I am writing February’s newsletter having just received some brilliant news.
Readers will know that the Maidstone East fast line through Otford and Swanley to London Bridge was a key election pledge of mine in 2019, and I was delighted when we delivered on it over a year ago. This was in no small part due to us working together and showing the great demand for the service.
It was clear immediately that this service was a great success, and after my petition was signed by more than a thousand people, we were able to obtain an additional morning service. That meant there was a half-hourly rush hour service.
However, this still left us with an hourly evening rush hour service, which was leading to overcrowded trains. I have been in touch with Southeastern on many occasions concerning the need for a returning half-hourly rush hour service in the evenings and earlier this year launched a petition to once again show the support of local people.
Once again, hundreds of you got involved and I have just heard from Southeastern that we have been successful.
From 3 June 2024 there will now be a half-hourly evening rush hour service from London to Swanley and Otford. Two additional trains will leave Charing Cross at 1659, 1759 – stopping at Waterloo East and London Bridge, before travelling fast to Swanley and then Otford – which will give a half-hourly service from Charing Cross from 1629 to 1829.
My immense thanks to Southeastern for listening to us, and to all of you who have either used the service or have supported my campaigns over the last couple of years. It really has made a difference.
As ever, I do not intend to rest upon my laurels, and I want to ensure that going forward there will be more capacity on the rush hour trains. It is great the line is so popular, but occasions of overcrowding at peak times needs to be dealt with.
On a separate note, I am also very happy to report there will be additional trains to London from Sevenoaks in the morning rush hour, more frequent trains on Saturdays, with more carriages Saturday afternoons and during the daytime on Sundays. As and when I have the specific times, I will be sharing them on my Facebook.
Whether for work or pleasure, our train services are immensely important to thousands of households in my constituency, and these improvements are to be welcomed and I will always seek more where possible.
***
Below is a snapshot of what we have been working on. If there is anything, I can do to support you, please get in touch.
- This month I met with local Swanley White Oak District councillors Jasmine Ferrari, Glynnis and Paul Darrington, alongside Swanley town and district councillors, and residents to discuss the proposal within the Local Plan to build 110 houses on the land at the end of Lullingstone Avenue, and behind Archers Way. They share with me my passion for protecting the Green Belt and it was good to speak about the campaign to ensure that if a planning application is put in for the Green Belt without community support, the answer should be no.
- At the end of last year I was pleased to support a grant application to the National Lottery Heritage Fund made by the Archbishop’s Palace Conservation Trust in respect of Otford Palace – and I am delighted to say the bid was successful! When up and running, the new InfoPoint system will enable visitors to use their smartphones to access information and stories about the history of the Palace as they walk round the buildings. The work of the Trust is so important in keeping the memory of what was a superb Palace alive for generations to come. My congratulations and thanks to Nick Rushby and everyone connected with the Trust for all the work they are doing concerning the Palace.
- I believe roads immediately outside (or close to) schools must be 20mph wherever possible. That is why I wholeheartedly endorse the campaign by Cllrs Nick Chard, Graham Clack, Kim Bayley and Nigel Williams, along with Riverhead and Chevening Parish Councils for the roads immediately outside Chevening Primary and Amherst School to be 20mph – along with other surrounding roads. This has culminated in a consultation over a 20mph speed limit in the follow roads: Barnfield Road. Bullfinch Lane, Chesterfield Drive, Elmstead Close, Stanhope Way & Witches Lane, part Chevening Road and Chipstead Lane – from its junction with Witches Lane to its junction with The Square. I urge you to give this your support, in order to make the roads safer for the children attending not only Chevening Primary and the Amherst School, but also the nearby Riverhead Infants school. The consultation ends on Monday 4 March at noon https://letstalk.kent.gov.uk/various-roads-riverhead-and-chevening-sevenoaks-amendment-4-speed-limit-order
- As you know, whilst we were successful in obtaining certain banking facilities at the Swanley Post Office, as well as the Barclays fortnightly Banking Van visits at Swanley Market, my aim remains to have a full Banking Hub in Swanley so that residents can still access bank services, despite the closure of the reverent high street banks in the town. Unfortunately, under the previous guidance, Swanley was unable to meet the current statutory criteria. However, I have since argued this needed to be looked at again and was pleased that subsequently a review of the whole topic of access to cash was announced by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in order to create a new regulatory scheme, and working alongside Swanley Town Council we have now responded. It cannot be right that Welling, only a mile from the many banks in Bexleyheath, and with multiple bus routes, was able to obtain a Banking Hub; whereas Swanley, over 4 miles away from Sidcup, only one bus service, and within the ULEZ Zone for those that drive was denied one. The fight continues.
- I met with Royal Mail's Regional Operations Director and Manager for Sevenoaks to urgently raise the ongoing issues with local postal deliveries. I made it clear I expected all constituents to receive deliveries 6 days per week, and asked what action was being taken to achieve this. I was told they are recruiting to 10 new posts at Sevenoaks sorting office, 2 have already been filled with 8 remaining. In the meantime, they currently have about 7 agency staff covering the vacancies. Planning of additional delivery routes is also underway which should improve areas which have been affected by poor service. And, more vehicles have been hired by Royal Mail to improve efficiency. I am hopeful we should start to see rapid improvements soon, however please continue to keep me updated with your experiences.
- I receive many emails from teachers and parents about the challenges they have faced accessing local children’s social services - so this month, I held a roundtable meeting to discuss some of the key issues in more detail. In attendance were representatives from Kent County Council, Sevenoaks District Council, local councillors, Kent Police’s Child Centred Policing Team and a selection of local schools. It was clear how incredible the work is of so many of our dedicated social workers who protect and help the most at risk children. But, a common theme that arose was the need to improve early intervention so that families can be helped before crisis point is reached – a point I am raising both locally and nationally. If you are a parent or teacher with concerns about local children services, please do not hesitate to get in touch with my office at [email protected]
