Childsbridge Lane works: latest

A further update on the Childsbridge Lane works. It was intended to finish them today. However, a JCB was apparently stolen from the site, delaying the start of works and so they are not yet complete.

There will be no works - and the road will be open - tomorrow, because the crew are scheduled (in line with the original plan) to be working elsewhere. There will therefore be a further closure on Thursday and Friday (it is not yet clear whether the whole day will be needed on Friday, but it seems highly likely that not everything can be completed on Thursday). The hours of closure should be as before, 0900 to 1630.

That’s the picture as I had it from Kent Highways officers a little earlier this afternoon; if this changes at all I will post again.

Budget consultation and Cabinet report: the pressure is on

There’s just over a week to go to take part in KCC’s budget consultation, which closes on 6 September. We are currently developing our budget plans for the next financial year (2024-25) and the consultation is central to that. 

At the same time, there are significant financial pressures in year (2023-24). A report to our Cabinet meeting on 17 August set out a projected overspend (before any corective management action) of £43.7m. The main pressures are to be seen in adult social care (including the effects of hospital discharge on demand for costly short term beds), SEND transport and the rising cost of placements in children’s services. Management action - notably in adult social care and financing costs - narrows the projected gap by £17m, but there is still a lot to be done.

By a further Cabinet meeting (5 October) further detailed measures to close the in year gap will be brought forward, along with a longer-term plan (Securing Kent’s Future) to address the underlying pressures. Many if not all of these pressures are to be found across much of local government, which is reflected in the increasing number of councils reporting severe financial distress. We are therefore both analysing which areas of pressure are distinct to Kent, and what actions we need to take; the pressure to act is the more intense because our historic levels of reserves are at the lower end of the range for County Councils.

The Cabinet report, which sets out in some detail the budget pressures and our response, can be found here .

SEND schools for Swanley and Whitstable

Some excellent news for the delivery of SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disability) education in Kent. The Education Secretary has approved two special Free Schools, in Swanley and Whitstable. 

Both will serve children with Profound, Severe and Complex Needs. They formed part of our Safety Valve agreement with the DfE late last year, which aims to put SEND education in the County on a financially sustainable basis. They will also make an important contribution to meeting need and improving SEND services in the County.

You can find the KCC media release here.

Childsbridge Lane closure for road patching

KCC will be carrying out carriageway patching (road repairs) in Childsbridge Lane, resulting in a road closure. 

The road will be closed from Friday 25 August for up to four days, excluding the weekend. The closure will run from School Lane to the railway bridge, and the official diversion route is via A25 High Street in Seal, A225, Pilgrims Way East/ Pilgrims Way and into Childsbridge Lane (or vice versa if coming from Kemsing or any point north of the closure). 

An additional day for Pilgrims Way East works

I’ve had an update on the Pilgrims Way East road closure from the Kent Highways officer overseeing the project; he just came back to me after being on site today. 

The Kent Highways officer has raised concerns with the subcontractors about the height of the raised table at Row Dow. He has requested that the site does not open until this has been addressed. The contractors have secured a one day extension to the road closure to complete these works. 

I took a look earlier in the evening, and vehicles are passing through the Row Dow ramp. However, the intention is for the closure to be in place for another day; so tomorrow (Tuesday) should be the final day. I will relay any updates I get from Kent Highways, who will be on site to oversee this.

Going back a bit, the question as to why the Row Dow table works were started before Tudor Drive was complete: the contractors assessed that this was more time efficient, though as said previously, the original schedule was to carry out the two separately and sequentially.

Kent Highways, as the highways authority, are overseeing the works, but as I reported at the start, this is Phase 2 of the Otford Traffic Management Scheme rather than a stand alone KCC project. I hope it’s nonetheless helpful to provide updates.

Pilgrims Way East: last stage of the works

 Here’s the latest, as I understand it, of the final stages of the works in Pilgrims Way East. 

The works are due to finish by the end of Monday (21 August), and the crews will be working over the weekend to ensure that the deadline is hit. The programme is to complete patching and surfacing tomorrow, post and sign installation on Sunday and lining works on Monday. During this time, access will be maintained but both sections of the road will be closed - not of course at the same time, but unfortunately I can’t confirm which section of the road will be open or closed at a specific time. This will depend on the workload and progression of the works. 

The advice for residents is to follow the signed diversion and leave additional time to travel, which is clearly a significant inconvenience. It should, however, be concluded by the end of Monday.