Maidstone Borough Council challenge their Highway Authority over diversion of funds away from a bus lane to town centre

November 30, 2018

Stephen Hockman QC and Megan Thomas have obtained permission for judicial review of a highway authority which has made a decision to divert monies collected for road widening under section 106 undertakings to use for a feasibility study for a potential bypass. Maidstone Borough Council is challenging Kent County Council as Kent Highways Officers themselves required the road widening in order to allow planning permission for a number of housing sites to proceed. Since then, the Local Plan has confirmed the need for road widening in order to create two inbound carriageways to the town centre and so allow some dedicated bus use. Maidstone object to the diversion of the section 106 funds earmarked for the road widening, so as now to be used to fund a feasibility study for a possible bypass. It says the widening remains necessary and funds for a feasibility study for a new road must be found from somewhere else.