Crossing gets the go-ahead

A PEDESTRIAN crossing which Seal residents and parish councillors have spent three years campaigning for will go ahead, according to a highways leader.

At a Sevenoaks Joint Transportation Board meeting, Kent Highway Services manager of transport and development for Sevenoaks Alan Ash confirmed a zebra crossing would be installed on Childsbridge Lane.

The 30mph limit road runs through a residential area with Seal Primary School nearby.

At the meeting on Tuesday last week, Mr Ash said: "The zebra crossing is with our designers now.

"We are going to go ahead and put the zebra crossing in and there will be consultation later this month."

He added an automatic speed sign was also being considered.

The campaign for a crossing began in 2005 when Seal resident Deborah Bell drew up a petition which attracted 111 signatures from villagers wanting the road to be made safer.

This was presented to the Sevenoaks Joint Transportation Board in March 2006, with funding secured later that year.

A zebra crossing had previously been ruled out because speed checks on the roads showed cars were regularly travelling over the 30mph limit – something highway officers ruled was an unsafe approach speed to a crossing.

Seal Parish Council clerk Lorna Talbot said: "There's nothing we can do until they send through the plans.

"We have been told they will come through for our November meeting."