Road to stay closed Cash carrot to keep roads clear
KNIGHTRIDER Street in Maid- stone is to remain closed until October in a bid to ease traffic flows through the town. Southern Gas Networks have
now moved their gas main re- placement project into Lower Stone Street but, in a change to the original plan, have decided to keep Knightrider Street closed. John Adsley, team manager for Southern Gas Networks, said: “Extension of the closure will allow traffic lights at Lower Stone Street and Mill Street to give pri- ority to through traffic. We will add signage to reinforce themes- sage that businesses in Knightrider Street are open as usual.” The company also intends to address the problem of traffic using Campbell Road instead of thediversion route. The old metal gasmains in the Stone Street area are being replaced with modern
plastic polyethylene pipe in a £350,000 project designed to en- sure a continued safe and reliable gas supply to the local area.Work is currently on schedule. The junction of Romney Place
and Lower Stone Street, will start on August 13 for approximately six weeks. Traffic, including buses, will be diverted via Mote Road and Padsole Lane and part of PalaceAvenue will be reduced to one lane on the approach to the works. MrAdsley said: “Iwould like to apologise for any inconvenience that may be caused by our work. We understand that people can get frustrated by road works; however, thenewplastic pipe has a minimum lifespan of 80 years. This means thatwhen the work is complete,peoplewill continue to enjoy the benefits of a safe and re- liable gas supply for years to come.
A SCHEME to ensure roadworks are completed in the fastest pos- sible time is being piloted by KCC, following the gas works upheaval in Maidstone town centre.
The council wants to dangle a
cash incentive in front of contrac- tors to make sure the time and scale of future works are kept to an absolute minimum.
Under proposals put forward in
the Kent Lane Rental Scheme, charges would apply at certain times of day and, when appropri- ate, to tourist areas or school-sen- sitive routes at certain times of year.
The suggestion is for road clo-
sures to be charged at up to £2,000 a day, with lane closures costing between £300 and £800, depending on the level of disrup- tion and disturbance caused and their location.
Kent already uses the latest leg- islation, with its Kent Permit
EX-GB and Englandhockey inter- national, CathyGilliat-Smith, for- mally opened the Maidstone Hockey House, bringing alongher Commonwealth Games Bronze medal to show the crowds. Cathy met with a whole host of hockey lovers to start the Olympic ball rolling by formally declaring the Hockey House open, afterwhich they viewed the GB ladies versus Japan match on the big screen. The clubhouse was decorated
A tale of two Olympic torches
THEOlympicsmight be over–but forMaidstone Rotarianandcharity fundraiser Clive Bradburn, it’s still acaseof“game on”! Clive, who was fortunate to
be chosen as one of this year’s Olympic torchbearers, bought his torch after the event and is now using it to help raise funds for charity. As a trustee for the Maidstone Leisure Trust, operators of Maidstone Leisure Centre, he felt it fitting to start at the leisure centre, where members of the public were able to have their photos taken with the torch. Not only that, he also arranged for a torch from 1948 – the last time the games were held in London – to be there at the same time. The 64-year-old torch belongs
to one of Clive’s friends Tony Bentley, whose father was the First Lieutenant on HMS Bices- ter, which brought the torch to
28 Town
Dover after it travelled across Europe in the aftermath of the SecondWorldWar. Lieutenant Bentley was nom- inated to be the torchbearer when it landed. Among those to have their
photo taken was Maidstone Leisure Centre Aquatics man- ager Alex Carty and, in just two hours, the event raised £122 for Maidstone Riverside Rotary Club.
Clive said: “The Torch Relay
was a great success and demon- strated that the London Olympics were for the public as well as for the competitors who were taking part. In times of austerity, it brought communi- ties and the country together. "We had a long queue of visi-
tors waiting to have their photo taken. The enthusiastic re- sponse showed the great inter- est that the local community in Maidstone had for the Olympics.”
FIVE times Tour de France win- ner Eddy Merckx stopped off in Maidstone last month, leading a group of riders from Belgium to London in the build-up to the Olympics. The Belgian cyclist, widely considered one of the world’s greatest ever cyclists, stopped off with his group at the Town Hall, where they were met by the mayor, Cllr Rodd Nelson-Gracie.
The group, who had been stay
ing at the Mercure Great Danes Hotel, near Hollingbourne, then carried on to Belgium House in London, which was hosting an event called Belgian Cycling Par- adise for the duration of the Lon don 2012 games, where athletes and sports fans could enjoy al the Olympic action and enjoy Belgian hospitality including beer, frites and waffles.
You can e-mail the Downs Mail —
info@downsmail.co.uk
in bunting, with a giant inflatable stick and ball. Maidstone Hockey Club is the eighth oldest in the country, established in 1878, and runs four ladies’ teams, seven mens’ teams and eight junior teams. There are 150 adults and 80 junior members. The club has “ClubsFirst” ac- creditation – which recognises
Scheme, to co-ordinate roadworks and reduce inconvenience and de- lays.
However, even with such sys-
tems in place, the gas main re- placement in Maidstone town centre is predicted to take the best part of a year, impacting both ontraffic flowsandbusinessecon- omy in the area.
Kent is the first county to move
forward with the lane rental incen- tive. Roadworks and enforcement officer David Latham told the town’s Joint Transportation Board: “The gas main currently being re- placed supplies a large part of Maidstone. If it failed and had to be shut down, it would affect a large part of the town.”
The closure of KnightriderStreet
had helped improve the traffic flows through the town, he con- ceded, but said a permanent clo- surewouldhaveanegativeimpact on trade.
Town hosts hockey house
that the club has a safe and child friendly environment for devel oping young players. It is engaged with two forma Sports Schools-Clubs partner ships – StAugustine’s Academy and Swadelands schools – and works with local primary schools. The club is run entirely by vol unteers and new members are al wayswelcome.
Cycling star Merckx drops in
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