EDF: over 3 months to connect new Shorncliffe Road traffic lights

Folkestone Councillor Tim Prater has learned that it it unlikely the EDF will connect the new traffic lights in Shorncliffe Road near Folkestone West station before March, over 3 months after their installation. The new lights were designed to ease traffic congestion in the area, which was expected to increase after the introduction of the full high-speed rail service in December 2009.

The revised junction and lights were installed by the end of November, but EDF lead-times and loss of paperwork now mean that the lights are not expected to be working before March 2010 at the earliest. An email from a Kent Highways Design Engineer says:

"the [EDF] Scheduling Team (the people who carry out the work) have not yet received the job from the Design Centre, to whom we sent full payment on 03/12/09. They currently have a lead-in time of 6-8 weeks from when they receive the job, which was apparently sent to them on 11/01/10.

"As a result of this, I cannot see us having the signals commissioned and working before March. I have done everything I can to try and get this work completed, but unfortunately this is now down to EDF to programme."

Councillor Tim Prater is furious at the delay. He said:

"If EDF require such a long lead time to get new lights working, then its time we found a partner that can act quicker. Its not just traffic lights - there are streetlights across Shepway which EDF have failed to get working. For example, there is one in Horn Street, Cheriton outside a school that has been out for over a year a EDF have failed to connect it.

"The service Kent and local resident receive from EDF is awful. It's time a new partner was found - one that would take less than 3 months to connect up new traffic lights."