High Brooms Boost

A new bus service has begun linking High Brooms with Southborough and Tunbridge Wells Hospital.

It's the result of many years of campaigning by local residents living at the bottom of the hill in High Brooms, who had to rely on expensive taxis to get to services at the top of the hill in Southborough.

The 284 is run by Metrobus and runs every day except Sunday.

Southborough hosts the library, doctors, dentists and a range of shops that are not available in High Brooms.

Listen to this report to find out more:

The service is off peak so starts after the bus is needed for school transport in the morning and before being used for school children again in the evening.

The £3 fare cap applies and concessionary fares are permitted.

The new service began on Saturday 7th June. 

Nick Hill, Commercial Director at Metrobus, said: “The new 284 bus is the result of requests from the local communities of High Brooms and Sherwood asking for these new links, so we are delighted to be providing them at no cost to the taxpayer. We look forward to welcoming everyone on board.”

More details at:
https://www.metrobus.co.uk/services/MB/284

Local Labour councillor, Alan Bullion (pictured below), says he is delighted that the new service has begun.

He told West Kent Radio: "We do have quite a lot of people who don't have a car in this part of down...there are poorer parts and more elderly people as well who may not be able to drive any more".

Cllr Bullion continued: "This new bus service will help hopefully hundreds of local residents and bring other people into the area who may not have considered coming to shop - and have fun - in Southborough and High Brooms."

A blog about the first day of the new service has just been published by a bus industry expert, Roger French. Read it here:
https://share.google/Z8K5sjrsqy1XBfYml

Cllr Alan Bullion also told West Kent Radio that a project to install lifts at High Brooms railway station was progressing.

The Hastings-bound platform can currently only be accessed by a long and steep staircase that leads to an underpass. Cllr Bullion says: "A lot of people just don't use the station because it is too dangerous".

The steep staircase is pictured below.

Cllr Bullion has been campaigning for many years for changes to allow access to the down platform for people with disabilities and those with young children and pushchairs.

Cllr Bullion says ramps proved not to be practical, but all the surveys for lifts have been done and High Brooms is now on a shortlist of 3 stations to find funding, which could come in the next year.  It will cost £5 million.