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‘Simpleways’ to cut congestion
A TRANSPORT campaign group says “simple things” could be done to help address congestion south of Maidstone. Sean Carter, chairman of South Maidstone Action for Roads and Traffic (Smart), whichwas set up in 2013, told Maidstone’s Joint Trans- portation Board that a south-east link road is the only long-term solu- tion to the gridlock likely to occur in and around Loose Road when hun- dreds of homes are built in the area in the next few years. However, he told the Maidstone
Joint Transportation Board (JTB) of some prosaic measures to improve the situation in Loose Road in the meantime.Hesaid: “There are 2,000 vehicles an hour using the Boughton Lane/Cripple Street junc- tion, coming out of country lanes and onto the main road. “Buses create queues and at the Armstrong Road traffic lights,when the bus stops everything else stops behind it so motorists have the frus- tration of seeing green lights but not being able to move “Asolution is to create a half layby opposite The Swan pub so traffic
can get past and to move the Arm- strong Road bus stop to the other side of the traffic lights, where you have two lanes. These are simple things not costingmuchmoney, but they would keep traffic flowing.” Smart consists of members of
LooseParish Council, LooseAmeni- ties Association, North Loose Resi- dents Association and the Valley Conservation Society, aswell as bor- ough councillors Susan Grigg and Derek Mortimer. Cllr Mortimer said: “One of the
main aims is to improve air quality. The Wheatsheaf junction is 50% above recommended EU levels for pollution. “We gave a survey to 150 homes
along Loose Road and there are a lot of people who use an inhaler. We can’t connect this to air quality, but it is interesting how many people have breathing problems there.” Cllr Annabelle Blackmore, the
leader of Maidstone Council, told Mr Carter: “These ideas are on the radar but it is about including them without derailing other projects. Your comments have been taken on board. ”
Ch ll F Challeng MP Helen Grant with protestors in North Street, Barming MP backs housing protest
LOCAL MP Helen Grant has voiced her opposition to Taylor Wimpey’s pro- posal for 35 homes on greenfield land in Bell Farm,North Street, Barming. She will be writing a letter of objection to Maidstone Council and local
government secretary Eric Pickles after being contacted by the Barming Greenfields Group, which raised concern about the growing “urban creep” threatening the countryside and local wildlife. TheMPforMaidstone and theWeald said: “I recognise the need for new housing in Kent but we need the right numbers, in the right locations and only with the right infrastructure in place.” Resident JoWood said: “MaidstoneCouncil has 69 long-term empty prop-
erties. Surely this would negate the need for the proposed development?” The developer says it would incorporate a pedestrian footway along the
western edge of North Street and widen the road within its middle section to calm vehiclemovement. A pedestrian crossing would be created close to the junction of North Street and Heath Road. MaidstoneCouncil will decide the planning application.
Plan to turn former hotel into flats
THE former Stone Court Hotel could be converted into 14 flats. A planning application has been submitted to convert the Lower
Stone Street building – a residence for crown court judges in the 1700s. The hotel has been closed since May 2013 after a police raid in con- nection with alleged drug dealing and prostitution. Itwas ordered to close for three months under the Sexual Offences Act. Maidstone Council will determine the application.
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