On 10th April last year, a portion of the southern edge of the Swanscombe Quarry collapsed. This collapse caused a landslide which resulted in a significant amount of chalk and other material falling to the quarry floor, on top of business premises located below. The landslide also took with it a portion of the carriageway and footway of Galley Hill Road.
Following my recent meeting with the Roads Minister at Galley Hill, I attended a public meeting with Kent County Council Officers and local Councillors.
Kent County Council reported that non-intrusive surveys have been carried out to assess the stability of the cliff below the road surface. From the information gathered, further investigation works of the road are now being planned. However, before any works can be carried out, the cliff must be made safe.
KCC are liaising with the owners of the cliff to find a suitable solution to make the cliff stable and they have a contractor ready to go in and do this. Once it is stabilised, they will then be able to go onto the carriageway and look for the cause of the collapse.
I am still pushing both KCC and Thames Water to resolve this issue and ensure we can get the road rebuilt as quickly as possible. Progress is being made but it is frustratingly slow. All the time this road closure is causing huge inconvenience for local residents and seriously affecting businesses in the area too.
There is a petition on this issue should you wish to sign it. Please find the link below: