Sevenoaks Town Council has led on and committed funding towards a highly anticipated zebra crossing at A225 Dartford Road as part of its previous funding of the 20mph scheme delivered in September 2024, and is excited to see it reach the next step towards its implementation.
The Town Council’s dedicated funding of £25,000 (comprising solely of Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) monies collected from local developers) towards the project has since been met by a further £20,000 from Sevenoaks District Council’s own CIL funds. The remainder of the delivery cost is hoped to be covered by a grant from the Consolidated Active Travel Fund, to be applied for by Kent County Council.
Anticipated delivery timeline
Construction work has been delayed from initial anticipated delivery of December 2025, to end of January 2026. This is due to the identification of tree roots underneath the footpath and road where the crossing is due to be installed, which would cause future surface damage if left untreated.
A trial hole was contracted by Kent County Council late October 2025 in order to investigate the extent of the roots' impact underneath the site. The results, received in December, identified small roots which will need to be removed as well as a large root which can be protected by incorporating more flexible materials into the construction. Due to the affected trees being within the Vine Conservation Area, prior notice of intent to undertake root works is required to Sevenoaks District Council before they may commence. A Section 211 (25/03411/WTCA) notification was submitted to the District Council on 3rd December 2025, with the deadline for Officers to raise any objection being 14th January 2026.
Kent County Council has speculatively instructed its construction crew to initiate mobilisation - including provision of relevant permits and road closures - from mid-late January 2026, however this is contingent on the Tree and Conservation Officers at Sevenoaks District Council not raising any objection to the proposed root removal and mitigation works.
