The only road through the UK’s smallest town will close for almost six months while the mayor’s £1million house gets repaired. The 400 residents of Fordwich in Kent will face a detour of up to seven miles from April until September as the Grade II-listed property undergoes repairs.
The town, which is the smallest community by population in Britain without a town council, will essentially be split in two due to the main road being closed. King Street will be closed from April 7 until June 30, and the adjoining high street will be closed from July 1 until September 30, creating detours to supermarkets and doctors, diverting the 6,000 daily users onto the congested A28 Sturry Road. Mayor Barney Riggs, who has owned Manor House for seven years, said the work is unavoidable and some residents welcome the idea of “less traffic”.
He told KentOnline: “We can’t just let the house fall down around our ears so have been working with heritage buildings experts and Kent Highways for a long time to find the best solution.
“Some people actually welcome the idea of less traffic in Fordwich, which has been an issue for years, especially when most of it is drivers using the town as a rat-run.”
However, it has been deemed “unacceptable” by retired teacher Gerry Frisby, who will have to divert through Canterbury to get to the village of Sturry and supermarkets.
Mrs Frisby told The Times: “It’s quite absurd. It’s just going to be a nightmare to get in and out of the town. I appreciate it’s a heritage building and the work needs doing, but a six-month road closure is just unacceptable.”
The lengthy detours will also prove “incredibly frustrating” for the Michelin-starred Fordwich Arms pub, according to owner and chef Dan Smith.
He said: “It’s going to involve quite a lot of extra work in letting our diners know that they should allow a lot of extra time for their journeys to get to us. It’s just incredibly frustrating for everyone and other businesses in Fordwich.”
Mr Riggs said the lime and wattle plaster frontage panels were crumbling and falling onto the pavement and street below, which has created a “significant public safety issue”. During the repair works, scaffolding will be needed to carry out permanent repairs.
He has reportedly written to many of the residents to thank them for their understanding.
