Improving Rights of Way

 One more positive development of the last few weeks …On 29 November Sevenoaks District Council’s CIL (Community Infrastructure Levy) Spending Board approved an application from KCC’s Public Rights of Way and Access Service for £209,000 in funding to improve nine key PROW routes in Otford, Kemsing, Swanley, West Kingsdown, Knockholt, Sevenoaks and Edenbridge.

The aim of the application was to deliver surface and signage improvements to ensure all year and all weather access. The routes supported include:

- SR49a, running from Kemsing (Dynes Road) to Otford Station; it’s long been a priority for residents and its importance, not least in serving the station, has been recognised by the PROW service (it was previously short listed, though ultimately unsuccessfully for a bid to national government for active travel funding)

- SR44 (between Shorehill Lane and Birchin Cross Road) and SR80 (running off Cotmans Ash Lane) in Kemsing both serve the North Downs Way

- SR54 in Otford serves the West of the Parish, providing a route from Rye Lane to the High Street, and hence to the primary school

CIL is a form of developer contribution, with the funds held by the District Council as local planning authority; the Board adjudicates bids for part of this funding. I discussed this bid with KCC officers and submitted an expression of support for the bid to get through the first round of assessment before it got to the Committee. At the Board meeting, KCC officers presented the case for the bid, along with Cllr Irene Roy (Otford and Shoreham District Councillor).

This is a very positive development, and I will update on progress of the schemes. You can find SDC’s media release about the outcomes of the CIL Spending Board here.

Renewing the footpath from Copse Bank

Tomorrow sees the start of the closure of Public Right of Way SU4/ SR165 in Seal, running from just off Childsbridge Lane (the closure starts by Ragstones) to the A25 opposite Trinity School and the Weald of Kent annex. This is for very welcome works to improve the footpath.

The improvement was agreed as a planning condition (condition 14) of the approval of the expansion of Trinity School. The Parish Council advocated strongly for this as a means of encouraging local students to take a safe route to walk or cycle to the schools on the former Wildernesse site, and I took this up at the time with KCC officers. It was proposed as part of the application in early 2019 that a £10,000 contribution be made for the improvement of SR165 - see paragraphs 46 and 52 of the report to the KCC Planning Applications Committee in January 2019). The steady addition of years of entry for Weald of Kent, and the subsequent confirmation of the establishment of an annex for Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys, have added to the case for it.

Delivery of this has taken some time - a key Memorandum of Understanding relating to this project is dated December 2018 - and I have, on behalf of the Parish Council, taken this up a number of times. It is now set to take place. The footpath is closed from tomorrow for up to 21 days.

SD341 resolution

This time I held off writing anything about the Network Rail works to replace the railway bridge near Crockenhill that has been closed, shutting off access to public footpath SD341, since October 2017. I had twice - in March and in June - eagerly anticipated weekend works that would replace the bridge, only for this to be confounded by bad weather.

So I didn't rush to the keyboard when I heard that the works were due to take place on Sunday 15 September, and for whatever reason this time the weather was benign and the works went ahead.  Once some brickwork is completed, the path should reopen around 7 October.

SD341: delayed again

Once again, my most recent post on the replacement of the railway bridge crossed by SD341, and the consequent reopening of SD341, proved premature.

This time we got as far as Network Rail and its contractors having the new bridge in place and the railway line closed with bus replacement services in operation. However, as in March, the winds were too high, installation did not proceed and on Monday the replacement bridge was driven away. I understand that the next attempt is likely to be in September, and will post again once I know more.

A dispiriting turn in this long-running saga.

SD341: bridge replacement works due to start

Network Rail's replacement of its bridge in Crockenhill, postponed from March, now looks set to get under way.

Network Rail have permits in place for today and tomorrow for vegetation clearance. Waiting restrictions will apply in Green Court Road and Stones Cross Road from 7am tomorrow (Friday 14 June) until 6am on Monday (17 June) to keep the roads clear.   This will allow heavy vehicles, lifting equipment and bridge sections to get to the site).  

The bridge should be replaced over the weekend. It, and with it public footpath SD341, should be open from 24 June.

SD 341: delay at the last moment

As I reported in January, Network Rail had committed to installing a new railway bridge section to replace the unsafe bridge crossed by Right of Way SD341 in Crockenhill in March.

Preparations were advanced for this to take place early tomorrow (Sunday 17 March), with notices going out to residents in Green Court Road asking them to avoid parking that would block the very large lorry bringing the bridge section.

Yesterday, however, Network Rail's contractors had to take the decision to postpone the installation because of a forecast continuation of the high winds. This will result in a 13 week delay, from the anticipated Week 51 of the current financial year to Week 12 of the new financial year, which will take us to mid-June (around the time that the current closure of the path is due to end).

The delay is very disappointing, but hopefully the issue will be resolved in the summer; it has certainly been a problem, especially for walkers, for more than long enough.

SD341: hope for an end to the closure

Public footpath SD341, which runs north-west from Stones Cross Road in Crockenhill, has been closed at the railway bridge since October 2017, as a result of Network Rail concluding that the bridge was unsafe. This has been a cause of mounting concern to residents, not least when the closure has been extended twice, the second ending last week (11 January).

I have taken up these concerns, working with both KCC Rights of Way officers and with Sir Michael Fallon MP, who has raised questions in Parliament with the Transport Secretary.

Just before Christmas (23 December), the bridge itself was removed by Network Rail contractors. This added to the concerns, but on investigation it appears that replacement of the bridge is scheduled for week 51 of the financial year (17 March). Once the works have been completed, the footpath should be able to reopen, probably around the end of March. In that case, the full extent of the new closure (running from 11 January until 21 June) should not be needed.

Rights of Way Improvement Plan

KCC is responsible for the management and maintenance of some 6,900km of Public Rights of Way across the County, with its huge potential for enjoyment of the countryside, support for healthy living and journeys by walking or (in many cases) cycling.

The Council is required by law to produce a Rights of Way Improvement Plan every ten years; the last such plan, for 2007-17, delivered significant improvements to the network.

Now the Council is consulting on its 2018-28 plan, focusing on a range of issues including the shape of the network, maintenance and improvements and means of ensuring high public awareness. The consultation began on 20 June and runs until 12 September. You can find it, along with a range of related materials, here and can complete an online questionnaire.

If you wish to request hard copies or alternative formats of any consultation materials, you can email alternativeformats@kent.gov.uk or call 03000 421553 (text relay service number 18001 03000 421553).