Highways Agency - Safe roads, Reliable journeys, Informed travellers

The Project

In his announcement on the Access to Hastings Multi-modal Study made on 12 July 2001 the Secretary of State for Transport accepted the need for upgrading the heavily congested section of the A21 between Tonbridge and Pembury and asked the Highways Agency to prepare a draft programme of works to identify other improvements on the A21 south of Pembury to alleviate congestion, safety and accessibility problems in the villages along the route.

As the whole of this length of the A21 is within the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and is close to other designated areas, any improvements would need to take account of the impact on the environmental sensitivity of the area.

Following a public consultation exercise at the end of 2002 a preferred route for the A21 Tonbridge to Pembury Dualling was announced in July 2003 and the scheme entered the Government's programme for major schemes.

A public consultation exercise was held between November 2002 and March 2003 on improvements between Kippings Cross and Lamberhurst and between Flimwell and Robertsbridge, together with a strategy for upgrading the remainder of the route.

A preferred route for the Kippings Cross to Lamberhurst Improvement was announced in May 2004 and the scheme entered the programme of major schemes, but further work was needed to check the value for money for the Flimwell to Robertsbridge Improvement before a preferred route was announced in February 2005.

The Government announced the findings of the Comprehensive Spending Review on 20 October 2010. Among the detail subsequently released was confirmation that the A21 South Pembury to Hastings Route Improvements were not considered realistically likely to receive funding in the current Spending Review period, or the next one, and therefore have been cancelled. This cancellation applies to the specific improvements planned between Kippings Cross and Lamberhurst, Flimwell to Robertsbridge and improvements to the Baldslow Interchange just north of Hastings. 

You can find out more about the A21 Tonbridge to Pembury Dualling by going to the project home page

• A21 Tonbridge to Pembury Dualling

The South East England Regional Assembly's Regional Transport Board, in its advice on transport investment priorities, has not yet included the A21 Flimwell to Robertsbridge Improvement in its indicative list of schemes to be taken forward, so work is unlikely to start before 2016.

East Sussex County Council have developed proposals for a Bexhill to Hastings Link Road as part of a package of regeneration measures for the Bexhill and Hastings area.

In 2004 East Sussex County Council and the Highways Agency held a joint consultation on East Sussex County Council's Bexhill to Hastings Link Road and initial options for access between the link road and the A21 at Baldslow.

The Bexhill to Hastings Link Road was considered at a Public Inquiry in November 2009. The decision from the Secretary of State has not yet been published.