Site will bring relief for neighbours of busy Tovil tip
Approval of the new Allington recycling centre will relieve pressure on Tovil, local Liberal Democrats say.
It is anticipated the existing Tovil facility will continue to service the needs of Maidstone town centre and homes south of the town, while communities north of the town and those in Tonbridge and Malling will be able to utilise the new centre.
Brian Clark, who represents South Ward on Maidstone Borough Council, described the approval of the Allington site as “excellent news”. He said: “Our local Liberal Democrat team have campaigned for many years to gain a second waste site for our borough to reduce the impact of cross town traffic and severe impact on local roads at the single site in Tovil.
“With the increase in the numbers of houses demanded by the Government, we have worked with Kent County Council to support the development of a new facility and have ensured that the current site in Tovil will gain developer contribution for capacity and access improvements as part of the local plan review.” Paul Wilby, chairman of Tovil Parish Council, said: “This is really good news for Tovil which for many years has suffered with long queues on roads leading to the Tovil centre, at times obstructing access and requiring bus services to divert from their normal route.
“This has had a knock on impact with any attempt to improve bus services in the parish.”
The lack of a household waste site in Tonbridge and Malling borough has forced residents to use facilities in neighbouring areas, increasing pressure on the services and surrounding streets both at Tovil and the Cuxton tip in Medway.
It is hoped the new recycling centre in Allington could be open to homeowners by the autumn of 2021.