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Hever Roads
Kent Highways (part of KCC) are responsible for the maintenance and repair of roads, lanes and footpaths in our area. They are also responsible for the clearing and cleaning of ditches and gullies, maintaining verges and cutting grass. The western division of Kent Highways (KHS) is based in Gravesend. KHS have (re-)introduced the 'County Lengthsman Scheme'. The origins of a Lengthsman date back to the 19th Century, when a local man was employed to maintain the Highway and Byways. With increased mechanisation and centralisation, this once familiar figure, with his shovel and hook, disappeared from our rural roads. The service has been re-introduced to allow KHS working with Parish Councils to give an extra emphasis to the day-to-day minor highway maintenance within the various parishes. Hever Parish Council has two Councillor representatives, one for Hever/Markbeech and one for Four Elms who are responsible for receiving requests from local people for minor highway maintenance. They decide what work they would like KHS to do (whether or not using the Lengthsmen), contact the KHS monthly to agree the work, and help KHS in monitoring what work gets done. The sort of work the lengthsmen can do is limited by the plant and equipment carried by the vehicle, but includes: repairing loose or uneven kerb stones, small individual pot holes etc; cutting back overgrown hedges, banks etc; cleaning traffic signs and removing vegetation from around them and painting and repairing fences. The sort of work they cannot do includes: anything requiring capital expenditure, such as providing a road sign and anything requiring specialist equipment, such as painting road-marking, road resurfacing or extensive repair, etc. However, in that the lengthsmen's efforts are in addition to the general maintenance work identified and prioritised by KHS's local highway inspector, it is a plus.
Contacts Parish Council Roads Representatives: - Hever & Markbeech: John Scott 07768-300002 Four Elms: John Southworth 01732-700279 KHS:- Contact Centre: 08458 247800 Sevenoaks Area: Sue Ireland 01474-544076 Local Inspector: Allan Gibbons 01474-544015
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