News | Peters Bridge Bridge ‘links communities’ A RIBBONwas cut and a journey that once took nearly half an hourwas slashed to aminute.


Traffic began flowing across the long-awaited new bridge over the River Medway as soon as itwas of- ficially declared open by the Lord Lieutenant of Kent, Viscount de Lisle.


Linking two communities on the


east andwest banks of the river, the £19million structure has been built by developer Trenport as the key to the new Peters Village, near Wouldham. The Lord Lieutenant told guests


at the opening ceremony that he was pleased to note how the proj- ect had been completed within budget and on time. He unveiled a plaque to mark the opening of Peters Bridge, named after the family who ran the cement works and quarries which once oc- cupied the site of the new 1,000 home development. The 210-acre brownfield site was acquired by Trenport in 2001, with planning permission granted by Tonbridge and Malling Council in 2006, but the scheme was moth- balled due to the 2008 recession. The total cost for the bridge,


roads and other infrastructure was more than £50million but a £19.5million loan from the Govern- ment’s Homes and Communities Agency meant work could start in 2014. Housebuilders Bellway and Orbit moved on site this year and the development is expected to be completed by 2022. The two villages closest to the


bridge – Halling on the west bank, and Wouldham on the opposite side – were previously 25 minutes apart by road, a foot ferry having stopped running in 1964. The villages were also briefly connected by a military Bailey bridge during WorldWar II. “The bridge was the key, “ said Trenport director Chris Hall, “mak- ing it all the more astonishing that


PETERS VILLAGE


BILLED as a high quality develop- ment, itwill provide 1,000homeson the former Peters Lime andCement Works, which closed in the 1920s. The com-


munity will include a su- permarket, shops, a medical cen- tre, phar- macy, village hall and playing fields. Wouldham All Saints’ Primary School ismoving to the site and there is provision for a police office.


18 Malling October 2016


The Lord Lieutenant of Kent, Viscount de Lisle, cuts the ribbon to open the new bridge across the Medway, and right, unveiling the plaque to mark the opening


this stretch of the Medway has never had a proper crossing. “That has now been put right and Trenport is pleased to have contin- ued redevelopment of brown field sites in theMedway valley, deliver- ing opportunities for much needed new homes in the South East with- out using greenfield land. “Peters Village represents the


next step in a vision for the re-use of redundant Medway valley ce- ment works first laid out in Local Plans from the mid-1980s, and the new bridge now opens up possibil- ities for the next stage at nearby Bushey Wood.” At the opening ceremony, KCC cabinet member Matthew Balfour praised the tireless work of all


those involved in finally making this permanent connection, while Tonbridge and Malling Council Leader Nicolas Heslop called it a proud day. Trenport managing directior


Tony Parson said it was more than a river crossing. “It creates the access way to a


Village road stays closed


WHILE many people are de- lighted that the bridge is open at last, some residents inWouldham have complained that the access road to their village is still blocked. Families travelling from the Snodland side to Wouldham cur- rently have to come off the bridge and turn right at thePeters Bridge roundabout, then make a round trip through Burham – a journey of about 15 minutes. The exit from the roundabout


on to Hall Road, which leads into their village, is not open as traffic lights need to be completed.


A Trenport spokesman said:


“We’re sorry to say this cannot be opened to vehicles until the cus- tomised traffic light system, de- signed to speed bus traffic and minimise environmental impact, is fully commissioned –probably in aweek or two. “Kent County Council has


stated categorically that it would be unsafe to open this road until the traffic lights are fully opera- tional, so this is entirely out of Trenport’s hands and remains a matter for the highways contrac- tor, Bam Nuttall and KCC High- ways to resolve.”


new community and provides sig- nificant improvements to the amenities and communications be- tween the existing nearby settle- ments. “It will in the future, I hope, be


viewed as a classic example of the public and private sectors working together for the common good.”


THE BRIDGE


THE bridge weighs about 8,500 tonnes; it is made of 3,000 tonnes of concrete and 550 tonnes of steel reinforcing. The maximum height from low


water to the top of the bridge is about 17.5 metres; it is 750 me- tres from Peters Roundabout to the roundabout on the A228. The river bridge is 150 metres long.


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