DownsMail In touch with your parish
Bredhurst Council No extra notice
MEMBERS considered the re- quest for an additional notice board by the village hall but agreed there were no funds available. The following planning ap- plications were considered: Forge Cottage, Dunn Street, Bredhurst, conversion of flat – approved/granted with condi- tions; Plot 5, Redwood Glade, Forge Lane, Bredhurst, dis- charge conditions, Cllr Bill An- derson to review original plans. The salt bin by the school had
been replenished. The council agreed to review the budget with the possibility of buying a
bin for Forge Lane if a suitable site could be identified. No further action would be
taken on the bus stop as no suit- able alternative sites existed. The increase in hire costs for
the village hall was noted and accepted. A letter would be sent to
Fairview Football Club remind- ing it of the terms and condi- tions for renting the playing field on Sunday mornings.
Broomfield and Kingswood Council
New chairman
CLLR TOM Hoy was elected as chairman, following the resig- nation of Cllr Beth Hendy. Mr
Paul Beaney was co-opted on to the council. Two crimes had been reported
– a burglary in Charlesford Av- enue and vehicle interference in Cayser Drive. The PCSO agreed to liaise
with Leeds Castle regarding the removal of burnt-out vehicles on the footpath from Burberry Lane.
County Cllr Jenny Whittle suggested approaching Maid- stone Council to establish whether there was a Section 106 agreement relating to the af- fordable housing development at Ashford Drive that could be drawn upon in respect of the Lenham Road footpath. Maidstone Cllr Peter Parvin
reported that the Local Devel- opment Framework was cur- rently being reviewed by MBC. Plans for increased housing were being spread out over the borough but should not affect this parish. With regard to the laurel
hedge in Gravelly Bottom Road, the owners of the adjacent prop- erty had requested it be noted that they were disappointed over the way the parish council had dealt with the situation but otherwise now considered the matter closed. The hedge would be next due for cutting, if neces- sary, in September. Mr Rob Schroeder, of Rowan
House Farm, Gravelly Bottom Road, had volunteered to
The home powered by rotten apples
A PLAN to build a large home powered mainly by rotten apples has been criticised by Liverton Hill residents. The proposed seven-bedroom residence
on land north of Ivy Farm, Headcorn Road, would become one of the country’s most sustainable homes through the creation of an anaerobic digester 100 metres away. This would contain a combined heat and power unit to transform fruit waste and other domestic recyclables in- cluding cardboard and paper, into biogas to provide energy for the house. It would also produce compost, which would be laid back onto orchard land and act as fertiliser.
Applicants G Charlton and
Sons, who bought the land in 2008, believe they have demon- strated the required “exceptional circumstances” to get planning permission under a government policy which would override the borough’s plan- ning policy protecting the open countryside from new development. Forty-five residents attended an extraor- dinary meeting of Boughton Malherbe Parish Council to discuss the planning ap- plication. Concerns were raised about the 15-20 tons
A HOUSE was damaged during a party held by the owner’s daughter in Olivine Close, Lordswood. Hubcaps were taken from a
parked vehicle in Foxden Drive, Downswood. A 4x4 vehicle was taken from
Dunn Street, Bredhurst. A vehicle was stolen from a driveway in Roseacre Lane, Bearsted. Keys, wallet and a vehicle were stolen from Harrow Way, Grove Green. Fishing equipment
was taken in a garage break-in in Merton Road, Bearsted. A vehicle was damaged
in Gorham Drive, Downswood. This may have been a domestic incident. A car was stolen from NapoleonWalk, Lenham.
46 East A view of the proposed seven-bedroom house at Ivy Farm
keeping with the area. The parish council voted unanimously to oppose the scheme. The planning statement says the detached
home would meet the criteria of the Code for Sustainable Homes Level 6. Currently, only eight such homes exist in the UK. It is predicted that the development would be a net producer of energy. Agent DHA Planning wrote in a support-
of waste that would be transported to the site every week from the Charltons’ other farms throughout Kent. Neighbours also suggested that this waste might not be used all at once, meaning it would have to be stored and could attract vermin. The three-storey house would be 10.2m
high and was considered excessive for the local area. Its modern design was also criti- cised for an “ugly” appearance out-of-
ing statement: “The architectural and sus- tainable design is innovative, both in its forms and use of materials and energy effi- ciency technologies.” Although Maidstone Council, which will
decide on the proposal, is likely to be im- pressed by these energy credentials, its cur- rent policy is not to allow such new developments – particularly of this size – in the open countryside. The agent added: “Sean and
Linda Charlton wish to live closely with the land which is utilised as an apple orchard, a valued part of the owner’s busi- ness. There is no intention to abandon this use or manufacture a formal or semi-natural land- scape.
“Should this proposal be built,
it would be occupied by the fam- ily including Sean’s son who
may one day wish to take over the business and continue to work the Kent landscape. “The G Charlton and Sons farm manager would take up residence in Sean and Linda’s current home, which has an agri- cultural tie. There is an increasing need for the farm manager to be located on land owned by the Charltons to better oversee the day-to-day running of the company.”
Beat the criminals IF YOU CAN HELP, PLEASE PHONE: Police: 01622 690690 Crimestoppers: 0800 555 111
Items were taken from a prop-
erty in Egremont Road, Bearsted. It was thought this was related to a domes- tic dispute. Saddles and bri-
dleswere stolen from a livery in Boarley Lane, Sandling. A number plate
was stolen from a moped parked in Longham Copse, Downswood.
A front window was broken at
The Landway, Bearsted. Two cars were stolen from
Bracken Hill, Lordswood. Both vehicles were recovered.
Wheel trims were stolen from
a vehicle in Forge Lane, Bred- hurst. Scrap metal was taken from
Old Mill Lane, Pratling Street. An outbuilding had its door
and lock damaged at Barty House Nursing Home, Roundwell, Bearsted. A disc cutter was stolen from
the back of a tipper lorry in Longham Copse, Downswood. A vehicle was stolen from
Dunn Street, Bredhurst. A vehicle was stolen from CuckoowoodAvenue, Sandling. A generator was stolen from
Westsole Fencing, Westfield Sole Road, Lidsing.
To contact Downs Mail just phone 01622 630330
for surgery SMOKERS and overweight patients in West Kent could be removed from hospital waiting lists as the Primary Care Trust tries to cut costs. Smokers referred for non- urgent operations such as cataract surgery or hip re- placements will have to give up smoking or complete a 12- week course. The seriously overweight
will have to complete a 13- week NHS diet programme. Delays in getting on a course could mean patients waiting longer than 30 weeks, but the trust says no one with a compelling clini- cal need for surgery this year would miss out.
Smokers may have to wait
P47
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