Home Sittingbourne News Article
Diamond Close in The Meads has no road sign
11:40, 22 January 2016
People living in new homes on The Meads are warning lives could be at risk because their road is yet to have a road sign put in.
Diamond Close remains without a sign despite having been built more than a year ago.
As well as regular confusion over deliveries, there are fears the omission could have more deadly consequences.
Mum-of-one Julie Davis said: “I know of three times when the emergency services have been called and they haven’t been able to find us.
“I had to call an ambulance at 2am in real bad pain and they could not find me.
“I had a phone call saying ‘the ambulance is in the Jenny Wren car park, please can you direct them’. It seemed like I was waiting forever.”
"I know of three times when the emergency services have been called and they haven’t been able to find us" - Diamond Close resident Julie Davis
Miss Davis, who has a 16-year-old daughter, said a similar thing happened about eight weeks ago when she had a medical problem and needed urgent care.
“I rang 111 and they said they would send an ambulance. I didn’t put the phone down because I knew they would have a problem.
"They were back and forth to the control room giving directions.”
Planning permission for the homes was granted by Swale council in June 2013 and they were subsequently built by
Hertfordshire-based Abbey Developments.
Diamond Close is behind The Meads Medical Practice off Quartz Way, which is a private road.
While the doctors’ surgery is in Quartz Way, homes above it are deemed as being in Diamond Close.
A spokesman for Swale council said it was aware a sign had not been put in.
He said: “We’ve raised this issue with the developer who is responsible for the provision of street nameplates on new estates, and have also advised Kent County Council’s supervising site engineer.”
Cllr James Hunt (Con), who represents The Meads, said: “It’s causing a few issues but the biggest is with ambulances.
“It could be life-threatening if it’s not done.
“The developer does not want to reply to any of my messages about the sign.”
A spokesman for Abbey Developments said it was company policy not to make any comments, but promised to look into the issue.