Ice on Bower Lane

The cold morning on Wednesday saw serious problems on Bower Lane, Eynsford, near the junction with the High Street. Conditions on much of the road (for most of the way down from the East Hill end) were reasonable, but on the more northerly sections approaching Eynsford there was a buildup of ice. Several vehicles skidded into ditches, and a van overturned and blocked the road. There were no serious injuries, but the blockage of the road - starting at the time for travel to work and the school run - lasted for several hours.

Bower Lane is currently a secondary route, and these were not treated on Wednesday morning; to use Kent Highways' formulation, secondary routes are "only treated during prolonged periods of ice and snow." It has been argued that Bower Lane should be treated as a primary route, but this is most unlikely to be agreed; this designation is reserved for major strategic routes such as the A225. Nonetheless, there is a clear need to avoid a repetition of what happened on Wednesday. I will therefore be looking at installing at least one salt bin, paid for from my Member Highway Fund. Highways officers will also be looking at other issues, such as water runoff from the nearby fields. This latter situation has improved greatly since the severe flooding of a little over a year ago, but it may be possible to do more.

Sevenoaks grammar annexe: the DfE's verdict

The Department for Education has, after many months of consideration (post of 1 December), turned down the two applications from Invicta Grammar School and the Weald of Kent grammar school to establish a Sevenoaks grammar annexe.

The DfE argued that the proposals "do not represent an expansion of the existing schools and therefore cannot be approved." In other words, the DfE considered that both proposals amounted to the creation of new grammar schools, which is against the law. Among the key issues of concern to the Department were the fact that both proposals required separate Published Admission Numbers (PAN) at each site rather than one for the school as a whole. In addition - and there is some relationship between the two issues - the fact that the grammar annexes would be co-educational while the schools themselves are single-sex was seen as being in contravention of the Code.

At the same time, the DfE noted that, in the case of the Weald of Kent, "The proportion of students on roll currently travelling from Sevenoaks can be regarded as a factor in favour of the proposal being an expansion of the school within its current catchment area." In both cases, the DfE stated that "we remain open to considering further proposals in the future."

There is no denying that this is a setback and a disappointment. The whole drive to create a Sevenoaks grammar annexe was built on strong public demand and support - seen in the petition that triggered the County Council debate and vote of March 2012, and the strong response to consultation on the proposals from parents across the Sevenoaks area. There is a clearly demonstrated need for more selective school places in West Kent over the next few years. And it remains an absurd anomaly that so many young people travel out of Sevenoaks District for their secondary education every day. We need to be able to solve the Sevenoaks problem and the West Kent problem together.

However, the DfE's response leaves the door open to further applications. This was also clear from a meeting yesterday between Education Secretary Michael Gove, Sevenoaks MP Michael Fallon an KCC Leader Paul Carter. What we at KCC and the schools must now do is to examine the issues raised by the DfE and see what can be done to address them. As the Department put it, "We will need to assess any future proposals against the factors we have highlighted." We will not walk away from the issue.

You can find further coverage of today's developments in the Telegraph and the Kent Messenger.

Works in progress

A number of projects are now being taken forward in different parts of Darent Valley.

As mentioned before (post of 21 October), safety measures were due to be installed on the A225 Dartford Road, on the Farningham-Horton Kirby border. New signage is now in place. Road markings have still to be refreshed, but this should be carried out shortly, with a comprehensive programme from the Farningham Road Station bridge to the junction with the A20.

Secondly, the reduction in the speed limit on the Orpington by-pass in Badgers Mount has met no objections, and so will not even need to be considered (though it may be noted) at Wednesday's meeting of the Sevenoaks Joint Transportation Board. An order has been sealed for early in the New Year, and speed limit signs should be brought forward around the same time. Works are starting on the traffic island and short section of footway in Old London Road, though I understand that there have been concerns expressed by some local residents as to the degree to which they were consulted and the impact of the measures on them. I will pick up this issue.

Finally, new salt bins, paid for from my Member Highway Fund, have been installed in New Road, South Darenth (near The Queen pub) and on the corner of West View Road and Southview Close in Swanley. More are on the way, once we have sorted out the precise best location.

Safe and sensible street lighting

Kent County Council has been reviewing its street lighting services. Our present provision of lighting costs £5.8 million (rising to £6.4 million next year) and emits 29,000 tons of carbon dioxide each year. A significant part of what is provided would not be installed under current guidelines. 'Safe and sensible street lighting' is an initiative to rationalise street lighting provision to save costs and reduce carbon emissions while continuing to provide the service where and when it is truly needed.

The initiative will take two forms. Firstly, there will be a trial complete switch-off of lights in certain areas where it is judged safe to do this. In the case of Sevenoaks, this was discussed at our Joint Transportation Board in March. As the record shows, I asked for some proposed areas to be excluded from the switch-off, and this was agreed; nonetheless, some areas in Darent Valley, such as Main Road near Farningham and Goldsel Road approaching Crockenhill, are included.

Secondly, there will be a shift to 'part-night lighting' in many areas; lights will be switched off between midnight and 5:30am. This follows a consultation in the summer, in which 75% of respondents supported the proposals. Lights will be considered suitable for this unless they are in areas such as major traffic routes, sites of housing for vulnerable people, sites at risk of increased crime and the like. (The full list of criteria can be found in Kent County Council's press release).  This is being implemented in a rolling programme across Kent; in the case of Sevenoaks District, it will take effect in just over 10 days'  time, on 16 December.

Inevitably, there will be mixed feelings about these plans. Some communities favour being unlit, believing that it is part of their identity as rural villages and settlements. Other people are concerned at perceived increased risks of crime and traffic accidents. Kent Highways has made clear that safety remains its top priority, and that changes can and will be made if it becomes clear that the shutoff is having a damaging effect. Nonetheless, the overall direction of policy is clearly set, with the aim of delivering significant savings without compromising safety.  

Sevenoaks grammar annexe: waiting for Mr Gove

Last week saw a flurry of press interest in the Sevenoaks grammar annexe. This was not because anything had changed; the two applications, from Invicta Grammar School and Weald of  Kent grammar school, have been with Education Secretary Michael Gove since the second half of July, and he has yet to give his verdict.

Sevenoaks MP Michael Fallon wrote to Mr Gove some weeks ago, urging a speedy decision. In his response, Mr Gove emphasised the importance of his establishing whether what was proposed was an expansion of existing schools (which is legal) or a new grammar school (which is not). I also wrote to Mr Gove, arguing that the proposals were indeed expansions and that the case for further selective provision in West Kent, and Sevenoaks in particular, was a very strong one. In his reply to me, Mr Give reiterated the importance of the distinction between a new school and an expanded one, and also expressed his belief that he would be able, on the basis of advice and information from the Education Funding Agency, to reach a decision relatively soon.

The national press has weighed into the issue, with articles in the Daily Mail and the Daily Telegraph. The Telegraph argued that Mr Gove should change the law to allow for the creation of new grammar schools. I and others at KCC are, unsurprisingly, sympathetic to this view (KCC Leader Paul Carter argued for it in a Radio Kent interview) but we also strongly believe that the two proposals are expansions under current legislation.

Mr Gove's decision, and the timing of it, are outside KCC's control. Meanwhile, however, we are pressing ahead with those things that we can do. The planning application for the Wildernesse  site, covering both the grammar school annexe and the Trinity Free School, is about to be submitted, with the aim and expectation of securing determination by March.

Shoreham Village School: after Ofsted

As is now widely known, Shoreham Village School was rated as requiring Special Measures by Ofsted in a report published last week. This followed an inspection soon after the start of term in September. After its previous inspection in 2010, the school had been rated Good, so this was a steep decline.

As can be seen from the report, Ofsted's criticisms were wide-ranging, though the school's Key Stage 1 and 2 results for 2013 had been encouraging.

I attended a meeting for parents at the school on Thursday evening, along with governors, KCC officers and the acting head teacher, Mrs Eileen Mumford of Kemsing School, who will now be working at Shoreham 3 days a week. There were many questions and concerns as to how this situation had arisen, but there was also considerable goodwill towards Mrs Mumford and the staff at the school, including those (such as the SENCO) from elsewhere in the local area who are assisting the school's recovery. Mrs Mumford's clear vision and commitment won a lot of support.

Both as local County Councillor for Darent Valley and as Cabinet Member for Education, I have a deep interest in seeing Shoreham achieve a rapid turnaround. We owe that to the children at the school, their families and the village. For Kent as a whole, we are seeing a positive trend in Ofsted inspection results, with more schools (now up to 70%) rated Good or Outstanding. Our rate of progress is now outstripping the national rate. However, while relatively small in number, there are still too many schools falling into a 'category of concern' - in plainer language, failing their Ofsted. KCC has a range of measures in hand to identify schools at risk of this, including boosting the local collaboration between schools that is now being brought to bear to support Shoreham.

The next stage for the school's recovery will be the development of an action plan, to be submitted to inspectors in the coming days. Longer term, the kind of local support (in which KCC has been closely involved) that has been given to the school offers a promising way to secure Shoreham's future.  

Have your say: KCC budget consultation

Kent County Council launched its consultation on the 2014-15 budget, and our plans for the coming years, at the end of last week.

The County Council has already delivered significant savings (£269m over the last three years). Over the next three years, further savings of £273m (out of an annual spend of £1.43bn) will be needed, reflecting further sharp reductions in government grant and growing pressures in areas such as social care.

The budget consultation page on the KCC website sets out more detail on the financial challenge and our proposals for tackling it. We are currently proposing a 1.99% increase in council tax (having frozen the council tax for three years), along with wide-ranging plans to transform the operation of the council.

The budget consultation page also has a two-question survey and a more detailed online tool that helps you choose how best to balance the KCC budget. I hope that as many Darent Valley residents as possible take part.

A Pioneer for better health care

Kent has taken an important step forward in working for an effective health and social care system, and I'm pleased to be part of it.

In addition to my role as Darent Valley's County Councillor, I am the KCC Cabinet Member for Education and Health Reform. The 'Health Reform' bit relates chiefly to chairing the Kent Health and Wellbeing Board. The Board is a creation of Andrew Lansley's 2012 Health and Social Care Act - a widely-accepted part of very controversial legislation. It brings together local government with the new GP leaders of the Kent NHS to plan better, more joined up services between health (the NHS), social care (local government) and public health (which has now moved to local government).

In the summer, the Department of Health asked local areas such as Kent, working through their Health and Wellbeing Boards, to apply for 'Pioneer' status in bringing health and social care closer together. More than 100 areas applied, and today the Department of Health has announced that Kent is one of just 14 chosen.

This is a terrific endorsement of the work being done in the County, and means that we will be able to accelerate our efforts with support from national government in tackling some of the hardest obstacles, such as how information is shared and how the different workforces of the NHS and social care are brought closer together.

Nationally, the government is forcing the pace of change, chiefly through a £3.8 billion 'Integration Transformation Fund' that also looks to accelerate progress. In Kent, we are likely to combine much of our work on the aims of the Fund with our new Pioneer status. They are both about the same thing: bringing services together so that they are more responsive to the needs of patients and, by building up community services as an alternative to unnecessary admissions to hospitals and care homes, ensuring that services stay affordable even as we face the pressures of an ageing population. To me, these are things well worth working for, and it is terrific that Kent is at the forefront of doing so.

You can find KCC's press release about Pioneer status here, and the Department of Health's press release here. If you are interested in the work of the Health and Wellbeing Board, you can find out more about it on KCC's website.

Take part in the Darent River survey

As its name implies, my Darent Valley Division includes much of the course of the River Darent and many of the villages that sit on it: Shoreham, Eynsford, Farningham, Horton Kirby and South Darenth. The river's future is important to us all. Many people remember how the river was severely diminished around the turn of the millennium, and at a meeting of the Lullingstone Liaison Group (which I chair) in early 2012 many of us were concerned about a possible repetition after two dry winters - but then the heavens opened.

The North West Kent Countryside Partnership are undertaking a survey (link below) to help shape the Catchment Improvement Plan and develop projects and priorities for improving the river. It is important to get a wide cross section of responses to ensure that the Catchment Improvement Plan reflects the views of everyone who cares about the river and the valley.

The survey can be found at:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/YM5JLJZ

Seismic exploration: update

In February this year, I liaised between parish councils and KCC concerning the seismic exploration work being carried out in Darent Valley by Tesla Exploration on behalf of Northdown Energy (post of 9 March). Initial contact had been made with KCC (as well as Bromley Borough Council) in January.

This project was treated as permitted development rather than something that required planning permission, since Northdown already has a Petroleum Exploration and Development License (PEDL) from the Department of Energy and Climate Change that covers a large part of the Sevenoaks area (you can see a map here. To challenge this and force an application for planning permission, Kent County Council would have had to issue a so-called Article 7 Direction, which there were no good grounds to do.

The survey work, which essentially involved lorries travelling around the area and undertaking a two-dimensional (2D) seismic survey (through emission of vibrations) took place in May. The areas of Darent Valley covered were Badgers Mount and the Lullingstone part of Eynsford; Shoreham was on the original route but this was not carried out because of the narrowness of the roads and the possible impact on utilities.

I recently made some enquiries as to the outcomes of the survey. I understand that specialists at Northdown are still looking at the data, and that this is likely to be a lengthy process, matching the findings with geological and other information from the area. At present, there are no plans to undertake further exploration and, if this did take place, KCC would be notified. Were the eventual findings to indicate that there were exploitable hydrocarbons, then the next stage – probably drilling an exploratory borehole – would require planning permission, including extensive assessments of environmental and other impacts.

I will continue to monitor the situation and provide further updates if and when there is new information.

Dartford Road improvements due in weeks

Just before Christmas, I organised a site meeting on the A225 Dartford Road - right on the Horton Kirby-Farningham border - with local residents and Kent Highways officers concerning speeding problems (post of 21 December). These are particularly acute around the junction with Calfstock Lane and to the north of the junction with Franks Lane. Visibility is poor and traffic approaches at high speeds as cars try to pull out from houses or junctions onto the main road.  

On the day, it was agreed that there would be new signs on posts - in particular, to draw drivers' attention to junctions - as well as adding to and improving the SLOW signs in the road. There has been something of a delay in getting these works carried out, but I have followed the matter up and I am told that the works have been ordered and should be carried out within four to six weeks. I also understand that a Highways steward has been to clean a number of the signs.

This has taken longer than it should, but hopefully we should now see improvements to this worrying stretch of road.

Crockenhill: further measures to improve junction

Earlier this year a series of measures, paid for from my Member Highway Fund, were installed to improve safety at the junction of Cray Road, Main Road and Broadway. These included Slow signs, an interactive sign for traffic coming from the Orpington direction and high friction surfacing.

The final stage of the scheme was to add granite sets that would further encourage drivers to slow down. However, at a late stage it emerged that these would require road closures of ten days each to be set up - which, with sets proposed for all three directions approaching the junction, would clearly have a major impact on the village.

Some alternative options have been canvassed, both by Highways officers and the Parish Council, and late last week we all met on site to examine the issue. Kent Highways have brought forward a widely-used German technology, which takes only three days to bed in and promises to be highly durable. This looks to be the best way forward, and we are now examining ways in which any road closures can be achieved with minimum disruption.

We also looked at the need to introduce Slow signs and improved signage further back on Green Court Road (near the brow of the hill), coupled with staggered railings at the edge of the village green; these measures can be paid for from my Member Highway Fund. Back at the junction, we examined options for a crossing. A full zebra crossing is problematic in terms of both cost and the practicalities of how it can be implemented; we agreed that Kent Highways would look into the possibilities of a more informal crossing, as well as some temporary or experimental buildouts at the junction that could encourage traffic calming and help us examine further the best options for any crossing.   

Broom Hill Inquiry

The proposed development - or rather, four planning applications for between 20 and 61 houses - on Broom Hill in Swanley has caused a great deal of concern to residents of Beechenlea Lane and other local people. At the time of the original applications, I wrote to Sevenoaks District Council setting out my reasons for opposing them (post of 24 February).

When Sevenoaks District Council rejected the four applications, the developers ProVision appealed. I was on holiday at the time of the initial Inquiry before a Planning Inspector in August, and so unable to attend, but the final part of the Inquiry took place today. I joined local residents, along with Swanley Town Council Leader and Sevenoaks District Councillor Tony Searles in speaking against the applications.

Local residents - at least one of whom had never spoken in public before - set out powerfully their concerns about noise, air quality and ecology. I spoke about the limited amount of green space in Swanley, especially in the southern and eastern part of the town. Losing a significant part of the Broom Hill site to development would reduce this still further. Sevenoaks District Council has made clear in a succession of documents over the years that it does not see housing development as appropriate for Broom Hill. The most recent statement of this came in the Allocations and Development Management Plan, published in September 2012 and currently going through the approval process (expected to be completed in February). I argued that the Inspector should give weight to the intentions set out in this document, even if it is not yet policy, since it is in an advanced stage of development.

 The Inquiry is now over and we must await the Inspector's ruling.

Plans for Wildernesse site on display

Plans for the former Wildernesse School site will be on display between 3:30PM and 9PM tomorrow (16 September) at the Donnington Manor Hotel in Dunton Green. I will be there at the opening of this exhibition.

This comes as we conclude a long period of uncertainty over the site. The Department for Education at one stage proposed taking the site from Kent County Council for the use of the Trinity Free School. KCC always made clear its opposition to this proposal, not least because it would undermine the proposals for a Sevenoaks grammar school satellite (post of 21 March). After lengthy negotiations between KCC and the Department, agreement has been reached that the Trinity Free School will take part of the site. The remainder of the site will be available for the proposed grammar school satellite, for which Valley Invicta Academies Trust and Weald of Kent Grammar School have both put in applications.

The plans shown tomorrow will show both the proposed allocation of different parts of the site, and various details of the proposed grammar school satellite buildings. This will be in advance of KCC submitting a planning application in October.

The decision as to whether or not to approve the proposals for the grammar school satellite rest with Education Secretary Michael Gove, and this is clearly an entirely separate decision from that regarding the site. However, it is clear that the issue of the site at least will not be a stumbling block to the grammar school satellite proposal. That is a very welcome development.

Further background is available in a KCC press release, and in an article in the Sevenoaks Chronicle.

Sentencing in Shoreham fly-tipping case

I reported some time ago (post of 22 March) that an alleged fly-tipper was due to be brought to court over offences committed in Bromley and Kent, the latter chiefly in parts of Shoreham Parish.

Mr Jason Newnham, owner of the waste business JJ Clearances, pleaded guilty to 13 fly-tipping offences at Bromley Magistrates Court on 24 July and was sentenced on 6 August to 240 hours of unpaid community work and to pay compensation and clean up costs of £6,030. Mr Newnham stated that the waste was tipped by his son without his knowledge, but prosecutors pointed out that, whatever the truth of this might or might not be, Mr Newnham was liable under law for his son's actions.

The District Judge told Mr Newnham that he was lucky to escape a custodial sentence, and that this was only because of the view taken by the previous bench. In ordering costs and compensation the Judge said that it should not be left up to the council tax payers of Bromley and Kent to bear the costs of Mr Newnham's offences.. The £6,030 should come from Mr Newnham, even if it took him several years to pay.

The prosecution followed a joint investigation by Bromley’s Public Protection and Street and Environment Departments, and KCC's Environmental Enforcement Team. Their efforts and excellent joint working have been rewarded with success.

You can find an article in KOS Media on the sentencing, and incorporating comments from my colleague David Brazier, whose portfolio includes responsibility for waste issues, here.

Badgers Mount: latest on road safety measures

Following earlier posts on the details of the Badgers Mount road safety measures (post of 25 April), some of the proposals are now being brought forward.

• The speed limit reduction to 50 mph on a large part of the Orpington by-pass has now been agreed with the police. The very first part of the by-pass coming from Hewitts roundabout will remain at national speed limit. However, from near the telephone mast some 230 metres north west of Badgers Road, the limit will come down to 50 mph. It will remain the same all the way to Polhill; in other words, the speed limit will not increase again after the Shacklands Road roundabout
• There is a small chance that this can be put forward and approved at the September Joint Transportation Board. However, if there are a material number of objections, then it will have to go in December, which at present looks the more likely option
• The only slightly negative news concerns the island proposed for Orpington by-pass; it is now apparent that this will require some road widening. This is now the subject of a bid within next year's Local Transport Plan, along with the footpath proposals along the eastern side of the by-pass towards the Shacklands Road roundabout
• Designs are being drawn up for an island to link with path SR8 on Old London Road. One consequence of this will be to lose a small section of cycle lane. Officers are also out examining that this will not block access to any houses facing on to the road
• Also in Old London Road, speed limit roundels will be painted in shortly in 12 or 13 places along the road aligned with repeater signs. There will also be a red patch in the road to indicate the start of the speed limit at the Shacklands Road roundabout end. It is hoped that there will be a similar patch painted in at the other end of the road - beyond the boundaries of Badgers Mount and of my Division - but since this is where the road meets the A21, it would have to be dovetailed with any works carried out there by the Highways Agency

Other measures (particularly those paid for from my Member Highway Fund) are being brought forward. I will provide an update on these in a further post as soon as possible.

Jobs done

Drainage works on Rock Hill (see post of 5 July) are now complete, and I have had compliments from residents for the efforts of Kent Highways to minimise disruption while the quite lengthy task was being undertaken. Hopefully we will see the full benefits in the next and subsequent winters.

Meanwhile, I am also informed that Crabtree Property Management have now fixed the prolonged leakage near Millstone Mews (post of 17 June). Thanks are due in this case too to Kent Highways staff for their great determination in following this up and pushing for a resolution. It took a very long time, but it appears that we are finally there.

Rock Hill works under way

The works to tackle drainage problems on Rock Hill in Well Hill (see posts of 23 February and 13 June) began on Monday.

In one respect, my earlier post was over-optimistic in suggesting that the works would take only a day or two rather than the allotted two weeks. However, I understand from Highways staff that so far all is going smoothly and that completion should be within the scheduled time. I had been in contact with some local residents in the days before work started to try to ensure as good a start as possible.

Hopefully, the combination of the French drain and cleansing of the system will make a significant difference for winters to come.

Councillor Jenny Dibsdall

It is with great sadness that I add a post to record the death of Jenny Dibsdall, Sevenoaks District Councillor for Crockenhill and Well Hill.

Jenny's husband, Colin, was for many years both District and Parish Councillor in Crockenhill, and the community leader for the village. Although he had quietly coped with lymphoma for some years, Colin's death in November 2011 was sudden. Like many others, I will not quickly forget Jenny's speech, both funny and affecting, about her life with Colin at the reception in the village hall after the funeral.

In the subsequent by-election, Jenny stood as the Labour candidate and won. She too proved to be an effective and hard-working councillor, committed to both communities that she represented. As with Colin (who was a Liberal Democrat and subsequently independent Councillor), I found that the difference in our party labels made no difference to our ability to work together. One of our last conversations was when we were both delivering leaflets for our respective 'sides' in the recent County Council elections.

In recent months, Jenny was gravely ill but she maintained her work and her service to the communities she represented. The communities of Crockenhill and Well Hill have suffered a severe loss. Above all, our thoughts must now be with the Dibsdall family, who have suffered two major bereavements in little over eighteen months.

Public meeting on Sevenoaks grammar satellite

On Thursday evening I attended a public meeting at Amherst School as part of the consultation on Invicta Grammar School's proposal for a Sevenoaks annex, and chaired the question and answer part of the meeting. Dr Phil Limbert, chief executive of the Valley Invicta Academies Trust (which includes both Invicta and the non-selective Valley Park School, both rated Outstanding by Ofsted) and Julie Derrick, head teacher of Invicta, set out their thinking and their motivation for pursuing the annex application.

They set out some of the detail of their plans: the satellite would come under the overall Invicta governors and head teacher, though wth a head of school in place in Sevenoaks; the satellite would develop its own staff, so that there would be little need for staff to travel between the Maidstone and Sevenoaks sites; and the aim is to open on the former Wildernesse site with six forms of entry in autumn 2015.  They also set out some of their thinking and values: a belief that being Outstanding under Ofsted's criteria was a starting point but not an end point, the aim being to provide world class education, with schools in Finland, Germany, the United States and elsewhere seen as benchmarks and a peer group.

The meeting was very well-attended, and there were a lot of questions. The overall mood was enthusiastic. The consultation on the Invicta proposal closes on 19 July (for details of how to submit a response, see post of 20 May), and soon after that a formal application to expand Invicta will go to Education Secretary Michael Gove (since Invicta is an academy, the decision will rest with Mr Gove rather than with KCC).

The other major development of the last ten days has been the expression of interest from Weald of Kent grammar school  As I made clear in interviews that I gave at the time, KCC was not informed in advance of this application; our earlier discussions with the school had ended in January with a clear statement from Weald of Kent that it did not wish to pursue a Sevenoaks satellite. Clearly, any application of this kind from a Kent school must be examined seriously by the local authority; at the same time, we have made clear that the Invicta proposal represents a strong partnership between the school (and the Academies Trust) and KCC, and is one that is now a very long way down the track towards the point of decision by the Secretary of State.

The Sevenoaks Chronicle has covered developments extensively; here is their latest account, while Invicta's page on its Sevenoaks proposal can be found here.

Millstone Mews - Further Update

Since my post yesterday, there has been a meeting between Kent Highways, Dartford Borough Council and Crabtree Property Management. I understand that, following the meeting, Crabtree Management will be dealing with the leak and hope to have contractors on site later this week.

Action on Millstone Mews flooding

The water outflow at Millstone Mews has now continued for many months (post of 2 April - the problem goes back well before that). Kent Highways identified the problem as originating in a pumping station under the stewardship of Dartford Borough Council. the defect is under the private footway that was part of the Fairview development and is managed  by Crabtree Property Management. Initial attempts to get a resolution were unsuccessful.

After reviewing its legal options, Kent Highways has therefore now written to DBC and Crabtree, setting out their obligations under Section 163 of the Highways Act 1980, which deals with flooding of public highways, and requiring action to resolve the problem within 14 days of the latter (dated last Friday, 14 June). If action is not taken, Kent Highways will act to tackle the problem and to bill DBC.

This should mean that, in one way or another, the problem should at last be addressed by early next month. I will continue to monitor it and keep in contact with Kent Highways officers.

Rock Hill works at the start of July

Works to tackle the long-standing problems of water runoff on Rock Hill - by installing a French drain towards the top of the hill and cleansing the drainage system further down the hill on the Bromley-facing side - are due to start on 1 July.

This will require a road closure from the intersection with Pump Lane up to the top of the hill. The Kent Highways notice states that the closure can be for up to 14 days, though in practice it is likely to be only for a day or so.

I set out these plans in earlier posts (23 February) and indicated the probable timing likely when I spoke at the Well Hill Residents Association AGM earlier this year. I have sought through the Residents' Association to have the plans sent out so that any concerns over the works can be raised and addressed. Anyone who is still concerned should contact me since there are still a couple of weeks to go before the works start.

The other significant road works in Well Hill - tackling the potholes and drainage problems in Well Hill, in the dip between the Parkgate Road and Firmingers Road junctions - took place some weeks ago (post of 20 May).

Well Hill road works

There have for some time been problems in Well Hill (the road) in the dip in the road between the junctions with Firmingers Road and Parkgate Road. The flooding issues in this patch of road were raised during a site visit last year and subsequently large potholes have emerged.

As I mentioned at the recent AGM of the Well Hill Residents' Association, Kent Highways were looking to take advantage of a road closure required by water supply works. This was originally scheduled for 24 May but the water company's programme of works was brought forward to today (20 May). Kent Highways have ensured that the road works have been brought forward to take advantage of this revised schedule. Hopefully this should result in the resolution of persistent road problems.

Public consultation on grammar school satellite

Invicta Grammar School, which is proposing to bring forward the Sevenoaks grammar school satellite, is beginning an eight week public consultation on its plans today. The consultation will run until 19 July.

This consultation is required by the Department for Education because the school is proposing a significant expansion. However, it also gives the school an opportunity to engage with the local community and to demonstrate the support for its plans.

Public meetings will be held during the consultation period, but you can also set out your views by emailing the school at clerktotrust@viat.org.uk (please put 'Sevenoaks Consultation' in the Subject box of the email), or by writing to:

The Clerk to the Trust
Invicta Grammar School
Huntsman Lane
Maidstone
Kent
ME14 5DS

Please write 'Sevenoaks Consultation' on the envelope.

Given the strong support demonstrated for the concept of grammar school provision in Sevenoaks through the petition to KCC in March last year, I very much hope that local people will demonstrate to the DfE how much enthusiasm and commitment there is to this project.

You can find the Chronicle's coverage of the issue here, and a further article about it on the Sevenoaks Grammar School Campaign's website here.

Crockenhill: new date for Stones Cross Road resurfacing

The resurfacing of Stones Cross Road has been delayed several times because of the weather (see posts of 4, 10 and 14 April).

The new date proposed for the works is next Monday, 13 May. Events have made a monkey of me enough times to add in the heavy proviso "weather permitting." But Kent Highways certainly have that date in their sights, and have put a sign in the road to publicise it.

Meanwhile, it is good to note that many elements of the safety works at the Cray Road - Main Road - Broadway junction are now in place, though the granite setts are still to be installed.

New role working with Kent's schools

Following the County Council elections, KCC Leader Paul Carter has appointed a new Cabinet. I served in the Cabinet in the previous council term, with responsibility for the 'corporate centre' - Property, Human Resources, IT (including the BDUK project for superfast broadband - see post of 18 March) as well as the performance management of the authority - and also for our new role and responsibilities under the government's NHS reforms.

Our Cabinet Member for Education, Mike Whiting, did not retain his Swale seat in last week's elections; a serious loss, since he brought enormous energy and commitment to the portfolio. I have been asked to take on the education role, while maintaining my work on health reform. This is an exciting new role and I look forward to working with schools and colleges across Kent and seeking to ensure the best possible education for the county's children and young people. I have two children going through the Kent system (currently at primary level), so this won't just be an abstract policy issue as far as I am concerned.

The in-tray is a very full one: ensuring full and proper provision of school places at a time of rising school rolls, working to ensure high standards in schools and bedding in the local authority's new role in the world of academies and Michael Gove's education reforms. There's also responsibility for early years education, skills, apprenticeships and links to other community services for young people. Not to mention issues in which I have long had a strong interest, such as the Sevenoaks grammar school satellite. All that plus health reform will keep me busy - while never losing sight of the constituents who sent me back to County Hall from Darent Valley last week.

Here's the full list of the new Cabinet:

• Paul Carter - Leader and Cabinet Member for Business Strategy, Audit & Transformation
• John Simmonds – Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance & Procurement
• David Brazier – Cabinet Member for Transport & Environment
• Gary Cooke – Cabinet Member for Corporate & Democratic Services
• Mark Dance – Cabinet Member for Economic Development
• Graham Gibbens – Cabinet Member for Adult Social Services & Public Health
• Roger Gough – Cabinet Member for Education & Health Reform
• Mike Hill – Cabinet Member for Community Services
• Bryan Sweetland – Cabinet Member for Commercial & Traded Services
• Jenny Whittle – Cabinet Member for Specialist Children’s Services

Darent Valley election result

Somewhat belatedly on my part, here is the result for Darent Valley from last Thursday's County Council elections.

Roger Gough (Conservative)        1,677    (48.6%)
Alun Elder-Brown. (UKIP)                897    (26.0%)
Kevin Flack (Labour)                       647    (18.7%)
Phil Hobson (Liberal Democrat).     166      (4.8%)
Jim Read (English Democrats).         65      (1.9%)

So this is the start of my third four year term as Kent County Councillor for Darent Valley. Thank you to everyone who supported me; it was particularly gratifying to hold my share of the vote to within 1% of the level achieved in 2009 - when the national political climate, and in particular the popularity of the Conservative Party, was very different from today. It is good that, while the standing of the parties nationally will inevitably influence local election outcomes, many people are prepared to vote on local issues.

The Conservatives held all seven seats in Sevenoaks, including fending off a challenge from Labour in Swanley, but across Kent the picture was a much more complex one. In the West, the Conservatives largely held their ground, with just a handful of losses to Labour, as well as one to UKIP in Tunbridge Wells and one to the Liberal Democrats in Maidstone. From Swale eastwards, however, there were heavy losses to UKIP - including, very sadly, my Cabinet colleague for education Mike Whiting and my deputy Ken Pugh - so that for a few hours around Friday lunchtime Conservative control of the council was in doubt. We were not quite into the world of hanging chads, but the path to a majority was a very narrow one. Eventually, however, there was a Conservative majority of 6. So the new council - with a much smaller Conservative majority and with UKIP as the biggest opposition party - will be very different from its predecessor.

So once again I will be picking up the issues that I have been writing about here. To those who voted for me, thank you again; to those who didn't, I'm here to represent you too.

Crockenhill: signs in, other works start 1 May

The long-awaited safety scheme at the junction of Main Road, Cray Road and Broadway in the centre of Crockenhill, paid for from my Member Highway Fund, is now partially completed.

Work to install high-friction surfacing is now scheduled to begin this coming Wednesday, 1 May, with granite setts to follow shortly afterwards: a couple of weeks later than the last estimate that I was given (post of 4 April).

However, the signage element of the project has been carried out, including the interactive sign that should encourage motorists to slow down on their approach to the junction from the Orpington direction. As can be seen from the photo taken on Friday, the Vehicle Activated Sign does just that, lighting up at the approach of a car - not mine, of course - approaching the junction fast.

Badgers Mount: road safety plans

Last autumn, following long-standing speeding problems on the Orpington by-pass and the Old London Road and a fatal accident in which a long-standing local resident was killed, the Badgers Mount Residents Association (BMRA) brought forward a set of well-researched proposals for enhancing road safety (post of 29 September).

Taking this forward has involved speed checks, discussions with BMRA and a Kent Highways officer as well as consultations with the police, who will have to enforce any changes to speed limits. The picture as to what can be taken forward is now quite a lot clearer, and we should be able to implement a lot of the proposals:




Orpington by-pass

• Speed limits. The BMRA proposed a reduction in the speed limit on the Orpington by-pass from the current 60mph to 40mph. Following speed checks, Kent Police made clear that they could not support this proposal, but that they were prepared to support a reduction to 50mph on part of the road. The exact scope of this has still to be clarified, but the introduction of a lower speed limit makes possible a number of other measures.
• Supporting signage for speed limit reduction. This will comprise signs and roundels in the road highlighting the 50mph limit. It will be funded from a Kent Highways 'pot' of crash remedial measures of £22,500 set aside for Badgers Mount.
• Extra traffic island(s). This will be installed a little to the north of the junction with Highland Road to link up with public footpath SR8 and will be funded from crash remedial measures. Once the speed limit reduction is brought in, there will be scope to look at moving one of the traffic islands in the more northerly section of the Orpington by-pass by the Badgers Road junction or adding a new island.
• Junction signs and pedestrian crossing signs in the Badgers Road/ Fox's garage area. These will also be funded from crash remedial measures. 
• Footpath alongside the Orpington by-pass. This would run along the eastern side of the road, which is currently poorly served, all the way from Badgers Road to the Polhill roundabout. A bid has been put in for funding from another Highways pot, the Local Transport Plan (LTP), for the financial year 2014-15. We will know in early 2014 if the bid has been successful. 
• Other traffic calming measures. The Kent Safety Camera Partnership has been approached concerning a mobile camera site, though this is still being followed up. A flashing speed indicator is also a possibility; this would require financing from my Member Highway Fund.
• Timber gateway signs. This was a proposal by KCC. These signs, to highlight to motorists that they are coming into a residential area, could also be paid for from my Member Highway Fund.
• Mini-roundabout near Badgers Road junction.  This would be much more expensive than the other options and so harder to deliver. We will, however, bid for funding for a study into the feasibility and cost of the scheme.

Old London Road

• Speed roundels. On the Old London Road, the speed limit is already 40mph, although the speed checks demonstrated that there is a significant problem of ensuring that this limit is respected. Speed roundels to remind motorists of the limit can be implemented quickly and paid for from the crash remedial measures.
• Extra traffic islands. BMRA proposed an extra island to complete the links with SR8, plus two each by the junctions with Badgers Rise and Crest Close. The first (SR8) will certainly be installed; for the others, at least one island can be installed at each location, and perhaps two, depending on cost and an assessment of whether two islands rather than one are needed in each location.
• Timber gateways. As on the Orpington by-pass, this could be paid for from my Member Highway Fund.
• Other traffic calming measures. As on the Orpington by-pass, an approach has been made to the Kent Safety Camera Partnership about a mobile camera site, while a flashing speed indicator looks desirable and would be a call on my Member Highway Fund.

Overall, therefore, while not everything in the BMRA report can be delivered, a great deal can and this should make a major difference to safety and the quality of life of local residents. Some measures may take longer to implement than the current financial year because of the variety of calls on, for example, my Member Highway Fund; however, many measures can be brought in quickly, in particular those related to signage. In particular, once we have full clarity from Kent Police regarding the area of the Orpington by-pass covered by the reduction in speed limit to 50 mph, it should be possible to make rapid progress.

Out and about

The County Council election campaign is now in full swing, so it was good for Kent to get support over the weekend from colleagues from Bromley and Chislehurst. The team included Greater London Assembly Member James Cleverly and local MP, former Local Government Minister and now party vice-chairman Bob Neill (pictured with me in Eynsford). I have known Bob for many years and he is a good friend to local democracy - his experience of local government is matched by few in Westminster. Many thanks to the team for coming down to campaign.

Further resurfacing update: Farningham completed, Crockenhill delayed

An amendment is needed for my previous post (10 April); resurfacing crews were not on the ground in Crockenhill in the latter part of last week, as became clear to me when I visited the site. It appears that the weather had produced further delays and so the works scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday did not take place.

More positively, the two resurfacing schemes in Farningham - White Post Hill and Beesfield Lane - have taken place (picture of Beesfield Lane attached). 

The two Farningham sites were scheduled for completion earlier in the week. However, because of the weather, they were not completed until Wednesday. The crews were then expected to move on to Stones Cross Road on Thursday (as per my previous post), but the weather deteriorated once more and so this work was put on hold, which is frustrating and disappointing. 

Clearly it is imperative that the Stones Cross Road project is completed as soon as possible, and the weather outlook is at least somewhat more encouraging. I will post again as soon as I have a new date for the works.

Stones Cross Road: update on resurfacing

Resurfacing work was due to start on Stones Cross Road today (see posts of 20 March and 4 April). The flooding problems that I wrote about last week have recurred and Kent Highways drainage engineers have been looking into the problem further.

It appears that the drain around which much of the flood water is concentrated runs off through pipes and chambers to a ditch beyond the lane that runs to the south west of Stones Cross Road. The pipes are relatively narrow and suffer from silting, which has been cleared and the water is reported to be flowing. In the longer term, there may be blockages at the ditch itself which may need to be addressed, but the works already undertaken should allow the resurfacing work to go ahead (which does not require the road to be absolutely dry, though it clearly could not have gone ahead with some of the flooding levels that we have seen recently).

The resurfacing work itself has been delayed slightly by the knock on effect of weather-related delays to other works, but I understand that a crew will be on site, perhaps this afternoon or more likely tomorrow morning.

Dates for Highways projects in Crockenhill

I have written before that the major safety project, paid for from my Member Highway Fund, at the junction of Main Road, Cray Road and Broadway in Crockenhill would go ahead in April. I now have some dates for different parts of the works.

The post for the Vehicle Activated Sign (on the Cray Road approach to the junction) should be installed in the next day or so. The sign itself will follow on 24 April. Installation of the high friction surfacing and granite setts should begin next week (on 8 April) and be complete by the following Monday, the 15th.

On a separate issue, the resurfacing of Stones Cross Road will go ahead as previously indicated on Wednesday and Thursday of next week (10 and 11 April). There has been some concern from local residents that flooding on parts of the road (pictured) would prevent the works or damage the new surface. I was out on site yesterday with a Kent Highways drainage specialist. Although the site of the flooding can easily be identified and records of where the various drains run off have been checked, a full investigation of the causes and best ways to resolved the flooding will take a little longer. In the meantime, however, a tanker will be on site tomorrow to clear away the water, enabling next week's works to go ahead while the search for a longer-term solution continues.

Flooding at the Mill

Local residents and the Parish Council raised with me concerns about water runoff at Millstone Mews in South Darenth. This has been going on since November.

I took the issue up with Kent Highways officers, who were already investigating the problem. They have identified the runoff as coming from a surface water pumping system which is the responsibility of Dartford Borough Council.

Kent Highways wrote to DBC on 8 March to ask that action be taken within 28 days. As of yesterday at least, the problem persisted. I will continue to monitor the issue to see that it is resolved quickly.

Horton Kirby Fire Station update

Around the turn of 2011-12, I campaigned along with many others in Horton Kirby and South Darenth against the proposal by Kent Fire & Rescue Service to close the Horton Kirby Fire Station. The Parish Council asked me to be their representative and set out the community's view at the meeting of the Kent and Medway Fire Authority at which the decision on a range of changes to fire stations across the county were discussed. Nonetheless, the Fire Authority voted to go ahead with all the changes, including the closure of the Horton Kirby station once a new station at New Ash Green was established.

I remain concerned that this plan is damaging to people in Horton Kirby, South Darenth and other northern areas of the Darent Valley division. However, the Fire & Rescue Service is bringing forward two measures which, if enacted, will hopefully have some mitigating effect.

The first is that coverage at Swanley - like Horton Kirby, a part-time station - is being enhanced with more part-time staff being recruited. (Dartford will, however, remain the nearest full-time station). For anyone interested in finding out more about being a part-time firefighter and the recruitment at Swanley, this link gives the details and includes a video.  

Secondly, the Fire & Rescue Service is rolling out an Automated Vehicle Location System (AVLS) - essentially a GPS tracking system so that the nearest vehicle out on the road can go straight to a fire or other incident, rather than a crew at a station having necessarily to be called into action. To a fair extent, this already happens through radio contact, but AVLS will make the process quicker and more reliable. This should also help response times.

It is clear that the Horton Kirby closure is going ahead. The new fire station on the borders of New Ash Green and Ash-cum-Ridley (to be known, I understand, as the latter) is expected to be completed later this year. This means that we could see the closure of Horton Kirby either before Christmas or early in 2014. 

My concern has been to confirm that any enhancement at Swanley and the introduction of AVLS (which is scheduled for spring 2014) should go ahead to mitigate as much as possible the impact of the closure on local residents. Having spoken to the Fire & Rescue Service, I am encouraged that this is the case.  

I continue to regret the closure of the Horton Kirby Fire Station. However, I hope that these two initiatives will help to maintain the safety of local people and will continue to monitor their operation.

Redmans Lane fly-tipping: case due in May

Fly-tipping remains a serious problem on many of Darent Valley's relatively remote country roads, and Redmans Lane has suffered more than most.

Two men are due to appear for a first hearing at Sevenoaks Magistrates Court on 14 May. They are charged with fly-tipping offences in Redmans Lane, as well as Chelsfield Lane, a site in Sundridge and a number of sites in the London Borough of Bromley.

The bringing of these charges follows extensive cooperation between Kent County Council and Bromley Borough Council.

Sevenoaks Grammar School satellite: partner announced

The campaign for a grammar school satellite in Sevenoaks has taken a further step forward. Kent County Council has announced this morning that it is working with Valley Invicta Academies Trust to establish a satellite of Invicta Grammar School in Sevenoaks. A proposal will be sent to Education Secretary Michael Gove by the start of next week.

KCC made clear earlier this year (see post of 9 January) that it favoured the former Wildernesse School site for a Sevenoaks grammar school satellite. Last week saw a lot of publicity - and concern on the part of supporters of the grammar school satellite - following a letter from Lord Nash, Under-Secretary in the Department of Education, indicating the government's apparent wish to allocate the site for the Trinity Free School. However, KCC made clear its commitment to the grammar school satellite being on the site once it is vacated by the Knole Academy, and the legal basis for the government's proposal was strongly disputed. (You can find a very balanced treatment of the story by the Chronicle here).

I have long favoured a grammar school satellite in Sevenoaks; last year I seconded the County Council motion supporting its establishment, and I have continud to campaign for it. The growing pressure on grammar school places in West Kent, which will only increase in the next few years, is a powerful argument for it. So are the long journeys that Sevenoaks children as young as eleven have to make each day. In the last week, many constituents have expressed their concern and their anger at the thought that the satellite might be stopped.

The announcement that a high-performing grammar school is committing to the Sevenoaks satellite is very good news indeed.

You can find a full account on the Sevenoaks Grammar School Campaign website here.

Resurfacing in Farningham and Crockenhill: new dates

Resurfacing work in Farningham (White Post Hill and Beesfield Lane) and in Crockenhill (Stones Cross Road) was scheduled for last week (see post of 10 March) but, unsurprisingly, fell victim to the severe weather.

We now have new dates for the work - subject once more to the weather, of course. These are:

Beesfield Lane - 8 and 9 April
White Post Hill - 9 and 10 April
Stones Cross Road - 10 and 11 April

This time, hopefully, the works will be able to proceed.

Rolling out broadband in Kent

With Bill Murphy of BT this morning

This morning - wearing my KCC Cabinet Member's rather than my Darent Valley hat - I was interviewed on Radio Kent about our agreement with BT to roll out broadband across Kent and Medway.

The agreement is under the auspices of a national programme run by the government agency Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK). The aim is to cover the roughly one-third of Kent and Medway properties that will not get access to decent broadband any time soon without some sort of financial intervention. KCC is putting in £10m, BDUK £9.87m and BT £19.6m. The target of the government programme is that, in any given area (such as Kent and Medway) around 90% of properties should get superfast broadband (defined as download speeds of 24mbps or faster) and that the remaining 10% - by definition the hardest and most expensive to reach properties - should have access to minimum download speeds of 2mbps.

Kent is among the first counties in the country to sign a BDUK agreement, and our deal is a little better than this. At least 91% of properties should get superfast broadband, and at least a further 4% should get access to quite high-speed fibre connections. The precise outcome has to await survey work.

The agreement is signed today. Survey work should start next, the first services should be available in 2014 and the project should be complete by the end of 2015.

This is an excellent outcome for our county, a step change in taking up the opportunities that broadband gives us - as businesses, families, communities and individuals. For new, growing and smaller businesses, especially in rural areas (and some 40% of Kent businesses are rural) it is absolutely essential. That we have got to where we are is a tribute to the 18,000 businesses and individuals who signed up to our Make Kent Quicker Campaign. It's also a tribute to some tremendous staff at KCC who have worked enormously hard through a long and complex process to make this happen. And it is, now, happening.

You can find KCC's press release and a related video here.

Kent Highways and the lessons from Monday

Like so many others, I was caught up in the severe disruption to the roads amid Monday evening's snowfall. A journey home from Maidstone that normally takes a little over half an hour took five and three quarter hours. At one point, as I was helping push the car in front of me up an incline, a man turned to me and said, "The council's going to get a lot of complaints tomorrow." I have to admit that I didn't rush to tell him that I was a County Councillor.

This evening, at the Sevenoaks Joint Transportation Board, Kent's Head of Highways, John Burr, reported and reflected on what happened on Monday. He did not say - though he could have done - that neighbouring counties such as Surrey and Sussex were just as badly affected, if not more so, and that the same could be said for the major routes operated by the Highways Agency. He was quite clear that what had happened wasn't acceptable. He emphasised that there was - and remains - no shortage of salt. The lorries had been out several times in the course of the day, and the approach which had been so successful a few weeks ago was repeated. So what happened?

High winds were part of the answer - quite a lot of salt was simply blown away.  The salt was also unable to take full effect on the relatively dry ice (once things started to thaw, it accelerated the dispersal of the ice and snow, but that was of no use to anyone on Monday night). The most intense snowfall came at and just before rush hour. Major routes such as the M2 were closed and traffic diverted onto other roads, and accidents also diverted traffic. (This was my experience: an accident led me to take the A25, not my usual route, and it was there that I spent most of the evening). In turn this made it harder for lorries to get through.

John Burr indicated that he will be leading a full review next week of what happened to see what improvements might be possible for the future. One possibility he raised relates to the point about the salt not really taking effect on the dry ice. It's not a case of complaining about "the wrong sort of snow", but rather of asking whether it would have been better - and might be better in future - to switch under these circumstances to use of sand and grit; not so focused on dissolving the snow, but rather on improving tyre grip.

Looking at the winter as a whole, Kent Highways delivered very well in responding to snowy conditions. On Monday night, despite the hard work of Highways officers, the service was less able to cope with what the weather threw at it, and residents and motorists had a difficult time as a result. There is clearly a strong will to see what can be learned from the experience with the aim of a better outcome next time.

Mirrors trial for George bend in Shoreham

Mirrors to warn of approaching traffic are to be proposed for the George bend in Church Street, Shoreham, on a trial basis. They will be paid for from my Member Highway Fund.

Last year saw extensive debate in Shoreham - including a public meeting in the village, which I chaired - on traffic issues. Opinion was deeply divided on proposals for yellow lines at several sites, and ultimately the Sevenoaks Joint Transportation Board voted to put in yellow lines at the corner of Crown Road and High Street (see post of 9 March) but not in other locations such as the George bend.

At around the same time Kent Highways reviewed its stance on the use of mirrors to help drivers and pedestrians see vehicles approaching round a corner. Highways had not previously been supportive of such mirrors, but changed its policy late last year. I have therefore proposed that mirrors be installed at the George bend as a way of helping tackle safety concerns through a means other than yellow lines.

The Parish Council is in favour of this proposal, while keen to see the details of how it works in practice. Kent Highways is therefore moving quickly to consult residents affected by the installation of the mirrors, and hopes to  go ahead soon. This would be for a six month trial period.

Resurfacing in Farningham and Crockenhill this week

Darent Valley is benefiting from three projects as part of KCC.s £6 million extra spending on road resurfacing across the County (see posts of 23 February and of 6 November last year): White Post Hill and Beesfield Lane in Farningham, and Stones Cross Road in Crockenhill. There has already been preliminary patching work done to prepare some of these sites for resurfacing, and the main work is now due to go ahead.

All three will be treated with two layers of micro-asphalt, which should improve the surface, increase skid resistance and keep water out. The finished surface will may look rough to start with, but should have a much smoother look after 4 to 6 weeks of bedding in.

The works on White Post Hill will take place on Wednesday 13 March for one day; the road closure will be between 1 and 6 PM to accommodate the surgery. Those on Beesfield Lane will also start on the 13th and will take 3 days. Stones Cross Road will start on Tuesday 12th and last for 2 days.

Shoreham: Crown Road yellow lines and other issues

I was unable to attend Shoreham Parish Council on Thursday evening since I was speaking at a KCC event elsewhere in the County that evening. However, I submitted a written report. Here are some of the key issues from it.

Regarding the yellow lines that were wrongly painted in standard Highways style on Crown Road (see post of 9 October last year), a Kent Highways officer has now visited the site to see how much impact the winter weather had on them. An order is now being raised for their removal and replacement by lines suitable for a conservation area, as had originally been agreed between the Parish Council, Kent Highways and me. This will be carried out in the near future; it should be done within 4 to 8 weeks.

Secondly, after some close cooperation between KCC and Bromley Borough Council, a fly-tipping case will be brought to court shortly; a date is due to be set next week. This relates to fly-tipping incidents in Redmans Lane and Chelsfield Lane, which have both been hot spots for this sort of illegal activity.   

Concerns have been raised about a large pothole in High Street, which reopened shortly after apparently being fixed. I took this up with Kent Highways, who told me that the previous work had always been intended to be a temporary solution, albeit that it had not been expected to reopen quite so quickly. The pothole has now had more lasting work carried out to fix it. As mentioned in my previous post (3 March), the County Council is now undertaking a 'Find and Fix' drive to tackle potholes. If you're concerned about particular potholes, please contact me; I will raise the issue with Kent Highways to ensure it is dealt with through this programme.

I have also taken up the issue of water leakage in the village (from High Street, leading into Church Street) with Kent Highways, who have identified it as a Thames Water matter and raised it with the company.

Finally, I have in recent weeks been dealing with the issue of potential seismic exploration work in the Darent Valley by Tesla Exploration on behalf of Northdown Energy. This is being treated as permitted development rather than something that requires planning permission; however, Kent County Council is ensuring that local Members have the opportunity to meet the company to discuss the details of the project, and I will be doing this. I have also asked that the Parish Council be contacted by the company and should have the opportunity to meet them to address local concerns.

£1.15 million pothole blitz

Kent's roads have taken a pounding from the severe winter weather, with many potholes appearing in recent weeks. However, an extra £1.15 million is being invested to tackle the problem. The 'Find and Fix 2013' programme follows on from similar initiatives in the last couple of years. The time taken to fix a pothole has nearly halved from 25 days in 2011 to 14 days last year.

Highways crews have already repaired some 2,000 potholes in the last four weeks. Now that winter is (hopefully) drawing to a close, the rate at which potholes are fixed will accelerate. You can find out the details of how to report a pothole here; alternatively, get in touch with me and I will ensure that Highways take the issue up.

Tree works go ahead in St George's Road

Work to reduce the height of trees in St George's Road Swanley went ahead today as promised (see post of 24 February). The work, paid for from my Member Highway Fund, is reducing the tree height by a third.

There was some anxiety and uncertainty about the works this morning since the note from Kent Highways to residents spoke of reducing the trees to a "manageable hedge". As a resident pointed out to me, this sounded more drastic than a one-third reduction. The option of a bigger reduction - of a half - to more of a hedge size was considered last summer but turned down when it became clear that this was bigger than most residents wanted. 

However, following some calls to Kent Highways and popping up to the site (see picture) to talk to the contractors, I confirmed that the reduction being carried out today was, as agreed, one third. Encouragingly, Kent Highways believe that they can sustain this through a scheme of management - hence the reference in the letter to residents. 

Protecting Broom Hill

I have been involved on a number of occasions with the long-running battle over the future of the Broom Hill site, and its impact on local people in Beechenlea Lane, London Road and other parts of Swanley. The site was taken out of Green Belt two decades ago for employment land, but so far attempts to intensify development on the site, and in particular to add significant residential development have been resisted.

Sevenoaks District Council did consider mixed use development for the site at the time of the council"s Supplementary Sites Allocation consultation last year. Many residents and local representatives (including me) wrote to the council at that time setting out the arguments against residential development, and the council concluded last autumn that the site should combine existing employment use with protected open space. Since the council's conclusions will not be formally established until later this year, the four applications for a variety of mixed use options brought forward by the developer ProVision look like an attempt to get planning permission before the policy is fully established.

I attended a meeting of Swanley Town Council, at which many local residents set out their concerns, on 7 February, and have since written to Sevenoaks to set out my reasons for opposing the schemes. Local residents are right to be concerned about the proposals, since they would encroach on one of the few remaining large open spaces in Swanley and increase traffic pressures in an already congested area. You can find my letter to the council here. 

Tree trimming in St George's Road due to start this week

Residents of St George's Road have been concerned about the scale of leaf fall from the row of trees in front of their homes, which causes a number of drainage problems. At the same time, the trees provide a screen from the London Road, so residents would certainly not like to see them cut down.

Before ...

Following a site visit last year, and several stages of consultation with residents, we agreed that the top third would be taken off the trees. This will be paid for from my Member Highway Fund and work is scheduled to begin this coming Wednesday, 27 February, lasting until the following Tuesday.  Other measures such as drain cleansing have also been taken.

... and after

Meanwhile, residents and local councillors have wanted to see a replacement for another tree which stands in front of the houses in St George's work but which died last year. A replacement, also paid for from my Member Highway Fund, has now been planted.

Stones Cross Road resurfacing in coming weeks

I have worked with Crockenhill Parish Council for Stones Cross Road to be a beneficiary of the £6 million that Kent Highways has set aside for resurfacing this year, and our bid was successful (post of 6 November last year).

As the photo taken today demonstrates, Kent Highways are already out in Stones Cross Road carrying out important patching-up repairs (including tackling erosion of the banks near the Parish Council offices) in advance of the main resurfacing work. This is due to take place in mid-March.

Action on road issues in Well Hill

In previous posts (on 24 August and 5 December last year) I have highlighted a number of road issues in Well Hill that I have been examining along with Highways officers. We should now see progress in tackling them.

Firstly, the area around the dip in the road in Well Hill (between the junctions with Firmingers Road and Parkgate Road) has been suffering from drainage problems and from potholes. The drainage problem will be addressed through cleaning out of the gully and of the gripways (essentially channels cut across the ground to help the water run off). The potholes will be repaired and further improvements made to the surface in the dip. All this will require a road closure; we do not yet have the date.

Secondly, there will also be a one day road closure on 25 March in Firmingers Road to cleanse a soakaway and tackle the severe flooding problems by the Nursery.

Finally, Highways officers have carried out a further examination of the long-standing water runoff problems on Rock Hill. Officers are now proposing to install a French drain (which is relatively wide and porous, to capture water coming from springs, which can and do move) towards the top of the hill. Further down the hill on the Bromley border side there is a problem with the drainage itself, which will be addressed by cleansing the drain.