A CONTROVERSIAL £2.5m road scheme for Sandwich has been approved by county council planners.

Work on the first phase of the East Kent Access scheme will start next year despite the concerns of some town councillors and traders. The single carriageway will run from the new Pfizer roundabout on the A256 to Ramsgate Road.

Work is expected to start in the spring and will also include widening of a stretch of the A256 between the two Pfizer roundabouts.

But the scheme has been branded a "waste of taxpayers' money" by the former Mayor of Sandwich, Cllr Bernard Butcher.

Traders have also protested against it because they fear it will eventually lead to the closure of the Ramsgate Road into the town.

Chairman of KCC's Planning Applications Committee John London said: "This is an important scheme for East Kent. We have included strict conditions to lessen the environmental impact and are making special provision for water voles as they are a protected species."