Two pieces of local news may have an impact on the Heart of Kent Line proposals.
Firstly, Arriva have terminated most buses on route 6 at East Peckham, rather than continuing as previously to Wateringbury and Maidstone. Only a few services for school children will continue to the county town. There is therefore no direct bus route from Pembury or Paddock Wood to Maidstone. This should not be taken to suggest that there is no demand for services on this route, simply that Arriva have decided to concentrate their resources on the route via Tonbridge to improve frequency. Of course, a direct rail service up to every quarter of an hour and taking half as long as the bus service would fully tap into the potential for public transport on this corridor.
Secondly, the proposals for the replacement of the car park adjacent to Calverley Grounds with a theatre may require some changes to the proposals concerning an enlarged Tunbridge Wells Central Station. One early suggestion was to place the two new platforms underneath Mount Pleasant using a cut and cover method. Although perhaps simpler in engineering terms than the scheme previously suggested, this would of course have led to a lengthy closure of the lower part of that road. However, if the theatre plan goes ahead, this may need to be reconsidered.
This site takes no position on the relative merits of constructing a new theatre compared to the refurbishment of the old. Whichever scheme is chosen by Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, improving the town’s links to the rest of Kent can only enhance the success of the town’s leisure and night time economy.
Heart Of Kent Line 