Second attempt at


Shepway development CHAILEY Homes has applied to replace two homes with 14 new dwellings in Shepway. The developer wants to demolish 25


and 27 Marion Crescent and build the new properties to the rear of 15, 17 and 36 Brockenhurst Avenue. A similar application dating back to


2003 was withdrawn after the applicant appealed over non-determination. Maid- stone Council considered this application out-of-keeping with the surrounding area. The supporting statement says: “The proposals are of a high quality design, which will harmonise with the suburban character of the area and represent an ef- ficient use of land. “Bin storage and parking have been sat- isfactorily addressed through the design process. A tree survey has been under- taken and has been submitted with the application.” Maidstone Council will decide on the application.


Smoker causes fire AFIRE at a flat in Allen Street,Maidstone, startedwhen a man dropped a lighted cig- arette after falling asleep in bed. A smoke alarm alerted the occupant’s brother to the fire, who called the fire service.


Uninsured driver fined NICHOLAS Rayment (32), of Sheridan Close, Maidstone, was fined £350 for driving without insurance. His licence was endorsed with six points and he was ordered to pay £85 costs and a £15 victim surcharge by magistrates in Folkestone.


Expansion plans for Newnham Court


PLANS to expand the Newn- ham Court Shopping Village are in the pipeline. A planning application for


retail development is ex- pected later this year and, if successful, construction work could be completed by 2014.


Details have not yet emerged but such a scheme would coincide with a nearby, major project to build a private hospital – Kent Institute of Medicine (KIMS) – north of the junc- tion of Bearsted Road and New Cut Road. Originally, the plan had


been to engineer a new roundabout there prior to the hospital being built. But as the two schemes are likely to overlap, KIMS developers nowwanttodelay the roundabout work until after the construction phase. Site access for large vehicles would be via a fourth arm of the existing three-arm roundabout. Agents for the hospital


said in a note to the borough council: “The [shopping vil- lage] development may re- sult in substantial changes to highway infrastructure at this location… resulting in


the KIMS roundabout works at New Cut being short-lived and possibly overlapping.” Delaying the roundabout


works to the end of the pro- posed KIMS construction phase would reduce disrup- tive road works, the note added.


Borough planners have


been asked to vary a condi- tion of the original KIMS consent to ensure a “proper phased development”. A temporary car-only ac-


cess to the KIMS site for con- tract staff would be sited 60meastofthe NewCut roundabout.


Academy makes progress


STAFF and pupils at New Line Learning are delighted the school is on track to meet its Ofsted targets. After a one-day monitoring visit Ofsted concluded


that NLL is making the recommended improvements and working towards the goals identified in its previous “satisfactory” inspection. The latest report said attendance was now much


closer to the national average and the number of pupils persistently absent had reduced considerably through intense support. According to Ofsted, the good progress was attributed


to a focus on developing literacy and numeracy skills, improved teaching and behaviour management, teachers actively involving students in their learning and en- hanced tracking of pupils’ performance. Head of academy Guy Hewett said: “Short notice vis-


NLL Academy pupils with head of academy Guy Hewett


its like this ensure inspectors see the academy as it re- ally is.”


01227 774999 24 Town You can e-mail the Downs Mail — info@downsmail.co.uk


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