Villagers frustrated over frequent road closures

Villagers have voiced their frustration over a crucial cut-through road which has been shut 22 times in the past two years.

Chapel Lane, near Sissinghurst, Kent has been closed for a total of 139 days since January 2024 for a variety of roadworks, with half of them related to work being carried out by South East Water,

The current closure, to renew water mains, started in November last year and is not due to finish until March, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

"I know it needs to be done but five months? It's very annoying," former banker and Sissinghurst resident of 25 years, Ray Lane, said: "Chapel Lane has had lots of problems in the past but they need to sort it out."

Motorists are now forced to take detours, which can take up to 20 minutes at normal times, but sometimes much longer during school runs and rush hour periods.

Kent County Council said: " Due to the narrow nature of Chapel Lane, most works require a full closure to ensure safety."

Despite this, a local councillor acknowledged the closures could be "extremely frustrating for residents and road users".

"The simple fact is that we need more roads to support the traffic that is produced by the new housing, such as the Leeds/Langley bypass," Claudine Russell said.

Mike Court, head of network repair and maintenance at South East Water, said the recent road closures on Chapel Lane were a result of leaks and bursts.

"We recognise how inconvenient these bursts and leaks have been for the local community, which is why we are currently undertaking an £850,000 project to replace 1.1km of pipeline within the road."

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