CORE GROUP Members are representatives of the following Parish Councils and Associations (in alphabetical order):-
• Adisham Parish Council
• Ash Parish Council
• Bekesbourne with Patrixbourne Parish Council
• Ickham & Well Parish Council (Bramling)
• Littlebourne Parish Council
• Littlebourne & Stodmarsh Roads Community Association (LSRCA)
• Preston Parish Council
• Staple Parish Council (Shatterling)
• Wickhambreaux Parish Council
• Wingham Parish Council

FULL GROUP In addition to Core Group members, the Full Group members include:-
• District Councillor for Little Stour & Adisham Ward, Canterbury, currently Cllr Lee Castle
• District Councillor for Little Stour & Ashstone Ward, Dover, currently Cllr Martin Porter
• Kent County Councillor for Canterbury City South, currently Cllr Mel Dawkins
• Kent County Councillor for Canterbury South, currently Cllr Mike Sole
• Kent County Councillor for Sandwich, currently Cllr Sue Chandler
• MP for Canterbury/Whitstable, currently Rosie Duffield
• MP for Herne Bay & Sandwich, currently Roger Gale

MEETINGS are held every other month in January, March, May, July, September and November with Full Group Members attending every other meeting in January, May and September only. These are not public meetings. Other Councillors and/or interested parties are invited to attend according to the agenda.

A257 PLAN
The Group produced and launched the ‘A257 Plan’ in 2018 which documents issues surrounding congestion, accidents and pedestrians, providing fact-based information and proposals for improvements on the road to make it safer for all users.

LATEST UPDATES AND INFORMATION
MEETING UPDATE: Saturday 17 January 2026 FULL GROUP MEETING 
It was noted that KCC are currently low on Highway steward staff, but Wickhambreaux had managed to get the name and contact of their local steward. KCC currently have a recruitment freeze on all staff.  Another closure of Grove Road from 2-4th February was noted. 
The Group agreed to produce a public petition through the KCC Highways online petition tool stating their request for safety improvements on the A257 from Gobery Hill in Wingham through to the Sandwich Roundabout at the end of the Ash bypass.  This will be shared publicly as soon as possible.
Cllr Mike Sole supplied an update on Canterbury District and Kent County Council matters, including Local Government Reorganisation, the Canterbury Local Plan, Highway Improvement Plans, Blocked drains, KCC Budget and the Gladman planning application on The Hill, Littlebourne.
Updates from Group and Village representatives were received from Ash, Bramling, LSRCA, Shatterling and Wingham:-  Ash noted the Ash Levels solar farm application was refused. Numerous road issues have been reported to KCC Highways, many of which should be picked up through routine maintenance.  Bramling: It was agreed that Kerry would share the latest Ickham&Well newsletter which gave details of their recent Cherville Lane survey.  LSRCA: A last minute appeal was lodged for a judicial review regarding the traveller site.  The member noted the poor state of the road at the new development site beyond Warwick Road. Shatterling:  Staple PC have arranged for all Staple gateways to be cleaned, including those at Shatterling. Wingham noted the PC have approved the design and costs for a scheme at Seath's Corner which includes road markings and signs.
Next Meeting Date: Saturday 21 March 2026 for Core Traffic Group members only.

KCC'S VISION ZERO ROAD SAFETY STRATEGY Please visit the KCC VISION ZERO page to find out more.  An excerpt from the KCC page reads as follows:- There are on average just over 45 deaths on Kent’s roads each year. Kent County Council (KCC) is setting the target of zero, or as close as possible, fatalities and life changing injuries by 2050 with a 50% reduction by 2030 and a target of no more than 39 traffic fatalities by 2026. Vision Zero is not just about focussing on the date we achieve zero, but the recognition that deaths on the road are not an acceptable price to pay for mobility.  We will follow the Safe System Approach which understands that people make mistakes and aims to ensure these mistakes do not cause a death or a life-changing injury.

CONTACT THE A257 TRAFFIC GROUP
The Group Administrator is Kerry Coltham, the Wingham Parish Council Clerk. Please use the CONTACT PAGE for your enquiry