ROADS CHAOS
New route could solve traffic woes
A major new road could bring much needed relief to traffic on Hermitage Lane and the A20 London Road.
Tonbridge and Malling council is considering a large release of land for housing below the Quarry Wood Retail Park at Aylesford, between Mills Road and the railway line, but only on the proviso that would-be developers fund a new road.
It would connect from the south of the retail park, across Hermitage Lane to link in with the A20 at the 2020 roundabout.
The road would have the benefit of relieving both congestion on the existing exit from the Quarry Wood park, and also at the Hermitage Lane junction, with traffic heading from Maidstone to either the shopping park or the motorway, able to turn off at an earlier stage.
The idea has been revealed as part of Tonbridge and Malling Council’s emerging local plan, which will shape the borough to 2031.
It means there’s no specific timeline for the road, as it would all be dependent on developers signing up and releasing funding triggered by house building.
Steve Humphrey, director of planning, housing and environmental health at the council, believes there could also be sufficient funding generated for a major upgrade of Barming Station, with a larger car park, and longer platforms, to put it on a par with West Malling.
The down- side is the land released in the Local Plan might result in an extra 3,000 homes locally, bringing their own traffic problems. Although developers would also be required to set aside land for new schools.
Mr Humphrey said it was be tt e r to think on a strategic scale so real improvements to infrastructure could be achieved.
He expected section 106 payments from developers would fund the whole of the road improvements, without any reliance on government or Kent County Council funding.
He said KCC as the highways authority has been consulted and was on board with the scheme.
Unlike, Maidstone council, which had proposed a series of highway “improvements” to support its Local Plan only to find KCC opposes them, Mr Humphrey said: “I would be extremely surprised if we had any point of conflict with KCC.”