Investigators can now access the whole site of a cliff collapse after legal wrangling delayed the process for more than a year.

Kent County Council was finally able to meet with landowners Lancebox and gain permission to carry out a full probe on the land at the site of the A226 Galley Hill Road landslide in Swanscombe.

The meeting, which was adjudicated by Cllr Peter Harman and Cllr Ann Duke, from the Swanscombe and Greenhithe Residents Association, concluded work could begin on the north side of the crumbled road this weekend after the demolition company had previously denied access.

Investigations will also continue for three days over the bank holiday weekend, allowing minimal disruption to the company’s working day.

KCC had threatened legal action against the landowners after continued attempts to agree access were met with opposition.

In April, a digger finally appeared on the south side of the main thoroughfare between Swanscombe High Street and Ebbsfleet United’s Kuflink Stadium in Northfleet as specialist surveying contractors surveyed the chalk spine under the roadway.

At a resident’s meeting last month senior manager for KCC Highways Toby Howe vowed there would be “no more Mr Nice Guy” as he promised to get a high court injunction to force the private landowners to allow access if they continued to refuse.

Now investigation work can be completed, a cost for repairs can be calculated.

Earlier this month, residents desperate to see the road fixed as soon as possible, received another setback when Dartford MP Gareth Johnson brought forward a debate in Parliament calling on the government to “step in” and fork out the upfront costs of repairing the road.

He said: “I am asking the government to step in to pay for the repair and replacement of this road. Whoever is liable can compensate the government at a later date.

“This is a frustrating situation that has gone on far too long.”

But while Minister for Roads and Local Transport Guy Opperman accepted the road closure was a “massive issue” he stopped short of pledging government funds direct to the project.