Milton Creek Bridge

The proposed Sittingbourne Northern Relief Road will cross Milton Creek at Church Wharf, just downstream of our club base at Murston Wharf. With only 4.2 metres clearance above the water, the fixed low-level bridge will prevent sailing barges, yachts and even dinghies from getting up the creek. The other Swale creeks, at Faversham, Oare and Conyer, are mainly used by sailing boats. Keeping them out of Milton Creek will condemn it to become an eyesore and rubbish tip, just when it is showing clear signs of recovery from decades of pollution and neglect and new housing and leisure developments are being planned near the head of the creek. Milton Creek is an interesting and historically important navigable waterway leading to a large town with excellent road and rail links. We believe it can be an important sailing destination and an irreplaceable asset to the community of sittingbourne and Milton. Click for full sized plan showing proposed route of the relief road

Engineers on our committee believe that an opening bridge, such as used in Holland, could actually be less expensive than this elaborate three-span fixed bridge. Such bridges can be operated remotely to keep running costs very low. The KCC project team have so far been unable to provide the costings by which they claim an opening bridge wiould be too expensive. In July 2006, the Kent County Council Planning Applications Committee approved the relief road on condition that designs for an opening bridge be presented. From the GPS track of yacht Little Wing, it appears that the creek's "gutway" or navigable channel does not actually pass through the central span. The creek bed profile as drawn on the plans may be inaccurately surveyed or simply out of date. Medway Ports advise that dredging a new channel to line up with the proposed bridge span would not be effective, so it's back to the drawing board - just something else you might mention when writing with your objection!

However, in February 2007, statutory notices were issued for compulsory purchase orders and for permission to build a bridge over a navigable waterway (Highways Act section 106) with the bridge design unchanged. You can object to both the Compulsory Purchase and the Bridge Scheme on the basis that they both include references to a fixed low level bridge that has not received planning permission.

Objections to "THE KENT COUNTY COUNCIL (MILTON CREEK BRIDGE) SCHEME" must be made in writing before 3rd March 2008 to:

Secretary of State for Transport
Government Office for the North East
Local Authority Orders Section
Citygate, Gallowgate
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 4WH

The orders and plans are on display at:

Swale Borough Council
Swale House, East Street
Sittingbourne
Kent ME10 3HT

And at:

Room 1.107
Kent County Council
Sessions House
County Hall
Maidstone
Kent ME14 1XQ