Arrest after car flips onto side in crash Council ‘agrees to disagree’ over park and ride expansion

A woman was arrested after a vehicle overturned in a crash in Hersden.

The car was left on its side and a roadside barrier was bent out of shape in the collision.

It happened on the A28 at about 10.30pm on Monday.

Police and ambulance crews were called to the scene.

After the incident, police tweeted a photo of the car on its side, with the caption: “Overnight, local policing team have dealt with various incidents of mental health, and other matters, including this road traffic collision at Hersden - amazingly no serious injuries but one person in custody as a result.”

A police spokesman added: “Kent Police was called to a collision on the A28 in Hersden, Canterbury at 10.25pm on Monday, February 18.

“Minor injuries were reported and a woman from Margate was arrested for failing to provide a roadside breath test.”

The 21-year-old has since been released from custody while the investigation continues. Efforts by the city council to mitigate the impact of its park and ride extension plan at Wincheap have failed to placate wildlife lovers.

They remain steadfast against the scheme which, they say, will wipe out a section of river bank and threaten the treasured habitat of the Hambrook Marshes, through which the Great Stour Way walking and cycling route passes.

The backlash follows a planning application by the council to create an extra 278 spaces at the car park.

The authority says it is a crucial part of measures to improve the local road network, including the new A2 coast-bound off-slip and Wincheap relief road.

Spokesman Rob Davies continued: “Without the park and ride project, none of the rest of it can happen - the off-slip comes right through the existing site, while the increase in traffic coming off the A2 means more spaces are required.”

He added: “The principle of moving the park and ride to its proposed new location has already been agreed in the Local Plan and was tested thoroughly at the public examination and considered acceptable subject to appropriate ecological and environmental mitigation.”

But objectors from the Love Hambrook Marshes trust say that although they were aware of the scheme, they did not realise the footprint of the car park would be so close to their site until the application was published.

They have now also rejected further environmental mitigating measures offered by the council, including the creation of a new wildlife pond on the marshes.

Trustee Professor Richard Norman said: “It effectively takes away a stretch of river bank which we were not aware of and the mitigation offered by the council cannot compensate for that.”

Mr Davies said: “We have had discussions with Love Hambrook Marshes about mitigation which the group does not accept and we have agreed to disagree and their views will be considered as part of the planning process.

“We are continuing to discuss the objection of the Environment Agency and are confident we can resolve their concerns.”

He said the planning application would not be withdrawn but remain open for comment while further mitigating measures were drawn up for further consultation.

He added: “We would also remind people that, given the need to provide additional park and ride capacity on this side of the city, if the Wincheap expansion does not happen, the currently agreed alternative site is Faulkners Lane in Harbledown.”

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Thursday, February 21, 2019 Kentish Gazette (KG) www.kentonline.co.uk

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