Sevenoaks Recovery Plan must use local ideas

Local people are coming up with ideas on how to make Sevenoaks both attractive and safe as it reopens for business.

With shops due to open mid June, we need to make it possible to walk on the High St and London Road, which have pavements ony 1 metre wide in parts.

Leading international architect Roger Fitzgerald who lives here has contributed a plan which would:

- create more usable public space so we can physically distance, with cafes and stalls.
- restrain traffic in High St and London Road, to make them pedestrian friendly.
- strengthen the east - west walking routes in town so people use the spaces available.
- add planting and public art through the town centre to make it attractive to walk round.

This weekend - and the Bank Holiday - showed the urgent need for action. With shops closed in Sevenoaks High Street it was choked with cars. You couldn't walk along High Street or London Road keeping 2 metres apart on narrow pavements.

We need to make Sevenoaks safe now, so it can recover safely .