Traffic review to finally go ahead (From News Shopper)

Traffic review to finally go ahead

12:05pm Tuesday 14th September 2004

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TRAFFIC and parking in a village will be getting a long-awaited review after residents' calls for action.

Villagers will see the parking problems plaguing Longfield and the accident black-spot of Whitehill Road, as traffic heads for the roundabout with Main Road, put under the microscope as part of two separate projects.

But Kay Richardson, 45, who has collected 500 signatures in a petition calling for the widening of Whitehill Road, where she lives, remains sceptical and said: "I'm not going to hold my breath".

News Shopper reported last month how trade in Station Road was being harmed because of inadequate parking and of villagers getting increasingly frustrated because nothing is being done to solve traffic problems near the roundabout.

But now chairman of Longfield and New Barn Parish Council Councillor Jeremy Kite says traffic congestion issues, particularly along Whitehill Road, will be reviewed by Dartford Council, and negotiations are underway with Kent County Council (KCC) to widen the road.

"After 30 years of problems in Longfield we must be getting close to the top of KCC's list now because it's getting to nightmarish proportions," he said.

Village butcher in Station Road, Michael Jones, who has seen his business undermined by poor parking changes and provision in the village, welcomed the review as "great news and a long time coming".

Dartford Council's senior highways engineer Andrew Burton will attend the next parish council meeting on October 6 to investigate the problems.

And Longfield is one of several areas to be getting possible new parking schemes, which will be designed and will only go ahead following feedback from residents and councillors.

Funding is already available for a new parking scheme in Dartford town centre, while Greenhithe, Swanscombe, Sutton-at-Hone, the rest of Dartford town and Longfield are ear-marked for new parking schemes.

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