News
Work aims to cut traffic jams
A£1.8mSCHEME to improve the flow of traffic along Willington Street is set to get underway later this year. As the primary route linking vil-
lages south of Maidstone with the A20 and M20, Kent County Coun- cilwants to make improvements to the road, starting with the junctions at both ends. Both junctions are significant “pinch points” on the A20 and A274 corridors, with the traffic sig- nals causing delays at peak times. Ashford Road has an average
two-way daily flow of between 13,800 and 21,800 vehicles per hour, to the east and west of the Willington Street junction. At peak times, it can carry up to
1,850 vehicles an hour. Sutton Road has a two-way aver-
age daily flow of 19,000 and peak flows of 1,680 vehicles per hour, according to KCC. A significant number of vehicles
useWillington Street to avoid con- gestion in the town centre. “At present these signalised junc-
tions at each end of Willington Street are heavily congested under
peak traffic conditions,” says a re- port to KCC’s cabinet committee for environment and transport. The committee agreed to the widening of the A274 near the junctions with Willington Street andWallis Avenue and to create a left turn lane intoWillington Street from Ashford Road. The Willington Street Junction Improvements Scheme forms the first part of the Maidstone Inte- grated Transport Package, which has been provisionally allocated £8.9m from the local growth fund via the South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP), for spend be- tween now and 2019/20. SELEP has now recommended
the approval of £1.3m local growth fund to the project in 2016/17 and, subject to Government approval, the funds will be released to KCC. This, together with local devel-
oper S106 contributions of £500,000, would enable the scheme to proceed. No land needs to be acquired to
make the improvements and resi- dents will be informed when work is to start, via a mailshot.
downsmail.co.uk Historic move for town
A SERIES of historical interpretation boards has been erected in the county town to help connect locals and visitors alike with Maidstone’s past. The panels, developed by Maidstone Council and creative signage specialist FitzpatrickWoolmer, were unveiled by the mayor, Cllr Daniel Moriarty, at the start of English TourismWeek. Also present were representatives of Maiden Distillery, based in The
Old Brewery, who gave a short presentation and tasting showcasing the 200-year-old gin distilling heritage of the area. The 12
panels provide a glimpse into Maidstone’s compelling history, with colourful representations of events offering an insight into times past. Cllr Moriarty said: “Whether it’s the 14th-century Peasants’ Revolt led
byWat Tyler, the legacy of gin distillation that thrives to this day, or the ancient trade routes established with Rome during the conquests of Julius Caesar, the evolution of Maidstone and its residents ensures that the culture of the region is as rich and fascinating as any other. “To be able to unveil these magnificent panels is a great honour, and I
hope that residents and visitors take the opportunity to learn more about the compelling cast of characters that has defined not only Maidstone, but history itself.” The council hopes the panels, which will be at key sights in the town,
will encourage people to take a closer look at the cultural significance of the region.
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26 Maidstone East April 2016
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