Maidstone & Malling’s No 1 - 88,000 copies - 4 editions Maidstone South Edition July 2011 No.171 Dog waste bin scheme in a mess
COUNCIL plans to stop emptying dog waste bins throughout the borough have been put on hold – until next year at least. Mounting discontent among residents –
and confusion among dog owners – has forced the ruling Tories to back off until the issue has been examined in more detail. Several parish councils, including Boxley
and Bredhurst, and groups such as North Loose Residents association, had kicked up a stink about the proposal to remove bins. The idea first appeared in a budget cuts re- port in January. But Maidstone Council cabinet’s new en-
vironment member, Cllr Marion Ring (Shep- way North), has insisted on a rethink. However, the council had already told
the company that emptied dog bins its con- tract would be terminated on June 20.
ROADS near schools in Sutton Valence, Langley and Hunton may be trialled as 20mph zones. Police were heavily criticised in January when they opted not to support 20mph limits unless they were “self-enforcing”. But Kent Police have since agreed to a pilot scheme of up to six schools in Maidstone borough. It follows a meeting with Cllr Gary Cooke, who chaired the Joint Transporta- tion Board at the time. Ward councillor Paulina Stock-
ell believes Sutton Valence pri- mary, on the busy A274 which is used by more than 12,000 vehi- cles a day, has a good case to be included, as is the nursery/infant school at Langley on the A274. “I support 20mph outside
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Air-raid siren to fire again in Marden P16
Now a council spokesman has assured the public “no decision has been made to re- move the bins or stop collecting the waste”. Following the U-turn, the council will still
have to find the £30,000 savings it had origi- nally planned to make from scrapping the service. But Cllr Ring said: “I think there are ways
of doing it without upsetting the public.” She added: “I would like more investiga-
tion done before we change things – that’s what I have told my officers. I can’t see any- thing changing with the dog bins this year. “I did not feel there was enough informa-
tion to go out to the public.With all the con- fusion we need a longer time to look into it.” The council’s website still tells the pub- lic: “Dog owners don’t have to look for spe- cial dog bins. They can take their dog’s mess
Fresh hope for 20mph zones
schools in vulnerable areas like those adjacent to main A-class or other very busy roads,” said Cllr Stockell. Another prime contender is
Hunton primary, whose case has been put forward “vigorously” by the new JTB chairman and ward councillor, JohnWilson. Meanwhile, Lenham’s Ham
Lane, which accesses Swadelands secondary school as well as the village primary, is thought to have a good chance of being included. Cllr Jenny Whittle is champi- oning its case after a strong cam- paign by the community. Leeds primary on Lower Street is being promoted by Cllr Cooke.
The issue is due to be debated by the board on July 27.
Fairytale finale as
Fallan finds father! INa storyline that echoes the hit musical Mamma Mia!, Lan- gley woman Fallan Kelly tracked down her mother's ex- boyfriends to discover her real father's identity. Fallan (25) did it with the
help of DNA tests and the web- site,
192.com People Search, while in the hit show, Sophie invites her mother's three for- mer lovers to her wedding on a remote Greek island to find out which one was in fact her dad. Like Sophie, Fallan learned
that around the time her mother, Debbie, conceived she was involved with more than one man and was unsure who the father was. It was
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Big send-off for the old Cornwallis P25
home to put it in with their rubbish or drop it into any litter bin. It doesn’t have to be a special dog bin.” The Lib Dem spokesman for community
services, Cllr Derek Mortimer, said: “We are totally opposed to the removal of all dog bins. It was the Conservative group who proposed this ridiculous idea and was duly voted through by them when they set the budget. “The budget saving would equate to ap- proximately £36k over the year, I hate to think what the potential costs to health and cleaning would be.” He added: “The majority of dog owners
are responsible people who care for their local environment. Being a dog owner my- self, I know that they appreciate the bins and the service these provide.”
This picture of the family was taken just moments from being thrown at speed from the horse-drawn carriage in Romania
So close to disaster
A BOUGHTONMonchelsea family were detained in hospital after a terrifying experience when they were thrown at speed out of a horse-drawn carriage while holidaying in Romania. Colin Trelfer, a retired partner in asb law, Maidstone, wife Mau-
reen, son Daniel (35) and his wife of five years Carmen (30) were visiting Carmen’s family in Transylvania for five days. The sightseeing outing to the nearby Count Dracula pub was
to have been one of the highlights of the holiday but came to a dramatic end when the horse bolted for about 100 yards and the carriage was in a major side-on collision with a fast-moving car. All four were thrown from the carriage on to the road and suf-
fered injuries. Carmen was kept in hospital for five days with a skull fracture and a blood clot on her brain. She is now expected to recover fully. The other three were in hospital for three days. Colin, the incoming vice-president of the Rotary Club of Maid- stone, who is recovering from a broken rib, facial
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