News
Consultation on speed limit
RESIDENTS will soon be con- sulted about a plan for a 20mph speed zone to incorporate Roseacre and Yeoman lanes in Bearsted. The parish council has given its consent to the speed reduction scheme following a campaign by parents. The leader of Kent County Coun-
cil, Cllr Paul Carter, who represents Bearsted at county level, has pledged a “substantial amount” of his members’ grant to fund the nec- essary work. Painting 20mph roundel mark-
ings on the carriageway, as well as erecting white gateways and parent and child signs, will cost £9,000- £10,000, with a further £1,500 for the public consultation. Although a traffic survey byKCC
revealed the average speed of driv- ers to be only 21mph in Roseacre Lane, highways officer Kirsty Williams admitted therewere some motorists whose speeds registered “insanely fast”. MsWilliams said there was good evidence that 20mph markings led to a reduction in speeds.
She said: “It is not a silver bullet
and it will not reduce traffic levels but the gateways will indicate that the environment is changing and re- mind drivers to slow down.” Although the scheme will be self- enforcing,MsWilliams said past ex- perience had shown there was evidence to suggest such schemes worked in reducing the number of road accident casualties. Speed humps, on the other hand,
were not popular, required lighting, caused increased noise levels and tended only to be effective when speedswere 30mph or more. Public consultation could take up
to three months and, provided it went without a hitch, the work could be undertaken later in the year, she said. “If it does not work, we can look
at implementing more aggressive ways of doing things.” There are already 50 similar schemes, covering 800 roads, in force in Kent as part of the Depart- ment for Transport’s philosophy of promoting the region as a “nice place to live”.
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26 Maidstone East June 2015
RESIDENTS in Linton will be hoping that the park and ride proposal for the village will be turned down now Helen Grant has been re-elected as MP forMaidstone and TheWeald. Members of
the pressure group Keep Lin- ton Green wrote to all parliamen- tary candidates before the elec- tion asking about their stance on
the proposed park and ride scheme for south Maidstone. Maidstone Council is considering putting the facility at or near Linton Crossroads, to serve villages south of the borough and ease traffic flows into town. The principal contenders for the seat all said they were op-
BRAIN injury group Headway In West Kent is launching a new drop- in service at Trinity Foyer, 20 Church Road, Maidstone. The drop-in offers a social space
for adults who have been affected by a brain injury. Visitors are wel- come to come in for a drink and a chat with people with similar life experiences or sit quietly to read a newspaper. Families, carers and
downsmail.co.uk Block park and ride, saysMP
posed to the idea, which would de- stroy a prime greenfield site. Helen Grant (Conservative), who
topped the poll with45%of the vote, said: “I am not convinced that the benefits of a park and ride at Linton Crossroads outweigh the harm it would cause to the environment in terms of pollution and intrusion into the countryside. The extra traffic would mean the already-congested crossroads would come to a virtual standstill at peak times. Although traffic modelling will clarify the posi- tion, my stance at this moment is that the site should be opposed. All of MrsGrant’s rivals for the seat
voiced objections, leading aKeep Lin- ton Green spokesman to ask: “If these comments are to be believed, everyone is against the scheme. So why is it still in the local plan?”
Help for those with brain injuries
friends are alsowelcome. Information will be available,
with staff and volunteers to give advice and signpost alternative Headway services and external or- ganisations. The only cost is a small donation for refreshments. Following the launch on Thurs-
day, May 28, sessions will take place from 10.30am to 12.30pm on Thursdays.
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