FAQ Broad Street Closure 25.07.22

Published: 22 July 2022

* How long will Broad Street be closed for?

The proposed length of closure for this road is 6 weeks starting from Monday 25th July 2022 and the reason is to allow contractors hired by Pentland Homes the time to install the foul water drainage system, gas, dropped curbs and road markings (to name a few.)  This length of time was determined by KCC.

* Is it true the road will be open after 3 weeks?

Lyminge Parish Councillors met with Pentland Homes on Monday 18th July 2022 and they were advised that due to the negative impact the road closure will have on residents and businesses, Pentland Homes will aim to complete the foul water drainage within 3-4 weeks, reopen the road with a view to return later to complete the remaining works under a traffic light system.  There is no guarentee that the road will be open after this shortened time frame but it is a target both Pentland and LPC are hoping will be met.

* Why can't all the works be completed under a traffic light system?

KCC will not allow the work force to install the foul water drainage system next to moving traffic, due to safety concerns.  The depth and width that they will be working coupled with the limited size of the road means that the only way to complete this is under a closure.  The remaining works can be done under a traffic light system because they will be completed closer to the curb.  Please note that this is not a decision made by Pentland Homes but one by KCC under their regulations.

* Why cant the contractors work 24/7 throughout the night?

The contractors do not have the manpower to do this and the noise from the generators plus heavy machinary would potentially lead to noise complaints from residents. Pentland Homes has requested longer working days to be authorised by KCC and the ability to work Saturdays in order to speed up the closure time frame.

* Why can't emergency vehicles be let through the road should they need it?

All vehicles will be expected to use the diversion route because there will be very deep trenches left open until the works are completed. LPC has been advised it is not possible to cover these should an emergency arise and the time it would take to do so would potentially end up being longer than the diversion.

SECAMB should have been made aware and implemented strategies to accomodate this.  If you have concerns about this, please contact KCC for further clarification. 

* Will Pentland Homes reimburse residents and businesses for the inconvenience and extra petrol?

If you wish to claim this back, you will need to go directly to Pentland Homes and/or KCC.  LPC cannot comment on this. 

* Can Pentland Homes put a temporary road in through the golf course? 

No they cannot.  The time and man power it would require to level the course, make safe, carry out the adequate inspections and make good again plus the cost and the extensive damage to the environment means this is not feasible.  Etchinghill golf course and Pentland Homes are two separate entities. 

 * Will LPC Councillors be attending protests?

LPC Councillors may attend protests should they wish but under the position of a resident and not a Council member and at this moment, the Council will not be commenting to reporters.

* Have all the proper permits been given for the road closure and risk assessments taken place?

All risk assessments required by KCC for a road closure will hopefully have been carried out by the relevant bodies within the County Council but should you have concerns, please contact them directly. 

* What is happening with the buses?

LPC understands that Stagecoach has implemented a change in timetable, however, the Council does not feel this adequately serves the community and has called and emailed them several times this week but not received a response back.  The Parish Clerk will continue next week to ask that they reconsider the service they are providing.

* Can I still access Broad Street House for work and visitation?

Broad Street House is still accessible. 

* Will the footpath be closed?

The footpath will remain open for the duration of the closure and it will still allow access to the golf course. 

* Why does the foul water have to be placed down Broad Street?

The foul water needs to be installed for the new Fairways homes.

LPC has been advised and shown plans that have indicated the drainage system must follow this road and join up with a pre-existing junction near Greenbanks surgery.   There is no other connection point that they can apparently use and this will have been an agreement made by Pentland Homes and KCC.  If you believe this to be wrong, please direct your queries to them for clarification and discussion.

* Why is the foul water going on the left-hand side as you enter the village and not under the verge?

LPC has been advised by Pentlands that it is nearly impossible to add another utility to the verge since a large volume of those that already serve the village are under there.  To dig in the this area would extend the closure and cause quite a high risk of damaging those already there creating even further problems.

To summarise:

All of the members of the Lyminge Parish Council are deeply concerned by these closures and they fully understand and will also be impacted by this and the diversion.  The Council was never consulted ahead of time and only discovered it was going ahead on the day the Clerk informed residents by social media.

Since then, the Council has contacted Jenny Hollingsbee, Susan Carey, Damian Collins, KCC Highways, Stagecoach and held a meeting with Pentland in order to get some clarity and assistance in mitigating the issues that residents face.  Unfortunately, with the recent approval of the new houses there is a need to install the infrastructure that goes with it and at the moment, it will be the residents that are inconvenienced.  

LPC does not have any power to put demands on Kent County Council or Pentland Homes and they can only liaise with them to try and highlight the issues with their decisions, therefore going forward, if you have any queries or complaints, please direct them to the District Councillors Susan Carey and Jenny Hollingsbee as well as KCC.