Parish Plans To Extend Path On Silver Street

Plans have been put before Kedington Parish council for changes to the paths and road around the Rectory Road / Silver Street junction. The aim of the plan is to make the area safer for pedestrians how ever the council are as yet undecided as to weather the plan represents an over all improvement in road safety.

The plan as shown at the top of this article is to extend the path down from above the junction on the rectory road side to the bottom of the traffic island that contains the Kedington Silver Jubilee sign (That we use as our Logo) cutting off the higher of the two exits from rectory road to traffic but leaving a spar of road still there as parking space. On the park side of the road the path will be extended up to the top end of Vine Cottage. This will require the path to take up what is currently road space reducing traffic down to one lane with a priority system giving priority to traffic going up the hill from the start of the new section of path to just past Kimcots.

The obvious plus side of this is greater safety for pedestrians who will no longer need to walk on the road for some distance to get down silver street, instead having one short crossing. However on the negative side the priority system will stretch right across the remaining exit from Rectory Road adding yet another layer of complexity to a junction that may already be the most dangerous for drivers in the village due to the near impossibility of seeing down Silver Street before pulling out. How to sign post this so that motorists unfamiliar with the area understand they are pulling out in to the middle of a priority system and that the person stopping just up the hill wasn't doing so to let the out is still an unanswered question. Also that person at the top of the hill may be just stopping to let them out; a search of the highway code provides no answer to who would have priority if somebody was intending to pull out of rectory road and head up hill. This increase in complexity could in it's self lead to confusion and more accidents on this corner for motorists and pedestrians who will still have to cross the road at this point.

Related Stories: Silver Street Path Extention. Parish Plans To Extend Path On Silver Street 17/9/9 Village Meeting To Debate Silver St Paths Plan - But Is It To Late? 21/9/9 Shipp Claims There Is Still Time For Kedington To Decide On Silver St 23/9/9 Good Turnout For General Meeting 28/9/9 Silver Street Plans On Hold. 21/11/9

A further snag would be a loss of parking for residents along that part of Silver Street at a time when parking space is already becoming short in the effected part of the village although in compensation the residents would be able to come out of their houses on to a pavement as opposed to the road.

One alternative is to proceed with just the half of the plan to bring the path further down on the Rectory Road side which would not require the narrowing of the road but would reduce the amount of distance people have to walk on the road.

Kedington Parish council are as yet undecided on this issue so if you have an opinion please contact either a member of the parish council or contact them by post (Letters can be left for them at Kedington post office free of charge).

If you have news of interest to Kedington or a response or further information on existing articles please contact News@KedingtonNews.co.uk