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downsmail.co.uk
A new bridge for the Medway
A NEW bridge over the River Medway linking Halling with Wouldham is scheduled to open at the end of this summer.
It will be the first time the two
banks have been linked since amil- itary Bailey Bridge was erected temporarily during WorldWar II. Connection all these years later
has been prompted by construction of the 1,000-home Peters Village community near Wouldham, devel- oped by Trenport. A further bridge is being built
over the nearby north-south rail- way on the Medway’s west bank, to enable the river bridge to be con- nected by road with the A228 Halling roundabout. Completion of both bridges, with associated new roads, later this year will mean all PetersVillage in- frastructure works have run to schedule, just over two years since work started in May 2014. Trenport director Chris Hall
said: “We are also delighted that our first Peters Village house- builder, Bellway, is now onsite and we anticipate announcements soon for other builders taking up further phases, on what we believe is per-
A228 ToWouldham
Halling Primary School
A228 To Burham New bridge over River Medway (artist’s impression) MAP NOT TO SCALE
Amap left shows the site of the new homes at Peter’s Village, and above, an artist’s impression of the bridge and work so far
ceived as a premium development with its own village centre and shops, school, playing fields and other recreation facilities. “The newMedway crossing is, of course, key to its success, offering easy access to the river’swest bank and on to London and other im- portant destinations via rail and road. “And there are, of course, major gains for the west bank, notably
with improved links to the county town of Maidstone. “We’re particularly proud of the
new bridge: it is not only an ele- gant structure, but has been built onsite rather than through pre-cast sections being trucked in, risking roads disruption to the surround- ing area. The new community, built on the brownfield site of the former Peters cement works, is due for comple-
tion in 2022. Trenport’s project manager Paul Morris explained the need for the additional road bridge over the railway close to Halling. He said: “There is already an ageing brick and steel bridge there, built simply for access when the old cement industry was active, but inadequate for the traffic vol- umes needed here. “Work should then be completed
at around the same time as the Medway crossing and allow dem- olition of the old bridge over the railway. Both new bridges will in- clude footways and cycleways.” Detailed planning applications
for a medical centre, convenience store and three retail units and multi-use community hall for the new village have been submitted to Tonbridge and Malling Council. The plans include car parking, a service yard, landscaping and open space with a site for a police post, with access from the village spine road.
Meeting to save church New name for school
A MEETING will be held at All Saints’ Church, Snodland on April 9 to tell residents about problems in the "local treasure" and investi- gate how they can save it. A church has existed on the site
near Snodland railway station for more than 1,000 years and at a point where the Pilgrims’Way crosses the River Medway. It was mentioned in the Domesday Book. The building is in poor condition
andwas placed on the English Her- itage "at risk" register in 2014. A first-round development grant of up to £25,100was received from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). The RevHughBroadbent, Rector
of Snodland, said: "Many of us as- sociate the church with baptisms, weddings and funerals, school services and visits, Christingle, services of Remembrance and Thanksgiving, and many other events besides.
"We would like not only to pre-
serve the building for future gener- ations to enjoy, but also develop its use, so that its historical features and spiritual resources are more open to the wider community.” The initial HLF payment is for
the development stage of a restora- tion project which would include repairs to stonework in the tower, windows and entrance and a strengthening of the floor of the bell-ringing chamber. Mr Broadbent added that the support of residents was crucial to the success of the project. He urged people to attend the meeting to hear why the church was an important building to pre- serve; what repairs are needed; what plans are being considered for developing the wider use of the church; how they can support the work financially and support the project in practicalways.
For more local news
www.downsmail.co.uk 4 Malling March 2016
ALL former students and ex- members of staff at Holmesdale Technology College, Snodland are invited to a change of name ceremony at the school on Mon- day April 11. Previously called Snodland Central School, Holmesdale Sec- ondary Modern and Holmesdale Community School it will be of- ficially renamed The Holmesdale School on April 1, the first day after the Easter break. The Mayor of Tonbridge and Malling, Owen Baldock, will at- tend the flag-raising ceremony and balloon release at 2pm on April 11. A flyer sent out by the school
said: "Please get in touch if you are a former student or member of staff and would like to attend this event, or if you have any memories to share." The logos for the school and
the Malling Holmesdale Federa- tion will have to be changed. Executive principal Patrick
Hannaway explained that the name formed an important part of the school’s identity and its place in the community. To peo- ple who do not know the school well the words ‘technology’ and ‘college’ may cause confusion. “Holmesdale originally be-
came a specialist technology col- lege in 2001 when this resulted in additional government funding. However, this is no longer the case,” he said. “Whilst the STEM subjects (sci-
ence, technology, engineering and mathematics) will continue to be of importance, at Holmes- dale our focus is on ensuring all students are educated to the highest standards in every sub- ject.” The school can be contacted by sending an email to
office@holmesdale.kent.sch.uk. The website and Facebook page is
www.holmesdale.kent.sch.uk or follow on Twitter @Holmes- daleSch.
RiverMedway
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