Franks Lane bridge vandalised again

For a second time, repairs to the bridge in Franks Lane have been subject to vandalism. Following the severe damage done before Christmas, this week’s works were found to be vandalised last night (thanks again to Cllr Alan White for this picture). 

There is a significant history of vandalism on this site, but this is especially sickening. I have spoken to the KCC Structures team who have been working on this, and KCC, SDC, Police and other relevant bodies will need to come together to find a lasting resolution to this.

Franks Lane repairs

Kent Highways have notified an urgent road closure on Franks Lane, starting tomorrow for 2 days. The road will be closed at the bridge between 9:30 AM and 3 PM each day. 

This is to enable the brick parapet, damaged by vandalism shortly before Christmas, to be rebuilt and matches the timetable I was told at the time. At present, I have not heard that the works will be affected by the current severe weather, but will of course post again if that changes.

Franks Lane bridge works vandalised

Many Horton Kirby residents will have seen that the works on the Franks Lane bridge, running through the week commencing 16 December, have been vandalised. This took place on Thursday, and as the picture shows (photo credit: Councillor Alan White) the new brick work has been pushed into the river.

This is the most dismal and appalling vandalism, and comes when the works were heading to completion. I have been in contact with Kent Highways officers, and contractors were due to attend and assess the damage on Friday. I was told that they plan to return during the week beginning 6 January, provided that the materials needed for the works are available. I will update when I know more.

Franks Lane: closure for bridge repairs next week

Repairs will take place to the Franks Lane bridge in Horton Kirby at the start of next week. 

KCC officers attended the bridge on 29 November to inspect the damage (a large part of the parapet wall knocked into the river, more damage to the remaining part) and make plans for repair. 

The road will be closed (9:30 to 3:30) for up to five days starting Monday 16 December. Officers are hoping to maintain pedestrian access when it is safe to do so during this period. While repairs are carried out, new signage warning of narrow bridge ahead will be installed directly on to the brickwork of the parapet.

Remembrance in Horton Kirby

 

With a large number of parishes in my Division, it makes sense to attend a different one for Remembrance Sunday service each year. Last year it was Kemsing, Crockenhill before that, Otford in 2021 (and going back further, Eynsford). This morning it was a fine service at St Mary’s Horton Kirby this morning. 100 names read out who fell serving this country. I was proud to join this and lay a wreath on behalf of KCC

Vital safety works to start on the A20

As many residents have seen from the Start of Works Notice (SOWN) issued a couple of weeks ago, KCC/ Kent Highways will be carrying out significant works to enhance safety on the A20 near Farningham, starting on 4 November.

 The central feature of the works is to install a system of average speed cameras in the area of the 40mph zone to the east (West Kingsdown facing side) of Kings roundabout. This follows extensive work and analysis of the factors behind the serious and fatal accidents that have taken place on this stretch of road. Driver error (often not on the part of those who were the victims of the crashes) was a common feature, but speed made the effects much more severe. This is the logic of the average speed camera installation, and is in accordance with the thinking behind KCC’s Vision Zero Strategy – that you can never fully eliminate driver error, but you can take measures to reduce and mitigate its effects.

In addition, KCC will be installing 40 mph roundels on that stretch of road, countdown markers on the approach to the 40mph gateway, just north of Charton Manor, and will enhance the current high friction surfacing at the A20 main Road junction with the A225 Eynsford Road with a higher skid resistant asphalt surface. The countdown markers, which originated in discussions that I held between Kent Highways and the Parish Council, are an unusual step, and required some discussion with the Department for Transport.

I have been asked why these measures have not been applied on the Swanley-facing side of the roundabout where there is a lot of concern about speeds as vehicles head towards Swanley. However, this would not be possible under the criteria for cameras of the Kent & Medway Safety Camera Partnership (which themselves reflect national guidance). We are, however, looking to signage options that will help to address this.

In recognition of continuing concern over illegal right turns at the Eynsford Road/ A20 junction, Kent Highways will also be enhancing the signs and lines at the Eynsford Road junction to emphasise the existing No Right Turn restriction in place. It is important that these measures are demonstrated to have been tried before any other measures to enforce the restriction are attempted; but the situation will be monitored and if justified those further measures could be introduced.

The work will take around two weeks to complete, commencing on 4 November 2024 (next Monday), with the signing and vegetation cut back taking place between the hours of 09:30 and 15:00.

Installation of the average speed cameras will take around four days to complete, commencing on 5 November 2024, between the hours of 20:00 and 05:00.

Lining and high friction surfacing replacement will take place between the hours of 20:00 and 05:00 during the week commencing 11 November.

All this is subject to potential change depending on weather conditions, and the works will be carried out under multi-way traffic lights.

This should represent an important step forward in terms of road safety in an area with a long and tragic record of accidents; and many of the other issues in the area will remain under Kent Highways’ attention, and mine as the local Member. The work does not stop here. 

Pedham Place and the Sevenoaks Local Plan

Yesterday I submitted my response to Sevenoaks District Council’s Regulation 18 consultation on the Local Plan (Plan 2040). This is copied below; it sets out my concerns about Options 2 and 3 put forward by the Council, both of which incorporate development proposals for 2,500 houses at Pedham Place. The implications of this for Sevenoaks North and Darent Valley, and for the northern parishes of Crockenhill, Eynsford, Farningham and Horton Kirby and South Darenth in particular are very concerning. The proposals for the Wasps stadium in the same area create a still more serious cumulative impact.

New bollards (and replacements) for Lombard Street

Ten days ago, Kent County Council installed twenty nine new wooden bollards in Lombard Street, running up the hill from the end of the existing black and white bollards. The verge, which had been damaged by vehicles, has also been made safe. 

These works fill in a significant gap which was resulting in damage to the verge. Residents’ other concern has been the bad effect on local amenity of the black and white posts that had already been installed. The local Kent Highways team has succeeded in finding scope within its very limited budgets to first install the black and white bollards, and now to replace them with wooden bollards. An order has been placed and the replacement by the new bollards should take place before the end of the year.

KCC has limited direct involvement in the issues on and around the Oakview Stud Farm, though we work with other key partners such as the District and Parish Councils to help address them. The highway consequences of activity in the area are, however, our direct responsibility and we continue to address those.

Lombard Street measures

As in my previous post in mid-November regarding the situation in Lombard Street and in particular around the stud farm, a number of measures are being brought forward to attempt to address it. Not all the issues are within KCC’s remit, but those relating to the highway are. 

I outlined then plans to install black and white posts to provide immediate protection for the verges for some 70 metres from Reynolds Place Cottages, and for the longer term for a consultation on yellow lines on the eastern (stud farm) side of the road up to the junction with Rays Hill. 

The black and white bollards were installed some weeks ago. So far - as we feared might be the case - much of the effect has been to divert parking to elsewhere in the road, and so KCC plans to order more bollards (to go in towards the Mussenden Lane/ Rays Hill end of the road, which is narrower) to be installed, hopefully, towards the end of January.

Meanwhile, consultation on yellow line proposals will begin very early in the New Year, giving  all local residents the chance to set out their views.

Lombard Street parking: markers to be installed from Monday

Works are about to get under way in the first stage of efforts to address the parking problems in Lombard Street, Horton Kirby, near the former Oakview Stud Farm.

The Parish Council and KCC (represented by Kent Highways officers and me as local Member) have sought to address the problem and have discussed various ways of providing some improvements to improve the traffic flows and protect the largest area of highway verge. These measures involve the installation of black and white marker posts in the verge, 450mm back from the edge of the road from Reynolds Place Cottages for a distance of 70m, to prevent verge parking. 

The installation of the markers will start on this coming Monday, 22 November. 

Longer-term plans are for the provision of several sections of double yellow lines on the eastern side of the road, alongside the footway from opposite Reynolds Farm Cottages to the junction with Rays Hill. These sections of double yellow lines would only be short and would be located so that they can be used to allow vehicles to pass each other. Such a scheme will, however, Require full public consultation and the preparation of traffic regulation orders, which must be advertised. This process may take some six to nine months to be completed.

For the still longer term, discussions (involving Sevenoaks District Council’s planning department) are under way as to possible provision of parking in the area. In the meantime, however, these more immediate measures are under way.

Franks Lane: finishing the job

Following the closure of Franks Lane, Horton Kirby, for resurfacing and carriageway markings (now carried out) on 9 and 10 April, there will be a further closure (for up to three days) from this Wednesday, 14 April. 

Once more, this will be a closure of the entire road and is to enable replacement and enhancement of signage for the bridge, as described in my post of last week.

Franks Lane works to start on Friday

Kent Highways will start resurfacing work in Franks Lane, Horton Kirby, on Friday (9 April); this is expected to take two days, requiring a road closure. Works will take place between 7am and 7pm. The entire road, from the junction with the A225 to Eglantine Lane, will be treated with micro asphalt, a quick setting method suitable for roads which are structurally solid but have quite a lot of surface wear.

These works will provide the opportunity to undertake road marking improvements, part of measures to improve clarity and visibility for drivers approaching the bridge, with consequent benefits for pedestrians too. These will comprise additional and some refreshed SLOW markings, along with edge of carriageway markings. 

At a later date - probably in the second half of April - road signage will be added, indicating road narrowing and pedestrians in the road. The existing chevrons - which have frequently been removed, and which the Parish Council has long raised as a concern with me - will be taken down and signs indicating a bridge parapet will be placed on new posts in the verge in front of the bridge. They should be much more durable.

It had originally been hoped that all the works could be done in one go and with one road closure; in practice, it wasn’t possible to dovetail them all, but hopefully we should see significant improvements to Franks Lane, in terms both of the road surface and of the approach to the bridge, by the end of the month.

Kent Highways is also, at the request of the Parish Council, carrying out some repairs to the footway at the entrance to Heathside Park in Horton Road, South Darenth. These should be carried out on Thursday 8 April.

Reduced speed limits in Farningham and Horton Kirby

I have written before about the troubling crash history on the A20 as it passes through the edges of Farningham. A particularly horrific accident some eighteen months ago, resulting in the deaths of two young men, has since been demonstrated in the courts to be the result of driver behaviour (not that of the two young victims). However, as a continuous fast stretch of road, this section of the A20 is clearly susceptible to more serious crashes, resulting in deaths and serious injuries.

I have worked on this issue with Kent Highways officers and Farningham Parish Council, which has rightly been concerned. Kent Highways brought forward in August draft Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) to address the issue. The philosophy has been to focus speed reductions in the area in which drivers are clearly approaching parts of the village, coming from the open road into a more residential area. Thus the speed limit will be reduced from 60mph to 40mph along the A20 Main Road/ Gorse Hill from the junction with London Road up to some 290 metres south-east of the junction with Eglantine Lane.

Similar reductions will apply on the A225 Dartford Road, which covers some of the northerly parts of Franingham (up to Calfstock Lane) and then becomes part of Horton Kirby. Speed along this road has also long been a concern to residents, and I have in the past worked with Kent Highways and local residents on signage improvements and the like. This, however, should be a more substantive measure. The new limit will apply the length of the road from the A20 roundabout to the border where Horton Kirby meets Sutton at Hone (which is the start of a 30mph zone).

Both sets of speed limits will be reinforced with a series of back to back repeater signs. There have been no objections to the draft TROs and so all is set to move ahead. The provisional date for implementation is 15 October, with a reserve date of a week later. This should be very welcome news.

Buses for Wilmington schools

In the last fortnight or so, constituents have been raising concerns with me over the prospects for children travelling to school in Wilmington (to the Boys' and Girls' Grammar Schools, and to the Academy) from September.

The immediate cause for concern has been the cessation of the Number 2 bus service run by West Kent buses. This is not related to any decision by KCC regarding subsidy; the 2 was always a purely commercial service.

I understand that there are a very small number of children in Otford who are affected, and for whom a rail and bus journey will regrettably be needed. For children travelling in from Eysnford and Farningham, Go Coach has rerouted its 429 service, which should provide cover. There are some quite significant changes in timing from the 2 service, and some specific concerns about those at the end of the school day. I am investigating whether any changes are possible.

There is a bigger problem for children travelling in from Horton Kirby and South Darenth (as well as Sutton at Hone, just outside my Division). Here the alternative option is the Arriva 414 bus, which has been a cause of significant concern and complaint because of lateness, sme lack of driver knowledge and overcrowding. The school journey from north of Farningham to Wilmington will add another twenty or so children to the service.

I have also taken this matter up with Kent Highways officers (and had discussed the 414 with Arriva previously). Arriva have been making some efforts to invest in the route, but the outlook for September remains uncertain. We will be watching very closely and will seek to respond to concerns if and when they arise.

Keep Kent Clean

The Great British Spring Clean - a national effort to clean and tidy up the country, hopefully set to become an annual event - is due to take place this weekend. Over the last few weeks, Kent County Council has been promoting the Keep Kent Clean initiative, designed to support the Great British Spring Clean but also to run throughout the entire month of March.

The County Council, working with District and Parish Councils and through community wardens and its other officers, is undertaking its own cleanup and is encouraging others to get involved. KCC's work will include vegetation clearance, refreshing of white lines, litter picks in areas such as country parks (of which more in a minute) and cleaning of road signs.

The County Council is also pressing for details from Highways England as to the work they will be undertaking concerning the condition of their verges (which are a significant concern, and are an issue that constituents have raised with me).

You can find out more about Keep Kent Clean from this Facebook page, which includes a video with KCC Leader Paul Carter.

Events in Darent Valley over the weekend include litter picks in Swanley, in Horton Kirby and South Darenth (starting from the village hall) at 11 on Sunday, and in Lullingstone Country Park on Saturday morning at 10 - I'm planning to be at the Lullingstone pick.

More encouraging news from local schools

In the latter part of last year, I visited six of the seven schools (all primary schools) in Darent Valley. At that time, High Firs had recently improved its Ofsted rating from 'Requires Improvement' to 'Good', while just before Christmas Shoreham Village School (which fell into Special Measures in late 2013) had a remarkably encouraging Ofsted monitoring report.

I also expressed the hope that Horton Kirby was on its way to achieving a 'Good' rating in its next Ofsted inspection. That inspection took place last month, and the school was indeed rated 'Good', with a strongly favourable Ofsted report. Congratulations are due to head teacher Glenn Pollard, governors, staff and pupils for a great result.

I recently visited the one local school that I had missed out in the autumn, St. Paul's Church of England Primary School in Swanley Village. The school, previously rated 'Good', fell to 'Requires Improvement' early last year and was under interim leadership last autumn. The new head, Anne Costidell, arrived at the start of the New Year; we met briefly at a KCC event to welcome new head teachers when she was days into the role, but it clearly made sense to leave a full visit until a little later. That took place at the end of last week, and both my conversation with the head and a tour of lively and bustling classrooms left me with a very favourable impression. There is good reason to believe that, in this local school too, we are seeing real progress. 

Road issues in Horton Kirby and South Darenth

I recently joined a meeting of the Parish Council, District Council, Kent Highways officers, The Mill management company and others to discuss a range of traffic and highways problems in Horton Kirby and South Darenth.

In addition to the parking issues discussed and picked up by Sevenoaks District Council, we also addressed the continuing and problematic presence of HGVs in parts of the village; on this I undertook to check on the ongoing work that KCC does with the SatNav companies, as well as looking into 'Not Suitable for HGV' signs.

Kent Highways has undertaken to remove the unwanted rumble strip outside Gifford Cottages. There is also a wish to replace the temporary bollards there with something more permanent. I am looking into the possibility of covering that - possibly co-financed with others - from my Combined Member Fund.

Finally, we are looking again at speed surveys, notably on Dartford Road (for which there has been a petition to reduce the speed limit) as well as reviewing the results of past surveys that I paid for from my (then) Member Highway Fund.

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.

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

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.