Tilbury Lane Gate

I’m really pleased to report that Vale planners are exploring some permanent solutions to this intractable problem of the Tilbury Lane gate. 

I can’t really share details until they have more of it all worked out. But my optimistic fingers are deffo crossed. 

Here’s how it came about. 

In an attempt to resume normal life after elections of the past few months, I asked some senior Vale planners about the problem of road access in Tilbury Fields: the gate keeps malfunctioning (knocked down, usually, but currently locked open) and I think we need a different solution. 

Here’s my thinking on it. 

There are basically three approaches to problem solving. In order of sophistication, they are: 

1. Do more of the same. Fix the gate, break the gate, fix the gate, break the gate, get a new gate, gate doesn’t work, fix the gate … as nauseam. 

2. Do something different. Abandon the idea of a gate and try something else. Rising bollards? Manned security hut? 

3. Explore and discuss the idea that blocking the private, single track Tilbury Lane was never a solution to the problem at all. Instead, consider a new road to Tilbury Farm, a new access road to Tilbury Fields, some other clever way of preventing vehicles from taking the lane, or something like that. 

I’ve been trying to encourage exploration of possibilities in No 3.