Safety on the Dartford Road

Yesterday, accompanied by a Kent Highways officer, I met local residents concerned about speed and safety on the Dartford Road, in particular near the junction with Calfstock Lane (in Farningham) and in the area to the north of the junction with Franks Lane (in Horton Kirby). In both places - because of bends in the road - there are concerns about the dangers of turning onto the main road, where visibility is poor and cars can approach at high speeds.

In the longer run, there may be some scope for looking at speed limits, although changing limits can be tricky. It's very desirable to have police support in enforcing speed limits, and the police need to be convinced that the limit bears a realistic relationship to the speeds that drivers are likely to employ - in other words, that it should be to a significant extent 'self-enforcing'. More immediately, however, a lot can and will be be done to improve signage and hence drivers' awareness that they are approaching a turning. This will involve both some new signs on posts and adding to and improving the rather faded 'SLOW' signs in the road. Works should be undertaken once spring approaches and the weather improves.

£6,000 grant for Royal British Legion in South Darenth

In addition to or individual Member Community Grants, Sevenoaks County Councillors can allocate £40,000 each year to community capital projects in the Sevenoaks District - the Small Community Capital Grant.

This year the £40,000 pot was heavily over-subscribed, making for some difficult decisions for the seven Sevenoaks County Members. However, I am pleased that we were able to agree a £6,000 grant to the South Darenth and District Royal British Legion for improvements to their car park. The Legion has carried out an impressive amount of fund-raising on its own account, and this grant will provide an essential top-up to help the works to go ahead.

Details of new 411 route this week

As reported in my post of 20 November, Go-Coach with support from KCC is providing a replacement bus for the overcrowded 413 to Leigh Technology Academy. Pressures on this service have been a worry for families from Farningham, Horton Kirby and South Darenth. The new service will be running from the start of term in January.

The 411 will follow much of the 413's existing route, from White Post Corner up the A225 to the junction with Cedar Drive, and on to Leigh Technology Academy and ultimately the Longfield Academy. Go-Coach are handing out details on the bus this week. Hopefully the new term will be much easier on the young people travelling to school than this term has been.

Snow arrives, and with it problems on Rock Hill

With the first snowfall of winter, I have had calls from local residents about problems on Rock Hill in Well Hill. The road is treated as a secondary route in Kent Highways Winter Service Plan, which means that it is treated in periods of prolonged winter weather. Secondary routes were gritted on Monday night, and following a call to KHS I was able to confirm that gritters were going out on secondary routes this lunchtime. I understand that the gritter broke down on Rock Hill but that the work should be completed shortly.

There are particular problems on the side of the hill facing towards Bromley because of water runoff - something that we are once more working to resolve (see post of 24 August). In addition, at some points in the past, the Bromley side of the hill was missed off the gritting route, even though those who live there are still Kent residents and council tax payers. This is a point that I have taken up with KHS in the past, and they have confirmed that both sides of the hill are on the route.

However, today's problems were on the Shoreham as well as the Bromley-facing side of the hill. The arrival of the gritter should resolve the problems for new, but I will keep in contact with local residents to monitor problems and see if a Plan B is needed for this high and steep road.

Three Highways schemes for Crockenhill

Three schemes paid for from my Member Highway Fund have recently been implemented in Crockenhill.

Local residents and the Parish Council were concerned about the western side of Daltons Road, where the verge has been weakened and there was a risk of cars that pulled in to pass others not seeing the drop into the neighbouring field. After two site meetings, Kent Highways proposed bollards as a solution (other options, such as a bund, were considered) and these have now been installed at a cost of £1,500.

A safety barrier on Broadway, on the old Anchor in Hope site, had long been damaged and has now been replaced at a cost of £200.

Finally, the Parish Council asked for a salt bin to be installed near the Fruiterers Arms in Eynsford Road. This was done in time for the current cold snap at a cost of £350.

Hopefully all these schemes will deliver real benefits to Crockenhill residents. The biggest scheme for the village is the set of safety measures at the junction of Main Road, Cray Road and Broadway (see my post of 11 October). Kent Highways officers have come up with new proposals and these will be discussed at the Parish Council meeting on the 13th.  

Eynsford School Run Safety Campaign Update

The Eynsford School Run Safety Campaign, of which I am a member, met on 19 November. Here is a one page update (News Sheet No. 2 of the Campaign) written by John Harris, Chairman of the Campaign, which gives a useful summary of where we are:

The group has been quite busy since the last Newsletter so here is a summary of the progress we have made to date:

·         At our request, Eynsford Parish Council has asked KCC to install time-limited yellow lines outside Alton Cottages (i.e. the school side) in order to prevent parking on both sides of the A225 during the school run.

·         In concert with this, we are actively pursuing provision of off-street parking very close to the Alton Cottage/Fernbank area to accommodate the overspill.

·         We are investigating ways in which cars on the Fernbank side (i.e. opposite the school) can be parked so as not to obstruct/block the pavement – then children alighting from these cars could cross the road safely using the Zebra crossing.

·         We continue to look into setting up a “walking bus” from the Farningham village end – more news later – and, as part of this, the dangerous bend at the “gap” between Oliver Crescent and the start of the Millfield footpath has been noted and we shall investigate, with KCC’s advice, measures that could be taken to make this area safer for pedestrians.

·         Cllr. Mike Horwood, SDC Councillor for Eynsford, is looking into providing yellow safety over-vests (“tabards”) with the SRSC logo for all children at the school so that any walking they do participate in will be that much safer for them.

·         Cllr. Roger Gough, KCC Councillor for Darent Valley, is taking a preliminary look at the costs and logistics of setting up a private bus service from the outlying areas (e.g. West Kingsdown, Swanley, Crockenhill, Knatts Valley). Mrs. Newton will be surveying the likely take-up of such a service in order to get more accurate costs.

·         Parents will also be surveyed to see how many might use a “drop-off” zone (i.e where the vehicle stops but only the child alights)

Remember, if you drive to school…………

v     park safely

v     park politely

v     park without obstructing other parents and road-users

John Harris (SRSC Chairman, 01322 862699)

A solution for the 413 bus

Since early this term, parents of children going to Leigh Technology Academy from the Horton Kirby and South Darenth area have been expressing their concerns about overcrowding on the 413 bus. I have raised the issue with both KCC officers and the bus provider, Go-Coach, who have been looking for ways to resolve the problem.

A solution is now in sight, and should come into effect at the start of the new term. The 413 bus will no longer go to Leigh Technology Academy, but will instead focus on the Dartford secondary schools. Quite separately, a new bus - provisionally known as the 411 - will serve Leigh Technology Academy directly. It will be provided by Go-Coach and supported by funding from KCC.

This has been a difficult term for parents and young people travelling to Leigh Technology Academy, but it now looks as though the New Year will bring a welcome new service.

Road resurfacing in Crockenhill and Farningham

In the summer, Kent Highways announced that £6m was available for additional resurfacing projects across the County. The money had arisen from an underspend in KCC's budget for last financial year (2011-12).

I worked with Parish Councils across my Division to bid for possible projects in Darent Valley. We always knew that we would not get everything, or indeed most of what we asked for: there is plenty of demand for schemes across the whole County. But if you don't ask, you certainly don't get. So we asked.

Three schemes have been successful: Stones Cross Road in Crockenhill, White Post Hill in Farningham and Beesfield Lane, also in Farningham.

The only bad news ... With harsher weather setting in, the work will not be able to be done until March. But we do at least have the prospect of three schemes, worth some £70,000, going ahead in the Division in the coming months.

Make a Difference Day in Shoreham

Today volunteers in Shoreham came together for Make a Difference Day - tidying the churchyard, cleaning road signs, cutting back hedges and much else to improve the look of the village. Some 60 volunteers took part, many of them children from Shoreham School, for much of the time in the rain. Thank you to the volunteers, and to the Shoreham Society for organising the Day - and for inviting me to hand out certificates to the volunteers this afternoon. Michelle Lowe, District Councillor for Shoreham and I joined the volunteers in the church of St Peter and St Paul for a rousing end to the day.

South Darenth Post Office - UPDATE

Good news - there has been agreement today not to close South Darenth Post Office on 15 November. I understand that the temporary agent currently operating the Post Office will do so until further notice, and that there will be a meeting between Post Office Limited and Hobbs Pharmacy on Monday to discuss a longer-term solution.

Congratulations to all in the community who made such strong representations that the Pst Office must stay open.

South Darenth Post Office

A lot of concerned residents have contacted me in the last week about the threatened closure of South Darenth Post Office on 15 November.

It appears that this has been brought on by a dispute between the managers of the Post Office and Post Office Limited over terms of payment. Post Office Limited appear to be seeking to impose a contract that the managers of the South Darenth Post Office, Hobbs Pharmacy, find unacceptable. I also understand that this reflects a general trend for Post Office Ltd to move towards so-called local contracts with postmasters.

I have been in close contact with our MP Michael Fallon's office; he has made representations to Post Office Ltd at national level. I have also spoken with Action with Communities in Rural Kent, who are experts in helping communities affected by closures or threatened closures of Post Offices. Through them I have also been in contact with the local/ regional arm of Post Office Ltd. What we are all seeking to do is to encourage Post Office Ltd to take a different approach to the contract offered to the managers of the South Darenth Post Office, which hopefully could enable it to stay open. If this fails, the next step would be to get Post Office Ltd to put alternative plans in place for the service to the village.

A20 lagoon - avoiding flooding

Residents of Glendale and parts of Pinks Hill will remember the serious flooding in 2005 caused by the overflow of the soakaway lagoon by the A20. The soakaway is owned by the Highways Agency. At the time, I worked with Kent Highways officers and Swanley Town Council to ensure that action was taken and a commitment was given that there would be regular maintenance to prevent further overflows.

With the heavy rains this year, some residents have naturally been concerned that the problem could recur. At my request, Kent Highways have pursued the issue with the Highways Agency. The contractor working with the Highways Agency has now replied that:

"Maintenance work that is undertaken is a strip of vegetation to provide access to the entrance of the lagoon for our workforce to check the valves and grills to make sure they are free from large debris. The pond is on our maintenance schedule and is inspected once a year when the work mentioned above is carried out."  A recent inspection had found relatively high levels of water in the lagoon, but not at levels that seemed surprising given the extremely wet summer.

Coupled with the fact that the recent wet weather has not so far resulted in overflows from the lagoon, this appears to offer some reassurance. However, we will of course respond quickly to any signs of past problems recurring.

Mary Inniss

I was deeply saddened to hear earlier this week of the death of Mary Inniss. Mary was a central figure  in the life of Shoreham, giving lengthy service on the Parish Council and chairing the Governors of Shoreham School. She saw the school through some challenging times to its present, much stronger position. Dealing as I have with a number of issues at the school, including appeals, I know how much she cared about the success of the school and of the children who go there.

She was deeply committed to Lullingstone as a Country Park, and when we constituted a Liaison Group to ensure that local people's voices were heard in decision-making about the park, it was natural that she should serve on it. She was also an active member of the local Conservatives, and I am deeply grateful for the support that she gave me. Her husband Richard shared all these interests and commitments and supported her through her illness.

I will miss her.

Road safety measures in Crockenhill

For a long time, local residents and the Parish Council have sought solutions to safety problems at the junction of Main Road, Cray Road and Broadway. I have committed money from my Member Highway Fund for either a mini-roundabout or a change of priorities at the junction.

However, the safety audit at Kent Highways concluded that these measures would require removal of many of the parking bays by the local shops - which would be disastrous for those businesses and the village. So, frustratingly, it has been back to the drawing board. However, after a site visit involving Kent Highways officers, the Parish Clerk and me, some fresh proposals have been brought forward. These include an interactive sign on the Cray Road approach (where vehicles are most likely to approach at speed) as well as other signs and road markings on the three approaches to the junction to  emphasise to drivers that they are coming towards it and into the centre of the village. Highways officers are also looking at better signage to deter inappropriate HGV journeys into the village centre, in particular by those simply following their SatNavs.

Local residents have waited a long time for measures that will tackle the problems at this junction, but we now have some clear proposals and a will to get on with them as quickly as possible.

Crown Road Shoreham - the wrong sort of yellow lines

In June the Sevenoaks Jojnt Transportation Board voted to put in yellow lines at the corner of Crown Road and High Street in Shoreham. The lines have now been painted, but not in the style that residents had hoped for.

When yellow lines were first proposed for Shoreham, a number of residents expressed concern at they would be too intrusive for the village. I therefore secured from Kent Highways an agreement that the yellow lines would be in a style suitable for a conservation area, in a primrose yellow and rather narrower than the standard lines. This commitment has been repeated at least once since then. However - and I think that this is because of changes in personnel in Kent Highways, resulting in a loss of continuity in handling the issue - what we have is standard yellow lines.

I have raised the issue with Kent Highways and will endeavour to get it resolved as soon as possible. Replacing yellow lines once they are painted is not quite as simple as we might think (or as I might have thought), but the problem clearly needs to be resolved and will be, so that these necessary measures are carried out in a way that suits the character of the village.

Safety appeal for Badgers Mount

I met members of Badgers Mount Residents Association today to receive an appeal for safety measures on the Orpington by-pass and Old London Road. Both roads have had speeding problems for some time and, although some measures have been taken (such as the pedestrian island near the turning to the Memorial Hall, installed some years ago) the problems have not abated. In July there was a shocking accident on the Orpington by-pass when a long-standing resident, Mr Peter Howlett, was killed, and there have also been severe incidents on Old London Road.

The BMRA has come up with a thoroughly researched set of proposals for both roads, involving speed limit changes, further traffic islands and other measures. I will now present this report to Kent Highways and begin a discussion with them on what can and should be done, while continuing to work with BMRA. With central funding tight at present, my Member Highway Fund may be one way of securing improvements.

School Run Safety Campaign meeting in Eynsford

Last night I chaired an Open Forum meeting set up by the School Run Safety Campaign (SRSC), which brings together groups and individuals concerned to tackle the traffic and parking problems around Anthony Roper Primary School. You can find the SRSC's Facebook page here. I serve on it, along with parents with children at the school, the school head Lynda Newton, Parish Councillors and Eynsford's District Councillor Michael Horwood.

The purpose of the meeting was to run through the efforts of recent years to tackle the problems - including the crossing near the school and the relatively modest additions of yellow lines - to report the results of the recent SRSC survey of parents and to look at options for the future. Those attending were mostly parents of children at the school. Encouragingly, there was a good geographical spread; many were from Eynsford and Farningham (64% of children at the school come from the two villages) but others were from Swanley, West Kingsdown and other areas further from the school. A lot of ideas were discussed, including addressing the most difficult parts of the route down from Farningham to the school, the merits of different sites for yellow lines and the best ways to make use of alternative parking sites in the village.

I've already heard from parents who attended the meeting that it was good to know that the problem has not been ignored and is being seriously addressed. But the next step is to draw on the work already done and on last night's discussion to make some decisions. The SRSC is likely to bring forward some suggested priorities to parents and residents soon. In the meantime, and especially if you weren't able to attend the meeting, please post them on SRSC's Facebook page or email them to eynsfordschoolrun@yahoo.co.uk

New 409B bus reported a success

As per my previous post, Go-Goach - with support from KCC - launched an extra 409 bus service recently. This additional service - the 409B - stops near The Bridges pub before coming south down the Dartford Road. This route is much more useful to students from Hoton Kirby and South Darenth going to the Knole Academy than the usual 409 route, which goes via Wilmington. I hear that the new service is well-supported and hopefully is making life easier for families in these villages. The press has also picked up the story; here, for example is an article in the Sevenoaks Chronicle.

Further drainage works in Goldsel Road

Residents have long been concerned about flooding in Goldsel Road, and I have been pursuing  this issue with Kent Highways over the last eighteen months. The engineers have proposed a two-stage solution. The first stage of the works, which was to increase the storage for the soakaways, took place in January. However, the second stage - putting in deep bores to improve the way that the water soaks out of the chambers - has itself taken a couple of visits by the engineers, the second of them over the last couple of days. We will then have to judge how the new system copes with heavy rainfall, but hopefully it will deliver significant improvement.

New 409B starts on Monday

School students traveling from Horton Kirby and South Darenth to the Knole Academy should benefit from an additional bus service that starts on Monday. The ceasing of the 407 bus, which stopped in Horton Kirby, has meant that the young people have faced either a roudabout journey on the 409 - going north to Wilmington before heading down to Farningham and then going south - or having their parents take them to Farningham to meet the bus there.

Parents told me of their worries about this some weeks ago, and I contacted the operator, Go-Coach, as well as Kent County Council. KCC was willing to subsidise an additional service, the 409B, which starts on Monday and which will take a different route. It will come in along Station Road, stop near The Bridges pub and then go back before going south down the Dartford Road. This should give those going to the Knole from the two villages a significantly easier journey.

Many thanks to both Go-Coach and KCC Transport Integration for stepping up to the plate. It's now a case of 'use it or lose it' - hopefully the route will get good support.

Highways tour of Shoreham

Earlier this year at a public meeting I chaired in Shoreham, many residents were keen that we took an overall look at the highways problems in the village. So today I walked the village with members of the parish council and Kent Highways officers.We identified where weeds need tackling and road signs need cleaning.

We also examined possible sites for 'gateways' making it clearer to drivers that they are entering the village; sites for speed and traffic logs, again at the approaches to the village; ways to enhance the pathways to the station; and extra parking sites, an issue which is likely to be led by Sevenoaks District Council.

In addition, Kent Highways is currently re-examining its views on mirrors at road bends, which in the past it has been reluctant to endorse. There are possible sites in the village where these could be applied.

Tackling highways issues in Well Hill

Accompanied by an officer from Kent Highways, I met representatives from Well Hill Residents' Association to investigate the continuing problems on Rock Hill. Water flowing down the hill in the Bromley direction can quickly turn icy when it gets cold, making this steep hill treacherous.

Last year I asked a highways engineer to examine the problem and he asked Thames Water to carry out works on their pipes. However, that does not seem to have fixed the problem and so at my request Kent Highways are looking at the problem again.

While we were there, the Kent Highways officer and I also looked at drainage problems in Well Hill, in the dip in the road between Firmingers Road and Parkgate Road.

I hope to have further updates on both issues soon.

Yellow lines approved for Crown Road, Shoreham

At its March meeting, the Sevenoaks Joint Transportation Board voted in favour of putting in yellow lines at the corner of Crown Road and High Street in Shoreham, but not two other proposed sites (the Church Street bend near The George pub and the corner of Mill Lane). Following a representation that consultation figures had not been fully presented at the meeting, the JTB considered the issue again. I spoke in favour of the stance taken in March and the JTB voted in favour of this.

Minerals and Waste: Badgers Mount sites NOT allocated

For a year, Badgers Mount residents have fought against two proposals submitted by developers as part of the 'call for sites' for the Kent Minerals and Waste Development Framework: an aggregates recycling centre on the former Chelsfield Ammunition Depot (owned by FM Conway) and a 'waste recycling facility' - aka an incinerator - near Hewitt's Roundabout at the other end of the Orpington by-pass.

Both plans were a serious threat to the way of life of Badgers Mount community. I worked closely with the Badgers Mount Residents Association to oppose these plans - making the case to KCC officers and Members, and speaking for the community at a related planning inquiry.