Island commuters could be in for some good news regarding congestion-reducing measures along the A249.

MP Gordon Henderson says funding could be around the corner to tackle problems regarding rush-hour gridlock at the Grovehurst and Stockbury roundabouts. It is believed more than 10,000 vehicles from Sheppey travel along the stretch each day.

The Tory has been campaigning to reduce traffic at Stockbury, where the A249 meets the M2, including suggesting a trial traffic light switch-off.

In a meeting last week organised by Swale councillor Ben Stokes at Knauf in Kemsley Fields Business Park, Mr Henderson indicated George Osborne’s Autumn Statement on December 3 would allocate cash for improvements to the roundabout. He said: “I wrote to the Chancellor a few weeks ago and urged him when it came to do the next round of road funding, we get priority. The Prime Minister [also] said we will be in the Autumn Statement.”

The economic plan, which will be announced next month by Mr Osborne, is set to include £15 billion for country-wide road works.

Paul Rainer, Knauf’s supply chain and development manager, set up the meeting with Iwade and Lower Halstow councillor Ben Stokes (Con) so local businesses and interested parties could hammer out ideas on changes that could be made to the two roundabouts.

There has been an increase in the number of heavy goods vehicles on the roads in the area, leading to overcrowding issues. A number of ideas were floated on ways gridlock could be stopped, including widening surrounding slip roads to ease pressure on the main road.

Mr Rainer, who is also a member of the Kemsley Fields Business Park Forum, a group comprising company representatives from the site, said if companies worked together a solution could be found to the traffic problems.

He said: “We’ve got an incredible amount of growth in the area – it’s a nice problem to have, but we’ve got a capacity problem on our roads

“The more we keep talking, the more we can sort stuff out.”