Crockenhill junction project: some big steps forward

The project to enhance safety at the central junction in Crockenhill - where Cray Road, Main Road and Broadway meet - has proved complex and difficult to complete. Quite a lot of progress has been made, notably through the installation of high friction surfacing and an interactive sign. Extra and improved signs and lines have gone in on the hill coming down from Green Court Road into Broadway, along with safety fencing by the green. There has also been a speed and traffic survey in the area, and additional yellow lines are due to be painted.

The big difficulty, as I reported to the annual Parish meeting in the spring, concerns the installation of additional traffic calming and the road closures that this would entail. The Parish Council has long been concerned about the impact of road closures, especially on Green Court Road (which would entail long detours round Crockenhill and Swanley). However, since the annual Parish meeting, there has been a growing view within the village and the Parish Council that some closures are a price worth paying for better control of speeds within the village.

Following a site meeting and further discussions with the Parish Council, we now have a clear way forward. A 20 mph zone will be established in the approaches to the junction; Traffic Regulation Orders to implement this are under way, starting a three month process. I will pay (from my Combined Member Fund) for a series of small granite sets, which use a relatively quick-setting German technology to reduce the length of the road closure needed, that will act as a further reminder to drivers to slow as they approach the junction. The October half term looks to be a likely installation date.

The one outstanding issue is the possible addition of village gateway signs. This will be reviewed when we have a clear picture on the cost of the project that has been agreed, and whether this leaves anything over from what has already been committed in my Combined Member Fund.

Gateway signs for Badgers Mount

An important part of the safety measures proposed for Badgers Mount following a fatal accident in 2012 has been the installation of gateway signs in the Orpington by-pass and Old London Road. This finally took place earlier this month, paid for from my Combined Member Fund.

Much of the safety plan has now been delivered, such as the reduced speed limit on the Orpington by-pass. There are still elements to be followed up, notably the proposal for a footpath alongside the Orpington by-pass which has still to secure Local Transport Plan funding. And residents will quite righty be concerned by those who do not follow the new, lower speed limits. 

Nonetheless, this is a welcome step forward.

Eynsford works: the next test

Plans to ease the congestion around Anthony Roper Prinary School in Eynsford include proposals - which I would pay for from my Member Fund - to extend the yellow lines in the village and to create bays in the road outside Fernbank. These plans have been on the stocks for a long time, and I had hoped that by now we would have been out to consultation.

However, initial surveys threw up a potential problem of BT services being under the pavement; most critically, there might be a cable there. The cost of moving this could be prohibitive, raising questions about the whole scheme, at least in its current form.

Kent Highways (with BT representatives present) will drill some trial holes to test for what is under the pavement. These works will take place next Sunday, 7 June. Residents have been notified. Hopefully we should know soon if it is possible for the scheme to proceed.

Road closure for works in Daltons Road

Daltons Road in Crockenhill has had a series of problems of erosion of the edges of the road, leaving a potentially dangerous dip down into the neighbouring field.

Some time ago, I supported from my Member Fund the installation of some bollards in the worst affected area. Now another section of erosion has opened up. However, Kent Highways have responded quickly to the issue being raised by residents and by Crcokenhill Parish Council. I was able to tell the Parish Council late last week that works are due to take place starting tomorrow (19 May). This will require a road closure, which is likely to last for a couple of days.

Shoreham Village School goes straight to Good

OFSTED has published its report on its most recent visit to Shoreham Village School and it makes for very happy reading.

The school was previously inspected in November last year and found to be making progress towards the removal of Special Measures. It has now gone straight to a Good rating, bypassing entirely the Requires Improvement rating.

While it is not completely unheard of for a school to make such rapid progress while coming out of Special Measures, it is most unusual. The Ofsted visit started as a Section 8 monitoring exercise (which reviews the progress of a school in Special Measures) but morphed into a full inspection as it became apparent to Ofsted that Special Messures were no longer applicable.

The report is also comprehensively favourable, with a Good rating in all areas. This is a great tribute to pupils, staff and governors, and to the galvanising impact of Gillian Lovatt-Young as head teacher. Ofsted says that "her uncompromising drive to raise standards, coupled with good quality training and development for staff, has brought about rapid improvements in teaching and achievement."

As I mentioned before, I was very encouraged by all that I saw on my last visit to the school late last year - it is good to see that the school has made such remarkable progress, to the benefit not only of staff, children and families, but also of the village.

Losing the 403 bus

The 403 bus, run by Arriva as a commercial service (i.e. with no subsidy from KCC), ceased to run north of Sevenoaks at the end of last week (the more southerly Tunbridge Wells to Sevenoaks route will continue to run). This provided a service up to Swanley, Dartford and Bluewater for communities in the Darent Valley such as Shoreham and Eynsford. However, Arriva concluded that the more northerly part of the route was insufficiently used and was not viable.

The 421 Go Coach service, which is a KCC subsidised service, continues to run from Sevenoaks, up through Darent Valley communities such as Oftord (not part of my division, thought very much part of the Darent Valley), Shoreham, Eynsford and Farningham to Swanley - and of course back. However, this runs only four times a day each way, ceasing by the mid-afternoon.

The end of the 403 is a clear loss of service to residents. I have discussed with Kent Highways as to whether there are any options for enhacing the subsidised service, whether it is the 421 or looking again at the 478 (now being run by Nu Venture, who have just taken it on), which used to serve Eynsford but does not do so at present. There are no immediate obvious options; at its simplest, the subsidised bus budget is limited and will not be increasing any time soon, so what would be effectively an addition to subsidised services is not easy to support or fund. Nonetheless, I will continue to search for possible ways to tackle this new and unwelcome development. I will post an update if there is further news.

Farningham Hill and other works

There are several favourable developments to report around Eynsford and Farningham. 

In the last few days resurfacing work has been under way on the A20 at Farningham Hill. The works stretch from close to the roundabout at the M25 junction to near the junction with London Road. They are much-needed but represent a major commitment by Kent Highways; it was a significant achievement on the part of our local Highways team to secure this at a time of severe competition for limited resources. The works should conclude on Monday.

Secondly, Kent Highways have committed to following up last year's resurfacing in the High Street in Eynsford by tackling the problems further north between Eynsford and Farningham. This resurfacing work should take place in the late summer or early autumn.

Finally, patching will take place to tackle the serious potholes in Bower Lane from 4 May, requiring a road closure for up to six days. This should be followed by surface dressing in 2016.