Community centre project leaps ahead
COUNCILLORS have agreed to a £112,250 loan from the Local Public Works Board to help purchase theArchbishopCourtenay Pri- mary School site in Church Road. The schoolwill become redundant when it merges with the site in College Road, Maid- stone, to form a new primary school in Eccle- ston Road, which opens on February 20. Converting the school into a new commu-
nity centre has long been a parish council as- piration, and members agreed to fund the remainder of the project with a £37,750 grant frommoney set aside for a community centre for over 20 years. Despite the failure of a number of fundrais-
ing initiatives to aid the project, the council has pledged not to increase the precept to pay for the centre. Council chairman Cllr Chris
Questions over
Bydews decision THE parish council is demand- ing answers from Maidstone Council for deciding that no breach of planning control has occurred at Bydews Farm Cot- tage in Farleigh Hill. Planning enforcement officer
Alan Howell has decided that alleged business use of the res- idential property was not worth investigating further. He wrote in a letter to the parish council: “It is not illegal to work from home. Their level of business is not a material change of use. Accordingly, the council is closing the investiga- tion of this case.” Neighbours claim that large-
scale business use has taken place on the site for the past six years. One said: “This letter is a farce. Boxes were being lifted onto a forklift before Christmas. How can that be allowed in a residential area? “We were promised a proper investigation but none of my neighbours has been inter- viewed by the council.” Cllr Barry Beardwell agreed:
“The letter is a bit of a joke. You can run businesses from home but not what they are doing with machines etc. That is not a small business.” It was agreed to ask Maid-
stone Council what investiga- tive measures it had taken to reach its conclusion before re- questing paperwork.
Morgan-Jones said: “The proposed loan is to be paid off by payments of £6,500 over 50 years, although if we have the funds, the loan can be paid off earlier. “I believe that the project, after a few years,
will generate sufficient funds to pay off this debt in less than 50 years.” As Downs Mail went to press, the council
was awaiting official confirmation from the Diocesan Board of Education that the build- ing can be purchased for £150,000 – as as- sessed by a district valuer. Should the purchase go ahead, the centre
will be run by a management committee made up of representatives of users and local community groups. Cllr Morgan-Jones added: “There will be an agreement, which will be regularly reviewed,
THE parish council plans to put more pressure on KCC to relieve congestion around Tovil Tip after its reason for inaction was la- belled “stupid”. Two councillors
between the parish council as owners and the management committee, to cover matters such as the need to generate funds to keep the building in good order and pay off anymoney borrowed to purchase the building, to ensure users are responsible, insured groups and that the centre is available to all such local groups. “This is to be a centre for the whole com- munity not only for particular sections of it,” he added.
Councillors resolved to form a residents’
centre sub-committee, which would include three or four parish councillors and have the option of co-opting residents to serve on the sub-committee. A request was also made to look into link-
ing the school site with the redundant St Stephen’s churchyard site.
Council reaching tipping point Measures to prevent
‘car park’ on lawn AROUND a dozen posts could be established on the corner of Allnutt Mill Close and Lower Tovil to prevent cars from ac- cessing the area. Cllr Glyn Charlton reported
last summer held court with a KCC cabinet member to request the widening of Farleigh Hill to enable a filter lane for Far- leigh-bound traffic heading to the recycling site inBurialGround Lane. Cllr Glyn Charlton, who was at the meeting, believes this could
The stretch of Farleigh Hill that could be widened to reduce congestion at the Burial Ground Lane turning to Tovil Tip
be achieved by using a lay-by as part of the main carriageway and would reduce hold-ups as through traffic would be able to pass. But it took until last month for a KCC response, stating that no changeswere necessary as there had been few accidents in the area. “I don’t accept that,” said Cllr Charlton. “We weren’t saying it is dangerous.We were saying it is inconvenient for the whole of Tovil. It was a stupid argument by KCC. “There is room to make it wider and it would solve a lot of the problems. At present, there is room for three cars to go in the mid- dle lane without obstructing passing traffic, but if the road was widened there would be space for 10 cars.”
Members also made comments on a KCC consultation survey on the future if householdwaste services in the county. It was felt that any new facility in Maidstone should be in addition to the Tovil tip.
THE council agreed to support Valley Conserva- tion Society’s application for a container at Cris- brook House, Cave Hill, Tovil. The container would be used to store equip-
ment and tools, and would help in maintening ponds and land in the lower Loose Valley. Members gave their backing on condition of suitable materials, good quality landscaping and a requirement to remove the building should the proposed use cease. A planning statement on behalf of VCS ex-
that a vehicle had gone onto the lawn, and felt that obstructions were necessary to stop it be- coming a “car park”. The council agreed to fund a scheme to erect wooden and metal posts to make the land too narrow for vehicles to ac- cess.
Extending the
council’s support THE council supported an ap- plication for a single storey rear extension at 4 Hayle Mill Cot- tages in Hayle Mill Road on condition that noise and dust are controlled during associ- ated demolition works. The proposal includes the in- troduction of a dormer and first floor window to rear elevation.
Storage proposal for society’s conservation projects
plained: “The society has, over the last 10 years, acquired small parcels of land to conserve and protect them from development. These parcels of land need to be managed and the society organ- ises regular work parties. Until recently, the society had used a garage at Crisbrook House to store tools and equipment but the house is now to be sold. The agents acting for the owner are prepared to sell part of the bottom end of the garden, separately, to VCS. Maidstone Council will decide on the planning application.
22 Town
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