Dear Local Community/Elected member,
I refer to our update email of 7 February 2025.
I wanted to provide a further update related to phases 2, 3 and 4 of the waste removal project as it will have a direct impact on the local community immediately around the Bethersden Road area of Hoad’s Wood.
We have been working with Kent County Council (KCC) Highways over the past few weeks to agree a traffic management plan for both the construction of the compound opposite the main waste removal site entrance to Hoad’s Wood and the subsequent safe removal of the illegally tipped waste. We have also been carrying out the relevant habitat and species surveys and removing specific trees to ensure that we can start removing waste as soon as the enabling works in the compound have been completed.
With effect from 25 March 2025 a diversion will be in place on Bethersden Road south of the junction with Pluckley Road and north of the junction with Sparrow Hatch Lane. Bethersden Road will be closed off close to the working area at Hoad’s Wood and care will be taken to minimise disturbance to verges and hedgerows and the impact on parked vehicles, residents and third parties in the vicinity of the access route to the works.
This will enable the compound works to be completed before starting waste removal activities later in the spring which will continue through to late summer 2026. During this period there will be an increase in construction traffic which will include approximately 20 vehicles to and from the site daily (Monday to Friday but not weekends or Public Holidays). Vehicles will access the works site from the A20 north of Hothfield through to School Road, The Street and Bethersden Road.
We appreciate that this will have an impact on the local community for a long period of time but working with KCC Highways this is the safest and most practicable way of delivering phases 2, 3 and 4 of the project.
However, as always, if you have any concerns or wish to make a complaint about any local impacts, see any suspicious activity or wish to report an environmental incident, please call our Incident Hotline on 0800 80 70 60 or send an email to incident_communication_service@environment-agency.gov.uk
As with any project there remain risks that we need to overcome, mitigate and work with partners to manage. We are actively managing the project risks but if some do materialise this may cause a delay in our planned timescales.
| Phase | Works completed | Works outstanding | Works start date |
| Phase 1 | Waste sampling and associated surveys. This is now complete, and preliminary results have been reviewed. | N/A | Completed |
| Phase 2 (The site compound) | Designs, environmental and compound surveys, liaison with KCC in relation to Highways and Floods consents | Landowner legal agreement, KCC Highways and Floods consents | March 2025 |
| Phase 3 (The construction of the access track) | Baseline environmental surveys for tree and protected species impacts, draft designs for track establishment. | Impact assessments and mitigatory actions for protection of trees and protected species, agreement and assent from Natural England, KCC, plan from contractors including Quality Management Plan, Construction Phase Plan and Risk Assessment Method Statement (RAMS) | Planned for April 2025 |
| Phase 4 (The main waste mass) | As soon as possible after the compound and access track is prepared. When works are complete: baseline environmental surveys for tree and protected species impacts, draft designs for track establishment | Impact assessments and mitigation actions for protection of trees and protected species, agreement and assent from Natural England, plan from contractors including Quality Management Plan, Construction Phase Plan, Fire Prevention Plan, Removal of Waste and Hazardous Waste Plans, Pollution Response Plans, Water Monitoring Plans and RAMS. | Planned from May 2025 |
| Phase 5 (Perimeter waste removal) | Baseline environmental surveys for tree and protected species impacts. To conclude: a specific plan for trees, protected species and forest floor interaction is to be detailed further before designs can be drawn up for this phase | Autumn 2025 dependent on phases 2-4 | |
| Phase 6 (Demobilisation) | TBC | TBC | TBC |
If you have any general questions related to this site or our regulatory role, please email hoadswood@environment-agency.gov.uk or call 03708 506 506.
Please feel free to share this update with the wider local community and those who may not have access to the internet.
Yours sincerely
Hoads Wood Project Team
Kent and South London Area
