common Market would bring a “tremend- || Own actions i | “All this traffic would be wel- come had the British Govern- iment shown awareness of the results of its own actions,” the jj letter continues, “Unfortunately it has ignored road feeding the port of wer —the A2— so that village streets of 52 metres width have to cope with 22-ton vehicles now, and 40-ton vehicles next year. “For the safety of your In their letter to the Ker | like jet aircraft Heavy lorries passing through Bridge make as much noise as a jet aircraft taking off 100 yards away, according to figures \released exclusively to the “Kentish Gazette” by Mr.’ John Purchese, chairman of the A2 Group of road protesters, { A student from the Open University, Mr, W. G, Marks, visited the village on Friday morning. He is working on a “noise map” of Britain and took readings in Bridge High Street. Noise levels reached a maxi- mum 98 dba —a reading repre- \senting the noise pressure on the nationals who drive heavy TIR vehicles we urge you to point out to your trading interests the angers of the inadequate road jeading from Dover to the M2 at Brenley Corner.” F Mr. Kenneth Davis, general manager of Dover Harbour, ac- cepted the AZ Group's letter to Sir Clifford Jarrett, chairman of the Harbour Board, a This said that the board had been placed in an “impossible ition” by the Government. owever excellent cargo- instrument, “This 1s equivalent to a jet air- eraft taking off at about 100 yards,” said Mr, Purchese, | “So obviously the noise levels are considerably higher than we would have expected, I was very surprised,” The minimum readin, 74 dba, Aah sha ‘wi handling facilities, the road system feeding the port did not meet requirements. It was understood that the’ board had a member from the fvisit the area and see for him-| self the need for\ urgent .im- provements to the A2. Mr. Crouch offered to join the A2-Group at a public meeting to discuss the whole problem ‘of | the road. | He assured Cllr. Payne and Mr. Seaborne that he would give every help to bring imme- diate relief to the villages and Canterbury. - 4 ke eq gainst the inadequacy sters who want vil- ge by-passes and a on heavy ‘TIR hicles along the country lane’’ runk road through ent, carried. their paign on Satur- y to the gateway Europe. ‘And next, they intend to e their case right into jw, inadequate A2 be- een Dover and Faver- led a demonstration by out 40'supporters to the tes of Dover’s Eastern ment E A2 Group, pro- Blood Customs and immigration 0 cials who work at Dover Docks | are™being studied by Depart) Industry analysts for possible poisoning from petrol and diesel The officials check the pass@n- gers pasisng through. the; car ferry terminal. The terminal is used daily. by up to 500 freight lorries am of would be appeenng in the German '‘Die Welt’, French ‘‘Le Monde’’ and Italian ‘‘Ua Stampa”. — Said Mr. Purchese: “We shall say that our campaign deserves their’ support because they are’ sending a £12,000 vehicle and the lives of their dri-’ vers along one of the most hazardous roads in B tain,’ % The A2 Group's initial confrontation with Eur- Re ope came on Saturday when members journeyed” to Dover and handed in a memorandum of their case to the Consul for continental countries at offices in Snargate Street. POLITE Then behind an assort- ment of placards the demonstrators, dodging the busier streets to ease the burden on police in the port, marched to the Eastern docks to present samples Trade and By DON PACKHAM ‘He said the adverts. fumes. ‘another memo to Mr. ‘Kennéth Davis, general - manager of Dover Har. bour Board. . * Holidaymakers just ar- riving from across the Channel peered in won- derment at the strange English custom of parad-' ing behind slogans like’ ‘The Road to Europe is a Country Lane’... “A Roman Trackway for Roman 40-Tonners!"’.. ; “Ministry Still Asleep to our Needs’’. ~ But it was all good na- tured and polite — with st a solitary woman po- ice sergeant to shepherd them all along the seaf- ront. Eventually a Dutch TIR lorry and trailer — similar to the 70 or so that are parked most times on Lydden hill vee space'on the packe Channel ferryboats — emerged from the docks. The driver sat patiently as the protestors uM 14Ar | CAR FUMES TEST), 0-1. ON CUSTOMS MEN tak from aken a 2b. &Y- 10,000 holidaymakers’ . cats j which pollute ‘the area Witt their fumes. The blood tests were ordered after three officers were suddenly taken ill swarmed in front of, his —~. And cab — then faced the ; other way for the benefit eee _of photogra- “The A2 group, backed ° y villagers from all along the trunk road, is hammering away at the oint that:in four and a alf months time Britain is due to enter: the Com- ~ mon Market: And that, they claim, will mean a much bigger influx of heavy container lorries rumbling through the confined: village streets of Lydden, Bridge, Harbledown and Bough- ton. : The group’s next move is tohold its own census of traffic along the road. Declared Mr. Pur- chese, from Mill Cottage, Bekesbourne: ‘‘We are not satisfied with the Min- istry figures. We think that TIR vehicles are far more than they claim.’" He said that a recent check showed that TIRs were going through at an. average of two a minute. rbour Board sta-~ tistics reported a 42.16 per cent increase of heayy: lorries passing throug! the port in May compared to the same month a year earlier. Not the last word from Mr, Purchese; ‘‘The De- partment of the Environ. ment is just not interested in this road, We have got | to shame the Government | into action!" ee ee ae i pe editorial are of the opinion \|stewards. “seek to 4 See Weserer oe of this” i costs” and, moreover, | “law and ‘order.”” Sci. | all this is the work™ ‘|2 Raymond. Avenue « and the ‘editorial nist agitators. * ae ‘ ef my simple way I assumed ‘that festructive which is clearly calculated jeopardise our balance. of ments and cestiex ys economy, myself, who governing} the country, those sitting in Mardent or those sitting in I also note with alatm some of the agitators sul > to the Conservative and Libe ideologies; ideally these peo should: be made.to “go to 1 Communist bloc” where law 1 order are rigorously enfi and where protesters, agitat (and. trade unionists) are Te |putedly kept under the thi of’ the Government—a state faffairs « which R. Brown clearly admires. Your -correspondents | rather hysterical over the af ts.” In fact, I -merely madé lthe obvious comment ‘that only an unjust society can allow some of its members to reap profits rae many cong who actually work them are now losing their tive lihood through red | Redundancy in the % ji not due to higher wages but t the container system, Which ‘hay been shed te pu .] igher profits to dock employer: St he any thought, of thy social consequences, mana bears the 40) undancty paymen ‘ supporting uhemploved ers and their ilies? The ‘inary taxpayer, of course. Mi jernisa: tion is all very well, but only: it nned carefully to avoid such Tee themselves are ob- nployers. the! viously not happy with the In, dustrial Relations Act, and the C.B.I. is ursing members +e] avold using it. attempting. force the Act into the delic: area. of industrial it is the Government, trade unions who are respon: sible for economic disruption. Labour, Governmen mistakenly. tried to interfere 4 the Rewe field but , rightly gay way to pressure any democratic organisatia: ought to. Your correspondent: have not really read my letter they only saw. the word “doc kers” and saw “red.” may J. M. GROWTHER (Dr.), (Secretary, Canterbury Con- | | ate stituency Labour Party.) Canterbury. " - yp KET ve LIMEKILN STREET DOVER ROYAL NORWEGIAN VICE-CONSULATE (DOVER, FOLKESTONE, DEAL AND RAMSGATE DISTRICT) LIMEKILN STREET 7 DOVER Tm: DOVER 1201 TELEX: 96213 DER/GM 11 August, 1972. John Purchese, Esq, Chairman A2 Group, Mill Cottage, BEKESBOURNE, Canterbury, Kent. Dear Mr. Purchese, Further to your letter of the 3 August I have now received a reply from the Consular Division of the Royal Norwegian Embassy, London, and they have asked me to acknowledge receipt of your letter on their behalf and that they have noted the contents thereof. Yours truly, on See “David C. Ryeland Vice-Consul. Telephone: Dover 1201 i Telex : $9115, 9614 VICE CONSULADO DE ESPANA VICE CONSULATE FOR SPAIN D.C. Ryeland A GXRVANK LIMEKILN STREET “SRT DOVER No, DCR/GM 10 August, 1972, John Purchese, Esq., Chairman A2 Group, Mill Cottage, BEKESBOURNE , Canterbury, Kent. Dear Sir, i I acknowledge receipt of your letter of the 5 August handed in by your Committee. I have to advise you that the letter has been transmitted to the Spanish Authorities giving your Group's views concerning these road improvements. Yours truly, > ——_David C. Ryeland 7 Vice-Consul. Dover Harbour Board, Harbour House, Dover, Kent. 11th August, 1972. J. Purchase, Esq., Mill Cottage, Bedesbourne, Canterbury, Kent. Dear Mr. Purchase, Thank you for your letter of 3rd August, which I read with a good deal of sympathy. The Dover Harbour Board is very conscious of the effect which the increasing road traffic to and from the port inevitably has on the quality of life in the towns and villages between the harbour and the M.2. In fact for several years past the Board has consistently represented to the Minister concerned the need for good road access, particularly to the eastern docks, for the steadily rising volume of traffic which uses it. Whether the fact of entry into the Common Market will produce a sudden upsurge in this traffic remains to be seen; but certainly a continuing uptrend seems highly probable and the Board will continue to draw the attention of the Department to the problems which this will create until the link with the M.2 is considerably improved. I am sending a copy of our correspondence to the Department. I am sure you will understand that the Board member who is also cont'd ... an official of the Department of the Environment has to maintain a balance between the interests of the port and its hinterland on the one hand, and on the other, the overall problems of priority with which the Ministry has to grapple. Yours sincerely, Chairman, cor Thirty-ton lo ~ @ rry crashes into _Lydden A 30-TOMBIAR lorry plunged |off the AMM Tyace Penge! (Monday) crashing ~ through garden walls and shrubbery be- fore slewing to a halt feet away from the home of an 83-year-old Pensioner, The — London-bouna lorry, carrying 20 tons of onions, Scythed down) ar telegraph pole as it careered, into the garden, of Mr. Albert Banister, of | Bernellan, London Road. It was the sort of crash — miy 200' yards from the scene of an almost identical Smash last ember — that Lydden and other AQ villagers have come to fear. This time three lorries were | involved, two TIRs and a Kent County Council maintenance van. The front of the council van was crushed and its two oc- cupants were rushed’ to Buck- Jand Hospital, Dover. They ‘were Mr. Brian Parker, | aged 23, "of 17 Botler Cottages, Eastry, who was detained with head “injuries and lacerations, and “Mr. John French (54), of The Street, Nonington,’ who was || @llowed home after treatment for lacerations, x One of the TIR drivers, Frenchman M. Camille Logereau, aged 24, “wasStreated for a sprained wrist: Part of his ‘load Qf Onions was scattered over the road’ and nearby. gardens. The ~- accident happened 11.30 a.m. and five hours the road was still partially blocked as breakdown men using Special heavy lifting gear strug- gled to drag'the lorry back onto the road: at later | A Seeboard emergency team. Was rushed to the scene to make \|/Safe the power cables that had crashed down across the ‘road. | HEARD NOISE Mr. Banister, who was alone in-his bungalow, said he heard, a. noise gput thought” nothing about it When he looked out of the window he saw the mam- ||| moth lorry “in his garden. } He said: “It could easily haye come into the house. I was ‘Very. lucky.” a His son, Mr. A. E: Banister, owner of the neighbouring Lyd- den Garage; said he had been sitting in the*office when he || heard a bang and a crash. Look- ||ing up, he saw the lorry “flying” into his father’s garden. He ‘aid that this was the third ||such accident in the village in recent years. - “We are always having near misses, especially by the antique shop (jugteup the hill); But we've thn ea =DIR lorry 4 volved, Basicer Fin, trailer, selightly damaged, and was allowed to continue its journey to Dover. * | garden ae Ap BELGIAN CONSULATE a Phone Dover. 1808 SOUTHERN HOUSE Be ote: ep DOVER llth August, 1972. Dear Sir, r your letter of the 3rd August. It would be in ¢ one's interst if a Bye—pass route were made from the end of the M2 to the Eastern Docks, and I*understand that the Dover Harbour Board have, together with other interested parties, actively campaigned to have such a trunk road provided. Thank you for S ae You, more + “any * lk. éalise that the provision of “such a road is a political decision, and there is nothing I can personally do to agitate for its provision I do, howeve: _ wish you well in your campaign. eee J. Purchese, Esq, -_ Chairman A.2 Group, ; Mill Cottage, Bekesbourne, Canterbury+ 7,310 per Tent Ag ain. .. what traffic rise~ } | |A2 through the villages of e. Bridge and Harbiedown has in- ty Pa port has been busy dotibling the Keeani anna acerca: never had one. just h vehicles Senne at Dover has creased tremendously this year I carriageway from Brenley Cor- | pate front of the council truck | added : Ee aay eke $ we have largo Ma Sapper cohsentatean Fs ee Hees) oo at Barham (iw aoepy and Lydden Hill e following facts that I presented to the County Gouneil : A, : oapishis time! (mana to complete ‘three KR YET another road disaster on the A2'on/Monday-—this time | /OMSfey sohimate: tt will take = at Lydden—three'people were injured and a 30-ton TIR lorry jwen after the year 2000 to ‘plunged through a garden slewing to a halt feet away. from me Sree cen tiy) Council was ‘home of an $3-year-old? pensioner, The London-bound lorty,, {not worried about it, “Tt carry 20 tons of onions, scythed down a telegraph pole as it Li aerint ons Seiten shi hs appt |eareered into the’ garden of Mr, Albert Banister, of Bemellan, ging that Fever acrnil ‘London Road. oe . ‘ ‘ Noron the railways! at its last’ meeting of, interest to Your adore’ 8 yin 1962; $2,052 lorries passed the “Sort of erash—. Ingwup, he saw the lorry “fying” | | ALFRED yards from the scene; into his father’s garden. ‘ : ogt jdenticat smash last |" Fre taid that this wasthe third) | Cut Eameted) Meri, ) \bhrough the port of Dover; “in ROSS, r—that .Lydden andjsuch accident in ‘th iage in 28g 1972, 162,000 “(estimated is an ineréase of 7,310 oy Sen ring the .same period (10 years) the, Ministry of Tratis- villagers have come’) recent years, 90 6 2 ™ : : roars ree lorries were involved,} misses, especially e antic : RIAN GE aS TIRs and a Kent County |shop ( uateup the ni), But weve ‘Now that the Stacking of TIR and now with the dock strike ' Sa $ g / [ner to Dover and they have serushed and its two. oc-| The other TIR lorry in’ it has been’ possible to draw ‘eupants were rushed to Buck-|/a Swiss beer tanker and traile conclusions' from observations land Hospital, Dover. was only slightly dama ani e. The Dover Harbour | They were Mr. Brian Parker, |was allowed to “continue Board and. the police have been aged 23, of i7 Botler Cottages, | journey to Dover.‘ keeping the Hastern Dock clear Eastry, who was detained with bye holding: UP) (05.120: TIR. -at Connaught Barracks; a further checkpoint on Lydden Hill has been) seen’ holding’ up to 80 at a time, and Barham checkpoint has ‘been called into play on) oceasion, At Farthingloe TIR| pe, via the A20 have been eld, — It is clear that 90 per cent of TIR traffic is using the A2 to E injuries and lacerations,| | OULL Mr. SPE Erpnch St); of (Tor AS Street, iam, who was]|_ ‘allowed..home after treatment tor lacerations. ° : Onions vk “One of the TIR~ drivers, ie Y a Tre 2 Twenty-three French holiday- Frenchman M. Camille Logereau, | 1,51, ret Nes! .-@8¢! aged 24, was treated for a had “e S| The Act came into operation on Aug. 1, Until now the Department of the Environment has been using cautions to give foreign vehicle operators a chance to familiarise themselves with the British regulations. The Department has announced that it plans to start operating the new law more strictly from the middle of this month. But the lorry was so overweight that in this case they operated the “get tough” policy on the spot, As well as being overloaded the French juggernaut was found to be more than four feet longer than the British legal maximum of nearly 50 feet. The French driver was told he could not continue until the excess part of his load had been removed. This was. done and the load of steel continued its journey tq Hartlepools in two lorries. Weight checks are now being made at the ports used most by. Continental hauliers, Officials are hoping that the warnings they have been giving will be some deterrent on over- loading by the time they begin operating the new ‘Act in earnest later this month, From? David Grouch, M.P. August 17,1972 Dear Mr.Purchese, Mr. Grouch has asked me to let you have the enclosed interim reply from the Department of the Environment about the A.2, He will write to you again as soon as he hears from the Minister. Yours sincerely, DI DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT 2, MARSHAM STREET at T LONDON S.W.1I John P Mill-c¢ Bekesbo Kent. 7 August 1972 Dear Mr Crouch The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State | has asked me to let you know that he has | not overlooked your letter of 20 July enclosing one from Mr Purchese about the A2. Mr Speed will let you have a reply as soon 88 possible. Yours sincerely A J SHELLEY Private Secretary David Crouch Esq MP Harbledown’s Rector, the Rev. Cyril i . Cyril Munt, who forecast a loss of lives and homes to the ever- i traffic on™ the A2 at a meeting about the village’s by-pass on Monday. eu ae as x Rector warns of danger _to lives and houses Monday. But village wants by-pass shelved PPorLe living in: the traffic-battered A2 village of Harble- traffic ‘trom London would still own are in dan use Harbledown as its way into j ger of losing their li d their homes if there js ; 3 ! ng their ives and t the city. ere is aby more. delay in ridding the busy trunk road of|, The Harbledown road would affect be elevated and’ would N heavy’ lorries y les, the Rector, the Rey. Cyril Munt, warned On| many homes in. the village—al- though relieving) Chureh Hill. Clly. Payne thought Jand: for During a noisy confrontation | He did not favour eithér road As by-pass. could between the\ divi *\divided facti , | especially ht somethin: E ctions of pecially but thous! & i ily euited becaui the village pede Lower Harbledown by-|ifereased, causing, danger to Hess, the "other! uwanting ” tts |People: going, to “1RP ehureh oF “We dye econ Munt” stressed; |¢hurch hall i Deore ing’ our “iy. ein meting is nob done very | down, Fortunately, they were not losing both ote ty danger. of \killed. but unless something was of us will’ In eight years a jot | done they’ would ‘see 'a 1088 ‘0 the oa eS been killed on | life, he said. ated by ths pe lorries, asphyxi-| Th 1958, a parish meeting, wis umes or forced to|held to discuss the. Harbledown not .bé hab’ table houses will| by-pass and Mr, .Munt hoped Fe anal eee g | wey Would not BI Dh holding angry Villagers mueoeatr: the | meetings: in another 20 years. schem t . or e a NY, - ete a | definite 2 ee bat back until a ant veare delay was s ents by-pass is create Canterbury - letter x Ken eer, Norman Up-| | . 4 | & Jette: rea : : Special meeting son, the parish council chair-| The vote and .° ——~ 49 for deferme “It ‘is. bound to. be: several precint against—was token ahs years before the Canterbury by- arish Aa petted by the paag is built and, haying me long ag ouncil to. gauge vil-|!ast got the Harbledown by-pas lors jiade ane before eounelle | heme almost to fruition, it In May im decision | Would be a great, shame to drop | calle 10 arish 20) 4 ne sche » at this s! pe,” 8 paeyeata the aterm Po war | the county council, “Doing 80 but this lene be put back would do nothing to support the dto protests, which | Canterbury by-pass,” |culminatea in, 4 meetin, i par : three | Public inquiry veeks ag 480 when villagers said S]uasyub9-e-]U0Y Staeg Aaapypoy “comm: disastrous . permanent e seeking im-| had t 2 . Traffic ha Para Beoming an. tm ad to be done, Hoon * fewer individual plots were in volved, He hoped his fel d with preséery-| In the last nine months two ANG not fe our homes, j.ck nocked |childten had «been Ienocked) i toy a» Villagers at present» suffering fithe effects of the heavy traffic low-eouncillors it this village) | deduct wanted the village by-pass to be built now—with Senands for a& Canterbury by-pass to . come later. But one woman—living in Lan- | franc Gardens, which will be af- | fected by the proposed Toad— | appealed: “Let us at Feast learn by a bit of experience and not 4 make another bad mistake.” 1 “You have got to build for the | future,” urged another speaker. ‘And a third warned that soon }|40-ton lorries could use the new single-carriageway, becpass. The road would not alter the situa- tion, just those affected by it. 3 ec A2 census Members of ‘the A2-Group are today (Friday) halfway through ja continuous 48-hour census of | traffic passing through Bridge. The surv —“a vital part of our campaign,” said one of the organisers -— started at midday yesterday and will finish at the same time tomorrow. It is intended to provide an accurate breakdown ofall trafiie using the Toad from! which the A2-Group ho to be able to x The Bumber* of heavy | | lorries. Twenty-three members from Bridge, Harbledown and Canter bury are helping with the pre- | ject, which is based in Mr. Brian | Lewis’ garden, at 1 High Street, Bridge. During the — height of the | Bridge by-pass. campaign in 1964 fa census was taken which showed that 6,700 vehicles passed through the village in 24 hours. assy : 2 : HUNDREDS of juggernaut | lorries rumble into Britain from | the Continent every day in defi- + ance of the Government’s weight |. limit laws. bx : f Officials are overwhelmed in their smoothly, The lorries make life almost intolerable Such enormous loads, At the same time, firms add to the misery by overloading their lorries to cash in’’on the booming road transport industry. This overloading ~ often” many-tons Sreater than the lorry ‘Was designed to carry—makes vehicles ingerous 4nd causes pollution as strained canines pump out clouds of black exhaust e, 3 \ Attempts “by ‘some measures inspectors to stamp out the Practice have been met with threats. and __ Violence, Mr Bryan Dixon deputy chief pelehts and measures inspector for Kent, — ad to have’ police Protection for thre - ‘Months after threats on his life, His Wife and daughter : “THUNDERING THROUGH: Th -attempts to stop them because of shortage of men and equipment, and the néed-to keep ports . operating: in dozens of villages and towns and tear -up roads which were not designed to take some British haulage — Weights and “S _in and covered the whole downstairs with red paint,’ said Mr Dixon. ‘Even my children’s toys were slashed and daubed in paint. ‘Drivers. with overloaded lorries haye driven straight at me when I ‘have tried to flag’ them/ down, and the insults. and jostling I receive Have become common- »-place. I sat in’a transport cafe one day : and overheard some drivers talking about me, saying they would run me over next time they saw me,’ ~ Mr’Dixon has a staff of 20 inspectors. They deal with between 2,000 and 3,000 complaints each year, ranging from_holi- days that go. wrong to short changing at restaurants. ‘On top of all our normal work we now. are: having to cope with lorry inspection,’ he said. ‘Our organisation is just groaning at the seams, Even with half a‘dozen extra men, we would still be unable to do the job properly.” In spot checks at Folkestone, Mr Dixon discovered that ‘nearly all Continental lorries arriving by ferry are well over the Permitted maximum of 32 tons. Drivers are how being giyen warning "notices, which they must take back to their’ firms.’ But ‘under new regulations which came into force on August 1, offi- Cials have the power to hold lorries until they have removed excess loads. ‘The: trouble is that there is no weigh- bridge on the docks: themselves,’ said Mr Dixon, ‘We have been promised one in six s, but it will be behind the Customs ee e lovely village of Bri . = get shed‘ and almost impossible to eo if we find a lorry to be ie ig now and refuse to let it in, i port at park without blocking ¢ Os checked I watched a lorry Laat ble 2% was loaded with highly total weid! explosive resin—an ate the Be 36 tons was four tons.cr .” aimast maximum, The tyres ely: ne di and one was split danse bad arrive who spoke no Engis, te Folkestone from Dusseldo re coulis ‘Tf he is in an aceiden! ir a terrible’ explosion; ft) If I bo what‘ is the alterna" "ayo part id here, another tanker We arous «* tid load. ‘That could be Cait the half-empty: tankers, 4° yore \is tr swilling about ins! 4 him go alternative but to /¢ hope.’ t is e ed Continental _ firms te 50 100% with lorries to catty Hi Continett are drive all over And een any problem: Ww 5 EY ELLIOTT ONMENT REPORTER invade it. determined not to unload and reload jnto two smaller lorries just to drive in England, At Dover no weight checks have been made at all yet because there is no weigh- bridge near the docks. So 300 lorries a day, nearly all of them over the 32-ton limit are rumbling off ships unchecked, “If we did bring in proper checks there it would be chaos,’ said Mr Dixon, ‘The port is finely adjusted to a smoc th traffic flow. We would have to take vehicles across the flow of traffic on to a portable weighbridge and weigh each of their axles separately, Then, if they were too heavy, we would have nowhere to store them,’ So the lorries continue to pour into Britain. And-ten miles up the A2 from Dover, they reach the embattled village of Bridge, where one house has already been totally wrecked when a heavy lorry ploughed through it, and many others are crumblin 7 stiful centuries-old cottage with a neat garden at the back, which overlooks a Norman church and a row of elms, But the lorries now pass within inches of the front door, #) years ago the traffic was not too bad,’ said Mr Rose. ‘But within the last year, the big lorries have come, They go past every minute of the day and night, throwing up fumes and dirt and shaking the house to its foundations, ‘We paid £6,500 for this place, I doubt if we would get the £500 back now, In a year this village could be a ghost place or a heap of rubble.’ The villagers tried blocking the ing on the G . And those who could overnment to ban the heavy lorries. moved out, The Government is under) pressure from all sides. Environmentalists say juggernauts must be banned because of the noise, the fumes and the sheer hell of trying to live with them, Scientists say they must be banned because British roads will crack upugder the weight, But road hauliers.claim that, the bigger the lorry, the cheaper the cost of transport. ‘We will be able to pass’on the saving to the consumer,’ said a spokesman. _ The\sad fact is that the Government will almost: certainly have to capitulate. Talks areenow underway in Brussels to WOU NG ha Bele Picture sGEOFFREY WHITE set a limit which will be standard through- out member countries. It is likely to. be over 40 tons. Transport Minister Mr John Peyton ig trying hard to get it lowerede But few. people believe he has much chance. Already plans are being prepared for special routes for the monsters. Some experts want lorry parks on the outskirts of cities so that juggernaut container wagons can stop and offload on to fleets-of smaller delivery vans. Even so, to get to the main routes, lorries will have to pass through’ villages and tiny twisting back streets, And the haulage industry is. not likely to co-operate in the lorry park schemes if they can deliver door to door. So we will inevitably face even heavier, noisier and dirtier juggernauts on our roads in the next few years. The cost of repairing the roads and bringing them.up to the required standard is reckoned to be £150 million At home, the policy of overloading by. many British companies goes on, They are paid by the ton and if they can get ten tons over the limit it represents @ profit. But every ton over decreases the efficiency of the brakes and adds to the weight of the steering wheel. Owners who are caught face. a fine of £200 for overloading and, under new resue lations, the loss of their licence if- they can be shown to, have committed other offences. But with such a shortage of weighbridges and inspectors, they are pre> pared to take the risk. * For them, the-profits are-enormous. For the rest of us, the futurelooks grim, ON'T WANT these monster lorries Ir roads, - ey pollute our lives with their fume: den roaring. They chew up our road siifaces, ~ They barge their gargantuan yay though. once peaceful villages. On the hills they grind other trafic down to etwitching crawl. menace. And, of course, they reign or British, should when “exceed 32 tons gross weight on atry’s roads. not meant as a pious environmental It is the law. itis a law which is now being flouted as A Matter of cynical routine both by I British and by Continental road hauliers. rts and measures inspectors, who are posed to administer the law, are few sometimes have. to face physical intimidation from the drivers. = E eighbri to check the lorries” are = . = lightening the load’ of the neutal juggernauts whem they. come igh the docks are non-existent. like trying to swat-albatrosses with a : ‘butterfly net. : = the: SS is political. ten years’ haggling the six ‘Common Market countries have agreed on a 40- nit for Jorries—that’s eight tons in Q And nobody, either in ices of the bureaucrats in Brussels the boardrooms of — a road hhauliers, “believes that ~ Heath's rs have the will to ae it. + the oe been ‘sold or hasn't it? ; more inspectors, more: fines for Continental not a side issue. It is Siust the sort civilised ground on which Britain must and fight when she joins the Marker , }| time; }} up. to, rm. Pp f that the traffic far exceeded. ithe i cluded—of a bank holiday week- ~ A2 traffie Census show, big merease A DRAMATIC upsurge in the numbers of vehicles using the}: A2 has been revealed by a round-the-clock watch kept at Bridge since Tart unch- increase, aco , 0 survey, is 24 Fal Ing ty, 6 per Minister to see road for himself The third period—midday Sat- urday to midday ~Sunday—re- vealed an overall decrease to ti iter Thirty members of the. A2 Group from Bridge; Canterbury and Harbledown, marshalled by sectetary. Brian Lewis, . have ticked | off and catalogued every car, -motor-cycle, bus and TIR| lorry thundering, through their checkpoint’ in * the : village High ¢ Of thes, $ through eyery “day: ™ by “Until the Ministn to that fact thet ra rou " lages.” pe De Street. 15,734 ‘vehicles, which “was ex-| Mr. Graham Page At the 80-hour mark Mr. Lewis| pected, particularly as'an R.A-C.|ment Minister Be the Gove told the’ “Kent Herald”. he had Survey showed less. holiday) roads, has told idee ours, sift-| traffic about all over the coun- creck tne try.” é »Of thé census, Mr-Leéwis said: ‘It underlines ‘and Strengthens our case that the A2 is not cap- able of coping with. today’s|i traffic. “Right years ago the group carried out a census that showed that 6,720 vehicles passed through Bridge in a’ day. Dee }been on duty for cking and MP., ‘Mr, David (x he intends iMspect : himself-in pre Said Mr. Beale Ti capacity for. ‘which ‘the road was that he can get the nightmare of Iting ont road.” hi census ‘was “originally lanned to last 48 hours, but th | organisers. decided to extend = <= - so that they could get the whole). picture—peaks and troughs in- end. The detailed check was du to end at. malcnent xy sterda: Cfonday) Sak s In the. first 24 hours 16,494 vehicles of all types passed : ‘the checkpoint in Mr. Lewis’ garden —one for every 5.2 seconds of the day. Of the total, 4.3) ‘per ce 08——were mammoth TT lorries, ore for very. “1.2. min- The Government. Minister_re- sponsible’ for roads, . Mr. Gra- ham Page, is coming to East ||passenger car units passed E carry, according to figures given Two. hoe ago. the Minist: of Transport carried: out its own census, which showed that 16,250 through % the. village. Applyi the ‘Ministry's same Saat wis’ team has worke that there were 20,502 - rease of 25 per cent. i maximum capacity the existing A2 was designed\to to an A2 Group meeting. by the , was 9,000 Lewis. eriod, hough the Ree oF vehicles up to 18,194 (22 re fewer ne ‘lorries, Mr, Lewis ‘believed, Kent to see for himself the) traffic-crammed:A2 and hear the | views of people living: in earshot of the road. — Mr. Page will also be" discus-| sing the velopment. of. representations Mr. D. ab nad uacy. Sn a ee to improve the 1A ope with the rapidly-i cre: sine volume of traffic fro! did at appear to recog- the implications which ritain joining the Common was a Houde: n the Con- ‘arket must mean to an eye greater trafic flow on th _M rouch has been aernpt he | ever aman for a > eet an of NS plans to ee Hon. Secretary/Treasurer: Brian A. Lewis, 1 High Street, Bridge, Canterbury, Kent | The (A2] Group We care about the A2 Trunk road to Dover from the M2 Please reply to;- ‘Weston Villas', 1, High Street, Bridge, Canterbury, Kent. 24th July 1972, Roger lMoate Esqe, MeP., House of Commons, London S.\.l. Dear lir. Moate, I enclose for your information a copy of an article which appeared in the Sunday Telegraph on 16th July together with a car sticker currently being circulated. The article, I think you will agree, is alarming for those of us living on the A2 when it is realised that we enter the Common Market just 160 days from todays date, Yours faithfully, Brian A. Lewis. COUNCIL OFFICES BRIDGE-BLEAN RURAL DISTRICT COUNCIL | OLD DOVER ROAD TELEPHONE: CANTERBURY 66411 (4 LINES), (Entranea trom Cossington Road) CANTERBURY, KENT 30 August 1972 Dear Sir, TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING ACT, 1962 TOWN AND GOUNTRY PLANNING GLNGRAL DEVELOPMENT ORDER, 1963 APPLICATION NO, 8S/6/72/369 ADVERTISEMENT SIGN, 90/92 HIGH STREBT, BRIDGE With reference to your application in connection with tho above dovolopmont I have to inform you that although every care has been taken to avoid delay, owing to unforesoon ciroumstanoss, it will not bo yossible for 4 decision to be be given by the 7 September 1972 It woulda be of considerable essistance, therefore, if youwuld agree to an extension of the period within. which the application is to be decided until the 7 November 1972 although of course, evory effort will be made to determine the application before this extended period ends, If you agree to this extension of time, perhaps you would date, sign and return the lower section of this letter to me by return of post. IF YOU DO NOT APPROVE OF AN EXTENSION OF TIMP, OR IF YOU FAIL TO Siciiry YOUR AGRESMENT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE THE COUNCIL WILL NO LONG*R HAVE THE POWER TO NAKE A DECISION ON YOUR APPLICATION AND IT WILL NOL, THEREFORE, BE PRESENT:D TO THE MEMBERS FOR DVtERMINATION. IT IS ESSENTIAL, THsABFORE, THAT YOU SHOULD REPLY BY THE DATE STATED. — Yours faithfully, J Purchese Esq. Mill Cottage : — Beke sbourne WS Tlooks Canterbury Engineer and Surveyor y ur Fequest to the Clerk of Bridge-Blean y Conner d eS €nclose herewith details supplied 8 © number of secidents on the A2 nd Dover Borough boundary from 1966 ~ ee ee) ae Ao ee eer oe cette Wray County Surveyor. : eS) Se Seay ae ee ee EXTN.No, 235 KENT COUNTY COUNCIL --ROADS DEPARTMENT Memorandum to: -.ounty Road Safety Officer YUpirwearmee cn Accidents, A2 I refer to your recent request to Mr.Kinnersley for the total number of accidents on A2 between Brenley Corner and Dover Borough boundary, The figures are as follows:- Total for Hisar pak Year Brenley to Total in ° Canterbury Canterbury Canterbury tc Dover A 4966 410 40 5 | 4967 406 34 46 | * 1968 96 34 38 4969 405 25 54 41970 94 24 es ‘ 4974 422 43 a1 Wao y ~ County Surveyore ; GRS The A2 Group Hon, Secretary/Treasurer; jan A, Lewis, 1 High Street, Bridge, Canterbury, Kent We care about the A2 Trunk road to Dover from the M2 Please reply to;. ‘Weston Villas’, 1, High Street, bridge, Canterbury, Kent. 29th July 1972. Sgt. C. Dunster, Kent County Constabulary Sub Station, Br idge 9 Canterbury, Kent. Dear Sgt. Dunster, I would like to bring to your attention the apparent lack of Hadar Speed Meters in Bridge High Street, A2, during recent weekse The Police were at one time providing traps at the rate of approximately one per week at one time but it is evident that such frequency is no longer being observed. Mre John Purchese, Chairman of our Group, spoke to Inspector McKissock at Canterbury police station about a month ago concerning the excessive speed of certain Continental T.I.R. vehicles heading for the port of Dover, and assurance was given that more frequent traps would be set up particularly during the early evenings when traffic flows were reduced and speeds | accordingly increased. Since this has not transpired, I would be pleased if you could apply whatever pressure is necessary so as to ensure that the welfare of the villagers of Bridge is protected. I fully appreciate that the police force as a whole is fully stretched due to understaffing particularly having regard to the traffic delays which currently exist at Dover, however, as you are well aware, we can not risk a reoccurrence of the tragic T.I.R. accident which happened in the village last month. | Yours sincerely, Brian A. Lewis The |A2| Group he 1 High stro Canterbury, We care about the A2 Trunk road to Dover from the M2 Please reply to:- The Chief Constable, Kent County Constabulary, Sutton Road, Maidstone, Kent. Dear Sir, As you are aware, the A2 Group has been reformed in an attempt to achieve a safer road from Brenley Corner to Dover, Both the A2 and A20 roads leading to the channel ports have recently experienced a growing number of accidents involving heavy intercontinental vehicles T.I.sR. These vehicles are currently being held by the police at Barham, Lydden Hill, Farthingloe and Connaught prior to their embarkation. It is evident that the control points have been necessitated firstly due to the dock strike, and secondly due to the vast build-up in heavy goods traffic which we are likely. to experience from now on with entry into the Common Market pending, sae In spite of entry into the E.E.C., the Department of the Environment fail to acknowledge the necessity of an li2 extension to Dover and insist that the A20 is the main highway to the port from London, In this knowledge, may I enquire 1. What proportion of T.I.R. vehicles are being held at Barham and Lydden A2 compared with Farthingloe A20. 2. What the estimated cost is to thg taxpayer for the continuous manning of the control points rembering tnat approximately 30 officers, floodlights and traffic venicles are being employed. Yours faithfully, (Brian A. Lewis) —$————— SS The A2| Group Hon. Secretary/Treasurer: Brian A. Lewis, 1 High Street, Bridge, Canterbury, Kent We care about the A2 Trunk road to Dover from the M2 Please reply to:- ‘Weston Villas’, 1, High Street, Bridge, Canterbury, Kent. 29th August 1972. David Crouch ES4de, M.P,, | House of CommonS, London Seliele Dear Mr. Crouch, I enclose for your information a copy of an article which appeared in the Daily Mail yesterday concerning T.1.R. vehicles. You Will note that special reference is made to the A2 where it passes through Bridge. I understand that Mr. Graham Page, Minister responsible for Roads, intends to inspect the A2 in September and would be pleased to know whether or not the A2 Group can be of any assistance to you at the time of his visit. To further emphasise our plight, Might I suggest that Mr. Page spends the night at my home 1, High Street, Bridge so that he may experience the delights of living on a highway built for little other than horse traffic. I would be more than willing to vacate my bed which is just 24 feet from the road. The Census is now complete, and we will be forwarding the results achieved in due course. Yours sincerely, New move ‘over AZ lavatories A new bid to get public lava- tories built beside the A2 is to be made by Bridge-Blean Rural District Council. At Wednesday’s meeting, Cllr. ‘|A. Jo Ross (Barham). ‘recalled | that a previous scheme had come |to nothing. Now, he thought, there was even more need for lavatories, possibly on the lay- by at Barham, where TIR lorries were being held up before being allowed to continue to Dover. — Clir. Ross said'that one notori- ous weekend recently, docks-bound _ traffic stretched back nine miles from Dover, |people’s gardens at Temple Ewell were used as lavatories. | The Clerk, Mr, Ivor Soilleux, | said that under a new Act, high- | way authorities were allowed to | build lavatories. Transport Ministry. : As a result, he had written to Kent County Council asking if it was the intention to provide lavatories for the A2. He had been told that it was not because schemes in other parts of the county had priority: It was decided to refer the when |) Previously, it/| was the responsibility of ‘the\| subject to the Public Health Committee and take it up again} with the County Council. Members of the A2 Group carrying ow right): Mrs, J. Lewis, Mr. Tim Fi \gpihe results of 2/408 hour non- on. traffic’ roarin, ‘1 ~ This week methbers of the A2 Group have been sifting through the hundreds of traffic record- Sheets ‘collected during thei round-the-clock census. 4 ra Every car, motor-cycle, bus -and/ lorry’ was carefully cata- logtied as it thundered past the \eheckpoint in the village’s’ nar- tow High Street. Within: hours, of -the survey starting last, Thursday the fig- ures hdd confirmed what the organisers expected. Said the A2 Group secretary, Mr. Brian Lewis, “The. informa- jon’ .we have gathered is firm proof that the’ traffic far exceeds the. capacity for which the road was built.” The holiday traffic reached a peak oh Sunday when between sis A2 protest 5 and-6 pm. a shaitering 4,739 d passing the 8 | Vehicles were logge census point—almost one eve: two seconds. wf And -the. number of hea lorries rumbling through the ate lage has increased by a stagger- ing 344 per cent since 1964, when the group last took a census. The , organisers are still not Satisfied with \the results and intend to carry out a -further 16-hour census. in the near future in an effort to build up aeccnre of mid-week traffic lows, Mr. Lewis explained: “We are not happy that the flow of TIR lorries this holiday weekend was truly representative and think it was. somewhat ° reduced. ‘We want to get the full picture of a normal weekday flow and this is why we need the second census,” ‘Mr. Lewis stressed that the national, Hiptotng organisations had said the amount of traffic on the roads over the Bank Holiday was less than a normal weekend. eh nat their traffic census tisher, Miss Pauline 5 “Bridge on Monda ensus fe via and Mr. y are (left to Brian Lewis. The most important came. from the fret 2 ted (during the Thursday and Fri. 825) ae showed: that on what normal weekday, 0: mammoth TIR. lorry word its Way through thi tigepets ane ie village babies During that same period 16, | vehicles of all 1 esti ine | checkpoint, Biving a figure of 20,502 passenger car units, more | than twice, the maximum Kent. County. Council recently ad-_ titted the road was designed for, said Mr, Lewis. aE Not capable Baby Of the census, Mr. Lewis said: “It underlines and strengthens our case that the A2 is not cap-, able. of coping with today’s traffic. “Eight years ago the group) carried out .a census that showed that 6,720 vehicles passed | through Bridge in a day. The increase, according to our new | survey, is 246 per cent. “We knew things were bad and we know they will get’ Worse, especially when Britain | enters the Common Market in’ January. The frightening thing | is_that by then we will be get-/ ting 1,000 of these TIR brutes through every day. “Until the Ministry wakes up to that fact there will be more! and more accidents. It is up to the A2 Group to protect its viF~ lages.” Mr. Graham Page, the Govern-) ment Minister responsible for) has fom Canterbury's” MP. Mr. Davi ct the Aa for | he intends to inspect the himself this month. 4 Said Mr. Lewis: “I intend to invite Mr. Page to spend the night at my house. He can sleepy —if he can—in my bedroam §0 that he can get some idea of] the nightmare of living on this road.” Cover them up — Bridge-Blean Rural District) Council h: Seep tole a : 2 atest for a by-pass 0m the hoarding in. sant ae the shop: t Ss Se Shine en crashed into them, When tite council previously! the group that the slogans tole, an inegal advertisement, ediately put in. &) eae TE Treatek seel approval. the council says the sien ig detrimental to local eae amenities and is a danger traffic safety. | Aes ranalocrth 2-4 Te Roa rush dg throughout ‘on roa roughout | A aURYeS midday today oe Britain mat there (Were, Tay vehi ravelling actions ae in Ho! | pout turday. the onl ; oe weekend. = NAA REGIONAL CONTROLLER (ROADS AND TRANSPORTATION) Department of the Environment (South Eastern) Edgeborough 74 Epsom Road Guildford Surrey Telex 85335 AB Drese Guildford Telephone 0483 (Guildford) 71101 ext 296 Y J Purchese Esq ‘our reference Chairman Our reference The A.2 Group 17 4 Wil) Cottage DSE/200/09/ /TR 34/01 Bekesbourne ee . CANTERBURY AG aimee’ 1972 Kent Dear Sir LONDON=CANTERBURY=DOVER TRUNK ROAD A.2 1. I have been asked by the Secretary of State for the Environment to thank you for your letter of 22 July 1972 about the improvement of the above Trunk Road between Brenley Corner and Dover. 2. There is, I regret to say, very little that I can add to what has already been made public about the improvement of this route. The Department is of course very much aware of traffic conditions on the A.2 and I can assure you that we do not consider this route in its present form to be adequate for traffic needs, The Department is completely committed to the overall improvement of this Toad, but, as I explained in my letter to you of 4 July last, the Department is bound by laws which have been designed to safeguard the interest of the general public to follow certain set procedures which are unfortunately lengthy. Whilst I appreciate and fully sympathise with the concern which is felt by local residents, I regret that in view of these legal processes, there is little that can be done to enable work on the various by-pass schemes which are outstanding to be put in hand any earlier than programmed, = 3- In addition to the proposals for the Mid-Kent Motorway, the Department is also carrying out a feasibility study of the route between Brighton and Dover with a view to its ultimate improvement. This study will of course take full account of the likely traffic flows on the section between’ Folkestone and Dover following the _ opening of the Motorway. At the western end of the Motorway, plans are already being prepared for a link road between the Dartford Tunnel and the Swanley By-pass. The line for the road was established Some years ago and it is anticipated that subject to the completion of the outstanding legal processes, that this road will be opened to traffic prior to the completion of the Motorway. A link between the River Thames and Dover. This new road system would attract much of the traffic which now uses the A.2 and would become the main access route to Europe be it by way of the existing ferry facilities or the Proposed Channel Tunnel. The improved A.2 will quite adequately cater for the volume of traffic which it is expected will use this route after the construction of the Motorway. \ This paper Is suitable for Dyeline Photocopying "=m, 4. The traffic census figures which are quoted by this Department are based on 16 hour manual and automatic counts. Perhaps it would be helpful if I explained at this stage the meaning of the term P.C.U. The results of traffic censuses only provide information about the number of vehicles which, as you will appreciate, can be misleading as vehicles of different types will require different amounts of road space because of variation in size and performance. In order to allow for this in measuring capacity, traffic units are expressed in passenger car units, the basic unit for which is the car. The weighting of other vehicles in relation depends on the type of vehicles involved and their effect on the road. For example, a heavy goods vehicle on a rural road is rated as equivalent to 3 cars, but on an urban road only 2. By expressing traffic figures in this way, the capacity of all roads through- out the country can be compared regardless of the type of traffic involved. 5- I would finally like to assure your Group that everything possible is being done to enable the overall improvement of A 2 to be completed as soon as possible bearing in mind the necessary legal processes. So far as a by-pass of Canterbury is concerned, this has been included in the primary network of Trunk Roads to be completed by the mid-1980's. Consulting Engineers have investigated possible routes for the by-pass and their report is now being considered by the Secretary of State. Until such time as a by-pass can be constructed, it is considered that the proposed by-passes of Upper Harbledown and Harbledown and the new Canterbury Ring Road would cater for the present and expected traffic flows on A 2. 6. I trust that the above information fully answers your enquiry. Yours faithfully Bey ed K M J FINBOW for Regional Controller 1 High Street, Bridge Canterbury, Kent ‘ Hon. Secretary/T 5 The |A2| Group Pian Arte awe TH { We care about the A2 Trunk road to Dover from the M2 Please reply toi- Mill Cottage, Bekesbourne, Kent, 3.9,1972 'D. Crouoh Beq., M.P., ‘House of Commons, j tendon Swi ; | | Dear Nr. Crouch, aa \ We have now received a reply from the Department of the i eet bomen 22.7.1972 to Marsham Street. 1 to our Memorandum delivered on / itis a sat unsatisfactory answer in that the D. of E. still view the A20 | improvements as the answer to the TIR problem, but they have no firm plans ! for the essential links (Dover to Folkestone, A20 to Blackwall Tunnel) and are proposing to study these problems when the Motorway is built. Goodness knows when in the 1980's that will take us! | Because it is clear that the D. of E. still see no urgent ‘ tion needed on the A2, we in the A2 Group must have the opportunity to ' | talk with Mr. Page when he visits the area. If on his return to London | there is not a prompt and definite reappraisal of the timetable on by~passes 1 ¥ and a forward of plans for Canterbury itself we shall be forced to bringing | Ntake militant public action to bring a national enquiry into being. i The intention of some businessmen in converting Hawkinge _ aerodrome (it was a Fighter Station during the last war) to a TIR park with | capacity up to 2000 is monstrous, because it creates more problems than it | solves, for the access roads to the site from the A2 and A20 are worse than : the A2 for narrowness, hills, visibility and other factors. Considering the Gamage done to Connaught Barracks where wholesale resurfacing of the roads and parade-ground is now needed after three weeks of lorry parking} we are / saddened by the prospects of damage to the amenities of Hawkinge that the ‘proposed plan would bring. This is in the Dover Divisizon, but should } not be overlooked. : r sone Yours sincerely, 1 High » Lew igh Street, p, Canterbury, Kent 8° The |A2| Group Hen. Secretar Treas We care about the A2 Trunk road to Dover from the M2 Please reply t0:- M411 Cottage, Bekesbourne, Canter) (Tel: during working hours; Bridge 485) ury, Kent ra cvesniat ett er istric C aces rt & General Woryers Union, 1 Woodville Road, Maidstone, Kent. Dear Mr. Clayton, ‘ members have to drive up and down the A2 daily, and 411 must be aware of Poem when they leave the M2 and start working their way through the villages and the outskirts of Canterbury on their way to Folkestone and Dover docks. Indeed, on Nay 26th. this year, one of your members wag killed when his 50 tonner left the road in Bridge and crashed through a row of mete sa The A2 Group has been trying for years to get improvements to the road hurried up - indeed our view is that the M2 should be continued all the way to Dover - and we are just as worried by the present conditions ag must be your members when negotiating the hazards of Boughton, Harbledown, Bridge, Lydden and the approaches to Dover. At last the Minister, Mr. Page, has been parsuaded to see the road for himself and his party will travel nif coach from Brenley Corner to Dover next Tuesday afternoon (September 12th). May the A2 Group suggest to you that to coincide with this visit, or shortly afterwards, the T&GWU write to the Department of the Environment at 2 Narsham Street, London SW1, to say that the road is extremely dangerous to use and by this means exert some considerable pressure on the Department to bring forward the planned by-pass of Canterbury due to start in eight years’ time, and to hurry up the bypasses of the villages, We would be interested to hear your views on this matter. Yours fraternally, (ShoptSteward with ACT? for eight years), } to see AD “ problems The Gov rnment. Minister re+ sponsible for roads, Mr. Gra- ham. Page, is coming to Bast Kent to see for himself (the traffic-crammed A2 and hear the views of people living in earshot of,the i ~ Mr. Page will also be discus- sing the progre’s of the A2 de- velopment. This visit is a result of aa te eae by Conte bury’s, M.P.,.. Mr. Davi rouc! to. Enviro: ent _ Minister, > Peter Walker, and. to Mr. Page “Mr, Crouch told them he felt they did not. appreciate the strength of local feeling, about the ‘inadequacy of © existing Government plans to improve the A2 to cope with: the (rapidly-in- creasing volume of traffic from eethey did not fee . They not, appear, to. recog- nise | the. implicatio: Britain joining. the Market must mean greater traffic flow o: he ‘said. Fey eh ROL ee _ Mr. Crouch has been pres: the’ Government’ for a a) Abe revision of its plans to get an urgent crash programme /of im- provement. This improvement must be achieved in the next two or three years, he says, ; “If we. can: build: the.. Third London Airport out in the sea, with a 50-mile motorway-.and monorail to London and de- velop a city of one-quarter of a million. people to support it in eight. years, it should not be too much to expect the A2 to be \prought up to. standard within the next two years,” says Mr. Crouch. : SS & — The Gaekwar of Baroda was shaken. but, unhurt when his white Rolls-Royce was involved in collision with a Bedford van on the A2 at Harbledown on Monday. © But the Jou ney Longe hired Rolls-Royee. Wh The Eup Ces Ra . Pratt, 0: ury pea ts n, S.W.1, aide-de- te ranee of accident A giant articulated lorry ani two. cars. were involved’ in kirk, b their baby daughter, “Jennifer, | sustained cuts and bruises. > The driver-of the TIR Scania lorry, Mr. Nikolas Steel-Jessop, of 9 St. Peter’ bridge, Suffolk, was uninjured. can 6 ie saies uber Sir, 2 on Sw near the, junction’. tr furthe with Plough Lane». ») quit ‘ quired: of pass ‘A Renault car. was. extensively | ound’ Britis pirenioie damaged and its three occupants the statistics of the road vehicle were all. slightly injured.-The tramic “through the. Port of | driver, Mr, Paul ‘H., Metcalf, Dover in’ the sfirst. half of the aged 28, and his wife, Valerie Td take first accompanied | (27), of: Pottery Cottage, Dun-\ private. cars, the number in- ) suffered bruising, and |, Close, Wo0d-' facilities showed ‘sure ‘that’ we I am grateful to’ Mr. Brian Lewis, Yet another Weston Villas, 1 High’ Street, join: t Bridge, for. the work he is doing ore eats oe begin eales Te Pensigreaaeaeneeits oUSAs| (ane ween coal } id ope e citi-| — 4 ae 8 zens lof Canterbury, whom he| 4, Bese ry Committee of states “are, in the main, asleep) Goan tion of Parish to the necessity of the by- cils on Wednesday evening passes,” will write. to him as| Yo to “write to everyone con- Suggested in his letter last week| { SB ghee as the problem, stress— with any suggestions and sup-| 238 1 urgency for port they. can, give for impress- ies etion of the motorway ing’ .on -the Department of. the 5 ee rOnuien ba ithe Gpmlediate : said or a by-] O: ‘ i || and the villages. scaaeaes that Prlage, ig rt It is impossible to carry on a poetics used the relief “while 2 over Ro: | fe ‘ ede cause\ of the noise and vibra-| son, Said in the’ past R hs tion. of. the traffic, but everyone the problem ee cee by | ee Bpeak: tancomplains y bitterly per EAS ie traffic and | 1 ene MM , Nalrtywelghtandivolumnes tren neallt. JE pontgamery, the C.'B. ANDRE’ ‘ 14 Stanmore Court, ws Yaaree | New Dover Road, ~ Canterbury. 5° |) creased by.15.5 re it. the’ same ‘six fonths of 1971 | pe BTUs to $20308.0 ~The number of freight. lorrie: using Dover’s= pistes ts “roll-off | an increase of no less than: 38.6 percent. over The driver, of a FordCorsair the gay 1d. of: s also involved, Mr. Geoffrey’ W. ja total ‘of | Too, rasa Sears, of 42, The Mall, peer een a sharp-increase’in TIR sham, was also UTE traffic in recent weeks, it is a _vehicles.2were- aR ed i reasonable ,SELURT Hon Cat they i total | passing . throug! ver: ‘docks 1972 will not tee eS jshort: of. 150,000; plus orate ‘like. 700,000 acco: ge. 700.0 ci ompanied private This total does ‘not include any vehicles crossing, to France jvia the - Folkestone terminal, which has an expanding traffic. These facts and figures should be considered against the gen- ‘eral background of road traffic. Figures based on registrations of vehicles in this country, ex- | cluding. foreign tourist’ and Continental - registered TIR lorries,’ show that in 1965 in Great Britain there were 52.8 vehicles per road mile. In 1971 there were 65,9 vehicles per road mile, one car, ‘bus, or lor for every 26.7: yards of road, more than in any other country, JOHN BAKER WHITE. Street, End Place, Near Canterbury, THE A2 GROUP. Hon. Sec./Treasurer: Brian A. Lewis, 1 High Street, Bridge, Canterbury, Kent. 29.8.1972 CENSUS RETURNS: Would you please note that the column headings numbered from 1 to 5 comprise the following vehicles:- 1. Motor-cycles, mopeds. 2. Private cars, cars and trailers, pickups, light vans. 3. Buses, coaches. 4. Large vans, lorries up to ten tons. 5. lorries over ten tons. T The column marked T shows the number of TIR with trailer. The peu figures have been calculated on the basis of rural peu conversion factors. No car trailers have been counted. No pedal cyclists have been counted. The period covered includes a normal weekday 24 hr. section, and a complete bank holiday. R.A.C. reports on the bank holiday declared that traffic flows were nationally lower than a summer Sunday in their opinion. The weather throughout the Census was dry and cloudy. The capacity of the A2 has been calculated as 9,000 peu daily. (KCC figures) The latest official figures available show 16,250 peu daily. (KCC figures for 1970) The first 24 hr. period of the A2 Group Census showed a daily throughput of 20,502 peu. This is an increase of just on 25% All enquiries please to the Hon. Secretary. 12-1 p.m. 9 4-2 0 2-3 9 3-4 5 4-5 19 5-6 19 6-7 8 7-8 8 8-9 12 9-10 8 10-11 7 "11-12 a.m. 2 116 5106 99 4994 10856 12-1 a.m. 225s ae 2 5 203 = fOr 343 T=? 1 90 oS 2 - 190 [sae 3 = 290 2-5 SR OA et aS AEST 1. 2 1 139 3-4 Ae 46a 5a So 68. Su. 8 141 4-5 22 44i ea oo = 50) See qos 100 5-6 S67 1 = 2a 1 94 1a 1 168 6-7 2100 S= a4 2 F114 2 6 ee = 230 7-8 5 171 - 8 1 - 9 96 1 - 3 1 295 8-9 3 230 { 5 2E145. > 2886 Bs 404. 9-10 9 361 PS YS 5 297 1259 6 - 17 10-11 11. 510 = 2S 9 446 6st 1 1002 11-12 p.m. 28 600 4 7 = 1385-105 2 Fe 105) 222 125 65 2398 12 p.m - 1S oe 116 5106 99 4994 10856 12 a.m. - iotpend 65 2398 59° 2183 4878 SS a SS Total 181 7504 138 7177 15734 GRAND TOTAL - 15734 vehicles — a-— ee cae 1S-MnNntaVWofuut 1or-fLHDOUADD laos ie OE = OOO 497 505 486 489 475 500 354 368 317 212 = aut'y MNH-NE NWN NMWAID ATNUNA—-AWARHO A aetih ocak eA Sk eid DY eee ed Peet Wetted Bele | pat WFNUY Hour 1077 1041 1169 1086 1057 1054 945 917 830 751 570 359 a —_—_—__--- ee ee eee 39 2183 EE ee 4878 ee ere oe ee A2 GROUP TRAFFIC CENSUS SUMMARY - A2 BRIDGE eee ee eee ccee an reen ee eee Eres ea aaa eNana earn ana aTE To London To Dover 24.8.72 12-1 p.m { Gu ds 2st To 304 eben 432 15 2 980 ag 1-2 : - 440 WRC ey 4 309 0 09. 15. 2 894 2-3 YO 4A 2:6 S47, PO) TEVCEN (Oe oe Necee 922 3-4 7 409 GREE ee ONG TO) 3904 “dae 49° 180 951 4-5 WES 1o Ge 20 2 DB 461 Wee59.: 28-4 990 5-6 90 580 TIS lO Tk Vas “AQ. vied 515. 34.1205 6-7 7 al? Teo Os alow ce 14) 622°..44 (i elope APSE leis: 7-8 6: 399 OTe aS Sree 51] Tet O <2 { 1001 8-9 fos 388 1 Okcreens 4 Oe DOT. 5 EO SIM ER 756 9-10 Fo Bla ele (ral acate 3 280 4 1 9 - 644 10-11 5 219 10 De eOnens. 92.5187. 6 Bre { tac t— 465 11-12 a.m. 6 130 1 SACS. dese<1'50 3 Gel7= 2 338 a 410 4551 87 241 164 31 82 4398 103 301 201 15 10284 SESS SESS SSS Se Bo at aa ee 120 25 2 269 1-2 WO = 4 SR 1 = 2 515 2-3 28 VERSUS SUS GS SS ie 79 3-4 OER SSE ch 4-5 Petes Ge Gad S40 eee ie, = 138 5-6 mye i eS 03 10. 208 6-7 H fs5 Ath Gs 1 1S 126 10 bs 7 1 528 7-8 6 344 6 a B 256 5 oe 22 TH 8-9 Si sae 50 te 455 171 895, 9-10 10409 8. AP 15 | a 480° 6 Br 16. 11086 10-11 Q “sat 3] at 16. 3G 455 Gwe 21 = 1160 11542 pam: $40 645 4 5a 15 4 500 18 6 se 5 1106 55 2725 61 252 101 5 51 2518 54 197 181 10. 6210 24.8.72 12 P™ - 410 4551 87 241 16 $8272; eas 4 31 82 4398 103 301 201 15 10264 12 a.m. - ZT Os Oe 55 2725 61 252 101 5 51 2518 54 197 181 10 6210 ————— —— 24 hr. Total 165 7276 148 493 265 36 133 6916 157 498 382 25 16494 SS TT SE TTR fo tS RS Ra OE So eee eS aa GRAND TOTAL - 16494 vehicles = 20502 p.c.u. To London 24 hr. Total 181 8745 IS7s) 55552753 45 153 7486 146 381 235 9 i 18194 To Dover Se ee ee eee Date Time (ope ef 2 ees OT ee ee 25.8.72 12-1 pm 1 (ORE TES ORY Fo. 350 ee oo eos “ oh 3 443 Boi Stett 5 425 6 46 16 - 1003 2-3 AUTO aso One ie 464 TO matd bn 15.1 201055 3-4 Oo beD ON abe BIN Bc te 457° Gee 40 = 17. 25. 1206 an5 TOU Says One aste. Te 557 fede 12 = 91256 5-6 1S 686 5h 200 2d 2 Bx 514\ fad, 16. n=. 11290 6-7 WS Sey Bia iG 2 SO 532 TIS 16. 2. 1202 7-8 7 SOON 7h OO aon 454 deere 3 9. 2 1025 8-9 Gr AGN oes OS Ny 256 AR 6. | 784 9-10 TOS NAVIES 9 bao os 4 US REPRESS ~2F SS ener EIU 10-14 Ba S62 Oe 20 5 er 206 Bae 4 622 eee AG ee Stas gy S195. 7s 5 = 482 126 5739 101 225 197 35 86 4694 97 285 146 9 6454 26.8.72 12-1 a.m. BUSY ee igs 1800 D3 Oe 1 6.3 5 409 i=2 3 119 { Sf sh TS 4:22 1 1 Tin = 267 2-3 Sr Oly 4. 15 cS N60) eee 5 eA 3-4 so Glee en fe Se Obs Oe 6 195 4-5 ai 88 eal Fel - 50, See 4 149 5-6 a5 107) 55 ea = = 10.1 1 To 1,96 6-7 2. 148 2 5 be 188° 14 8 9a 386 7-8 Ds 2008 A IO 77:.. eee 7, 57. ‘| 8-9 Te: 3590 O25. 10, = O42 4 See 828 9-10 Us S446 255,625, N09 1 1 397 7 968 10-11 NOs SIO 12 258 At 9, 554. 10s Ot = 457 11-12 p.m. 13 584 Bo 21 6 4 1 498 920 7 - 1178 55 3006 86 128 78 8 67 2792 49 96 89 - 6454 ee ap RLS SLE Bs 9739 101 225 197 35 86 4694 97 285 146 9 11740 12 a.m - 26.8.72 45 5'n. 99, 2006) 86.128, 78. 867.2792 491-96: 69. = Gana GRAND TOTAL ~- 18194 vehicles = 22368 pPeceu. ee TN To Dover. To London, Ree nn Date. Time. 1 2 3 4 5 uy 4 2 =) a) [7 Per Hour. Poe eee ee Seas Shs end Bor 7ecte = apm sen O25 10) 2 5 2 10. 299 eon atts, 5.999 Riteerpm RUS morCe on ed 99 2-103 2-3 pm 23 597 2 2 3 Boh 485 iB) hoes) qe 1436 BS pO O69 aoe oe eee 634 Some ee 7 1907. 4-5 pm 6 382 4 Be 5) Psa O47 6 8a4 = e100 6- 6pm 10 451 Bi Geo Ob a1 75 6 Gysn4] - 1739 Geom sO0s ed ey Oe OHO DTP = 1304 7, SO. pM asec spON ne 6S, = 40) 3.760 Duels 5. - 1192 SiO pm 8 12958 >, ON em 661 Ges 4 25-1007 9 =10 pm. 2. 365 3 1 5 se Ade oO 6 2-6 Jee750 TOS shh Sa eS = 1 = 5310 3 2c ===. -606 Adee cam Gnd) e8Oe ne oes Bae 590, Seeds S52 652 161 5235 45 SO 71 4 239 6866 TO 50. 43 2 12845 28e857e ener vam 7s 7 = 4 a = 157 4 ss - 239 (2 Sr ee eo Se de 110 - feo 172 2ro83 am ss 27 = 3 4 = 2s ho 1 Se - 123 3.— Nam ee 20a 95 Queers = 0-126 Hee Diam OS 7, Serre 67 52=-65am 9 42 4 1 5 - HESS ARS 2 qe 4 1217.4 GrS7oame (25. O58 ee a e105 - fo 184 7-8 am 2 100 es 4 = = 4 63 as Ded 7k 8-9 am - 148 3 6 4 - Se i26 =: By S= 296 9-10 am 2 303 12 vi) 4 = 9 278 4 Bek 1. 629 10 -11 am 3 462 18 3 4 i 6 455 3 GS 959 {HE SAEs sek a ey) 0) 13 eee - 1048 SenIONSS 555 4 9S 95112028 26 23 a7 2 4135 pe a 27.28.72. 12pm-12am 161 5235 45 50 71 +4 239 6866 79 50 43 2 128k 28.8.72. 12am-12pm 32 1848 55 34 19 E54 2028 26053339 3 ee 193 7683 100 84 9 4% 270 8894 105 73 80 4 16980 GRAND TOTAL - 16,980 = 18,040 p.c.u. Hon. Secretary/Treasurer: Brian A. Lewis, 1 High Street, Bridge, Canterbury, Kent We care about the A2 Trunk road to Dover from the M2 * Please reply to:- \ ; é ‘Weston Villas’, f - : 1, High Street, Bridge, Canterbury, Kent. 17th September 1972 | Graham Page Esqe, MoPe, (Minister of State, Department of the Environment), House of Commons, London S.W.1. Dear Mr. Page, I was pleased to accept the invitation of Mr. David Crouch to travel with you between Brenley Corner and Dover on Monday last. ‘ You will recall tnat I told you of a course from which I had just returned at Slough. From my experience, one is only able to retain a certain amount of information in a given | period. Such must have been the case when you visited the A2, since a large number of facts and figures were forthcoming from people intimately connected with the road. Whilst your visit was brief, I trust that you were able to appreciate the - overall piciture of inadequacy which exists. I noted that you were informing the press that a tnird of the existing A2 has been improved to dual-carriageway standards. This of course is correct. But the point which you clearly have not grasped, is that the completed sections are all without exception in isolated country areas. The priorities adopted along the route are senseless as not a single dwelling has yet been by-passed. This is the reason why we keep stressing that the construction of the Canterbury by-pass together with those of Bridge and Harbledown must be treated as a national emergency. We do not accept that entry into the Common Market will have little effect to the throughput of traffic. \ unnel is built or not; already at \ a cane season 7,500 vehicles a day cross the Channel and two thirds of these use the A2 between Canterbury and Dover. In one year alone there has been an increase of 40 per gnt vehicles for roll-on, + in heavy frei Sime traffic. All this is before we enter John Purchese, chairman ; ed by traffic or the a2 Group campaig- dies tions on the A2 ners, squatted on the card Calling fora Can: wor’ coach floor and appealed — terbury by-pass now. Lyd to Mr Page for slow- down Tt was at New Dover that He said the accident for Canterbuy day Zones on the approaches Road that the Minister years one-third of the 22 , f jles between Brenley oto. villagesiandsmore 18-reaily felt the blast of miles between Brenley Forty people herded been improved. uel fas“ mph limits roun ger” anger from A2 residents, ge and his spots. j c advisers took — But there were no snap ound him as he left the In its from Mr h which occupied he said, they would be i hrough Pass Minis heat deeply concerned and I years and | ach ride through page, Minister of Local double yellow lines right malar lane sruties revert Have seen through the, impossible to doy Government and Devel: under the gaze of a posse rs' threat, opment, of any accelera- of attendant police and’ miles would be covered: traffic wardens SN . by by- passes. expressed in.a_ tion in the by-pass build- tae face ingprogramme whichen- -. exvisages loop ‘reads:ro Boughton, Harbledown 1980's’. AES Mr‘ Page did tell me that as a result of his personal inspection tour decide priorities between severalschem Ses He expressed the hope that before the end of the year a decision would be ~™ade on the ‘'where and when”’ of Canterbury by- pass. FIRST DEMO _ many campaigners say is | Tuesday to see conditions for himself. the key to the problem,| ang dered itl I people fed up with the ene 4 would also relieve | continuous thunder of the TIR ghbourin glmotorway monsters through ‘Harbledown of the jug- itheir villages gave the Minister gernaut menace of TIR}ja hot reception. Women waved lorries. : POR their fists’ at him in Boughton i The bus tour set off/and banner-waving protesters from County Hall with Mr} waylaid him in Harbledown, Robert Cooper, chairman Canterbury and Bridge. of the county roads com- “During his journey along the mittee and his predeces.| Controversial stretch of road 5 -Predeces:!from Brenley Corner to Dover, sor, Alderman William/wr Page was issued with an Simmons, now council] yitimatum by Mr. Brian Lewis, vice- chairman. . |secretary of the A2 Group: _ At Brenley Corner rep- |““Speed up improvements or we | resentatives of the A Group were added to the| will bring traffic to a standstill | party. - Soc ae S| alongs the whole of the 22-mile | yucaze Drive. Careful: |AUaee ‘Page was making hi: ” 7% is pci ten ANd tet long-awaited trip at the invi- its by-pass started soon. |t#tion of Mr. _ David Crouch, || At Harbledown, latest vi % village to make uproar about its by- pass scheme pee eh via pee ee to egin 1974, Mr Page met his first demo: two women, a couple of kid-| a tikes AGERS _ During the journey Mr By DON PACKHAM ram and a pla- After inspecting road- e e and Bridge in the se- R M t The Minister, accompanied 5 . c : senior advisers and Nation enone oa Ss wuts er |tives of. Kent County cae takes an A2 he would beboter able to || - takes amr PROMISE that the programme of A2 improvements would Hi be re-examined to see if any time could be saved was given ‘ - ; YES " It is this road, round the | by Mr. Graham Page, the Government's Minister responsible ‘heritage’’ city, that|for roads, after he took a coach trip along the trunk road on| Protesters began to show them will-step up demonstrations that | GC Ultimatum | e e to Minister aera reese TE He ag@cepted there were f ham and .troublespots it was im- ing out as ty, None oir Page said portant that they get the done. over the past four right line for by- passes. Mr David Gy grateful to them rate and the traffic rate want to have on the A2 did not justifya in the Whole pro motorway. They justified Seca the : , improvements. 'Y-pass. It mug the next four years, a Panaxesid : (rcamoplered “In bie demonstrations the feel- See Photonews ing’“of the people. I am 16. Senior advisers Ke 15-4 Canterbury City Council Bridge-Blean ural Council, began his coach Brenley Corner—the end of the M2—where he was joined pb: Group committee members M John Purchese, Mr. Lewis and Cllr. Tony Payne. At Boughton, the coach was greeted by. five fist - shaking women holding a banner sayings “Boughton by-pass mow.” q More ‘banners met him a arbledown, held by a handful of ‘women and children, and was not until he reached Ne: Dover Road, in Canterbury, tha and Distr tour aj selves in force. vise About 40 people, demanding Canterbury’s M.P., and after} by-pass for the city, lined th eS from local councils and rod oF SC orgay the roup. Sai rts AeA Lt tate eee wack ara New Dover Road. The Minist he hoped that something would } caused "his own spot of traff now be done to improve A2| congestion when he stopped th conditions. “I am no longer in- | coach on double-yellow lines an terested in other road priorities.} fot down to hear what I am only interested in the road | demonstrators had to say. to Dover and that it should be- |} Another interruption came come a top Ministry priority. Bridge, where about 60 village “I will continue my pressure |] gathered “to meet “Mr.” Pa: on the Ministry and the Mini- Among them was American M ster to'see that it is given top|] M. Horrigan, of 15 High Stre priority, They must get on with || who came to the village onl: it especially as we are in the||week’ago. She and her husba Snes Market. in four |] were so soc hes by the dang ‘She Minister, he said, had Suisein t iedens ne eeaccad Proved ‘a good listener by stop- '| to'the A2 Group. Ping to hear people’s grievances Grouped infront of the shi along his route. But, he added, |and home of Mr. Claud Le xl Kaas not, enough just to” which was a}most. complet thine ede e must do :some- destroyed. when a.\ TIR i The scheduled Bridge by-pass Sefesans v ve ae nstatd could’ be brought forward by | spent their time waiting for ree aprens if not more, said | Minister waving banners at pa mee eee if there were no ing TIR lorry drivers, who oft b eee rs to the route. waved their agreement: 3 ¢ Mr. Crouch told the As the coach approached, hé |Minister that a by-pass for Can- up from) entering) the village eemeey: was most important. If |} a line of cars passing a park fwitninrees ie atcnmard: to | vehicle, it was booed ‘and ba ; ly lyears, instead of the ext ‘savor mThe, SOBRE ater vcaul or eight, it would be a real ad-|/another traffic block as, B vance. Coupled with the com-|/Page got out to meet. village pletion of the Bridge by-] -it ee ie ta 3 y-pass Among those he spoke to d solve ‘e major problem. | Mrs. Pleasance Kirk, of ‘W: ~~ Elm, High ‘Street, who, hold her two young children, stress how dangerous the road was. also spoke to the Vicar, Can Colin E. H.. Perry, who’ urg tat improvements should made. Very strong 2 The Minister told them fh realised feeling was very stron and that the road had not bee q built for).that sort. of traffi othe HOW exeR it vole myOnE tnow | re” were’ still” many © b=) Plan a road and. carry ul lems which could not te ren those plans. : ‘In planning the road, such as} Mr. Page told the “Kenti the, environment and whether| Gazette” that he was takin the bea f the village would} 2 careful look at the particular be ‘spoil , putting a roadj dangerous sections of the road | Alongsid ___._ | He hoped that in time the malt the accident rans ‘would be taken off road 4 fis Bay & ded, would help ge the value of ad formation he Wi Ys road and the} i nthony Payne, East Kent. aid that in’ villages on the edge ‘of the A2 in his area ornament ell off mantelpieces because 0} bration caused by lorries. The culties facing mothers with ing children in villages where : lorries passed every 50 seconds were WY A : sObvVioUsi i) FE SAMA Scape wt 4 na AS S Me" Bric Robinson. South Shrop- Ad . : gion! ee eas a at 3 Tes U4 ay TIR lorries should be weighed at Dover as they enter untry and special police bays should be et up along — Mr John Purchese, Cant ury, called for the automa’ eighing of all lorries leavin; ips at Britain’s ports, “The : illages pha at oh ly 4 ; juggernaut re | Purchese, chairman failed to recognise™the con- ! told 20 pee oan ; anon | equences of going | Party annual assembly at: Marga: _long term solution, the| »“At* Dover there als agreed, all juggernauts id be restricted to specific limited ‘trunk routes ‘and _ Should be a continuing on any increase in 'their Th . said. rhe cept a Af * “Britain. cannot Within. 103 days,” Mr. Pur-| back and ban je said; “we can expect 40 dorries on our roads to be 4 i ted to. those that \ already ilt’ 2 the ing weight restric-| context of a national. transpor- tation ‘policy which exploits’ to Cllr. Tony Payne, of|the full ‘our ‘existing railway © ledown, told the assembly, | "etwork. Pe sic Sia king - regulations is’ -one| (“With juggernauts the _ but- breaking people, their| has’ come to. say bigg and homes, ‘is another.|heavier is not better, _ do you restore someone's} be disastrous.” pon ernop it “itis Bias In the main resolution, the’ OS, ; 4... | Liberals’ agreed td call the here is a very real’ danger.| setting up of a regionalised Pol- lis part of Kent from the lution’ Inspectorate with wide Continental lorries as our| powers‘ to monitor and control stem is quite incapable pollution. ~ Sa : sing the load,” he said. Ne 5 ; told -of villagers he knew L gal aid Saath vere unable to’ keep orna-| They . also agreed that. legal. m_mantelpieces*as they | aid should be extended to in- ed off ‘whenever’ a large | dividuals | and — communities hit a particular manhole| wanting to fight threats to their . : environment aren scuperoment i > yee or. commercial _ agencies, al Se erblem ok ele aie nature conservation be intro- ‘ and the bangs but the| duced as a school subject, that intense vibrations.|: You |.cne United | Nations Foe char ? pro! » ocean dumping, . eel per ddd Rese Sees and other products from species “of animals threatened _ with extinction be banned, | ; f Phey further a rae ba | In considering the present problems of the A2 road from Boe a Bieyele: for a waite agar ink chauneletiee® | Brenley Corner to Dover it is necessary to look back over ‘ chi takes‘ jug; |’ aut: there be a. ban on productive the past ten years of road construction in East Kent. Paige ands ott ie processes giving rise to noxious se f substances and that *more. re- orig search be carried out into the ne can then realise! the| problems of indestruétible syn pins pt mothers and chil-| theties. ae See I these routes, Mewes | “Proposing the resolution, Mr 3 wate Peeses. along, the} etary col date Sor Hastings, The M2 immediately became a very popular road, and P r | a bad ie said, “The environment has been | these loriies must’ be. given wantonly damaged, Man cannot traffic flow on the A2 increased sharply as it became the When the M2 was built it was called the Medway Towns by-pass, and since the official view was that the route to Dover from London lay with the A20 through Maidstone this is all it has ever been considered. es er routes away from | live the next 50 years as he has major route to London. The northern end of M2 was ex- oF lived Ftho Jeet. Odusael \ deplte.y tended by improvement to motorway standards first to Dart- Be adeg’ rier idea” Cite. | Dropuseee of ford, and then to Bexley, moves which at a stroke gave excellent access to the Dartford and Blackwall Tunnels. The fast access to Blackwall and the rolling programme north of the tunnel forming a link with the East Cross route made the northern section of the A2 very efficient. doom, tomorrow! he added. “There used to be | World, could be ae od place to lally designed routes :for | live in if we take a | ¥ vehicles, they were called | today, s WY | pays. The resolution wa: 1G Sh ‘ ———— upport Ir. Payne was s eaking in Port of an, amendment fe) re- t the juggernauts which the mbly ‘later overwhelmingly ed toy add to their main bition aN the environment, * urchese fo]. be to the strum oo © in Kent suffe: vously,"" he said, “The Aa tn . is only 18ft, wide and the penta are 18 inches, Con- He What that means. he Depart: nmentttment of the En: ecisive action South of the M2 At the southern end of the M2, from Brenley Corner to | Dover - following completion of the Medway Towns by-pass - nothing at all happened. The authorities were waiting to see if Britain would join the Common Market and whether the Channel Tunnel would be built. This complete stag- nation of activity was in large part the cause of the present problems of the A2, 8) y. Corner ayate been y. ut si where there ‘are no homes ly sheep have benefited, a recent visit, Mr. Page | ament Minister respon- tions “sas admitted that Millage of: Bridge Tous a 1 by Mament had been Pro- Pective Z chael Vann, the pat 1 or Tontugmentary ‘can. F dge and Mall. oncergndment. is of Particy- mice BAe ithe residents. of hi put the destruc. ts every coy and nants re Spokes Sstimated that a nanan ee er, Mr. Lewis, of Bridge, with, his daugh ot lorry crashed through the front oF eased house. ed with only a sprained -wrist, after a 'Bannister’s. garden . were ne FORTY YEARS galow ina smajj for.a bit of Peace Mr. Bannister well-kept garde: ered his home. 7 clam Today: the Tder across like a ripe is fabric—scarreg irrepas } an’ out-of-control 95.4.0 OY ulated lorry’ ‘thay (ane. through a telegr. e The village is miles” out of ‘Doy London road, the A: The A2. is 1 road ‘that covers ground. as three ‘lanes. each carriageway J. , and ‘a: den’ a ‘country road wide enough for two Jor pass without’ touching Lydden’ is in’ the path op constant. droves of huge cont: nental-container® lorri type «of. commerciat recently labelled by RAG utive. Phil Drackett as: Frankenstein monster.” Crunch is coming Said’: Mr. « Drackett: crunch. is coming—! Soon Britain must make a4 cision .between life worth | ing and an existence deafe battered’ and “threatened ‘1 that ‘Frankenstein mon: the lorry.” Av’ Lydden’ the crunch has already'-come. Lorry-scarred Jawns-and the cracked ceilings of. vibration-wrecked © housts tell the tale. Forty years of work:in Mr. { | wrecked in minutes. He jis ‘too old to rebuild. the gardén Scape gardening to repair, it would cost £600, “The lorry that did the dam- age had collided with another lorry just up, the road there, Mr, Bannister told me, ing to the narrow A2; just went out of control. | “Tt came through the fence, | demolishing. the telegraph pole on the way, ploughed par ORS my lawn. and, stopped 10 the side here, just past. the house. ! “Tt closed my ‘son's gatage (the petrol "and service station | (NER LORRIES ILLAGE LIFE ; BAKER foring Corres; pondent tt Bannister bo : ught a - Village. He chose the a uie:.” Per 83. His 83. greatest joy i lewith colour that Sede Mr. Albert Bannister, the day, because } | ity was knocked out. ia ant rememper how accidents there » have village, Every time akes squeal I. think: ar, there, goes. another es keep me awake at re is little, other en, and you can’t help them belt through the | Terrible hoise loaded ‘with e everywhere, oy ¢ U rden.. I, don’t c road, in. ane f zalow, lives Miss the — retired ankenste assistant matron of Dover: Hos- pital, four and @ half miles away. ‘ On December 29 last year, 4.45. in’ the morning, she at, “a terrible was ‘awoken by noise of scraping tin,” The day before, she had peen to a wedding, A friend's new car was’ parked: in her driveway. | Outside, in the front. garden, the car was a write-off — squashed upside down under a large articulated lorry. which had nose-dived down from the road into the front lawn. It was an expensive accident —£500-worth. of damage to the garden, a new car wrecked, & lorry. written-off, and’ its valu- able £10,000 jJoad of computer parts damaged, The lorry had jack-knifed on plack ice in the early morn- es Now at last nine months Tater compensation has been paid, and landscape gardeners have moved jn to patch up Miss Knight's garden. “y dave lived here since in that time 1950, The change has been appalling. Now it is. and worse, getting worse Hiding the cracks “y came here from the Mid- Ca? thought Kent was &@ peaceful place. Now I have to sleep at the back because of and the ceilings are from the noise, tiled to hide the cracks the vibration.” Drive on along the A2 from Lydaden towards London, and ou. to the village of on’t like. lorries i, mildly, and the: village, in Bridge, to pul to. know the griving snrougD you can’t fail ere the yoad curves whe boarded th is @ a nouse front used skull a GR ATE mash oo! are «painted | A country road ou pass a lorry ith a ov fear ot Tivini in ther path “of; lorries. Colyn and. his wite Pamela, married ‘in ‘Maroh; had lived above thelr shop) only © two months . when the crash occurred “Tt was like @ pomp explod- ing. You have never seen any- thing . like the . wreckage of that ras) “It is cannot sleep pollution comes in We ‘liye Jn lorry. crashini Repeated story h. hell: living here. You at night, and the from. the» lorries through the windows. eay of another g into our home.” t of Lydden: barely wide enough for a or-hanging load, walking: through: the village it is easy taaune ine. it, asait ee st apple-trees Ld pete Prey car to ght, around. mid- once’ a fortnl night, He has & multi-tone horn, Ande as he comes past that slogan, he puts his hand On the horn. - Lydden and Bri two small villages in Kent, but their story 1s repeated in doz- ens. of other English, villages in the path of heavy lorries, Britain needs the commercial life-blood of road freight for her industries, But does. that mean life must become unbear- nlucky enough , totally dge are just r heavy a by the Britain’s curren keeps lorty axle weight Lo 1¢ tons, and overall welgnt to 32 tons. That 1s quite enough. higher. limits, The Market has. SU- gee CF Jorries? aoe, permit far CALENDARS DIARIES ANNUALS FOR 1973 A. H. CARTER & CO. 116 WEST STREET Telephone: FAVERSHAM 2130 and EAST KENT JOURNAL | a No. 4136 | Bie toe 2 | 1) || A MAJOR row is brewing in Boughton over the visit to the aréa on Tuesday of Minister for Local Goyernment and, -| Development Mr. Graham Page. _ Mr. Page saw. trouble spots and improvement. projects on his whistle-stop’ inspection of. the A.2. But, claim Boughton residents, one of the major troublé spots — their own village — was almost completely ignored. To make~ matters worse, tion of the litesever i i ] yone lives hordes of police’ ienescencaa on the A2“arid has to endure : of ne | day.after..day...So- how. could removed” he “assess the problems and Pr 7 . put ‘more energy and drive | Boughton’s streets, into improvements program- Parish Council Chairman, Med for the road.” Cllr. bi ‘ATTACKED’ ; Pyitation I> can “assure “'t