Making our Local Roads Safer 

Residents have told us they are concerned about the volume and speed of traffic on the A227 (Wrotham Road. The situation will only get worse during the building of the Lower Thames Crossing and even more so when the new Crossing becomes operational in 2027. Together, with our MP and Conservative Kent County Councillor, we will fight to have the speed limit reduced and investigate if weight restrictions can be enforced which would reduce the number of HGVs.

Ending Inconsiderate and Illegal Car Parking 

Another issue that local residents are concerned about is illegal parking, in bus lay-bys, near the entrance of Trosley Country Park and parking on the corners of road junctions. We will continue to work with the Highways Authority and the Parish Council to tackle this problem. We will ensure that Enforcement Officers spend more time at Meopham to tackle the parking hotspots. We will also work with the local schools to encourage responsible parking at drop off and pick up times. Yellow lines have already been painted on some road junctions to ensure cars are parked responsibly.

Fighting Fly Tipping

We will continue to fight fly tipping, particularly in and around our lovely country lanes. We already work with Kent’s Police and Crime Commissioner and the Rural Policing team who are working hard to table this. Gravesham Borough Council is responsible for local enforcement and we will demand that more money is spent on catching those responsible for this anti-social crime. We will ensure that more covert cameras are used by officers and we will always push for the maximum penalty when fly tippers are caught and prosecuted.

Support for our Local Shops and Facilities 

Over the years we have seen our local shops change, sometimes for the better and sometimes not. We must ensure that we support our local shops and shop keepers. We will be involved with any new planning applications for new shops in Vigo and Culverstone. We will ensure that we have the right mix of shops and listen to any feedback from residents. We have a good range of local shops in the nearby area and it will be our job to ensure that this continues.

Protecting our Greenbelt  

If Labour wins this election, they will build on the Greenbelt!  Not just a few houses but thousands of houses. The A227 is already very busy and more houses mean more cars on our local roads. We will fight inappropriate development in the Greenbelt particularly in the valley. However, we believe there is a need for more affordable housing and in particular more retirement housing. So, we will encourage new housing for our local young people and retirement housing for elderly people. We will do this in consultation with you and the Parish Council.