Kent Roadworks Spark Survey as Residents Brace for 12‑Week A229 Disruption

When Kent County Council unveiled a 12‑week roadworks plan for the A229 at Blue Bell Hill, residents across the county suddenly found themselves answering more than just traffic signs. The works kick off on 15 September 2025 and will run until early December, but the council is also rolling out the National High and Transport Survey 2025‑26 at the same time, a move that ties infrastructure disruption directly to a massive public‑satisfaction poll.

Roadworks Overview on the A229

The A229 stretch through Blue Bell Hill has been flagged for lane restrictions, resurfacing and drainage upgrades. According to a PDF notice dated 2023 (reference 218975), the council expects most of the work to be completed using temporary lane closures, though the exact methodology was cut off in the document. The council’s transportation division says the project is part of a broader highway‑maintenance program for the Medway region, aiming to improve road safety and reduce congestion on a route that handles roughly 30,000 vehicles daily.

Survey Participation Details

Simultaneously, the council is taking part in the National High and Transport Survey 2025‑26United Kingdom, administered by the National High and Transport Network. The survey runs from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026 and asks residents to rate six modules: accessibility, highways maintenance, public‑transport reliability, road safety, congestion mitigation, and walking‑and‑cycling infrastructure.

All 1,526,000 Kent residents – from the 340 parishes to the two unitary authorities of Medway and Maidstone – are invited to take part via the "Let's Talk Kent" portal. The portal, managed by Let's Talk Kent, will keep the questionnaire open until 28 February 2026. Participation is voluntary, anonymous, and limited to a few minutes per respondent.

Voices from the Council

"Councils across the UK are asking residents to tell us what they think of transport and highways services," the council said in a 2024 statement. The comment came from Councillor Martin May, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transportation at Kent County Council, who chairs the Transportation Committee overseeing the works.

Director of Highways and Transportation Gary Ridley added, "The timing of the A229 works right before the survey fieldwork gives us a real‑world test of how residents feel about road conditions and repair speed. Their feedback will directly shape our 2026‑27 transport plan."

Resident Reaction and Expected Impact

Early reactions are mixed. A local commuter, who asked to remain unnamed, said, "I’m not thrilled about lane closures, but if the council actually listens to the survey, maybe we’ll finally get smoother rides on the A229." Another resident from the nearby village of Barming expressed concern that the survey might overlook those who can’t get online, noting that the council promised paper copies for those who request them.

Survey data will be aggregated nationally, with Kent receiving anonymized results by late August 2026. Those figures will be benchmarked against 317 other local authorities, allowing the council to compare its performance on road quality, repair speed, and overall transport satisfaction.

Historical Context of the Survey

The National High and Transport Survey has been running annually since 2017, making this the eighth consecutive cycle for Kent. Previous iterations have consistently asked the same core questions, providing a longitudinal data set that helps track trends in resident satisfaction. While earlier results have never been fully published, the council uses them internally to adjust budgets and prioritize projects.

Hunton Parish Council in Winchester even referenced the survey in its 2024 notice, confirming that Kent’s participation has been ongoing for eight years. The survey’s methodology, mandated by Section 101 of the Local Government Act 1972, requires identical questions across all participating councils, ensuring comparability.

What This Means for Kent’s Transport Future

By linking the A229 construction timeline with the survey rollout, Kent County Council hopes to capture real‑time sentiment on how roadworks affect daily life. The council’s 2023‑27 Corporate Plan cites "improve transport connectivity" as a key goal, and the upcoming survey results will feed directly into the next iteration of that plan.

If residents rate the road condition and repair speed highly, the council may accelerate similar projects elsewhere. Conversely, low satisfaction could prompt a reassessment of lane‑restriction strategies and an increased focus on alternative transport modes, such as cycling routes that have been part of the survey’s sixth module.