Transport Snapshot for the West Malling area

< Malling Action Partnership, < MAP Transport and Accessibility group

1.0	TRANSPORT AND ACCESSIBILITY SNAPSHOT DRAFT
This document addresses the questions raised in the TRANSPORT SNAPSHOT section of the Rural Towns Health Check appertaining to West Malling, and it’s Hinterland, for the Malling Action Partnership (MAP).

1.1 MALLING ACTION PARTNERSHIP TRANSPORT INTRODUCTION
In keeping with the consideration that this report is an initial snapshot, the data has been collected from the most easily available sources E.G. Web Sites, Promotional Literature; Transport surveys from the last few years; and simple observation and anecdotal input. Hence, absolute up to date accuracy may have been traded against speedily getting a debate underway. However it is anticipated that the full Transport Healthcheck, can build on outcome of the initial debate. In particular, using a more rigorous data quality assessment; undertaking surveys of the hinterland transport issues; etc will provide a more comprehensive picture view of the MAP Area Transport System.

1.2	NUMBER OF BUS STATIONS
West Malling doesn’t have a bus station as such, but the wide “market area” in the High Street provides a useful turning point for quite large buses and serves as a terminus for a number of Bus Routes into the town from Maidstone and Tonbridge directions.

1.3	NUMBER OF TRAIN STATIONS
West Malling has only one station, which also serves the neighbouring areas. Housing and business developments in the West Malling hinterland (particularly Kings Hill) has resulted in this station having one of the highest passenger growth rates in the South East. However, the shortage of parking at the station has resulted in commuters resorting to using other nearby stations (e.g. Borough Green) as an alternative. The “dualling" of the A228 West Malling & Leybourne Bypass that also provides access directly on to the station (initially only for taxis and buses) coupled with provision for a nett 250 more parking spaces, will undoubtedly change the dynamics of the station usage. The PBA report of January 2004 regarding the West Malling Railway Station South Side Master Plan Study advised that a further 215 car parking spaces would suffice till 2011 and that a significant portion of current and future could potentially transfer to the bypass link road providing relief to West Malling and specifically Swan Street.

1.4	NUMBER OF COACH PARKS
There is no coach park facility in West Malling. Lack of this facility would impact any program to develop tourism further in the area. It is just possible that a small part of the existing Manor Park car park might be utilised for this purpose. Such a proposition would need appropriate controls and agreement with Park Authorities etc.

1.5	PERCENTAGE OF HOUSEHOLDS WITHOUT A CAR
The table, below taken from www.kent.gov.uk/research shows percentage West Malling households without a car. A survey of Offham part of the Malling Action Partnership (MAP) Hinterland showed a much smaller figure of 7%. Area & Percentage Households with cars West Malling =	               22.1% Tonbridge & Malling District =	15.0% Kent County Council =	       19.4% South East Region =	       19.4% Nationally	=               26.8%

1.6	PARKING IN WEST MALLING
This initial data was taken from the PBA Local Parking Study conducted in 2003.

West Malling Location	Legal Parking Spaces	Disabled Bays "Tesco" Short Term Car park	126	9 "Central" On Street"	165	0 "Central" Residential	168	1 "New Town"	555	1 Town Hill Long Term	100	2 TOTALS	1114	13

1.6.1	Number of short-stay car parking spaces in the town
This study identified 126 Parking spaces in “Tesco Car Park”, with on street parking easily accessible to visitors / shoppers in the “central town area” (High St; King St; Swan St; Tower Hill) accounting for a further 165 places.

The “New Town” mainly residential area, accounted for area a further 555 spaces and other residential areas including Churchfields; Meadow Bank; Neville Court; Frog Lane; Ryarsh Lane providing a further 168 spaces.

So short stay parking spaces in total were 1014 in this PBA study. There has been some degree of optimisation of parking spaces, due to the more recent introduction of a 20MPH limit. This system uses parked vehicles as an integral part of the traffic calming measures. However, the nett change in short term parking is probably of the order of 20 to 30 places, but these changes will be validated in the full Healthcheck Study.

A residents and “long term” business parking permit scheme is in operation, and whilst there are no parking fees both the long term, short stay and most of the central area spaces do have time limits enforced by parking wardens.

1.6.2	Number of long-stay car parking spaces in the town
The “Town Hill” long term car park accounted for 100 spaces in the PBA 2003 study. This number has not materially changed in the intervening period.

1.6.3	Number of disabled car parking spaces in the town
A total of 13 disabled parking bays was reported in the 2003 study, there have been a handful of changes in this number with the advent of the 20MPH scheme.

1.6.4	Other parking spaces close to town
The Manor Park in St Leonards St. has a relatively small car park estimated at 25 to 35 spaces about 600 yards from the Town Centre. The Railway Parking which is subject to parking charges is also about 500 yards from the centre. Neither of these seems to have any significant contribution to easing West Malling Parking limitations.

1.6.5	Parking Summary
This topic remains a “hot issue” for both residents and the businesses that rely on visitors to the town. There is no simple solution, as there is no easily identifiable location, and a large cash injection would be needed to introduce additional parking via “stacking, multistory” approaches.

1.7	NUMBER OF CYCLE PATHS
There are no cycle paths in the West Malling area at present although it is understood that one will be designated from Kings Hill to West Malling station along the A228 route

1.8	BUS ROUTE SERVICES FROM VILLAGES TO TRAIN STATIONS
Currently the Nu-Venture bus operates a regular bus service to and from West Malling Station via West Malling High Street from Kings Hill, Mondays to Fridays starting at 06:00 to 20:41. The Service is synchronized with the Train arrivals and departures. The recently opened new A228 dual carriageway will from December provide an access route for buses and taxis to the station, and will enable bus services to run through the station for the first time.

ARRIVA buses have announced that from 4th December they will be rerouting the 72, 76 and 151 bus services to run between the A20/A228 junction and West Malling High Street via the bypass, West Malling Station and Swan Street. This will provide 3 journeys an hour in each direction giving new bus service links to the station from surrounding residential areas

1.9	BUS ROUTES/SERVICES SERVING TOWN AND SURROUNDING COUNTRYSIDE
Following are the Bus Companies serving West Malling and its hinterland taken from their Web Site Information. Operator	Number	Route Information	Timetable Information Nu-Venture	53	West Peckham-Mereworth-Kings Hill- West Malling	Tu & Fri Nu-Venture	123	Kings Hill- West Malling-West Malling Station	M-F

Operator	Number	Route Information	Timetable Information ARRIVA	70 to 76	Maidstone - Borough Green/Kings Hill/Snodland/West Malling and Lunsford Park via Maidstone West Station - London Road - Allington - Ditton - Larkfield - Lunsford Park - Leybourne Lakes - East Malling - West Malling - Offham	M-S Daytime ARRIVA	75	Wrotham - Maidstone Schools via Borough Green - Kings Hill - West Malling  - Leybourne - East Malling - Snodland  - Lunsford Park - Larkfield - Oakwood Park - Maidstone town centre  - Maidstone Boys' Grammar School	M-F School ARRIVA	77	Tunbridge Wells - Kings Hill/West Malling via Tunbridge Wells Rail Station - Southborough - Tonbridge  - Hadlow - Mereworth	M-S & Sun Daytime ARRIVA	151	Chatham - Kings Hill via Chatham Rail Station - Rochester  - Strood  - Cuxton  - Halling  - Snodland  - West Malling	M-S & Sun Daytime 1.10	JOURNEY TIMES BY CAR AND PUBLIC TRANSPORT TO NEAREST LARGE TOWN OR CITY This section compares CAR; BUS and TRAIN journeys to major shopping destinations

Average Journey Times From West Malling Minutes To Location	Road Distance Miles	CAR	TRAIN #	BUS * London Victoria	36	56	50	115* Maidstone East	10	16	9	30 Tunbridge Wells	19	26	58	60 Bluewater - Dartford	23	26	85	90* Shopping Centre Aylesford 	8	13	N/A	22 Sources	Michelin		National Rail Enquiries	Bus Operator Websites

For the purposes of this Snapshot no account has been taken of following In general such delays favour journeys by car, E.G. anecdotal comment suggests that bus times aren’t very satisfactory for getting to the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells hospitals due to the need to change buses if traveling from hinterland parishes.
 * 1) Journey & Wait Times to get from West Malling to the Station
 * Connection Time waiting for changing buses