Is there some sign of hope for tackling Otford’s traffic problems? Maybe there is. Parish Plan groups have been working to turn residents’ concerns into ideas for action, including plans for village “gateways” to be installed over the coming months at the main entry points to Otford, initially on Shoreham Road and Pilgrims Way West maybe. These will act as a highly visible sign to drivers that they are entering a residential village area. Funding is difficult especially at the moment: Kent Highways tell us that funds for new schemes are very limited – despite their own frightening evidence on traffic speeds, as analysed by Derek Buck. However, the Otford Society is contributing £500, as is the Otford Fete Committee. We are very grateful to our County Councillor, Nick Chard, and to District Councillor Michelle Lowe for providing or bidding for funds. John Edwards-Winser (Parish Council Chairman) has engaged the support and collaboration of our Parish Council, and this fresh and positive approach is really welcome. Later other measures to calm traffic and help pedestrians will be needed such as characterful signage for the Conservation Area, maybe a pedestrian crossing if funds permit, tackling High Street traffic, and anything that residents can do to make main-road frontages and verges look attractive and “people-based”. The village Speedwatch team will be trained over the next month, so please be ready to see them around on our roads in the pursuit of safer roads for all. The Sevenoaks Chronicle will feature all this shortly. Meanwhile a very big thank you to colleagues in the Parish Plan teams and elsewhere for helping things to start moving – so to speak! STOP PRESS: VOTE FOR MONEY FOR OTFORD! This drawing gives an idea of a gateway. It is not the actual design. You can easily help to give Otford a great chance of winning up to £6000 for Otford’s traffic-calming measures – especially gateways – by going to this website: http://communityforce.natwest.com/project/3450 - after 29 September and voting for Otford’s project, which you will find described there. Another link to the Otford Project is via http://goo.gl/R74OF Jeff Lee Read Sevenoaks Chronicle News article
Were we successful in the Natwest competition? I think the gateway is an excellent idea and the mock up looks good but could it be opened to the schools in the area, societies and locals to suggest alternative designs that would be of interest to locals and visitors as well as being of more visual interest as well as improving road safety (if anything a "gate" that is more interactive and evolves will be of far more interest and likely to slow people as they pass through.) Maintenance must also be considered and a white, wooden gate will need to be properly maintained which is a cost to consider and a design requirement applicants could be asked to consider in their designs.
REPLY FROM JEFF LEE: Thanks very much for your interest and comments - sorry about the delay in replying. The NatWest results are due by end of November, but I have to say that I don't expect too much. There are other sources we are approaching and we have some funds promised already. The mock-up shown is only an example. The final design will depend on a number of factors, some of them technical, and we are awaiting discussions with Kent Highways on all this. The idea of having a design which can be modified on occasions (maybe via the signage and wording) is one we have already considered - as you say, drivers will notice something which is not the same every time they see it. In terms of collecting design ideas from the community, this might be possible but it might also slow things down, and in any case we could not take that line without the technical information mentioned above. It would be wrong to invite ideas and then find they are not practicable. The maintenance issue is part of our thinking and planning and we would hope to keep costs there to a minimum while keeping the gateways in good order. Thank you again for your comments and please watch this space! Jeff Lee
