Yesterday I was pleased to host a roundtable meeting to discuss the chronic lack of parking at West Malling station.
This is an issue many residents have raised with me—and one I have experienced first-hand when travelling to Parliament. It is incredibly frustrating when you simply can’t find a space, leading to missed trains, lateness to work, and disrupted days.
It was very constructive to bring together key partners, including representatives from Network Rail, Southeastern, Cllr Matt Boughton (Leader of Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council), Arriva, Nu-Venture, and local representatives Cllr Kim Tanner and Cllr Sarah Hudson, to explore practical solutions. We discussed the current capacity challenges, the impact on communities such as Kings Hill, and the need to ensure infrastructure keeps pace with new housing and increased demand.
There was a shared recognition that the current situation is not sustainable, and I was encouraged by the willingness of all involved to work together on improvements. This includes campaigning for increased bus provision to and from the station for Kings Hill residents—similar to the former X1 and X2 services—as well as exploring potential expansion ideas for the car park
I will continue to push for progress on this issue and look forward to welcoming all stakeholders back to my office in the coming weeks. Please do follow my Facebook page for updates on this important local issue: https://www.facebook.com/share/1KmiGMgpXq/?mibextid=wwXIfr.
