Eynsford - village entry point

There have long been concerns about safety around the point where traffic enters Eynsford on the A225 from the south.  Traffic tends to be fast moving as it comes in from the open road, and bends make visibility poor.

With support from my Combined Member Fund, signage has been enhanced to warn drivers of pedestrians crossing, and a SLOW sign has been refreshed. There is more to do to refresh the high fruition surfacing that also acts as a reminder that drivers are entering a village; this is due to follow, but the existing works already represent a useful step forward.

Swanley Village - The Sign, at last

The long-running saga of the Swanley Village sign has finally come to an end - well, almost.

Some time ago I arranged, through my Combined Member Find, to have the Swanley Village sign, which had become alarmingly unstable, given a new base. The sign was taken down, though the work to set up the new base proved time-consuming as there were a number of changes of Highways staff dealing with the issue.

Eventually, however, around Christmas, the new traffic island, base and pole were installed. This has been well-received, and local residents have created flower beds on the island. But - the sign itself was not there, since it needed repainting.

Throughout, I have followed up with Kent Highways officers and, through them, our contractors, to urge that the job be completed and the sign installed. Over the weekend, it at last arrived. The sign looks good back in its place as the symbol of the village. However, one problem still remains - the pole is bare steel, while its predecessor was a painted a more elegant black. So a coat of paint will still be needed - and then perhaps the job will be truly complete.

Pothole blitz gets under way

Kent County Council's spring 'Find and Fix' campaign - otherwise known as the pothole blitz - is under way.

The campaign will be in two phases. This month some £500K, set aside by the County Council and using a network of local contractors, will be spent on the campaign. A further £1.96m will be spent after mid-May; this is money allocated from national government to local authorities.

The campaign will focus on the minor roads that often get much less of the funding available than do the more major routes. Despite the 'pothole blitz' terminology, much of the work will be patching over a wider area than a single pothole - but it should all contribute to improvement of the roads.

Initial activity will pick up problems that are already known, but where holes are not at the 'intervention level' that triggers immediate action by Kent Highways. In addition, residents and Parish Councils can use Kent Highways' usual fault reporting system.