Five-week closure causes severe traffic on Loose Road in Maidstone

KentOnline / KMTV

Roadworks in Maidstone have caused chaos, according to residents' complaints. Energy company SGN's emergency gas main repairs have left the town gridlocked.  Kristin Hawthorne reports.

Transcript

00:00You can see there's a van going past now. You can see how tight the roads are around here.

00:05They're tiny country lanes. They're designed for carts and horses. They're not designed for

00:10the big cars we have today. A country lane in Maidstone filled with history and conservation

00:16is now facing traffic that residents say is ruining the area. But now, due to a five-week

00:22closure of Loose Road that began recently, they say that the problem has only increased

00:27and are calling on the council for help. So I walk my dog twice a day. I'm taking my

00:32life in my hands as I'm going down this lane. I'm crossing the lane down there. Sometimes

00:38I see drivers really going for each other, swearing at each other. Sometimes I have to

00:45try and sort these problems out because otherwise it's really dangerous. Our mill building, which

00:51is a grade two star listed, is continually being hit on some guttering, which is roadside. It's

01:01a leasehold property, so any damage which occurs is currently paid for out of the service charges

01:10that the leaseholds were split by nil put together. There is no footpath for most of this walk, so

01:19where people are out walking their dogs or walking their children, while the diversion is going on,

01:26they tend not to do that, and it's absolutely necessary. Although residents here are concerned

01:33about their personal safety and damage to property, it's the effect on wildlife and heritage in the

01:38area that really worries them. Many people tell me that it's nothing like the area that it used to be.

01:45We're now becoming part of Maystone's urban sprawl. It's about not just slowing the traffic, it's

01:52really about trying to reduce the traffic flow because there's so much damage going on, as I say,

01:58to the wildlife, to the area as a whole. It's a historic area. Very, very important, especially the mill

02:05because that's one of the last paper mills that existed in the area. We're in a conservation area,

02:11so something's got to be done about it. A spokesperson from Kent County Council say they

02:17do understand and sympathise with residents, stating they've been advised by SGN that these

02:22works are essential for the gas supply. They also say that they're taking matters up with the gas

02:27company to see how they can reduce congestion and the impact on locals in the area. SGN has been

02:33approached for comment. So it seems that while some residents are having ongoing meetings discussing

02:38possible closures of Cripple Street, a one-way system, pitch points or barriers, residents

02:43here are hoping for a solution faster than the traffic. Kristen Hawthorne for KMTV, Maystone.

Category

Transcript

Be the first to comment

Recommended