Old-style shopfront must be restored


DEVELOPERS who split a Victorian shopfront in Snodland Conservation Area into two modern business frontages have been ordered to restore the traditional design. The former Heart of Kent Hospice charity shop


at 36 High Street was converted into two units oc- cupied by the Insurance Shop and Wessex jew- ellers and pawnbrokers. But Snodland Town Council and the Chamber


of Commerce strongly objected to the changes, which were completed without planning permis- sion. A retrospective application by Markerstudy Group was refused by Tonbridge and Malling Council, who issued an enforcement notice. The council said the loss of the older style shop


front and the replacement with modern design and materials was harmful to the conservation area.


Snodland Town Council chairman Anne Moloney said: “The property had a central door and two bay windows. We wanted a retail shop that was going to enhance the High Street. The Chamber of Commerce and its members comply with the rules and regulations and take a signifi- cant pride in the town. “This would have set a precedent.” A borough officer’s report said that the town’s traditional character had been eroded to some ex- tent, but this did not justify further inappropriate changes. “In fact the number of older style shopfronts remaining in the High Street is ade- quate justification for retaining the shop fronts that do remain.” The new flush shop front was considered “a


Ordered to go back to the past: Two shopfronts in Snodland High Street, where a retrospective planning application for work was refused


A BUMPER, grill and headlight unit was removed from an artic- uulated lorry parked in a com- pound on the industrial estate in Forstal Road, Aylesford. Agarden statue of a mole with


a wheelbarrow was taken from a property in Stevens Road, Ec- cles. A lorry in Tesco’s at Priory


Park,Mills Road, QuarryWood, had a window smashed. Around this time two youths were seen throwing stones at vehicles. Thieves broke into a


shed at a property in Medina Road, Ditton, and stole a strimmer, mower and a box con- taining hand tools. A window at a prop-


erty inWalpole Close, East Malling, was smashed. Late at night, a brick was thrown through the rear win- dow of a property in Snoll Hatch Road, East Peckham. The spare wheel stored under


acar parkedonthe driveofa property in Greensleeves Way, Kings Hill, was taken. Plants and shrubs were dug


up and taken from the greenway in Emerald Walk West, Kings Hill, over a number of days. A silver and red Carrera mountain bike was taken overnight from the front garden of a property in Howick Close, Royal British Legion Village. The windscreen of a car parked at the rugby club in Hall Road, Aylesford, was smashed. A number of units on the business estate off Mill Hall, Aylesford, were broken into overnight and items taken, in- cluding computer equipment, televisions and cash. An attemptwas made to break


into commercial premises in BellinghamWay, Larkfield. The rear fence of a property in


38 Malling


poor substitute for the original design”. It had no features that reflected the designated conserva- tion area and the proportions were unsympa- thetic.


Beat the criminals IF YOU CAN HELP, PLEASE PHONE: Police: 01732 771055 Crimestoppers: 0800 555 111


the High Street, East Malling, was damaged by stones being thrown at it. A grey BMW mountain bike


was taken from a shed at a prop- erty in Westwood Road, East Peckham. A hanging basket was taken from the front of a dwelling in Kendall Avenue, Kings Hill. A hanging basket


was taken from the front of a property in Lunsford Lane, Lark-


field. The rear wheel was taken


from a mountain bike chained to railings at the front of a prop- erty in King Street, West Malling. Five youths were seen to take


a yellow trials motorcycle, with Esport written on the side pan- els, froma garden in Stratford Road,West Malling. A car parked in Friars View,


Aylesford, was keyed. Two men attempting to break


into a flat in Eccles made off when challenged by a resident living nearby. CCTV was being reviewed


after a break-in at a derelict warehouse in New Hythe Lane Larkfield. The village hall in Church Lane, Trottiscliffe, was broken


into but nothing appeared to be missing.


Commercial premises in Lon-


don Road, Addington,were bro- ken into overnight and a quantity of fuel taken from a tractor. A car driving along New


Road, East Malling,was hiton the nearside door and damaged. It is believed something was thrown at the vehicle. A bus stop in London Road, Larkfield, was damaged. Lead flashing was removed


from around the door of a prop- erty in Walpole Close, East Malling. It was later recovered close by. The roof of a car parked overnight at a property in Pound Road, East Peckham, was damaged. A wallet and its contents, in- cluding cash and cards, were taken from an insecure van parked on the drive of a prop- erty in Mitchell Road, West Malling. A black case for a Sat- nav was also taken. Vandals keyed a car at the leisure centre in New Hythe Lane, Larkfield. A wing mirror was taken overnight from a car parked on the drive of a property in Birling Road, Snodland. A toddler’s bike, left in the


A MAN who distracted a shop assistant while he took cash from the till of a shop in West Malling High Street was caught on CCTV. He was aged 25-35, 5ft 7in tall, and wearing dark blue jeans


and a shirt with the Slazenger logo on it. He also wore black avi- ator-style sunglasses and had a tattoo on his left arm. Anyone with information should contact the police or Crimestoppers, quoting crime reference BY/10871/11.


Leybourne pride SITE manager Matt Colbran, based at Taylor Wimpey’s Ley- bourne Chase development, has won a sec- ond successive new homes in- dustry “Oscar”. Matt secured


a 2011 Pride in the Job quality award from NHBC (the Na- tional House Building Council), having won a similar honour last year for the same develop- ment. He said: “Most site managers


will go through their entire ca- reers without winning one of these, so to get two in two years is a fantastic boost.”


Phone steal A MAN had his phone stolen in Hall Road, Aylesford. Two males asked him the


time and when he got his phone out to tell them they grabbed it and ran off.


garden of a property in Ham- monds Square, Snodland,was smashed up. A hanging basket was taken


from the garden of a property in Firs Close, Aylesford. An item of agricultural equip-


ment was damaged on a farm in Plaxdale Green Road, Stansted. Lead was removed overnight


from the porch of a property in Blatchford Close, East Malling. It was later recovered close by. Hanging baskets, a concrete


bench and a concrete urn were taken from the front garden of a property in Lunsford Lane, Larkfield. Thieves stole an N-reg blue


Vauxhall Astra parked in Nevill Place, Snodland. A litter bin was ripped up an damaged in the recreation ground in New Hythe Lane, Larkfield. Thieves broke into a shed at a property in Hermitage Lane, Aylesford, and stole a lawn- mower. Two laptops, two computers


and cash were taken from the garage of a property in Down- derryWay, Ditton. A hanging basket was taken


from the front of a property in the High Street, EastMalling. A plant and pot were taken


from a garden in WhiffenWalk, East Malling. Two fake topiary balls with


fairy lights and silver pots were taken overnight from a garden in Hazen Road, Kings Hill. A car parked in Coleridge


Close, Larkfield, was keyed. Acar parked in Saltings Road, Snodland, was keyed. A hose pipe and its reel were


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taken from the rear garden of a property in Hermitage Lane, Aylesford. A Satnav was taken from an insecure car parked in St Marks Court, Eccles.


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