Malling Mail 7 Where I live...


East Malling and Larkfield Parish Council East Malling Village Traffic


Land at Well Street


The parish council considered a request from the East Malling Traffic Group to support a request for a 20mph limit from Manningham House in Chapel Street down the High Street to the King and Queen crossroads It is very difficult to obtain such limits from Kent County Council. Councillors, however, thought that with the restricted nature of this section of road with the railway bridge and parked cars plus narrow or non existent pavements the idea should be backed, County Cllr Trudy Dean will be taking the matter up with KCC.


Playing Field Wall


Following complaints about the damage to the old ragstone wall in Mill Street that forms part of the playing field boundary quotations are being sought for repair. This includes the brick top to match the existing wall.


Church Farm Nature Trail


The Medway Valley Partnership has carried out further tree work at the nature trail. The parish chairman David Thornewell would like to prepare a leaflet about the trail and the history of Church Farm once part of the "Larkfield estate" owned by Samuel Lee Smith and later the Chapman/Offen families. Anyone with information or recollections is asked to contact him on 01732 847415.


Objection has been made to the plan for stables and sand school of Well Street. Concern was expressed to the borough council planning department about the undetermined application for caravans on the site and development taking place without permission.


Highway Complaints


A steady stream of complaints on highway maintenance issues continues to be made including the ivy overgrowing on the ragstone wall opposite the fire station in New Hythe Lane; damage to brick walls at the junction of Lunsford Lane/Chaucer Way and surplus poles left when obsolete signs are removed.


Lunsford Pre-School


The council has made an application for grant aid to assist the pre-school in providing a disabled toilet in its part of the George Holding Centre under the new Community Grants scheme.


Street Lighting


KCC is being asked if any of the cuts to street lighting are likely to affect the parish. Various ways are being considered to reduce the street lighting budget and save on energy use. The parish has previously indicated it felt the level of lighting along the West Malling bypass could be reduced.


David Thornewell - Parish Council Chairman


Parking Review in West Malling


TONBRIDGE and Malling Borough Council will soon be consulting the public on a range of ideas for improving parking availability in West Malling.


The shopkeepers report that customers are not coming to the town because they find parking difficult. The Chamber of Commerce reported continuing problems with workers parking in the shoppers’ car park, and a recent fortnight of activity by enforcement officers resulted in the issuing of 50 penalty tickets. So a number of ideas have been suggested to improve the situation for shoppers and workers, and stop parking being taken up by rail or long distance coach commuters.


Extra parking bays have been suggested in St Leonard's Street, Water Lane and possibly Town Hill, and charges for workers' parking permits may be increased. Residents' parking could be extended into Offham Road and Norman Road. High Street short stay parking will remain the same but charges for High Street parking to the rear of Tesco are being discussed. The option of a free parking period of two or three hours followed by charges could be offered to deter workers and increase turnover of parking spaces for shoppers. Charged parking could be subject to a refund by making a purchase in one of the local shops.


Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council has promised wide consultation on the changes, as two thirds of shoppers come from outside West Malling. Malling Mail has offered them the facility for the consultation reply form to be printed in our pages.


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