Motorists have faced weeks of delays on a busy route due to developers bungling building works.

Three-way temporary traffic lights have been in St Thomas Hill, Canterbury, near the junction with University Road, since September.

Kent County Council (KCC) says damage to the footway "caused by developer construction works" has led to the traffic control measures being put in place to "maintain public safety".

And a councillor has told how the signals are causing "significant traffic disruption" in the area.

The site was occupied by the now-demolished former Catholic chaplaincy St John Stone Chapel.

The building was home to the University of Kent’s chaplains until a blaze destroyed the premises in 2014.

A project to demolish the fire-damaged structure to make way for a similarly sized chaplaincy was abandoned mid-construction in 2017 when the building contractor encountered financial difficulties.

Councillor Alex Ricketts (Lib) has concerns about the impact the temporary traffic lights are having on traffic travelling on the busy route into Canterbury.

"It is causing significant traffic disruption so we need to get that sorted as soon as possible," he said.

"The time of day when it causes issues is rush hours.

"It is at the junction with the University of Kent and it is a busy route at the best of times."

He has urged KCC to put pressure on the developers to resolve the issue.

"I cycle down that hill and I walk down there quite a lot," he added.

"The difficulty it causes is the footpath isn’t in use and you have to walk in the road.

"It is inconvenient and it is busy enough without having to drive through traffic lights.

"I would like the footpath to be made safe and the traffic lights to be removed as soon as possible."

The Archdioceses of Southwark sold the site to Burgate firm Greenlight Ltd.

Permission was given by Canterbury City Council in 2019 to flatten the half-built structure and replace it with a three-storey apartment block.

The firm said at the time that its project would represent a “long overdue improvement” and create “high-quality” homes.

Planning papers submitted to the local authority noted: "Following the fire, it was established that the building remains could not be economically restored and the site owner, the Catholic Archdioceses of Southwark, sought a replacement building of a similar scale and footprint.

"This scheme included a family residence for the chaplain, along with a chapel, a meeting room and six bedrooms intended to serve visiting students.

"The construction of that building commenced, but it is understood the building contractor experienced financial difficulties.

"This meant the work was suddenly stopped in 2017, when the project was approximately 60% complete. The Archdiocese decided to abandon their stalled project.

"Since then, the partially built timber-framed structure has been a curious feature on Whitstable Road."

Work is currently being carried out at the site by GJP Shopfitters Ltd, with their contact details displayed on hoardings surrounding the area.

Kent Fire and Rescue investigators concluded the blaze started accidentally in a first-floor kitchen, but were unable to establish its exact cause.

They were called to the scene after police on patrol nearby had initially raised the alarm and led two women to safety.

A Kent County Council (KCC) spokesperson said: "Damage to the footway has been caused by developer construction works adjacent to the highway on St Thomas Hill.

"KCC is working closely with the developer to resolve the issue as soon as is practicable however the temporary traffic lights will remain in place to maintain public safety until the footway is reinstated."

The roadworks are scheduled to end on January 6 but this could be extended.

GJP Shopfitters Ltd declined to comment.