Cycle route to get all weather resurfacing

A popular cycling and walking route in Ashford is set to be resurfaced as part of plans to make it more accessible all year round.

Funded by £150k from the Department for Transport, the Colonel Stephens Greenway is Tenterden's only designated cycle route and provides an important traffic-free link between St Michael's and the town centre.

Known locally as The Old Railway Track, the plans will see 650m (2,133ft) of the route resurfaced, making it easier for people to use it in all weathers.

Describing it as "wonderful news", a Tenterden Town Council spokesperson said they had been "pressing for improvements to this important path for a number of years".

Also connecting with the National Cycle Network, the route's improvements will also include a 3m-wide shared use path for walking, wheeling and cycling, as well as fencing at locations where safety risks have previously been identified.

Kent County Council has been worked closely with the town council, Ashford Borough Council and various community groups to deliver the scheme.

Work will begin in October, subject to weather conditions, and take around four weeks to complete.

A county council spokesperson said: "For everyone's safety, the route will be closed while work is carried out, and pedestrians and cyclists will be diverted via the estate roads."

Follow BBC Kent on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram and listen to BBC Radio Kent on Sounds. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.