Pilgrims Way East closure for works

Pilgrims Way East will be closed from 4 August for up to 14 days, between the junction of Shoreham Road and Row Dow. This is to install Phase 2 of the Otford Traffic Management scheme, which involves installing two tabletop ramps and extending the 20 mph zone through this section.

The diversion route will be via the A225, A25 and Childsbridge Lane.  

BSIP funding to support more travel for bus pass holders

As part of the initiatives taken under our Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP), Kent County Council is ensuring that older and disabled people are able to use their concessionary bus passes for longer over the summer. 

At present, holders of the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) pass are restricted to using it after 9:30 in the morning. This will be relaxed in August, enabling pass holders to use it up until 11PM Monday to Friday, and all day at weekends.

This is one of a number of KCC schemes using BSIP funds and working with operators to promote bus usage. Other recent initiatives include cheaper fares for bus travellers within Swale and going into Maidstone, free summer bus travel for families with children on Free School Meals and a price freeze for the Kent Travel Saver.

New nuclear: the case for Dungeness

I’m a bit behind with this, but on Monday the Minister for Nuclear and Networks Andrew Bowie visited Dungeness and we had a tremendous opportunity to set out the case for it as a site to generate nuclear power through Small Modular Reactors (SMRs).

Dungeness has produced nuclear energy for sixty years; the area has real skills and expertise, along with a culture of nuclear safety, built up over that long period. The site is currently set for closure and Dungeness B is in the long process of defuelling. However, the government’s renewed commitment to nuclear as a form of green energy, and the development of new approaches, notably SMRs, offers the prospect of generating nuclear power at Dungeness once more.

At KCC, we have been strongly committed to supporting Dungeness, both for its contribution to the UK’s energy transition, and for its importance to the life and economy of Romney Marsh. In this, we have worked closely with the local MP, Damian Collins, with Folkestone and Hythe District Council and other partners while building links with potential suppliers.

We met Minister Bowie at the conclusion of his visit to the Dungeness site and had the opportunity to set out the case for SMR generation here. The timing was especially good, given that the next day saw the launch of Great British Nuclear, the government body set up to drive nuclear energy development. A long way to go, but this was a very positive step in promoting a sustained future for energy generation and job opportunities in this part of Kent.