Agenda item

To consider the attached report of the Director of Highways and Transportation, Kent County Council.

The Dover District Manager (DDM) presented the report which provided an update on schemes that had been programmed for delivery in 2019/20.

In response to Councillor Collor who requested an update on schemes that had been due for completion by April, the DDM advised that, whilst all contractors had shut down for a six-week period due to COVID-19, they were now operational.  She undertook to provide an update on Old Park Hill and Cullen’s Yard.  Councillor T A Bond questioned why a road in a development at Station Road, Walmer had not been adopted by KCC when the Planning Committee had requested that it be adopted.  The DDM advised that she could not comment on Planning matters.  However, she was aware that more and more developers were deciding not to go through KCC’s onerous road adoption procedures, including construction to KCC’s standards.  This left roads unadopted and residents with a maintenance responsibility.  

In response to several matters raised by Councillor J P Haste, she clarified that soakaways were generally holes filled with rubble that would hold water until it soaked away into the ground.  Sometimes it was necessary to bore down into more porous material.  She advised that KCC endeavoured to re-use materials if possible, and always in conservation areas, but materials like concrete slabs would not be re-used.  She undertook to provide figures on the energy-saving properties of LED lighting. 

In respect of proposals for a zebra crossing at Dover Road, Walmer which had subsequently been withdrawn, she advised that, although a crossing  had initially been proposed, on reflection it had been decided, based on experience, that a different type of scheme would be more appropriate as there was a danger that drivers would become complacent if the crossing was infrequently used.   The revised scheme would involve extra road markings, signage and red surfacing.  In response to concerns raised by Councillor C A Vinson at KCC’s apparent about turn, she clarified that the geography of the site limited what could be done there.  There was insufficient room for a mini roundabout and installing traffic lights would be prohibitively expensive.  Comments on the proposed scheme and other suggestions were welcome.

In response to Mr P Carter who queried why the upgrading of the zebra crossing in New Street and the road’s resurfacing had not been done at the same time, the DDM advised that the zebra crossing upgrade had had to be brought forward so it did not clash with works planned by Southern Water.  Resurfacing the road would have entailed asking people to leave their houses during lockdown which would have been unacceptable.  Added to this, most contractors had shut down for six weeks.   The road needed resurfacing before the Open Golf tournament, and it could not have been predicted at the time of scheduling that shops would be re-opening after the pandemic.  Works to the footway near the level crossing at St Bart’s Road were part of a bigger scheme, timed to coincide with the school holidays and tied to the contractor’s availability.

The DDM undertook to find out for Councillor S S Chandler when drainage works at Preston Lane to address a longstanding problem would be completed.  Footway works at The Street, Preston had been signed off and, whilst there had been some disagreement between the developer and the parish council, this was outside the Section 38 agreement.   On behalf of Councillor Walkden, she promised to report back that PROW EB3 from Hardwicke Road to the Western Heights was very overgrown.