downsmail.co.uk


Petition urges changes to notorious Eccles junction


APETITION aimed at prompting action to prevent a major accident at a notorious junction near Eccles has attracted more than 300 sup- porters in its firstweek. The blind T-junction where Bull


Lane meets the PilgrimsWay isnow “an accidentwaiting to happen”, ac- cording to road users, since the bridge opened linking 1,000 new homes at Peters Village with Snod- land and Halling, across thewater. The safety concerns have prompted a petition from thenewly- formed Bull Lane Safety Committee, calling on the county council to im- prove visibility at the junction, slow traffic and provide safe crossing points for pedestrians. The safety group this week had


the support of the parish councils in Aylesford and Eccles and Burham and Wouldham, borough council- lorsAlan Sullivan and Michael Base, MP Tracey Crouch and more than 300 names on its petition. Supporters include Sarah Judge,


from Eccles, who says: “You take your life in your hands when com- ing out of Bull Lane.” GemmaSmith’s parents live in the


The blind T-junction at Bull Lane and the Pilgrims Way in Eccles


village and her son and niece attend the primary school. She says: “The junction is horrendous, too many people ignore the speed limit and you have to take a chance when pulling out. “Many times I have almost been


hit by drivers going too fast. It won’t be long before there is a serious col- lision, especiallywhenPetersVillage is finished and more cars use the road.” Rita Anderson, from Eccles, agrees, adding: “I’ve had some very near misses. Something needs to be done urgently.” When the petition has 500 signa-


tures, the group plans to hand it to the county council’s director of high- ways and transport, Roger Wilkin,


and is urging people to put their names behind the campaign. A spokesman for the Bull Lane


Safety Committee says the county council has acknowledged the dan- gers at the increasingly busy junc- tion and agreed to carry out a feasibility study to slow the traffic. However, more pressure is needed to highlight the seriousness of the issue to the county council. “We need people to sign this peti-


tion as lives are at risk both driving and walking.We want to make this T-junction safer for all residents of the villages of Eccles, Burham, Wouldham and future residents of PetersVillage, whether they are trav- elling by car, van, bike, bus, horse, HGV, or on foot.”


News Grant to spread


drugs message MOREstudents from the Maidstone and Malling area are to benefit from lessons on the misery of substance and alcohol abuse. Themove has been made possible


by a £4,000 grant from Kent’s Police and Crime Com- missioner Matthew Scott to Kenward House, at Yalding, for its outreach ed- ucation projects. The charity pro-


vides support and treatment to ad- dicts, who then tell their rehabilitation stories as part of edu- cation projects in schools. Mr Scott took the opportunity to


listen in to one former addict called Andy talking about his recovery. Afterwards, he said: “Tackling the misery caused by abuse, substance misuse and anti-social behaviour is one of my priorities and I was de- lighted to see the Think Differently Programme in action. “Andy spoke candidly about his


recovery and, if just one young per- son makes better choices in life as a result of listening to him, the whole programme will be worthwhile.” The charity’s outreach service re-


ceives funding from borough coun- cils including Maidstone and Tonbridge and Malling.


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Malling November 2016 19


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