Gypsy defends Hunton residence


A GYPSY living in Hunton launched a strong defence after being accused of rarely living on the site she had applied to re- main at permanently. ObjectorMs Aucump claimed


that applicant Lena Smith was “rarely seen at the gates” of The Chances in Lughorse Lane, where she has been living on a temporary basis for the past six years. She added: “We strongly dispute whether the applicant has a genuine need for this site.” ButMs Smith, who was even-


tually given permission to retain a mobile home and touring car- avan on plot nine for another four years, replied: “I have had various council people visit me, unannounced, on the premises at all times of day and I am al- ways there. One council officer came here at 6.30am and I was there. “I have planted so much vege-


tation that it is no wonder the residents of Hunton can’t see me. I am 67 years old and I am no problem to the Hunton com- munity. “They don’t even know I’m


The committee heard a debate over the use of The Chances as a permanent dwelling


there. “The only lorry that come


onto the site is the one that emp- ties the cesspit three times a year. This is the only home I have got and the only chance


my grandchildren have of lead- ing a normal life.” Maidstone Council is cur-


rently contesting an appeal for a larger application on the same site. In July, the committee re-


THE majority of committee members nodded in agreement with Cllr Tony Harwood’s calls for gypsies’ personal circumstances to be excluded from publicly available documents. He said: “We have a number of applications relating to gypsy


and traveller sites where there is a level of intrusion into personal circumstances that you wouldn’t getwith the settled community.


A GYPSY site in Park Road, Marden, may be of benefit to the countryside, a planning committee member has claimed. Cllr Tony Harwood was one of the members


who backed William Brazil’s successful applica- tion to retain two mobile homes and one touring caravan at Plum Tree Farm on a permanent basis. Referring to the planning application and pre-


vious land uses, he said: “The only aspect of this site that the public can see is along Park Road, and if this thick hedge does go through, the site will be so enclosed that you would need a heli- copter to see the site at all.


Homes allowed for


grandchildren PLANNING permission has been granted for the expansion of a gypsy site in Staplehurst. Johanne Warren, who says


she has been living in White- acres, Marden Road, for 30 years, was allowed to site an additional four caravans on the site, making seven in total. Maidstone Council granted planning permission on condi- tion that residence is restricted to Ms Warren’s four grandchil- dren, their immediate family and dependants.


Pony and horse grazing offers small rural ‘gain’ “As for the cattle grazing that used to go on


there, when you compare this to the light grazing you get from ponies and horses, in terms of bio- diversity there is actually a small gain for the countryside.” Mr Brazil was given five-year temporary per- mission in September 2005. The committee agreed to make this permanent after a change in Government policy shortly after this date. Mr Brazil said: “My family and I have lived in Marden since 1973. My ancestors have been in and around theMarden area for 150 years. If that doesn’t make us local, I don’t know what does.”


Gypsies would be ‘at risk’ of flooding


TWO gypsy families have been told they cannot remain in Pad- dockWood. Mr andMrs Beeny applied for retrospective permission to station two caravans and a touring caravan at The Stables. Lee Smith wanted to site a mobile home and touring caravan


on land east of Queen Street. But Maidstone Council refused these requests, stating they would both pose a flood risk to the occupants and be visually harmful to the character of the countryside.  LocalMPHelen GrantMPrecently visited objecting residents in the Queen Street /Fowle Hall area to view the growing trav- eller hub inWagon Lane. Around 20 people were present at the meeting, which discussed the effect of travellers moving into Greenacres, installing as many as five mobile homes and four touring caravans without planning permission.


Sundial tribute to Dr Larry A ‘HUMAN sundial’ has been unveiled in memory of Dr Larry Mulheirn, former chairman of Sutton Valence Parish Council, who died suddenly two years ago. The sundial (pictured) in Bowhall Field works by


using a person’s shadow to tell the correct time. Dr Mulheirn, who was the main author of the Parish Plan, had been a parish councillor for four years – and chairman for two – when he died of a stroke, aged 66, while on holiday in France in Sep- tember 2009. His successor as chairman, Eileen Riden, said: “Larry really pulled us forward in Sutton Valence.” His widow, Margaret, and the rest of the family, were invited to the sundial unveiling ceremony.


fused a proposal for two families to establish a total of twomobile homes, two touring caravans and two utility blocks at plot five.


Cllr Tony Harwood said: “This


is a very critical appeal that we cannot afford to lose and by giv- ing a four-year temporary per- mission for plot nine, I believe it would demonstrate to the plan- ning inspector looking at plot five that we are a reasoned coun- cil.


“Plot nine can barely be seen


but the one going to appeal is very high profile and visible.” Cllr Jenni Paterson said: “I


can’t see how local people know if she is living on the site unless they are going in and peeking in- side the caravans. This a very re- mote location.” Temporary consent was agreed by 11 votes to nil, with two abstentions. Development control manager Rob Jarman said he was consid- ering whether to take enforce- ment action over the presence of an additional unauthorised car- avan on the same plot.


Meadows latest MARTIN Hanrahan has applied to station a mobile home and two touring caravans for his gypsy family at plot six of The Meadows, Lenham Road, Head- corn.


Permission was earlier this


year granted, on appeal, for 29 caravans to accommodate 56 people on two sites along Lenham Road. In addition to Mr Hanrahan’s proposal, there are two pending applications for The Meadows, involving the introduction of another seven mobile homes for three adults and six children.


Families request TWOgypsy families are seeking consent to live on land to the rear of Orchard Farm Nursery, Chartway Street, Kingswood. The application would in-


volve the siting of four caravans for Edward and Natasha Beeney to live with their two children, aged 19 and 17, and Natasha’s parents John and Susan Saige- man.


Granada mobile ask JOHN Skilton has applied to station a mobile home at Granada, Lenham Road, Head- corn. He wrote in a planning state-


ment: “We would live in the mobile home as the site we are on is not big enough for our two daughters, who will soon need their own place.”


Paddocks expansion MR J Fuller has applied to sta- tion another mobile home at Stable Paddocks, Marden Road, Staplehurst. The existing site consists of three mobile homes, workshop and garage.


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