04 April, 2025 By Kent County Council is seeking government support for the “vital reinstatement” of the A226 road in Swanscombe damaged by a chalk cliff collapse two years ago The A226 Galley Hill Road has been closed since the major landslide in April 2023 necessitating extensive remedial work that has yet to commence Local authorities are pursuing government intervention to secure funding for the essential repairs Kent County Council leader Roger Gough wrote to deputy prime minister Angela Rayner emphasising the need for a discussion about financing the works He also outlined the work the council has carried out since the collapse. This has included seeking advice from a geotechnical specialist, with surveys and ground investigations completed last year as well as commissioning an options paper from consultants offering preliminary designs for remedial options and high-level costs based on the findings from the survey work unable to name the contractors and consultants involved due to legal reasons the council noted that “due to the unprecedented nature of the project to reinstate Galley Hill there has been no funding within [its] budgets for any of the [work to date] or the continuing work required to progress the remedial scheme to tender and construction” a section of the northern edge of an old quarry site in Swanscombe collapsed leading to chalk and other debris tumbling to the quarry floor and business premises below part of the A226 road and an adjacent footpath the highway’s utility infrastructure and local phone and broadband services were affected Water supplies were also cut off immediately after the incident due to a burst water main which has been reported as a potential trigger for the events the council is currently unable to share information on the suspected cause of the failure as it is still obtaining legal advice on the incident All information on the results of the ground investigations and any companies involved are “legally privileged at this stage” British Geological Survey (BGS) landslide specialist Gareth Jenkins said that “water influx increasing the 'pore' water pressure in joints and fissures in the chalk” could have caused the cliff to fail He noted that the failure occurred in Seaford Chalk in the upper Cuckmere Beds or lower Haven Brow Beds and that the prominent flint band near the base may be the Bedwells Columnar Flint Jenkins further observed: “This part of the Seaford Chalk is characterised by vertical fractures one of which appears to run parallel to the cliff hence the thin vertical nature of the rockfall as opposed to a wedge failure These vertical joints can be several tens of metres deep “If there is a fracture running parallel to the face then this could make the existing cliff face – an old chalk quarry – more susceptible to failure There appears to be a thin cover of superficial deposits (probably loessic head) with minor dissolution pipes and cryoturbation but this would have little impact on the rockfall “It is possible the vertical fracture may be slightly opened up by dissolution making it more susceptible to water ingress Two remedial options were shared at a public meeting on 21 March These included a bridge across the failed section and an earth embankment to reinforce the chalk spine The two proposed remedial options A consultant was commissioned to provide concept designs and initial cost estimates The council’s highways team continues to work on the options and the necessary business cases Kent County Council senior engineer Toby Howe said: “In the past year various options have been considered and fully investigated opening up the southern side of the road with traffic signals building a temporary bridge and both were rejected as unsafe Two options have been decided upon and are now with Government ministers for review.” He added: “A business case is being prepared currently and any area of funding other than government will be pursued The cost to KCC will continue until litigation pay out or government funding is secured “If funding or litigation is successful and all environmental resources and ownership issues are resolved it could take three years to fix the road.” Want to read more? Subscribe to GE’s enewsletters and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn Tagged with: Transport Scotland has alerted the market to a £205M procurement opportunity on the Pitlochry to Killiecrankie section of the A9 Dualling programme in Scotland as main construction works start on the Tomatin to Moy section Enabling works on the £10bn Lower Thames Crossing scheme – a 4.2km twin bore road tunnel under the river between Kent and Essex – could begin in October of this year The completion date for the East Renfrewshire Council’s Aurs Road improvement project has been pushed back further due to complex ground conditions Network Rail has completed a £33M project to stabilise a “large and complex” active landslide that has been disrupting a railway line in County Durham for 150 years Sign in or Register a new account to join the discussion Sign up to our daily newsletter for all the latest Kent stories and breaking news delivered straight to your inbox Thank you for subscribing!We have more newsletters Voters across Dartford borough will head to the polls on Thursday (May 1) to elect six councillors to represent them on Kent County Council Residents in Dartford as well as villages such as Swanscombe and Wilmington have the chance to use their vote to influence policies on issues such as roads Dartford borough has 25 candidates standing across six seats with each ward electing one councillor to county hall the six Dartford seats are held by four Conservatives one Labour councillor and one Reform councillor only won his Swanscombe and Greenhithe seat in a by-election at the end of last year following the death of councillor Peter Harman who represented the local residents association 425 candidates are standing for your votes in 72 wards across the 12 boroughs and districts that make up the Kent County Council region Medway Council does not have elections scheduled in 2025 Kent County Council currently has a Conservative majority with the Lib Dems as the next largest party on six Labour and the Green Party hold five seats each three members for Reform and one each for the Heritage Party and the Swale Independents Elections in Kent are going ahead this year despite the ongoing devolution process that is set to see the county’s current councils abolished to be replaced with a smaller number of unitary authorities A full list of candidates for all of the Dartford borough seats in the 2025 Kent County Council elections are listed below: For a full list of candidates standing in ever area of Kent in the 2025 Local Elections click here. For a detailed list of Ashford candidates click here For a detailed list of Canterbury candidates click here For a detailed list of Dover candidates click here For a detailed list of Folkestone and Hythe candidates click here For a detailed list of Gravesham candidates click here For a detailed list of Maidstone candidates click here For a detailed list of Sevenoaks candidates click here For a detailed list of Swale candidates click here For a detailed list of Thanet candidates click here For a detailed list of Tonbridge and Malling candidates click here For a detailed list of Tunbridge Wells candidates click here Story SavedYou can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right 06 August, 2024 By You have read 1 of 1 free-access articles allowed for 30 - days. For further access please register or log in Breaking crime updates and news from the courts A serious assault which occurred in Swanscombe left the victim with multiple injuries Kent Police have issued an appeal for information on the incident Officers were called to the incident in Moore Road at around 10.45pm on Wednesday (March 12) The victim was a passenger in a car that had come to a halt in the road He was reportedly assaulted by a group of people who had arrived in vehicles that had been travelling from the opposite direction The victim fled the scene on foot and later received treatment at hospital The suspects are understood to have left using the vehicles in which they had arrived Officers attended and an investigation is underway should contact Kent Police on 01474 366149 Call 0800 555111 or complete their online form Story SavedYou can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. The proposal was for a park across 535 acres of the Swanscombe Peninsula near Dartford I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Plans to build what has been described as the UK’s answer to Disneyland have been axed over funding rows and environmental concerns A high court judge ordered the company behind the multi-billion-pound project ‘London Resort’ into liquidation, KentOnline reported The plans date back to 2012 when London Resort Company Holdings (LRCH) proposed a park to be built across 535 acres of the Swanscombe Peninsula near Dartford just outside of London A spokesman for LRCH said: “The dream of the London Resort has been ended by the courts. Natural England fatally wounded the scheme any chance of the UK competing on the envisaged scale of London Resort.” who was a driving force behind the resort told the local newspaper last year that the project had “destroyed my life” adding that “it has ruined my reputation and left me bankrupt” He also previously criticised Britain’s planning system as “broken” and said it needed to be “streamlined” At the time, he still insisted that the park project could be seen through, but now a High Court judge in London has ordered that the company is wound up following an application by Paramount, which is owed £13.5 million, The Times reports LRCH had at one point partnered with Paramount Pictures during the planning stages The park had a projected opening date of 2024, complete with a theme park More than 3,500 hotel rooms were also planned to be created alongside two ferry terminals – one on each side of the Thames LRCH faced a series of setbacks while the plans were being put in place including when the proposed location of the park was declared a Site of Special Scientific Interest in 2021 by Natural England Natural England said that the acres of land provided “ideal conditions for a unique variety of wildlife,” with birds and invertebrates such as the distinguished jumping spider (Sitticus distinguendus) The company also reportedly accrued more than £100m in debt and was faced with administration in 2023 but managed to strike a deal with the majority of creditors which allowed it to continue operating while securing a further £607 million of funding a judge found that there were three “serious and irremediable breaches of the terms” of the company's voluntary agreement with the creditors a former transport secretary under John Major in the early 1990s was the former chairman of LRCH but stepped down last year He told KentOnline that Dr Al-Humaidi had put millions into the project and described the decline of it as “a tragedy.” “I am fairly sure that one of the main reasons why funding from the Gulf dried up was because nobody there could believe the UK government was sympathetic to the project if it still did not have planning consent after so many years and so much money spent,” he said “Paramount’s attitude appears strangely unhelpful to say the least It’s a tragedy for those who have lost money For more travel news and advice, listen to Simon Calder’s podcast Swanscombe Heritage Park junior parkrun event 53 was held on 6 April 2025 on a fresh and beautifully sunny morning with a glorious blue sky where we had a turnout of 12 junior parkrunners and 17 volunteers The day also marked the 15th anniversary of junior parkrun. The very first one was held in Bushy Park, Teddington on 4 April 2010. Bushy junior parkrun still takes place at the spiritual home of parkrun please bear in mind that the event is only held on the first Sunday of every month and is usually cancelled during the deer rutting season back over at Swanscombe Heritage Park junior parkrun's fifty-third event.. A big welcome goes to Kaden and Laila - we hope you enjoyed your first ever junior parkruns and we look forward to seeing you again Unusually there were no personal bests set at this event There were no official junior parkrun milestones this morning but we did have an unofficial volunteering milestone for one of our most cherished regular volunteers… Congratulations to Jan who did her 200th volunteering stint today The majority of Jan’s volunteering has been undertaken over at Cyclopark parkrun where she has volunteered 153 times to date Jan has volunteered 41 times at Swanscombe Heritage Park junior parkrun which means she has been present at 77% of all our events She has taken on most volunteering roles but is most prolific in the timekeeper role which she has taken on 93 times to date A huge thank you goes to all of the volunteers that helped at event 53. A special shout-out goes to Sittingbourne parkrun’s event director who came over to lend a hand this week - thank you If you haven't tried Sittingbourne parkrun it is a great event held in Milton Creek Country Park every Saturday at 9am Another shout-out goes to the juniors that help to clear the course down after the event - it’s always lovely to see If you are reading this and fancy volunteering, take a look at our volunteering at parkrun page for further information Results: Event 53 results page Photos: Event 53 photo album © parkrun Limited (Company Number: 07289574) No part of this site may be reproduced in whole or in part in any manner without the permission of the copyright owner Words:  Bea Mitchell London Resort Company Holdings to be wound up Plans for the £3.5 billion London Resort are seemingly set to come to an end after a judge in the High Court ordered the firm behind them to be wound up Unveiled nearly 14 years ago, the London Resort was billed as the UK’s answer to Disneyland Paris It was to feature two theme parks across 535 acres of former industrial land on the Swanscombe Peninsula near Dartford in Kent is in a High Court battle with Paramount Pictures which was set to lend its IPs to the park’s attractions The entertainment giant is accusing LRCH of failing to keep up with payment agreements to its creditors Following the High Court application by Paramount Pictures, an insolvency judge has found that London Resort Company Holdings has ceased trading and is seemingly unlikely ever to do so again, the Times reports London Resort Company Holdings withdrew its planning application for the theme park in March 2022 after the Swanscombe Peninsula was designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) by Natural England In December 2022, PY Gerbeau stepped down as CEO of the London Resort the developers said a new planning application would be resubmitted in 2023 In March 2023, the company appointed administrators after incurring £100 million in debts the site of the proposed park was put up for sale by Swanscombe Development LLP Two further hearings will take place to decide the fate of London Resort Company Holdings Fortunately for UK theme park fans, Universal Destinations & Experiences is working to bring a world-class destination to the Bedford area Images courtesy of London Resort Company Holdings Get the latest attractions industry news direct to your inbox More from this author Blooloop is taking climate action and is now B Corp Certified speed and the best experience on this site "Swanscombe Heritage Park Junior Parkrun - Event #34 Run Report The bright mornings continue to greet us at Swanscombe Heritage Park Junior parkrun The course was in good condition for the time of year - bar the occasional deep divot After a commendable warm up from volunteer Vicki - it’s a tough gig - the field of 11 young participants finally set off with determination and enthusiasm We were especially pleased to see some new faces this week and Ella—it’s always a delight to have new runners join us Sebastian led the pack with an impressive sub-9-minute time of 8:32—a wonderful effort First timer Joshua crossed the line next in 9:42 and Nathan followed with a strong finish at 10:46 Another standout performance came from Leo Naomi finished the course in a solid 14:43 closely followed by Lara at 14:47 and Ella at 16:08 Rounding off the group with commendable determination were William and tail walker George who brought the event to a close with their usual smiles full results can be found here photos from the day can be found here We were also thrilled to recognise some of our wonderful volunteers who reached the milestone of 25 volunteer credits this week Your continued support means so much to the Parkrun community and we’re delighted that you’re now eligible for your well-deserved 25 milestone T-shirts A huge thank you to all the volunteers who made this event possible: Jamie Bushnell your commitment and enthusiasm help make this event safe and fun for all involved a note to all our young runners: Some days getting around the course is harder than others—whether you walk crossing the finish line is a fantastic achievement Every participant adds to the spirit of Junior parkrun so keep up the amazing work and spread the word…8.55am Sunday mornings Your web browser is out of date. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience You can continue to the site using your current browser Kent County Council's Cabinet Member for Transport and Highways Neil Baker and Dartford Borough Councillor for Swanscombe visited Galley Hill Road in Swanscombe to see the impact the landslide has had on the local community and hear from Kent County Council (KCC) about the essential government support needed to reconnect them The Minister was joined by the local MP for Dartford who made it clear that the government’s financial support is critical to help KCC to reconnect the local community in Swanscombe with the surrounding areas the local communities have experienced considerable disruption since the closure of the Galley Hill Road and damage to the road network due to aging utilities KCC Highways has acted quickly to co-ordinate a resolution to these issues to make sure the additional disruption caused was minimised The Minister hears from representatives from KCC Highways about the complex issues at Galley Hill Road there hasn’t been a quick-fix solution for the landslide which not only has been technically complex but has also involved numerous organisations and individuals including landowners and utility companies has taken a leading role in finding a solution to this complex and potentially expensive problem – however and financial support from government is essential for KCC to consider bringing the site back to a safe condition where possible KCC is looking into various design solutions and costs for potentially being able to reinstate the cliff which will be shared with the Minister where appropriate with the request that KCC receives funding to help reconnect the community “...the Minister’s visit is reassuring that this issue is being taken seriously by government and we look forward to continuing conversations.” said: “Residents are understandably frustrated by the continued closure of Galley Hill Road as well as other utility outages and issues in the area not caused by the landslide that have disrupted their lives We have kept the local community informed and have taken the lead for any additional issues that are not usually our responsibility to resolve them and make sure disruption is kept to a minimum ‘Reinstating Galley Hill Road is a complex issue and there aren’t any quick fixes but the Minister’s visit is reassuring that this issue is being taken seriously by government and we look forward to continuing conversations with them to make sure the Swanscombe community can be reconnected to the surrounding areas.” KCC’s contractor has been on site carrying out investigations on the cliff face that will help inform the cause of the landslide and condition of the cliff This will pave the way for considering appropriate road design options later this year For the latest on Galley Hill Road, visit: Galley Hill Road - Kent County Council updates and information from us direct to your inbox Swanscombe Heritage Park junior parkrun #39 – A Festive Frolic Swanscombe Heritage Park junior parkrun celebrated its 39th event with festive cheer and community spirit This week’s warm up was a joint effort with Jack fresh from retrieving a runaway carrier bag from the breezy course We celebrated significant milestones this week: Ottilie received her half marathon wristband for completing 11 junior parkruns Finn and Alex earned their full marathon wristbands Junior parkrun awards wristbands to recognise participation: Orange wristband: 50 runs (ultra marathon) Each milestone represents dedication and effort Participants can download certificates from their parkrun profile to commemorate their achievements "Sixteen determined young runners took to the course followed closely by Zachary in 8:51 and Adam in 9:40 Alexander crossed the line in a strong 10:15 while Zachary G followed with an impressive 11:10 followed by William in 15:28 and Noah in 15:51 and Benjamin crossed the line with a strong effort at 19:17 and tail walker Jack rounded out the morning with cheerful smiles courtesy of the Northfleet & Ebbsfleet Lions charity delighted everyone as he distributed gifts to participants Rhiannon and Shirley treated us to homemade delights including chocolate-topped rice crispie squares There were also brownies…really good brownies A heartfelt thank you to all volunteers who made this event possible Your dedication and enthusiasm are invaluable to our parkrun community And congratulations to all participants for their achievements We look forward to seeing you on Sunday for the final run of the year Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year