Kent County Council, in partnership with Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust, is installing a new puffin crossing on Hermitage Lane to support active travel and improve access to the West Kent Community Diagnostic Centre at Hermitage Court.

Funded by Active Travel England, this investment aims to make it easier and safer for residents, patients, and visitors to travel actively and access vital health services.

The crossing will be located at the access to Giddyhorn Lane, and a new footway will be constructed from Giddyhorn Lane to Hermitage Court on the western side of Hermitage Lane. To enhance safety and accessibility, the scheme also includes:

• street lighting improvements, including upgrading existing lights, relocating a lamp column on the western side of Hermitage Lane, and installing a new lamp column near Giddyhorn Lane
• upgrading existing bus stops south of Hermitage Court and opposite to bus stop clearways, ensuring buses can enter and exit laybys without obstruction.

“We’re committed to improving active travel options across Kent”

Spencer Dixon, Deputy Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, said: "This new puffin crossing and footway will make it safer and easier for people to walk or cycle to Hermitage Court and access important health services. We’re committed to improving active travel options across Kent, and this project is a great example of how we can work with partners to deliver real benefits for the community."

Rachel Jones, Director of Strategy, Planning and Partnerships at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust added: “We have been working closely with local partners to improve travel options for our staff, patients and visitors and we're pleased work on the new pedestrian crossing is underway, making it safer and easier to cross Hermitage Lane.

Alongside our park and ride services – which serve Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells hospitals - and more frequent trains and platform improvements at Barming station in partnership with Southeastern, we're doing more to help staff travel to work and patients get to their appointments as easily as possible.”

The works began on 12 January 2026 and are expected to take approximately six weeks to complete. Working hours will be 7am to 6pm, with some overnight road closures required during the project.

Source & picture credit: Kent County Council