Saturday, April 5, 2008

I love it when a plan comes together!

A week or two ago a Sherwood resident contacted me to alert me to the fact that the 277 Sunday bus service, which provided Sherwood residents with vital access into Tunbridge Wells town centre, was to end tomorrow - Sunday 6th April.

I did some checking, and found the story was true - the service had been paid for by Section 106 contribution from property development on the industrial estate - from Toys R Us, PC World, B and Q and so on. The funding only lasted for a few years and now it had ended. Along with the bus service.

Kent County Council were alerted to this, and our transport officers began looking at options. We looked at alternative providers, and finally started negotiations with CountryLine.

Yesterday, I spoke at length with David Hall, the County Transportation Manager who told me we had signed agreements that afternoon, and that within weeks the CountryLine Sunday service which ran along Pembury Road, would turn onto the Sherwood Estate and provide a full replacement to the defunct 277 route.

It was great to see the look on the faces of Sherwood residents when I announced this last evening - broad smiles and a hearty round of applause said it all. As Hannibal from the A-Team would have said - "I love it when a plan comes together"!

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