Troublesome kerbs surface again
Here we go again – digging up the kerbs in
Maidstone’s town centre, just months after having dug it all up for
pedestrians to enjoy new ones.
The only problem was dozens of people were tripping on the
new surfaces, fitted in King Street and the High Street back in May
as part of the town centre redesign.
People were unable to distinguish the join between the kerb and
the new granite paving, and the issue resulted in weeks of articles
and readers’ letters about the problem.
So it's back to the drills and shovels this week to take up some
of the paving in King Street – at a cost of £42,000. Maidstone
Borough Council says that it is not extra money, claiming the
original budget was underspent and repair cost was coming from the
surplus.
A spokesman said: “We will salvage many of the blocks to be used
elsewhere.”
The council's cabinet member for economic and commercial
development, Malcolm Greer, said: “Despite all the consultations
and safety audits people have said they have fallen, which is
distressing for all concerned.”
He said once the stones had been dug up in King Street the
granite would be replaced with black tarmac “to provide the maximum
possible distinction between the different heights of the
carriageway and pavement”.
06/11/12
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