Stalwart stands down
LONG-serving independent borough councillor Mike FitzGerald has an- nounced he will stand down at the May elections. Having completed three terms of of-
fice – 12 years – Cllr FitzGerald has been an active member of the com- munity, wearing many hats – as well as the mayoral chain of office in 2006/07. He is actively involved in a number
of charities and is a trustee of Maid- stone Christian Care and chairman of the trustees of the Fusion healthy living centre in ParkWood. Cllr FitzGerald, who lives with his wife Mau-
reen, in Laxton Drive, Chart Sutton, will be 74 in May but he assured: “I am not retiring – just re- inventing my time.” He said: “I am still in love with village life and
value the people and friendships that have grown and I will continue to support and safeguard all that is good.” One of Cllr FitzGerald’s first claims to fame was
when he organised the first ever World Custard- Pie Throwing Championship in Coxheath in 1967. After a 20-year break, he revived it during
HOUSEHOLDERS are being warned to be wary of door-to- door callers following a spate of burglaries in the Penenden Heath area of Maidstone. Police believe a man handing
out company fliers could be linked to the burglaries, using them to help gain information about properties in the area. Maidstone and Malling Neighbourhood Watch say res-
his mayoral year in 2007 and it con- tinues to attractwidespread publicity. He said he had thought long and
hard about his decision to stand down but decided it was time to let a younger person take the reins in order to do justice to the constituents for a further four years. The member for Boughton Mon- chelsea and Chart Sutton said: “I feel lucky and privileged to have served this ward and the wider Maidstone area. It has been an honour and a lot
of enjoyment, meeting people and making friends. Steve Munford, the current chairman of Boughton Monchelsea Parish Council, has al- ready indicated he is prepared to stand as an in- dependent candidate in his place. Cllr FitzGerald said: “He hasworked tirelessly to help deliver the ambitions of the parish council, has been a strong chairman since taking office and I believe, if elected, he will make an excellent Maidstone bor- ough councillor. A “stepping down” party with music and en- tertainment is being held by Cllr FitzGerald for in- vited guests on Saturday, March 17, at Boughton Monchelsea Village Hall.
Doorstep callers alert
idents should always exert cau- tion when dealing with un- known callers. Aspokesman said: “Someone
has been using company fliers to make themselves look legiti- mate when knocking on doors in the Penenden Heath area,
which we believe may be linked to some burglaries. “It is possible that the person
has worked for the company at some time or has managed to get their hands on the fliers by some other means. “This is a warning to be cau-
tious of anyone knocking on your door trying to gain entry to your property or selling you a product.”
Gypsy and traveller
sites are needed MAIDSTONE Council is look- ing to buy land to house a new public gypsy site. The Town & Country Housing Group was recently awarded a £1.3m grant to deliver 15 pub- lic pitches in Maidstone bor- ough by 2015. In a controversial move, the council is asking landowners, agents and public bodies to come forward with sites they know of that could be available for purchase. Thesitesneedtobeatleast
0.5ha, have road access, be rel- atively level and have a named landowner who may be willing to sell. The sites will then be as- sessed against a full range of planning criteria to determine if there are any which could po- tentially be suitable. The provision of planned public gypsy sites is a bid by the council to eradicate spo- radic illegal settlements by the travelling community. Rob Jarman, head of planning
at Maidstone Council, said: “This funding opportunity is a key way to make planned pro- vision for gypsies and trav- ellers.” Details of potential sites, in- cluding a site plan and landowner contact details, should be sent to Mr Jarman at Maidstone House, King Street, Maidstone, ME15 6JQ, by March 9.
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