News
Cycles part of gyratory plan
PLANNERS are hoping they can retain a dedicated cycle route through the middle of Maidstone as part of a major road improve- ment scheme. A £5.7m project to improve the
traffic flows through the town cen- tre is due to start in the next finan- cial year.
Coincidentally, the recent grant-
ing of planning permission to rede- velop the Powerhub in St Peter Street includes a condition that the northern carriageway be widened. But this would mean reducing
the width of the footpath on the northern bridge of the A229 to 2.5m – and the loss of the segregated cycle route along this stretch. KCC is now looking to see if it
can retain the cycle route as part of the new road scheme. KCC’s head of transportation Tim Read said: “KCC acknowledges that there are limited opportunities for cyclists to cross the river in the town, and the reduced width has raised some concern that the proposal would be contrary to the overall Maidstone
Council aim of encouraging sus- tainable transport.” The proposal for improving the gyratory scheme would see the cre- ation of two new lanes, with junc- tions controlled by traffic lights, to take traffic directly from Broadway to Fairmeadow and theA229 north- bound without crossing either of the existing two bridges. Planners say not only will this re-
duce journey distances, travel times and air pollution but it will increase the capacity of the overall junction by some 10-20% in each of the peak hours, reducing delays for about a quarter of drivers. Commissioning of the detailed
design of the scheme is due to start shortly andKCCproposes carrying out further capacity calculations, taking into account the proposed St Peter Street supermarket, and see if the extra capacity being provided by the new scheme would be suffi- cient to allow the retention of the cycleway. Comment – pages 34-35
Homes on awards shortlist
A HOUSING development inMaidstone has been shortlisted in the prestigious Kent Design and Development Awards 2014. The £19m development of 131 properties has been built by Golding
Homes on two sites in Armstrong Road – a former council depot and a park-and-ride car park. The homes were built using a pre-fabricated system of panels, which
were prepared off site and assembled into buildings quickly on site. The new properties offer a high level of energy efficiency and consequently lower electricity bills for the residents. The Kent Design and Development Awards are organised bi-annually
by the Kent Design Initiative partnership. The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in November.
Quiz night for cancer charity QUIZ teams can test their knowledge at the Gallagher Stadium on Thursday, November 20. The quiz night, which is being held to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support, starts at 8pm, with doors opening at 7.45pm. Tickets are £8 per person for teams of up to eight people, and include nib- bles. There will also be a raffle on the night. To book a team or for more information, call Helene Poursain on 07764 503 484 or email
hpoursain@macmillan.org.uk.
downsmail.co.uk
For all your Building, Landscaping and DIY supplies
Now stocking decking • AGGREGATE • CEMENT • BRICKS • BLOCKS • TIMBER
• BLOCK PAVING • INSULATION • PLASTERBOARD • LINTELS • DRAINAGE • TOOLS • FIXINGS
St Laurence Avenue, 20/20 Business Park, Maidstone, Kent ME16 0LL
01622 662264 For our latest offers or any other information visit our sites at:
01622 662266 Allsand House, New Hythe Lane, Larkfield ME20 6FF
or email us at,
yard@allsands.co.uk www.allsands.co.uk 18 Maidstone Town November 2014
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64