News
Bridge reopening will not solve ‘nightmare’
WORK to reopen Teston Bridge was scheduled to finish on Octo- ber 8 – but residents fear that it will not be the end of their traffic ‘nightmare’. The bridge, on the B2163, has
been shut to traffic since August after a drink-driver caused the damage when he crashed into the medieval structure. The knock-on effect of the closure
has been huge for residents of nearby villages, withWest Farleigh parish councillor Geoff Martin de- scribing them as “like prisoners”, unable to get out of the area at busy periods. Mr Martin said: “The build-up of
traffic in East Farleigh has been un- real. I’ve had people reporting to me that if you’re on the wrong side of that bridge, you can sit there for half an hour. “It’s an absolute nightmare. Hunt
Street has been decimated by the traffic and holes have appeared in the road.We’re going to have to get someone out from highways to look at repairs. “The impact on the village has been horrendous – we’ve been like
Money fromnew development needs to be invested in infrastructure, says Lib Dem Cllr Emily Fermor
prisoners in the village, you can’t get across the valley, all of the bridges are blocked at rush hour. With more houses being built in Coxheath and Staplehurst, it’s going to get even worse.” The bridge itself may soon be set
to reopen, but Mr Martin, who has a business on Hunt Street, admits that will not solve many of the problems. “It will be a massive relief to have
the bridge back open,” he added. “The problem will be that once it’s
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open it won’t stop the massive lor- ries coming over it. I don’t know why we can’t get something done about it. I understand it wasn’t a lorry that caused the damage this time but when it was closed before itwas caused by a HGV. “I would say we probably need another crossing, but I don’t know where that would be.” Cllr Emily Fermor, Lib Dem member for Coxheath and Hunton, has also seen first-hand the issues the closure has caused – but she too concedes that the problems will not go away when the bridge reopens. “We need to be making sure that money coming from increased de- velopment is being invested in in- frastructure,” she said. “We know that with big develop-
ments we can get a certain amount of money through Section 106 or- ders andwe need to make sure that local councillors are wise to that and make sure the money is being invested where it is needed. “Of course, the issue with our planning system is that you can’t get the investment until after the development has been built.”
downsmail.co.uk
Barron drove at twice limit
A DRUNK driver who got behind the wheel of her car when she was more than twice the legal limit has been banned from the roads for al- most two years. Bridgette Elizabeth Barron, 57,
admitted drink driving in Bain- bridges Road, East Peckham. Mid Kent Magistrates heard that on July 23, she drove a Nissan Micra “oth- erwise than in accordance with a li- cence and with no insurance”. She gave a breath test of 87 mgs
of alcohol in 100 ml of breath. The legal limit is 35mgs. Barron must also pay £85 costs and an £85 vic- tim surcharge
Tesco arrest A 21-year-old man was arrested following a theft and assault at Tesco in Larkfield on September 5. Policewent to the store in Lunsford Park at around 9.20pm where the Larkfield manwas detained.
Lights going on THE countdown to Christmas is al- ready on at EastPeckham where vil- lagers are planning the big festive lights switch-on. The celebrations will be at 5pm on Friday, December 1, at the village centre in Pound Road.
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