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

The petition has now closed and the paper copy was delivered to KCC at County Hall on Thursday 1 October.  The final number of signatures from both the online e-petition and the paper petition was 1321.  Thank you to everyone who took part.

The Traffic Group hope that KCC will agree to discuss the petition at a cabinet committee meeting and await their decision on this.  

Bryan Curtis, A257 Traffic Group Chairman at County Hall with the paper petition. 1 October 2026

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 19 September July 2026 FULL GROUP MEETING 
Canterbury City Councillor and Littlebourne Parish Councillor, Lee Castle, noted the pause on Local Government Reorganisation with Canterbury also choosing to pause the process for a Canterbury Town Council.
A Wingham resident addressed the Group on traffic issues on the B2046 High Street/Adisham Road noting speeding vehicles and HGVs mounting kerbs and damaging property as major issues.  
An update on the Group's petition was given with more signatures needed before the 30 September deadline to reach the next 1500 threshold in order that the petition be discussed at a KCC Cabinet Committee meeting.
Updates from Group and Village representatives were received from Ash, Littlebourne, LSRCA,  Wickhambreaux, and Woodnesborough:-  Ash noted the Ash Levels Solar Farm appeal hearing, further delay in the installation of the pedestrian warning signs on the bypass, an update on their Highways Improvement Plan (HIP) and a 2-car crash on the bypass.   Littlebourne:  noted their HIP had been updated and is currently with KCC. Repairs reported by the KCC online reporting tool are rarely actioned. Speedwatch is busy with new locations added in the 20mph limit roads.  LSRCA: Members have voiced concerns of the impact from nearby developments on the Stodmarsh Road junction.  Wickhambreaux:  Grove Road will be shut again for work by Open Reach and then again for subsidence works in November.  Speed surveys on Grove Road are due in two locations for one of their HIP projects.  Woodnesborough: noted progress on their HIP.
Next Meeting Date: Saturday 14 November 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