Single home planned on 34 hectares of farmland
A 10-BEDROOM home has been proposed on 34 acres of farmland north of Otham. The planning application, by Vitek and Dalia
Tracz, for CaringWood off Caring Lane, includes a new barn with ragstone wall accommodating solar photovoltaic cells, new access tracks, dry store, glasshouse, parking areas and landscap- ing.
An estate manager’s home would also be built
as part of the plans. The applicant hopes to get consent through government policy PPS7, which allows “the exceptional quality and innovative nature of the design of a proposed, isolated new house” as a special justification for granting plan- ning permission. It is proposed that the building would be “em- bedded into the hillside” and positionedwithin a woodland verge that would result in “no loss of existing agricultural land whilst affording the new residents vast views of the surrounding countryside and beyond, whilst ensuring that from the surroundings, only glimpse views of the house are obtained, respecting neighbour privacy and amenity”. The design statement added: “The client has
three daughters, each with their own family. The dwelling has therefore been split into four levels to accommodate each family within a single ele-
Hall is transformed by Dennis Fowle
TRANSFORMATION of King George V Memorial Hall, Bearsted, was cele- brated with the official opening of plush, modernised toilets. In about three years a new hall com- mittee, led by former parish council chairman Mike Anthony, has rejuve- nated the hall,which dates from 1937. About £113,000 has been invested
in new windows, toilets, new heating system, cavity wall fillings, redecora- tion, improved electrics, CCTV and a projection screen. More is in the pipeline – including a website. Mr Anthony thanked his team, which included vice-chairman June Wilkins, secretary Roger Vidler, and bookings secretary Carol Phillips. He also thanked county Cllr Jenny Whittle and borough Cllr Richard Ash for their contributions before asking them to cut the ribbons to the toilets – decorated toilet paper. Other substantial councillor contri- butions came from KCC Leader Paul Carter and the late Heather Langley.
RESIDENTSin apark community near Harrietsham are fighting for the right to remain in their homes for 12months of the year. Planning permission dictates
that residents on park home sites such as theirs are required to va- cate their homefor two months of the year – January to March. But the mostly-retired and eld-
erly residents on Pilgrims Retreat in Hogbarn Lane believe the law is outdated and should be changed. Incensed by a letter from Maid-
stone Borough Council warning them they would face court action if they had not vacated their homes by January 3, 2012, they made a planning application to remain in situ. Residents’ association chair- man Lesley Byard, who has re-
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ment for the family in its entirety. “Roofs have been designed to slope inwards
and together with the central courtyards create a private enclosed space for the residents. The dwelling is sized to take advantage of the oppor- tunity presented to maximise accommodation – this is a house for life, planned around the whole family, which can evolve as the family does.” Agent DHA Planning added in the statement
that the aim was to make the new development carbon neutral through planting 10,000 extra trees. “This carbon sink will compensate for all emissions from the house and farm, creating a car- bon neutral estate. “The scheme will also reintroduce landscape features lost over time on the site, including sour cherry (morello) orchards. There is the possibil- ity for older traditional varieties of fruit (sourced from the National Fruit Collection at Brogdale) to be planted as boundaries to more commercial or- chards.” Maidstone Council will decide on the planning application,which falls in Leeds parish.
The borough’s most recent decision over a PPS7 application was in August last year, when the planning committee granted permission for a new seven-bedroom home on land north of Ivy Farm in Headcorn Road, LivertonHill, despite over 100 objections.
News in brief
Tea time at church MORE than 30 people regularly “take tea” at St Nicholas’ Church, Otham. But themen and women who
meet every month have been enjoying more than milk and two sugars – they have also been raising funds for good causes. In the autumn, £300 was
raised for Famine in Africa with a bring-and-buy sale, while the normal sandwiches and cakes were replaced with fresh fruit, bread and cheese for a tea with a harvest theme. At the December tea party,
therewas music and merriment when everyone joined in a spot of carol singing. The tea parties are open to everyone in the community – not justmembers of the church. Tea parties in 2012 will take
place at St Nicholas’ at 3pm on January 19, February 16 and March 15. For details or transport to church, contact Joan Palmer on 01622 202239.
Go-ahead for annex IAN Fleming has been given permission to build a detached granny annex for the use of a disabled person at 23 Yeoman Way, Bearsted. The planning application, which includes the demolition of an existing garage, was ac- cepted by Maidstone Council, on condition that it “shall not be sub-divided, separated or al- tered in any way so as to create a separate self-contained unit”.
Jenny Whittle, Richard Ash and Mike Anthony cut the rib- bons to officially open the new memorial hall toilets...
He said the hall now had very few gaps in bookings.
The ceremony was attended by a woman who was at the June 1937 opening as a Brownie, aged nine. Doris Bentley came to the village in 1935 and has lived there ever since.
…and (right) Doris Bentley, who at- tended the hall’s opening ceremony in 1937
Park residents in battle to keep community together all year
ceived support from local Cllr John Barned, said: “Most of us on the park have done what David Cameron asked us to do in the “Big Society”. We have down- sized and sold our homes, freeing themupfor families, got rid of our mortgages, put some money in the bank andweare taking care of ourselves without being a drain on society.We are not asking for care or government handouts; in fact, just the opposite.” There are currently 42 occupied homes on Pilgrims Retreat but only 18 of them have permission for round-the-year occupancy. However, the site has planning consent for a total of 170 homes.
Lesley said: “Where are we all supposed to go in winter? The joke of it all was that the council advised us all topresent ourselves at the council offices and declare ourselves homeless as of January 3, forcing the council to find us somewhere to live. “This is at a time when Cllr
Tom Sams is crying out at the shortages of property in the area and the need for more homes – and we actually have our own homes, but aren’t allowed to stay in them. It’s ludicrous.” Many of the residents who re- ceived the letter from Maidstone Council warning them they would face prosecution if their
Visit Downs Mail’s website —
downsmail.co.uk
Park CCTV cameras NEW CCTV cameras are being earmarked as part of the Mote Park improvement project. The three 8ft-high poles are to be lo- cated at the: Burning ground: a newly cre- ated car park. Existing main car park: cur- rently being upgraded. Ice cream kiosk: an isolated facility that attracts vandalism. The council’s community
safety team has directed the po- sitions of the poles.
homes remained occupied after January3–with no right of ap- peal – are elderly and infirm. Two have had major surgery,
one suffers from Alzheimer’s and most have no family living nearby. Lesley estimates 42 peo- ple are affected by the council’s insistence on following the letter of the law and claimed there were at least two other sites in the bor- ough to which the council “turned a blind eye”. She said: “The law is clearly an
ass. But for Maidstone Council to send a letter to us just a few days before Christmas threatening court action was nothing short of cruel.”
Site caretaker Kevin Hickley, who has lived on the site since 1985, has obtained planning per- mission to stay permanently.
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