Frustration as town shut off for repairs on mayor’s house

Anger is mounting in Britain’s smallest town as it remains shut off so repairs can be carried out on the mayor’s house - despite work grinding to a halt last week. The only road through Fordwich - a route used by thousands of motorists a day - was closed on April 7 for more than three months, leaving many facing travel misery. But with workmen since downing tools after encountering an issue with the repairs, locals have questioned why the town’s High Street has stayed shut.

Mark Currie lives opposite the Grade II-listed Manor House - home to the Mayor of Fordwich, Barnaby Riggs - and says he last saw work taking place last Tuesday. “It’s a joke. I understand there is a hold-up, but if that’s the case, why not open the High Street so people can go about their daily lives without all this aggravation?” he told KentOnline.

“There should have been far more consultation with residents on the best way, because a lot of people are suffering.” Closing the busy route has effectively cut the town in half, leaving many residents forced to make huge detours. Among them is Michelle Guest, who says her journey to work has increased by an hour a day as she sits in traffic in gridlocked Canterbury city centre.

And another, Gary Restall, wrote on social media: “Not much work going on in Fordwich, not a soul about - it’s like a ghost town.” The work being undertaken is to repair crumbling lime plasterwork on the frontage of the 16th-century property. Mr Riggs, who is a government policy advisor, says the work is unavoidable on safety grounds, adding that he has a duty to maintain the historic listed property.

This week he apologised for the “pause” in the project and thanked locals for their “patience” and “understanding”. He declined to talk to KentOnline about the issues uncovered, but revealed in a Facebook post that the delays have been caused by “unexpected structural findings” requiring specialist attention. “The team is working hard off-site to identify the most appropriate and enduring solution to address these issues, which is crucial for the long-term preservation of the house,” he wrote on a local residents’ group.

“The team will be back next week to resume work on-site. “Please be assured that we are doing everything we can to keep things moving forward as quickly as possible. “We appreciate the ongoing road closure is frustrating and appreciate your continued patience and understanding.

” The impact of the closure has been compounded by roadworks and traffic lights in the surrounding area, including Littlebourne Road. Sarah Norman - the landlady of the nearby Red Lion pub at Stodmarsh - says the delays are costing her thousands of pounds in lost trade. She has been growing the business since taking on the country pub almost 18 months ago, but says her Easter takings were down a third on the previous year.

“I’ve got no issue with the work being done and it’s a beautiful house that needs looking after,” she said. “But it’s an absolute joke, and the full road closure seems like overkill to me. “For instance, if they moved the skip out of the road, that would create more room for some sort of one-way system.

” Residents were aghast when it was originally proposed to close the road for six months , but the timescale was quickly reduced to 14 weeks following consultations between Mr Riggs, the specialist contractors and highway officials. But the delays are still testing the patience of residents, with online exchanges becoming so heated on the Fordwich Residents’ Group on Facebook that administrators have now banned comments on the issue. The closure is also likely to be a hot topic at next Wednesday’s annual meeting of the town council.

While some locals are sympathetic to Mr Riggs’ need to repair the building, many are still questioning why the full road closure is necessary and believe a compromise could have been reached. Andrew Milliken wrote: “They are applying lime plaster/mortar, which needs drying time between coats, so there will be days where nothing can be done because all the materials are drying. “Having said that, it is questionable whether the whole road needs to be closed to achieve this.

” Mark Hill agreed, saying: “This is another example of a total road blockage when it is unnecessary. “Seems to happen a lot lately with these road closures. The least that can be done is to provide a cycle path to avoid mounting the pavement.

” KCC Highways had ruled it was not practical or safe to operate a one-way traffic lights system in the town centre and that a full road closure was necessary..