Wouldham residents plan traffic protests
13:21, 24 August 2019
updated: 13:58, 24 August 2019
Wouldham residents have had enough of traffic thundering through their narrow High Street and adjacent roads.
And they intend to take to the streets to demonstrate their anger.
A pressure group called Wouldham Against Traffic was set up in July after a public meeting and it has called for two demonstrations - on Wednesday, September 4, during the morning rush hour, from 7am till 9am, and then again on Friday, September 6, during the evening rush hour, between 4.30pm and 6pm.
The protests are timed to coincide with the resumption of the school term.
Residents, wearing high visibility vests, will line the streets holding placards bearing the message to motorists: "Slow Down - We Live Here."
Although there is already a 20mph limit through the High Street that does not stop drivers speeding.
As the road is narrow, quite often HGVs and buses mount the footpath to get around obstacles, putting pedestrians' lives at risk.
Residents blame their troubles firmly on the adjacent Peters Village housing development.
As part of the infrastructure to support the 1,000-home development, developer Trenport constructed a new crossing over the River Medway to link to the A228.
But that, combined with the opening up of Hall Road - previously a No Through Road - has made Wouldham a rat-run for commuters travelling from the M20 to the Medway Towns.
A spokesman for Wouldham Against Traffic said: "Our aims are simple: to improve the safety of residents by reducing the volume and speed of traffic through the village.
"In an ideal world this would be achieved by closing off access to and from the village, at the junction of Hall Road and the new Peters Village roundabout.
"This would force drivers to use the new Burham bypass and other roads which were designed and built to accommodate the additional traffic flow."
So far the only mitigation measure offered by Kent Highways is to increase the length of double yellow lines in the village - which might help to clear obstacles, but which residents fear will only lead to higher speeds.
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