Call for action on road hot-spots


PROBLEM spots and possible solutions for rat-running and inappropriate HGV use were put to KCC at the rural north and east neighbourhood forum. Residents from areas including Bearsted,


Leeds, Stockbury, Headcorn and Kingswood gave their feedback. Bearsted borough councillor Allan Brad-


shaw emphasised the problems of rat-run- ning along Yeoman Lane. He said: “Sat navs still send lorries of enormous size up Yeo- man Lane. Tonight, there was a huge horse box that caused traffic to be stuck for 20


minutes. There are signs on our lanes saying the roads are unsuitable for large vehicles but these are often ignored.” Kevin Street, from Bearsted parish coun-


cil, pointed out a 2007 survey establishing that 67,000 vehicles used Ware Street dur- ing one week – a large number for a C-class road. Leeds parish council chairman June Har-


rison said HGVs were not given sufficient notice to enable them to turn around if they have gone the wrong way. She called for the introduction of interac-


WHEN councillors discussed damage caused by lorries using rural roads it struck a chord with the chairman. Cllr Gary Cooke had first-hand experience of


tive solar-powered signs, and wanted farm- ers to be encouraged to erect signs telling drivers which way they should leave their premises. Stockbury parish councillor Lyle Cath-


cart said a big problem was that many lorry drivers from eastern Europe did not under- stand the signs explaining that all roads leading from the A249 are unsuitable for HGVs. He said that signs using the imperial weights system are alien to most foreign drivers and needed to be replaced with met- ric measurements.


Anger over trees felled by diverted lorry The board had been discussing reviews of


Kent Highway Services' freight strategy. Cllr Cooke said getting signage right was im-


an HGV's destructive force – two of his trees were toppled when the vehicle passed his home in Hucking. He related the tale to Maidstone Joint Trans- portation Board. Police had redirected the lorry from the A249 over the Downs, via Broad Street Hill, during the County Show at Detling this summer. Cllr Cooke told the Downs Mail afterwards:


"The lorry was so big it could not move back- wards or forwards and it ended up ripping out a mature tree. It caught the edge and pulled it down. It was leaning against another tree, into the road. The tree surgeon had to come out."


Jon pins hopes on


big charity boost GOLF enthusiast Jon Ford has swung into action to raise funds inmemory of a friend who suffered from cancer. He organised a golf day at Tudor Park in aid of


the Institute of Cancer Research. It raised a total of £1,200, including £500 from the auction of a Ryder Cup pin flag signed by Europe’s triumphant captain Colin Montgomerie. Jon said: “In the end my dad bid the highest but


I’m sure if someone wanted to put forward a big- ger donation he’d be willing to let it go.” It was the death of his pal, Simon Tilyard (48),


who ran a garage in Tovil, which led to his fund- raising drive. “Simon was a good friend from the Old Planta-


tion pub. He had skin cancer but it spread – and he ended up dying of a brain haemorrhage,” said Jon, sales director of Aford Awards at Bearsted Green Business Centre. Next April, he plans to run the London Marathon to boost the charity’s coffers further. Jon recently had a break from training after tackling the Maidstone half-marathon but will be back on the road from early December. He added: “I’m also organising a karting event at Bayford Meadows circuit in Sittingbourne


Search on for


new coroner THE recruitment process to ap- point a new local coroner has begun, but the successful can- didate may be given a much heavier workload. Mid-Kent and Medway coro-


ner Roger Sykes is to retire on April 30 next year after 25 years in his role. KCC has advertised the role as offering an annual salary of £90,291, but says that the incumbent may also be- come the office holder of one or more of the three other juris- dictions in the county. Mr Sykes’ successor will begin on April 1.


22 East


Jon Ford and his dad Andy, manager of Maid- stone United FC, with the prestigious pin flag


on December 3 at 7pm. All are welcome. It’s £49 per person, of which £15 goes to the charity.” To donate to the charity online, go to http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/JonFord Another friend of Simon’s, Ian Rennie, of


Huntersfield, Detling Hill, is tackling a sponsored kayakathon on the Thames on the same day as the marathon.


Museum fails to hit funding target


AFUND-raising target for Maid- stone Museum’s major exten- sion will be missed, councillors have been warned. Donations received for the


East Wing project have de- clined, and the council chiefs have been alerted that the 2010- 11 target of £330,000 will not be achieved. Only £46,220 had come in during the first two quarters of the year. But Cllr Richard Ash, cabinet member for leisure and culture, refuses to be pessimistic. He said community funding officer David Terry, whose task is to raise money for such projects,


has "thousands of fingers in pies". He added: "Suddenly we could get a sizeable chunk of money. It could come right.We have to remain optimistic." The project secured £2m from


the Heritage Lottery Fund last year plus £400,000 from the borough council and £100,000 from Kent County Council. The redevelopment plans will


create 30% more display space in the East Wing and will help swell annual visitor numbers from 80,000 to an anticipated 120,000 by 2012. The work will also refurbish and rationalise the museum stores.


portant but enforcement was the key factor. He said: "HGVs are thundering around our rural roads totally ignoring signs." This included the B2163 through Leeds where listed buildings were being damaged, he added. Cllr Cooke also criticised highways officers for


being “lightweight” in their approach so far to the long-awaited Freight Strategy for Kent. KHS officer Rachel Best said she hoped better signage would help drivers avoid those roads. "But, with the best will in the world, we can't force them," she added. Earlier, Cllr John Horne told members a lorry


had recently damaged the medieval bridge at the bottom of Caring Lane, Thurnham.


Headcorn parish councillor Martin Round said the Chegworth Road approach to Ulcombe village “stands out a mile” for inappropri- ate vehicle use. He said: “There are several bendy


bits where Polish and Hungarian drivers get stuck on a frequent basis. There have been times where 40 vehicles have been stuck behind them at 8am. Some of them are going to fruit farms but don’t have to go through ChegworthWoods.” KCC member Cllr Jenny Whittle


said she would pass on the feed- back to highways officers, who have already pledged to overhaul the county's lorry-route map and review directional and regulatory signs. This will take 12-18 months.


Kate’slatest book on Bearsted


and Thurnham LOCAL author Kate Kersey is releasing her latest book on Bearsted and Thurnham. Further Memories of Bearsted


and Thurnham examines every- day life in the area over the last two centuries. It is Kate’s sixth history book, focused on the two communi- ties, in the past decade. The lat- est, while providing inform- ation about local families, per- sonalities, craftsmen and tradesmen, also ventures slightly further afield to Grove Green and Maidstone. “As with my previous books,


this is not a commercial publi- cation. It is a local history proj- ect; the primary aim ofwhich is to ensure that parts of Bearsted and Thurnham history that have not been previously recorded are available for the benefit of future generations.” Other information includes newspaper accounts, parish magazine extracts, property sales details and community events. It has more than 300 photographs and illustrations, many of which are published for the first time. Kate was again assisted in research and compilation by her previous contributors Rosemary Pearce, Michael Perring and Roger Vi- dler. Ian Lambert joined them for the latest book. Copies are £17 and can be ob- tained from Taylor’s Newsagents by The Green in Bearsted, Waterstones at 24 Fremlin Walk and Earl Street, Maidstone, or direct from Kate on 01622 730444.


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