Maidstone & Malling’s No 1 - 88,000 copies - 4 editions
A PARISH council chairman resigned after an exchange of emails over a controversial planning application for polytunnels. Kate Averill stepped down from Water- ingbury PC after receiving three emails in 24 hours, including a sharply worded one from Marion Regan, managing director of Hugh Lowe Farms (HLF), Mereworth. In it, Mrs Regan said she was "dismayed
and surprised" by Wateringbury’s formal objection, sent to the borough council, whose planning committee will decide shortly on the 400-acre scheme, spread over six parishes. Mrs Averill said the “fairly aggressive” emails - one was from an HLF employee living in Wateringbury and another from a man who sub-lets land to HLF - were the “final straw, but not 100% the reason,” for resigning.
Treats for dads at festival on the hill
Malling Edition June 2011 No.170 Chairman quit in polytunnels row
Wateringbury told the borough council it would welcome a "greatly reduced" area covered in polytunnels and a more sympa- thetic approach to adjacent residents and to the landscape impact. But Mrs Regan said the parish statement contained "many misconceptions". She added: "I fear you have based your objection on groundless concerns and mis- information rather than the facts and the opinions of the residents ofWateringbury." But Mrs Averill said residents do not sim-
ply come forward with their views. “We have been elected to make decisions for them and if they don’t like them, they get rid of us.” Mrs Regan accused the parish of "not in- forming itself correctly before dashing off such a sadly misleading document". Mrs Averill was so taken aback she took it
Marion Regan
up with the borough council, who agreed it was not normal for an applicant, Mrs Regan, to write directly to a con- sultee. “I don’t like get- ting that kind of email,” saidmother-of-three Mrs Averill. If I was being paid for doing that job I would have retaliated.
When you are doing something voluntarily, I know you have to take the flak but this was quite an unusual approach to directly respond to me.” At the time, in January, the parish coun-
cil claimed negative effects of polytunnels on residents included: Excessive glare; noise from the plastic flapping and rain beating down on
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FATHERS who attend Music on the Hill on Sunday, June 26, will have the chance to have their picture taken alongside the awesome new Mercedes gull-wing SLS roadster. Lookers Mercedes Benz of Kent, one of the
event’s sponsors, will be displaying the vehi- cle as well as the new C Class Coupe and the new SLK roadster at the event at Kings Hill as part of Family Summer Sunday. So why not treat your dad to tickets to the charity event for Father’s Day? ABC, Bjorn Again and Stacey Solomonwill be among the acts performing and there will be stalls and refreshments including Shepherd Neame with their world famous Spitfire beer - an- other plus for Dad! Sunday’s line-up is the last day of the festi-
val. It follows Katherine Jenkins and the Na- tional Symphony Orchestra who perform on Friday, June 24, joined by guest star Wynne Evans. Top boy band, McFly, and the Sug- ababes will be taking to the stage on the Sat- urday. The girls will be performing the brand new single, “Freedom’’ as part of their set. All profits will go to Demelza Hospice Care
for Children and the Children’s Development
Trust.To book, call 0844 873 7339 or visit
www.musiconthehill.org.uk Sunday: Gates open noon, music from 1pm, event finishes 8pm.
Town Talk alkinside Church to be sold off
THE United Church in the centre of Snodland will close from from Au- gust 31 and be sold off. For full details, see the new-look
Town Talk in the central pages of this month’s Downs Mail. The bi- monthly eight-page independent magazine is written by and dedi- cated to Snodland and Halling resi- dents.
Student’s freedom
Holmesdale is on the up
HOLMESDALE Technology College in Snodland has been described as “a good school on an upward journey of improvement”, in its latest Ofsted report. The inspection team praised the dynamic leadership
of executive principal Ian Hobson and school principal Julia Campbell, supported well by other school leaders, and said that effective actions had been taken to tackle weaknesses so that outcomes for students of all abilities were improving rapidly. Mrs Campbell said; “I am delighted with the recogni-
tion this latest Ofsted report brings to the school’s good work. “The staff here work very hard to ensure the students
enjoy a strong learning environment and the report is a true reflection of this. We have a secure platform on which to excel.” Lead inspector Brian Netto said: “Good quality teach-
ing is helping students to learn well.” During the two- day visit in May, some outstanding teaching was
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Dog and owner in Alps raceP11
Train campaign is backed P14
Local support for gypsies
P20 Thinking furniture?
The Big Yellow Building, St Peters St, Maidstone 0800 652 0102
www.lincolnfurniture.co.uk
pass plea A MAIDSTONE student campaigning to have the age limit for the bus Free- dom Pass raised from 16 to 20, has collected more than 8,000 signatures. But 17-year-old Jamie Potten needs a further 4,000 names on his peti- tion by July 7, to ensure the issue is debated by a county council meeting. The Freedom Pass, the
cost of which will double from September, is avail- able for 11 to 16-year-olds and covers most bus routes in Kent. The IT student has set up
a link on KCC’s website, where he is collecting vir- tual signatures. Jamie, of Postley Road, Maidstone, has also at- tached this link on the website of many schools and colleges including New Line Learning, Malling Holmesdale Feder- ation and Mid Kent Col- lege, where he studies IT. He finds it unfair
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