A six-year wait for a new relief road to alleviate congestion in and around Middle Deal Road has ended.

Key figures gathered to mark the opening on the new £2.5million route which links Albert Road to Southwall Road in Deal.

The Middle Deal Link Road is now an alternative route for commercial and residential traffic around the North and Middle Deal wards.

But it also encourages more sustainable travel like walking and cycling, by opening up a more direct path near to the town centre.

Leader of Dover District Council, Cllr Trevor Bartlett, said: “It’s great to see this new link road open at last.

“Despite the challenges of the pandemic and the lockdown, our planning team demonstrated great resilience in coming up with practical solutions that enabled Quinn Estates to deliver this crucial new infrastructure in a timely way, which will both help to mitigate the traffic impact on residents in this part of Deal and deliver jobs and opportunities for the town.”

The new infrastructure is just one part of Quinn Estates' Pottery Grove scheme which was initially unveiled to planners in 2015 before approval in 2017.

The full plan includes 142-homes - some of which have been completed - in addition to a nursery, innovation centre and a small shop.

No further information has been given on who might occupy the shop space.

Early indications in 2015 were that Aldi may have been interested, although the chain has since established itself in the former Co-op in Park Street.

The link road has been funded by Quinn Estates with contributions from the Local Growth Fund and South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP).

Deal and Dover MP Natalie Elphicke was invited to cut the ribbon with Sarah Dance, deputy chair of the SELEP.

Mrs Elphicke said: “A lot of roads in Middle Deal are incredibly busy. Albert Road is one of the busiest as it links middle and North Deal across the railway tracks.

"This new road will help reduce some of the pressure.

"I was very pleased to see it opened and to visit some of the lovely new homes which have been built there too.”

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