Housing beyond villagers’ reach Continued from page one


older people and those on higher incomes.” Enabling young people to af-


ford to live there can help to boost schools numbers and make villages more viable, she added. Last autumn, 2,352 question-


naires were distributed in Sta- plehurst, with 711 being re- turned. A main aim of


Choir hits right note for MP


ing in Staplehurst. A total of 601 (85%) respon-


the survey was to gain views on plans for new housing in the area, an issue likely to arise from Maidstone Council's Local Development Framework. A borough map presented to


Four-wheeled winner! * 50% of respondents travel to work in their own car, 22% take the train and 12% walk.


* 44% have one car available for use by the household and 44% have two cars available.


dents felt that the current infra- structure, particularly transport and retail, would not support more housing. Most mentioned the need for a larger supermar- ket and a greater number and variety of shops. Of the respondents who would support more develop- ment, 157 (22%) felt that a ff orda ble housing for people with a connection to the parish was


needed. At last month's parish council


the council’s cabinet last month suggested 195 new greenfield dwellings for Staplehurst be- tween now and 2026, in addi- tion to the 70 already completed or in the planning pipeline since 2006. But the survey revealed that


454 (64%) of respondents would not support more hous-


meeting, Cllr John Kelly em- phasised the survey document reflected a snapshot of respon- dents' views and no conclu- sions were drawn. He also wondered what the council wished to do with the information. It was agreed the Rural Settle-


ment Group should now begin work on a Parish Plan to guide future development.


Older Persons’ Forum is a busy success


MORE than 30 people had to be turned away from Maidstone Older Persons’ Forum because the meeting was so popular. Over 120 older citizens were present at the event, which took


place at the Hazlitt Theatre, Maidstone. The agenda included a short talk on making a will. The chairman of the forum is Peter Spearink, a parish councillor for Staplehurst.


MP Helen Grant was sere- naded by the Staplehurst School choir - and also heard pupils’ poems -during a recent visit.


The Maidstone and Weald


MP was given a tour of the school, which ended in the hall where the choir sang a pop medley.


Suicide of debt fear husband


THE wife of a Staplehurst man who committed suicide because of money worries had no idea about some of the loans he had taken out, an inquest heard. Philip Door (43) hanged himself in woods off Sheephurst Lane,


Marden, in November last year, shortly before wife Kristen was to take maternity leave. Their baby was due to be born this month. But the last Kristen saw of Mr Door, a retail operations manager,


was when he left home in Corner Farm Road to attend a course. She reported him missing after he failed to return that evening. Propped against a tree, from which he was found suspended the following morning, was a notebook with suicide messages to his family plus his last will and testament. It was also revealed he had taken out loans and finance without


his wife's knowledge. Sgt Nikki Mullins said that, having spoken to Mrs Door, her hus-


band had a large amount of debt from his first marriage, with which she was assisting him to pay off. Recently, he had returned his company vehicle in order to get


extra money in his pay packet as she would soon have to give up her job as a nursery supervisor to have the baby.


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