News
Link road ‘will bring homes’
THE chairman of Langley Parish Council has spoken out against a south-east link road. Despite years of talking, there is still no concrete plan for a bypass linking the A274 Sutton Road near Langley to M20 Junction 8 near Hollingbourne, mainly because of a lack of funding. With Maidstone Council’s draft local plan earmarking Langley parish for hundreds of new homes, Cllr Cheryl Taylor-Maggio believes a new road will make matters worse.
She told Maidstone’s Joint Trans- portation Board: “A new road through the middle of our parish would act as a magnet for new de- velopment along its length, which would destroy the accessible coun- tryside of the fruit-growing area that we seek to preserve, and en- gulf Langley Heath.
“It would also join Langley to
Park Wood, which we have op- posed in our neighbourhood plan. “With a new road in our area the local plan’s housing number could
rise [from 18,600 between 2011 and 2031] to more than 30,000 homes – 60,000 residents.
“It would trigger the develop- ment of all the sites put forward by developers and property owners in Langley, Leeds and Otham. “A bypass should be a bypass around our parish – not a road through it. We already have the A274 and the B2163 Heath Road. Adding a third major road from the Horsehoes Lane junction would turn Langley Heath into a traffic is- land.
“Such a route would not ease traffic congestion on Loose Road, Sutton Road or the centre of Maid- stone because most traffic comes from the west and would still use Chart Wents and the Lees Road to get onto the M20, rather than drive through Langley to reach a new road crossing north of Horseshoes Road.
“The only solution is to reduce housing number from 18,600 to a sustainable level.”
downsmail.co.uk £5.7m plan to ease traffic flow
WORKcosting £5.7m to ease congestion in the centre of Maidstone is set to begin in the first half of 2016 after approval of the scheme by county councillors. Cllr David Brazier, KCC’s cabinet member for highways,warned
the work could cause delays. Two traffic-light controlled lanes will be built east of the Med-
way so that Chatham-bound motorists can avoid the river bridge, which should cut journey times by 10%. The scheme, which does not require planning permission or the purchase of any land, is being funded by a £4.6m grant from the Government, with £1.1m from KCC. It is set for completion some time in 2017. The work is expected to ease congestion on the existing A229 gy-
ratory system and address an estimated 46% rise in traffic by 2026, according to Maidstone Council’s draft local plan. However, some concerns have been expressed about the new road arrangement’s provisions for pedestrians and cyclists.
Town centre manager
Bill leaves his role MAIDSTONE is to get a new town centre manager in April after the departure of Bill Moss.
Mr Moss (65) said his 13 years in the role had coincided with improvements in Maidstone and to its night-time economy, with bars, restaurants and retail outlets in areas such as Fremlin Walk. He now expects to spend more time in the vol-
untary sector with the Urban Blue Bus and as a trustee and helper at the Blackthorn Trust.
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