Call for better bus service for tourists

By cmiller

HELPING tourists get to Westerham by public transport is not a priority, bus service providers have said.

Westerham parish councillor Linda Rodgers called for an improved service to help visitors get to the town at a meeting with bus operators Arriva and Kent County Council.

But she was told by the county council tourism is not one of the criteria for providing a subsidised service.

The demands for better public transport follow a Chronicle investigation highlighting the state of the bus service within the Sevenoaks district.

Cllr Rodgers said: "We have Quebec House, Chartwell and Squerryes. They're all big tourist areas and we'd like people to come in and see them. We'd like people to be able to go home.

"There's only so much space in Westerham for parking. Once we've filled our car parks up we're snookered so we'd like a bus service."

The case for a better bus service was raised at a Sevenoaks District Council environment select committee meeting on Tuesday last week when committee chairman Cllr Roger Walshe said: "As far as Westerham is concerned you've got there a tourist attraction. Surely Kent are keen to promote tourism?"

County council public transport planner Daniel Washington said in order for the council to provide more buses to help visitors get to Westerham, it would have to find money in its limited budget.

He said: "Unfortunately tourism doesn't feature on the criteria of supported services. But where we can we'd like to support that. We're potentially looking at if the 236 can be directed via Chartwell."

There were also calls for a better service for residents between Westerham and Sevenoaks. Currently the town has one bus an hour until early evening on Monday to Saturdays and one bus every two hours on Sunday.

Cllr Rodgers said: "I'm not totally convinced that Sevenoaks don't think we're part of Bromley. Who wants to go to Bromley?

"I don't want to go to Bromley, I want to go to Sevenoaks. I want to go to the shops. I want to go to the Stag. I want to catch the train."

Sevenoaks town councillor Andrew Eyre called for more evening buses so people could get to facilities in Sevenoaks, such as the Stag, and home again.

He said: "Someone coming in from Borough Green or Wrotham has to catch the bus home at 7, from Westerham at 6, Tonbridge at 8pm. This doesn't constitute much of a night out."