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downsmail.co.uk Plan to easeA20 traffic chaos
KENT County Council says it will sort out traffic chaos on the A20 caused by the opening of a new retail park on the junction with Hermitage Lane.
It says designs are being drawn
in haste to widen the junction to allow more room for those turning right into the retail park. The developer behind the new
Aldi and McDonald’s has also been asked to link its traffic signals with those on the A20 to ease traffic flows as a matter of urgency. It is hoped the changes to the
lights will come ahead of Christ- mas and work on the widening of the junction at the northern end of Hermitage Lane will start in the new year. It follows repeated calls for action
from motorists, councillors and res- idents fed up with being stuck in traffic since outlets on the site started setting up shop in May. The county council has acknowl-
edged a traffic assessment submit- ted with the proposal fell short of the number of vehicles turning right into the new development, blocking southbound traffic on Hermitage Lane and causing con- gestion along the London Road and queues to the hospital. AKCC spokesman said: “KCC is pressing the developer of the retail site for the linking of the new traf- fic signals with those at the A20/Hermitage Lane junction as this will improve capacity. It is clearly important that this work is provided as early as possible and this has been expressed to the de- veloper. “Additionally, KCC has secured
Local Growth Funding for junction improvements in this area and these include the M20 junction 5, Coldharbour Lane/A20 and Her- mitage Lane /A20.
Abuse hurled
A LARKFIELD man who hurled abuse at a woman in East Malling has been ordered to do unpaid community work. Abie John Ianson was sentenced
atWest Kent Magistrates’ Court on October 25, 2016. He pleaded guilty to using threatening, abusive or in- sulting words or behaviour. On September 16, 2016, the 20-
year-old, of Lunsford Lane, Lark- field, used threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour to- wards a woman in Twisden Road, East Malling, causing her to fear vi- olence.
Magistrates ordered Ianson to
carry out 150 hours of unpaid work in the next 12 months and gave him a six-month curfew to remain at home between 7pm and 6am daily. The curfew runs until April 24, 2017. He must also pay £85 costs and an £85 victim surcharge.
4 Malling November 2016 Join the protest
NORTHAllington Action Group (NAAG) is calling on residents to re- spondtoTonbridgeandMalling Bor- ough Council’s consultation, which closes on November 25. They are also being urged to at-
tendashowof opposition at6pmat Maidstone council’s planning meet- ing on November 17 at Maidstone TownHallwhenreservedmatters re- lating to Croudace Homes develop- mentareexpectedtobeconsidered. (For confirmation and full details visit
www.naag.kry4help.co.uk. Residents arealso invitedto joina
march along Hermitage Lane to- wardsMalling at noon on Sunday, November 20.
“The works will include some widening of Hermitage Lane be- tween the A20 and the new retail site and this will allow more space for right turners into the retail site and also more capacity for south- bound traffic and for the junction as a whole. “The designs are currently being prepared and the work will be ex- pedited as a priority. Further infor- mation will be provided as and when it is known and this includes the delivery date for the works.”
No room for any more homes, say residents
PRESSURE is mounting on Kent County Council and the borough councils from residents concerned about the traffic being generated on the arterial road and Hermitage Lane, which serves Maidstone Hospital. At a recent cross-party event in Barming, residents told ward councillors Bryan Vizzard, James Willis, Rob Bird, Dan Daley, Fay Gooch and Diana Lewins about the congestion caused by the retail park and eight development pro- posals earmarked in Tonbridge and Malling’s Local Plan, totalling more than 100 hectares. Barbara Woodward, chairman
of the New Allington Action Group (NAAG), says with more than 1,300 homes for the area al- ready included in Maidstone’s building plan to 2031, even one more development will leave the area gridlocked. NAAGhas been fighting devel- opment near the town’s hospital since Croudace first applied to build 500 homes off Hermitage Lane. This was approved by the secretary of state on appeal in Oc- tober last year, alongside other de- velopments by the likes of Bellway and Bovis. She said: “Tonbridge and Malling Council’s decision to add even more sites cannot be con- sidered before the infrastructure crisis is resolved.
“Both councils need to meet the pressure from government for house building by going back to them and saying we have done whatwe can and there is no more room.”
Tonbridge and Malling Coun-
cil’s call for further construction sites has produced suggestions for development at various sites in- cluding behind the RBLI cottages, the Quarry Wood Industrial Es- tate, on 34.13 hectares backing on to the Coldharbour traveller site and on 15.5 hectares east of Her- mitage Lane, aswell as a site for 2- 3,000 homes at East Malling Research Station. The action group’s Darren
Young says: “We have two bor- ough boundaries on our doorstep and this push-pull scenario is seemingly driving all needed housing to our doorstep.”
Florist team picks up national title
A GALA dinner for the team from West Malling Flowers turned into a blooming lovely evening after they walked away with the title of Retail Florist Shop of the Year for the second year in a row. And the accolades in the national awards contest, hosted by The British Florist Association, did not stop there. Shayna Spencer, the High Street florist’s level 3 student came third in the Newcomer of the Year category. Speaking after the ceremony in
Warwickshire, owner Nikki Meader said: “Russell and I are so proud of our team atWest Malling Flowers. They are dedicated and extremely hard working girls. “As well as ordering flowers we
The team fromWest Malling Flowers celebrate their awards
were marked on presentation, flower quality and customer service. So, taking the award again for a second year was a total surprise, when I know how strong the competition is.”
TheWest Malling florist was among 18 shops shortlisted for the award in July. Amystery shopper and a vote of support from 345 happy customers decided the final winner.
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