‘A-board aware’ stickers a street-wise solution


THE issue of A-board advertising outside shops may have been resolved, but aMaid- stone campaigner for the blind still thinks businesses could do more to de-clutter pavements. The highways authority, KCC, has launched an initiative that balances traders’ interests with the safety of vulnerable pedes- trians, such as mums with baby buggies, the partially sighted and elderly people. Shopkeepers, cafe owners and firms


(L to r): Pat Edwards, KCC’s Bryan Sweet- land, Cllr Malcolm Robertson and cam- paigner Neville Butteriss with his guide dog


Bulging bank accounts queried


Continued from page one


was “not relevant” to ask what “one-off monies” they had in their bank accounts. Mrs Cooke explained Maidstone Council


was required by law to have a level of gen- eral balances for unforeseen circumstances, as opposed to earmarked reserves for spe- cific purposes. Borough Cllr Jenefer Gibson (Con) won-


dered why some parish councils hold “fairly hefty sums”. Hers, Headcorn, has re- serves of £18,000. “We have always run Headcorn Parish Council to the bone, and we don’t spend money unnecessarily” she added. Cllr Beerling (Lib Dem) said that “for the


life of me I cannot see why” a parish coun- cil should have hundreds of thousands in the bank, as it is public money. John Perry, chairman of Staplehurst Parish Council, said each resident receives a copy of its detailed accounts, including balances. His council’s general reserve is about 8% but it also has some committed reserves set against the precept. “I can’t speak for other parishes… but everything is extraordinarily transparent. I would always welcome anyone to come down to Staplehurst and go through our ac- counts,” he added. Mrs Cooke said the new scheme should


be “simple and transparent and not in- crease the administrative burden” of either the borough or parish councils.


THE remarkable life story of a Jewish lady from Allington, Maidstone, was told to the Ro- tary Club of Maidstone when it awarded her its highest hon- our, a Paul Harris Fellowship. Edith Brown was 14 in 1938


when she endured interroga- tions by Nazi Gestapo before being permitted on to a train to London Liverpool Street with her small brother and a bag. The pair, among 10,000 Jews to benefit from the Kindertransport movement, never saw their parents again. Edith was in a group of 50


sent to a Northern Ireland hos- tel – a collection of wet tents. She did not go to school but was put to work as as a dairy- maid and in farming. In 1942, at 18, Edith turned


to nursing and moved to Liv- erpool Hospital for Tropical


6 South


who want to use an A-board must comply with certain guidelines – only one, close to their premises and no bigger than a speci- fied size. They will then be entitled to dis- play a window sticker to show they are “A-board aware”. KCC cabinet member Bryan Sweetland


said: “We want to balance the interests of businesses with people who can have prob- lems on crowded pavements. “If they want to put an A-board outside


their premises, then they should do so in a responsible way by complying with our guidelines – based on Department for Trans- port advice. Cllr Sweetland added: “Wherewe do find


an A-board placed inappropriately, we will advise the owner to re-site it and encourage them to sign up to our scheme. But if the owner doesn’t take action, we will re- move it.” Neville Butteriss and Pat Edwards, who


have been campaigning against A-boards, welcomed the initiative. But Mr Butteriss also suggested that firms could consider using different forms of advertising. He said: “It would be nice if more busi- nesses could trade without advertising blocking up the streets.My argument has al- ways been, ‘let’s have signs hanging from walls outside shops’.” Jo James, of Kent Invicta Chamber of Com- merce, welcomed the initiative. He said: “I am delighted that KCC understands the bal- ance that has to be struck between the ben- efits advertising boards bring traders and the requirement to make sure potential hazards are minimised.” Highways scrutiny committee vice-chair-


man CllrMalcolm Robertson, KCC member for Maidstone Central, said: “I am very pleasedwith this new voluntary policy and I would urge shopkeepers to sign up to it.”


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 throughout


her 128-length swim by a crowd of friends, including those fromMaidstone Swimming Club for the Disabled (MSCD), the Stroke Association and Maidstone River- side Rotary Club. Julie 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.


Couple on church burglary charges AHUSBAND and wife have been charged following a se- ries of burglaries where moneywas stolen from donation boxes at village churches including All Saints’ at Sta- plehurst. Diane Vanessa Wilson, 45, of May Road, Gillingham,


Julie Thomas receives a cer- tificate of achievement from Tara Lakin, of the Stroke As- sociation


and 43-year-old Mark RogerWilson, of the same address, were both charged with two counts of burglary other than dwelling and asked for another 20 similar offences to be taken into consideration.


Rotary honours a remarkable woman Edith


Brown, pic- tured with Rotary Club president


Jim Boswell The incident at All Saints’ in


years before retiring for health reasons. She developed leukaemia


due to exposure to X-rays and volunteered successfully for new treatments. Rotary Club president Jim Boswell, of Marden, said: “Our club is proud to ac- knowledge her service to the community.”


Diseases where she helped troops returning from the Far East.


Edith, of Nursery Avenue, Allington, moved in to mid- wifery and health visiting and came toMaidstone in 1957, working at Preston Hall and Maidstone Hospital for 24


 A fellowship was also awarded to Rotarian for 32 years, retired bank manager William Mather, of Priory Close, East Farleigh. He was a long-serving club treasurer, chairman of two committees and is a trustee of the club`s Charity Trust Fund. He was also treasurer of Kent County Show, is a member of the Red- hill Trust and was a local vol- untary tax commissioner for many years.


Visit Downs Mail’s website — downsmail.co.uk


High Street, Staplehurst, oc- curred in late October 2010. Thepairwerebailedtoap-


pear at Sevenoaks Magistrates Court on November 25.


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: isolated fa- cility that attracts vandalism. The council’s community


safety team has directed the po- sitions of the poles.


Solar go-ahead A SCHEME has been given the go-ahead to site 16 solar panels on agricultural land at Knowle Hill House, Knowle Hill, Ul- combe.


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