Watts Farm visit: tackling flooding in Button Street

There have been a number of causes of the flooding that has often affected Button Street in recent years, but any solution has to include avoiding run-off from Watts Farm. The farm runs alongside Button Street from close to the A20 junction up as far as Canada Heights.

The farm manager has made major efforts to tackle the problem, and on Friday morning a KCC highways engineer and I visited to see what has been done. A large lagoon has been dug at a low-lying point quite close to the road to receive a lot of the runoff from the fields. A large bund stands between it and the road.

We also visited a large ditch (pictured) that runs alongside another field. The ditch has had its problems in the past - on one occasion, a rabbit hole that was dug near it contributed to discharges into the road - but appears to be functioning well (the overnight thunder storms and heavy rain provided a useful test of its effectiveness: water had run into the ditch but there was still plenty of capacity left).

All round, this was a very encouraging visit and the farm manager is looking at plans for further drainage close to the farm' shard surfacing, which inevitably experiences heavy runoff during periods of rainfall. This would enable the lagoon to operate as a last line of defence and to serve chiefly to receive runoff from the fields.

There are, of course, other sources of flooding in Button Street, and I will continue to work with Kent Highways to resolve them.

Shoreham: more on the closure

The closure of Station Road Shoreham (see my previous post) is set to begin tomorrow.

The 421 bus service will continue to serve Shoreham, operating on a ‘double run’ basis; it will go to Otford, come back along Filston Lane and pick up at the current stop before turning round and going back up Filston Lane. This will mean that, for the period of the closure, there may be one less service per day. It will of course revert to the current timetable once the closure is finished.

A further cause for concern has been the coincidence of these works with the severe water discharges around the Filston Lane/ Church Street/ High Street junction, and in particular the question of whether tackling these problems would require an additional road closure, causing major problems for the village. 

Thames Water fixed one leak (in Church Street) some time ago, but the second leak - which originated in Filston Lane, opposite the car park, but then ran down Church Street - took longer. 

Works were however carried out just over a week ago (on Saturday 6^th September) and Thames Water will return tomorrow to complete a permanent reinstatement of the carriageway. While this is the same day as the start of the closure in Station Road, the reinstatement should be carried out using signage only.

New date for Rock Hill works

In my previous post on further drainage works to be undertaken on the Bromley-facing side of Rock Hill, I gave a date of 26 August for them to be undertaken.

Driving through Well Hill shortly afterwards, I noticed that the works had not taken place and made enquiries as to what had happened. It appears that the contractor was overloaded with other commitments and was unable to do those works on the day agreed.

Working with a new contractor, Kent Highways has agreed a new date of 22nd of September. Hopefully this should see a resolution of this long-running issue.

Eynsford resurfacing and the Kent Test

The resurfacing works in High Street in Eynsford - between the Baptist Church and Mill Lane - are due to go ahead. That is the good news.

Less good news is the timing. The works were due to be carried out over the summer holidays (post of 31 March), which would have made obvious sense. However, delays built in in getting a contract (covering a wide range of works) agreed between Kent Highways and a contractor.  The works will now take place over night on 8 and 9 September - just before the Kent Test on 10 September.

When I was alerted to this, I contacted Kent Highways in an effort to get the date moved but have to admit that this proved unsuccessful.  The resurfacing timetable is full until the arrival of winter makes it impossible to carry out works, so that moving the date is, it appears, not an option; and not carrying out the works at all would leave the road in a vulnerable condition before winter even started. 

I did seek to get some assurance that the impact would not be too disruptive on those children living nearby and about to take the Kent Test. This is, after all, already a stressful time for them and for their families. I am told that the noisiest works will take place on the first night, and in the earlier parts of the evening. It should not, I am told, be a case of loud noises going on all night, both nights. If I get further information, I will update on this blog.