A consultation has launched inviting people to have their say on proposed traffic calming measures in The Street in Great Chart, Ashford.
It comes after Great Chart with Singleton Parish Council raised concerns about speeding through the village for many years through its Highway Improvement Plan. This is a document parish and town councils can use to identify road safety improvements they would like to prioritise in their local area and bring forward with Kent County Council (KCC).
To slow down traffic, KCC is proposing to install a ‘priority build-out’ in The Street, near the junction with Padwell Lane.
A build-out is a traffic island or an extension of a pavement which narrows the road. It means drivers travelling downhill towards the village, would be required to give way to vehicles leaving the village. The aim is to slow down vehicles as they enter the village and reduce speeds through it.
This would be similar to the existing traffic calming measure at the eastern end of the village, near the cricket ground. Signs will indicate which direction has priority and which must give way to oncoming vehicles.
Peter Osborne, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, said:
“We’ve been hearing concerns about speeding in Great Chart for a number of years, and these proposals are designed to help slow vehicles down as they enter the village. No decisions have been made yet, but we do want to hear from the people who live, work and travel through the area to find out what they think. I’d encourage anyone with an interest to take a look and share their views as part of the consultation.”
(Picture: Kent County Council)
