Following years of campaigning  for safety improvements on this stretch of the A257 through the KCC Highways Improvement Plan Parish Council scheme and with no positive results achieved thus far, the A257 Traffic Group are calling on KCC to act and improve safety on The Roman Road, through the hamlet of Shatterling and on the Ash Bypass.



The petition is supported by Sir Roger Gale MP, our County Councillor Cllr Peter Evans, and our Neighbourhood Beat Officer PC Bowler.

Paper copies of the petition can be found at the following local establishments:-
Ash Library ~ Malibu Grains ~ The Anchor Inn ~ The Black Pig ~ The Haywain ~ The Ivy Barn ~ Ripleys Garden Centre ~ Wingham Country Market 

A257 Traffic Group members outside Wingham Country Market, Roman Road A257. Photo courtesy of Trevor Bartlett

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
. Woodnesborough 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 Connie Nolan
• Kent County Councillor for Canterbury South, currently Cllr Mike Sole
• Kent County Councillor for Sandwich, currently Cllr Peter Evans
• 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 18 July 2026 CORE GROUP MEETING 
The Group's public petition to KCC Highways requesting safety improvements on the A257 from Gobery Hill in Wingham through to the Sandwich Roundabout at the end of the Ash bypass had reached 689 signatures online by the date of this meeting with further signatures being collected on paper petitions at various locations locally.
Updates from Group and Village representatives were received from Ash, Bramling, Littlebourne, LSRCA,  Shatterling, Wickhambreaux, Wingham and Woodnesborough:-  Ash noted installation of the pedestrian warning signs on the bypass had been further delayed due to the change over in KCC contractor.  There had been a couple of accidents on the A257 Chequer Lane junction. Work on the refuge island lighting is still awaited and this has been chased again.  Correspondence with the KCC Cabinet Member for Highways on discarded roadwork items was shared with members. The proposed 20mph limit public consultation ended 6 July with results awaited.   Bramling: The KCC Bus Stop team have approved a bus shelter which will be erected using KCC funds. Two traffic incidents were noted and Kent Police carried out speed checks. Littlebourne:  An update on the second gateway on the Canterbury side of the village was provided which can no longer go opposite the existing one. A potential 20mph limit on the High Street from Jubilee Road remains on their HIP which has resident support. KCC have agreed to place a wooden bollard on the kerb near the bus stop and junction with The Maltings. Speedwatch remains active with locations added in Nargate Street and Jubilee Road to monitor the new 20mph limit.  LSRCA: Faded speed limit signs in Shatterling had been noted by members.  Shatterling: A traffic incident was noted near Beaute Lane junction and speeding motorbikes, mostly on a Wednesday evening. Wickhambreaux:  Subsidence on Grove Road was noted at the site of previous works a couple of years ago. Wingham: noted a site meeting with a resident on the B2046 following complaints of speeding and damaged road surface. New Speedwatch sites have been agreed for volunteers to use.  Woodnesborough: noted a delay to their 40mph speed limit HIP priority due to the change in KCC contractor and priority work on the A299.  Their other HIP items are being chased, including a requested 20mph limit in the village.
Next Meeting Date: Saturday 19 September 2026 for the Core Traffic Group members.

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