Officers overruled in woodland debate
COUNCILLORS on the borough’s planning committee went against officer advice and decided to refuse an application for the erection of a new home on the edge of woodland inWalderslade. Planning officers recommended that the construction of a new dwelling on land of Beechen Bank, Boxley Road, should be ap- proved as an inspector agreed with the prin- ciple of development despite refusing an application in 2008. However, members lent greater weight to several other appeal refusals for new devel- opment along this part of Boxley Road. In particular, attention was drawn to an in- spector’s report outlining reasons for refus- ing a new home on land adjacent to Carne Brae in May this year: “There is evidence of pressures for creeping urbanisation along Boxley Road and the proposed dwelling on the appeal site would continue this trend, to the detriment of the character and ap- pearance of the area”. Councillors had deferred the Beechen
Bank scheme in June after fears were voiced that it could lead to the end of the ‘green- fingered’ appearance of the area. Despite the applicant making design changes, this concern remained over-
Studios scheme still possible THE proposal to build 142 homes on the site of Maidstone Studios, offNewCut Road,Vin- ters Park, may still be in the pipeline. In July 2009, Persimmon Homes was given permission to erect new housing to the east of the studios, which was to get a new car park as part of the scheme. Construction work has not yet begun so will become extant later this year, and the applicant has applied to renew the permission. An updated highways assessment has
been undertaken to support the proposal, which will be determined by Maidstone Council.
whelming. Boxley parish councillor and borough member Cllr Bob Hinder said: “I can’t stress enough the effect that allowing this proposal will have on the area. “I can’t understand why we have an area
of local landscape importance (ALLI) and propose to obliterate it. If this is passed it will end up being the thin end of thewedge and the whole area will be developed.”
Cllr Tony Harwood said officers were
being “selective” in which appeal decisions they used to back up the case for approval. He added: “We should err on the side of the conservation of semi-ancient woodland. There is a tree preservation order through- out the whole of the site.We have a duty as custodians to protect the area.” The scheme was unanimously refused.
Julie’s joy after two-mile, one-arm swim
STROKE survivor Julie Thomas achieved her target of swimming two miles at Maidstone’s Leisure Centre – and raised more than £1,500 in the process. Mother-of-three Julie (47) was cheered
all the way by a crowd of friends, includ- ing those from Maidstone Swimming Club for the Disabled (MSCD), the Stroke Asso- ciation andMaidstone Riverside Rotary Club.
Julie, whose 128-length swim was pre- viewed in last month’s Downs Mail, uses her right arm to propel herself after she was paralysed on her left side in 2008. She had never been a good swimmer,
but a year ago she joined MSCD to help her mobility. It has certainly paid off for Julie – and for theMaidstoneWorking Age Stroke Group, which will benefit from her sponsor money.
(Left) Julie Thomas receives a certificate of achievement from Tara Lakin, of the Stroke Association
High-speed trains to stay – for now
THE high-speed train (HST) service from MaidstoneWest is continuing at least until May. After an initial trial this year, the service has been retained in the new December timetable. But there will be no increase in the number of 47-minute, midweek trains to London St Pancras and back – currently three in the early morning and three in the evening. Maidstone’s train champion, CllrMalcolm Robertson, saidHST usage was rising steadily.
Summer is Maidstone’s prettiest child!
FIFTEEN-month-old Summer Scammell is officially Maidstone and Mallings’ prettiest child after winning a Downs Mail competition in conjunction with Maidstone Photo Factory. The tot polled most votes in our Pretty as a Picture competition, which was open to children aged three months to three years.
After getting through an opening round that attracted over 1,200 votes, Summer, daughter of Chris Scammell and Hayley Bram- ley, polled more support than fellow finalists Lainey and Isla to claim the in- augural crown.
Pictured is Sum-
mer with her proud parents (and dog Marley) being pre- sented with the winner’s canvas print, worth £500, by Tim Grimes of Maidstone Photo Factory.
Over 40 entrants
of the competition received a free sit- ting at the Head- corn studios of Maidstone Photo Factory and a com- plementary 6x4 photograph to keep.
28 East
He believes it will increase even more as people start to build their lives around the new service. Cllr Robertson is also impressed at how Network Rail
has “tooled up” to deal with any severe weather. A recent rail forum heard that heated conductor rails
had been installed at an extra 120 locations on the Kent network. Previously, there were only 40. Cllr Robertson said they were mainly at stations and
near signals, from where trains have to draw enormous amounts of current from a standstill position.
‘Let Boxley players play in Boxley’ BREDHURST Nurseries has applied to allow teams from the Boxley parish play matches on its football pitches. In July last year, applicant Michelle Rogers failed in
her appeal against Maidstone Council’s refusal to allow football teams from Rainham, Hempstead, Walder- slade, Boxley andMaidstone to use the recreation area, off Dunn Street, for home matches. Planning inspector Katie Peerless insisted that the pitches should be used only by Bredhurst Juniors FC, or other football clubs based in the parish whosemem- bers are under the age of 18. She said the current condition was necessary to pre-
vent “unsustainable forms of travel” but permitted Bredhurst clubs to entertain visiting clubs for home matches. But Ms Rogers believes Boxley teams should be able
to play there as the facilities are technically in that parish. In a supporting statement, shewrote: “The foot- ball league is [a] local district [one] and on the infor- mation we ask for from a club,we have ascertained that the majority of players within the teams are from Box- ley parish. “We believe that only locals will be assigned to teams
that are in Boxley parish. Clearly there will be one or two outside the area but this will be rare.
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