Coping with snow - secondary routes to be treated tomorrow morning

With today's heavy snowfall, I have been contacted by constituents as to what is happening in terms of gritting.

Kent Highways divides up the network into primary routes (the main arteries that are a priority to keep open - the A225 through the centre of Darent Valley is a good example), secondary routes which get attention after that, and the rest. You can find a map of the gritting routes, and whether you live on a primary, secondary or other route, here

With the heavy and continuing snowfall through today, Kent Highways has been focused on keeping the primary routes open - though in places even this has been a struggle. (It is apparently a similar story on the motorways, which are the responsibility of the Highways Agency). As a result, secondary routes, which have had treatment in recent days, have not been touched today. This can be seen in my road, as the picture shows.

In the next few hours, this is likely to remain the case - the snow that has been falling through the day will not clear Kent until around midnight. However, Kent Highways tell me that they plan to work on the secondary routes before 6:30 tomorrow morning, hopefully improving them in time for the morning rush hour.

KCC confirms preferred site for Sevenoaks grammar annexes

Kent County Council has today confirmed that the former Wildernesse School site is its preferred option for two new grammar school annexes in Sevenoaks.

Last year, Sevenoaks parents Andrew and Sarah Shilling launched an e-petition urging KCC to establish new grammar school provision in the town. The e-petition quickly gathered 2,600 signatures and was debated at the County Council in March. A motion supporting the call for grammar school provision, which I seconded, was passed overwhelmingly.

Since that time, my colleague Mike Whiting (Cabinet Member for Education) and officers have been working hard to make this proposal a reality. Today's announcement is an important step and offers the prospect of relief to young people and families having to make the long journey to schools in Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells and elsewhere. And with rising numbers of children coming through primary schools, the pressure on secondary school places, and grammar school places in particular in West Kent will only increase.

For Darent Valley residents, this is likely to be of particular importance in the south and centre of the Division (such as Shoreham, Badgers Mount and Eynsford). Further north, many young people are more likely to go to the Dartford and Wilmington schools. Nonetheless, this is an important development for families across the Darent Valley.

You can find KCC's announcement here and an article in the Sevenoaks Chronicle here. Further announcements are likely in the coming weeks.

Make Dilnot happen by 2015 e-petition

Do you think that the amount families have to pay for adult social care should be capped at £35,000 per individual?

If so, you should sign the e-petition launched recently by Kent County Council leader Paul Carter on the 10 Downing Street website. It urges the government to implement the proposals of Andrew Dilnot's review of social care funding by 2015. Mr Dilnot's review - commissioned by the present government - set out plans for funding social care, with the £35,000 cap a key element. If adopted, it would reduce the horrendous costs and huge uncertainties that many families face over the costs of care in old age.

Governments of all parties have fudged this issue for many years. Kent County Council recently debated Dilnot and the e-petition follows on from that debate. I'm one of more than 400 people who have so far signed the petition; if you want to support it, you can sign it here. You can also find more details of KCC's view here.

Safety on the Dartford Road

Yesterday, accompanied by a Kent Highways officer, I met local residents concerned about speed and safety on the Dartford Road, in particular near the junction with Calfstock Lane (in Farningham) and in the area to the north of the junction with Franks Lane (in Horton Kirby). In both places - because of bends in the road - there are concerns about the dangers of turning onto the main road, where visibility is poor and cars can approach at high speeds.

In the longer run, there may be some scope for looking at speed limits, although changing limits can be tricky. It's very desirable to have police support in enforcing speed limits, and the police need to be convinced that the limit bears a realistic relationship to the speeds that drivers are likely to employ - in other words, that it should be to a significant extent 'self-enforcing'. More immediately, however, a lot can and will be be done to improve signage and hence drivers' awareness that they are approaching a turning. This will involve both some new signs on posts and adding to and improving the rather faded 'SLOW' signs in the road. Works should be undertaken once spring approaches and the weather improves.

£6,000 grant for Royal British Legion in South Darenth

In addition to or individual Member Community Grants, Sevenoaks County Councillors can allocate £40,000 each year to community capital projects in the Sevenoaks District - the Small Community Capital Grant.

This year the £40,000 pot was heavily over-subscribed, making for some difficult decisions for the seven Sevenoaks County Members. However, I am pleased that we were able to agree a £6,000 grant to the South Darenth and District Royal British Legion for improvements to their car park. The Legion has carried out an impressive amount of fund-raising on its own account, and this grant will provide an essential top-up to help the works to go ahead.

Details of new 411 route this week

As reported in my post of 20 November, Go-Coach with support from KCC is providing a replacement bus for the overcrowded 413 to Leigh Technology Academy. Pressures on this service have been a worry for families from Farningham, Horton Kirby and South Darenth. The new service will be running from the start of term in January.

The 411 will follow much of the 413's existing route, from White Post Corner up the A225 to the junction with Cedar Drive, and on to Leigh Technology Academy and ultimately the Longfield Academy. Go-Coach are handing out details on the bus this week. Hopefully the new term will be much easier on the young people travelling to school than this term has been.

Snow arrives, and with it problems on Rock Hill

With the first snowfall of winter, I have had calls from local residents about problems on Rock Hill in Well Hill. The road is treated as a secondary route in Kent Highways Winter Service Plan, which means that it is treated in periods of prolonged winter weather. Secondary routes were gritted on Monday night, and following a call to KHS I was able to confirm that gritters were going out on secondary routes this lunchtime. I understand that the gritter broke down on Rock Hill but that the work should be completed shortly.

There are particular problems on the side of the hill facing towards Bromley because of water runoff - something that we are once more working to resolve (see post of 24 August). In addition, at some points in the past, the Bromley side of the hill was missed off the gritting route, even though those who live there are still Kent residents and council tax payers. This is a point that I have taken up with KHS in the past, and they have confirmed that both sides of the hill are on the route.

However, today's problems were on the Shoreham as well as the Bromley-facing side of the hill. The arrival of the gritter should resolve the problems for new, but I will keep in contact with local residents to monitor problems and see if a Plan B is needed for this high and steep road.