Road weight limit is ‘not working’


RESIDENTS from separate vil- lages could be on a collision course over a temporary weight limit that has been imposed on rural roads. Yalding Parish Council has


been pressing for many years to have a 7.5ton weight restriction on roads through the village, which suffer from huge amounts of HGV traffic using its narrow lanes as a short cut and crossing the medieval bridge. A trial six-month limit, imple- mented in January, with signs to deter HGVs, was due to end in June, but the parish council has asked for an extension. Instead of being discussed by Maidstone’s Joint Transport Board in July, KCC says it is


likely to be January 2014 before it will be considered, along with residents’ views. But the chairman of a rural business group, concerned at the current impact on busi- nesses, believes this will be too late. Marden lies outside the 7.5ton zone, and there are fears that the weight limit will en- courage more companies to quit, following the lead recently announced by ADL and Scarab (see pages 1 and 4). Elaine Collins, chairman of Marden Business Forum, said: “Pattenden Lane is under threat and we need to make it attractive tonewbusiness – and thatmeans having good transport links.” Local companies within the


limited area are allowed to enter and then leave the weight-restricted zone. But those with HGVs who want to cross from one side to the other have to find an alternative route. Mrs Collins said: “The foreign lorries seem to ignore the weight restriction anyway and it has turned out to be our local companies who are finding it is having a detrimental impact on their businesses.” She claimed that lorriesnowgo through twice the amount of rural villages on the same grade of road and, in some cases,muchsmaller and less suitable roads than the original shorter route. A meeting was due to take


KINGSWOODPrimarySchool has been judged good in all areas,with outstanding features,by Ofsted. The inspection,whichtook place during theSATs testingweek,was carriedout under thenewmore


challenging framework that came into force in September 2012. The inspector reported that: “Pupilswork hard and achievewell. Theymake good progress and, by


Year 6, standards are above average and still rising in reading, writing and mathematics.” “Children’s good progress in Reception is built on very well in Key Stage 1. Pupils’ progress is out-


standing in reading in Key Stage 1. Standards are rising on entry to Key Stage 2. More able pupils do particularlywell and their progress is excellent inmathematics in Key Stage 2.”


The inspectorwas particularly impressed by headteacher EmmaHickling’s highly focused and car-


ing approach and her strong leadership. He said: “All leaders and managers do a good job. Pupils behavewell. They arewell cared for and


feel safe in school.” This is the second Ofsted inspection at Kingswood PrimarySchool underMsHickling’s tutelage, both


of which have been judged as good.


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place atCountyHall on July 3 be- tween Mrs Collins, Cllr Paulina Stockell, representatives from the Highways Agency and KCC, as well as Yalding and Marden parishes. Residents from Laddingford


and Marden complained at the outsetwhenlorries began finding alternative routes through the countryside, and Yalding parish chairman Geraldine Brown has said that this isnowbeing looked into – although it was never in- tended to include Laddingford in the original scheme. She said KCC had pledged to


carry out vehicle surveys on Lees Road and other roads in the area, which were believed to have been adversely affected.


Primary school standards ‘above average and still rising’


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