A226 Galley Hill Landslip repairs could cost 'tens of millions'

KentOnline / KMTV

Any scheme to permanently fix a collapsed road in Swanscombe caused by a major landslip will take years to complete and prove very costly, it has emerged.

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00:00Repairing this stretch of road was never going to be easy.

00:04It's been almost two years since Galley Hill Road collapsed.

00:08But now two solutions for fixing the landslip have been put forward.

00:13Either bridging the gap, similar to that of the HS1 crossing down the road,

00:18or a reinforced earth embankment.

00:22Both will be incredibly expensive,

00:25and the estimated cost being kept secret for legal reasons.

00:29The reality is, the figure that we've been given now isn't what it's going to cost,

00:34because there are all those unknowns.

00:36Where's that money going to have to come from? Can KCC pay for it?

00:39KCC do not have that money available.

00:41So government have got to pay for it?

00:42We need government to assist, whether that's a loan,

00:46and then we can go through litigation to find who's at fault,

00:49and actually get that money back, and then pay it back, or whatever.

00:53But you've heard tonight the importance,

00:56and the fact that it's being fully supported by the two local MPs is excellent.

01:00At a recent public meeting, locals packed into this hall.

01:04It's been a long two years for them.

01:07They've had lorries getting lost on diversions,

01:09increased traffic, and impacts to their bus routes.

01:13And all of that and more has been estimated to have dented the local economy

01:18by some two million pounds.

01:21So a repair welcomed,

01:23but they know it could take some time to find for funding.

01:26Due to have a meeting with the Roads Minister Lillian Grievo once more,

01:30it was good to get her down just after the election because she's seen it.

01:33Now I can go in with Lauren and actually talk to her to say,

01:37look, there's some solutions on the table now.

01:40We badly need you to act, provide a funding package,

01:44and that's particularly needed because, as Toby said,

01:47we all know Kent County Council is virtually bankrupt.

01:50Some of the other potential litigants in the way

01:53in which it's going to be decided who's liable.

01:56As the second anniversary approaches,

01:58the two MPs will hope to come back with good news.

02:02But even then, they won't have much to celebrate

02:06as any repair will take at least three years to complete.

02:10Gabriel Morris in Swanscombe.

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