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Town facing congestion dilemma


A HIGHWAYS strategy planner has warned that Maidstone town centre will go back- wards if nothing is done to reduce conges- tion.


KCC strategic planning officer Peter Rose-


vear has pinpointed the “genuine dilemma” facing Maidstone as it tries to avoid a head- on collision between economic growth and traffic congestion. Mr Rosevear spoke before councillors gave


their views on how transport needs should dovetail with an overall blueprint for the bor- ough until 2026 – the Core Strategy, which forecasts 10,080 new houses and 10,000 more jobs. He explained: “If we do nothing to address


the congestion problems, it seems likely that will be a detriment to the inward invest- ment the borough is looking for, to regenerate and reactivate the town centre. “The road network is already congested at


peak times. “Looking at a 15-year period of growth – as


the Core Strategy wishes to do – increased demand will inevitably put more strain on the highway network. “So the transport strategy is trying to work


outawayofdealingwiththatgrowthto make the town centre as accessible as possi- ble, and is effectively trying to restrict the growth of congestion but in away that allows business and people to go about their lives as well as possible.” But Mr Rosevear added: “The meas-


ures needed to improve accessibility and in- centives to businesses also have difficulties.” For example, he said,maintaining and im- proving Park and Ride services – the focus of a council study – would entail “quite a large capital bill and a continuing revenue subsidy


requirement”. Mr Rosevear added: “The bor- ough council is looking at the man- agementofits town centre car parks. That again is a diffi- cult issue. If you try to manage demand by manipulating the number of car park- ing spaces and the fees, that can also be seen as a detriment to inward investment. So it’s trying to create a balance between im- proving prosperity and allowing highway and transport networks to function as effec- tively as possible.” Outside the urban areas, Mr Rosevear said


the Core Strategy was aiming for 1,100-plus homes to be built in the five Rural Service Centres – Staplehurst, Marden, Headcorn, Lenham and Harrietsham. That raised issues relating to the effect and impact on villages, and how they maintain connections to Maid- stone to make the town as accessible as pos- sible, he added.


‘Tragedy of missed chances’


FORMER mayor Cllr Dan Daley described the transport strategy as a “breath of fresh air”. “It brings into focus things that we have talked about for a long time. “The tragedy of Maidstone town centre is


due to many lost opportunities in the last 20 to 30 years; so many things that could have been done have not been done.”


Rush-hour congestion on BishopsWay near Archbishops Palace Traffic management points


MAIDSTONE Joint Transport Board de- cided to send 18 comments to the bor- ough council about its draft Core Strategy, including:


Possible new cycle/pedestrian crossing over River Medway Transport interchange at Maidstone East is essential To consider widening St Peter’s Bridge To consider the River Medway as a transport option Cycle routes – quality of routes is more important than the quantity The need for developers to contribute towards the road infrastructure Housing development should tie in with existing and potential infrastruc- ture Ensure rail services are kept in the Rural Service Centres Campaign for higher speed internet connection for villages to reduce travel as more people could work from home.


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