Update: Progress on Royal Military Avenue parking and speed calming plans

Cheriton Councillor Tim Prater has met with representatives of Kent Highway Services to discuss ongoing proposals for Royal Military Avenue in Folkestone to slow traffic in the road and create more parking.

Previous public meetings in the area have seen calls for the road to be narrowed by introducing "oblique" (nose-in) parking, but have been resisted by Kent Highways Services who claimed that the road would then be too narrow for normal two way traffic.

After detailed discussions with some local residents, Tim and Kent Highways Services have discussed a plan to introduce oblique parking on one side of the road, with standard kerb-side parking on the other side. With adjustments to the angle of the oblique parking, and making the parking bays "reverse in" rather than "reverse out" by aligning them against the flow of traffic on that side, it is hoped that worries expressed by safety consultants can be met.

The plans would also see parking restrictions enforced at junctions, new pavement "build outs" to make road crossing simpler, pedestrian crossing points, some disabled bays and still see more parking spaces created in the road, as well as reducing the width of the carriageways in the road, reducing overall car speeds.

New plans will be produced and circulated by Kent Highway Services to local residents by the end of September, and if the reaction is positive and funding can be secured, the scheme is hoped to be implemented before April 2010.