KCC Local Transport Plan 5 - Striking the Balance Public Consultation
Response of the Sevenoaks Society
- The Sevenoaks Society, which is the civic society for Sevenoaks Town, welcomes the opportunity to comment on KCC’s draft transport plan.
East facing slip roads to M26
- The Society welcome these proposals, subject to design layout, and encourages KCC to maintain pressure on National Highways to reconsider the scheme, especially in the light of the extent of projected growth in and around the Sevenoaks town in the draft local plan options.
Improvements to the Bat and Ball junction
- Given that this junction is already over-capacity, it is difficult to see the case for wating until after the first stage of Sevenoaks Quarry development is complete before making the necessary improvements. The Society believes that it should be a prerequisite that the improvements to this junction are completed before the occupation of houses in phase 1 of the Quarry development. This should be a firm and important element of KCC’s forward transport planning as it is not only the Quarry development which will lead to increased flows at the junction, but also proposed schemes at Cramptons Road, the Sevenoaks Gasworks site and further east at the proposed Borough Green Garden City.
- In designing improvements to Bat and Ball junction particular attention should be paid to improving the ease and safety for those on foot or bicycle seeking to negotiate the junction, given the numbers who do, especially school children.
- The Society is also concerned about congestion and overload at the two Riverhead junctions of the A25, which were identified as congestion blackspots in KCC’s 2010 transport plan ‘Growth without Gridlock.’ It is our understanding that when Bat and Ball junction is improved, this will increase the rate at which traffic arrives at these already overloaded roundabouts. The A25 into Riverhead is not only the main route into Sevenoaks from M25 but also serves villages and towns west of Sevenoaks (Sundridge, Brasted, Westerham etc) and is therefore an exceptionally busy road. When the junction is congested there are knock-on implications for flows of traffic in the Sevenoaks urban area between the town and Dunton Green/Tesco and from Bessels Green into the town. We accordingly believe that improvements to the Riverhead junctions should be considered together with the Bat and Ball junction, rather than in isolation. We further believe that the KCC should oppose any further proposed developments which will increase congestion at these junctions until such time as improvements are made.
Infrastructure improvements in advance of development
- Following from the above, the Society endorses the general principle set out in bullet two of draft plan’s ‘Development Management Principles’ that an infrastructure-first approach should be pursued to secure necessary transport improvements before rather than after development has taken place. Given the fact that funding for new infrastructure is difficult to find, it is imperative that planning policies encourage development around existing infrastructure, particularly transport infrastructure.
- In particular development should be encouraged around good growth corridors along the north Kent estuary such as those at Ebbsfleet, where the transport plan seeks an extension of the Elizabeth Line.
M25 and othertransport connections to Pedham Place
- The Society would encourage KCC to seek a commitment from Government to fund transport connections to the potential development site at Pedham Place as well as creating other public transport connections between Swanley and Pedham Place.
Walking and cycling
- The Society welcomes proposals for improving facilities for walking and cycling. It has welcomed the proposals for new cycleways in Sevenoaks Town subject to the safety of detailed designs. In addition to new facilities, the Society believes it is important that transport plans seek to improve the facility of pedestrians and cyclists to cross and negotiate existing highways.
- At present it takes far too long for reported problems on public rights of way to be addressed, even where matters of walkers’ safety are concerned. There should be more emphasis and urgency attached to getting landowners to put right problems with styles, fallen trees and other footpath hazards.
Highway signage
- The Society would welcome a substantial improvement in the quality and accuracy of signage for highway improvement works. All too often road closure signs are put up where there is no road closure or works have been completed. And road diversion signs can point anywhere and lead nowhere.
Bus service improvement plan
- The Society welcomes proposals to seek to improve bus services. An obvious way to reduce carbon and emissions harmful to air quality would be for all buses in Kent to be required to comply with the highest environmental air quality standards and for old polluting vehicles to be removed from Kent’s roads at the earliest possible opportunity.
