All gas and gaiters at church hall


IT wasacaseof“allhands on deck” when a gas leak was dis- covered at St Mary’s church hall, Laddingford. The community rallied round


to help repair the leak, which came to light when the hall’s management committee re- ceived a huge gas bill. Swift action was needed to


stop the gas bill rising further and to make sure the hall was safe. Parishioner Graham Spillman


acted promptly to find a quali- fied plumber licensed to work on a supply of that size. However, before plumber Gra-


A NEW Sunday bus service from Hawkhurst, through Sta- plehurst, to Maidstone has begun on a six-month trial. But local folk are being asked


to “use it – or lose it”. The No 5 service from Arriva


has been funded by County Cllr Roger Manning, who has used his members’ grant to allow the bus to run all day each Sunday instead of just once in the morn- ing with an afternoon return. The occasion was marked


with a launch by Arriva in Hawkhurst, when members of the Local Transport Forum were invited along to wave it off. The two-hourly service will


give passengers much more flexibility as to how long they stay in Maidstone and allow them to go at a time which suits, said parish Cllr Peter Spearink.


agreement comes to an end next year, however, and homeown- ers now fear they could be left high and dry – and with homes they are unable to sell. The Government’s “Statement


of Principles” agreement with the insurance industry, which states that insurers will provide insurance for “at risk” homes, comes to an end in June 2013. This could make obtaining af- fordable flood insurance ex- tremely difficult, if not impossible. And, without in- surance, borrowers will be in breach of their mortgage con- tract. The move will almost cer-


tainly impact on property val- ues, their mortgageability and future saleability. Based on the 2008 RMS 1,000-year Inland Flood risk zones map, one in four homes in the UK are considered “at risk” of flooding and large chunks of Yalding, Ladding- ford, Hunton, Collier Street and East Peckham are classed as at “significant” or “moderate” risk by the Environment Agency. James Sherwood-Rogers,


chair of the Know Your Flood Risk campaign, said: “Whilst the impact that the ending of the Statement of Principles will


(L-r) Cllrs Peter Spearink and Barrett Manning, Robert Pat- terson, from Arriva, and Tony Staines, chair of the forum


He said: “It was entirely thanks to the forum that Cllr Manning was persuaded to put up the money to fund the trial. If it is used enough, then Arriva will keep it going, but if not, it could be gone again in six months time. It is now down to the local people to vote with their feet.”


Flood insurance homes blow Continued from page one


have on flood insurance is un- known, early indications are not good. Some insurers are al- ready trying to rid themselves of insuring previously flooded or”at risk” homes, long before June 2013. “It is vital that mortgage lenders urgently review the im- pact this policy change is likely to have and create a strategy that offers guidance and sup- port to existing homeowners who may be affected by the changes.


“Homeowners also need to in- vestigate their flood risk and take steps to minimise their own personal risk and protect their home. “By understanding their risk


up front, they can look at put- ting in place flood resilience or resistant measures that could reduce the risk and thus make affordable insurance potentially easier to source.” The Homeowner’s Guide to


Flood Resilience offers practical advice on flood prevention and protection measures. Visit http://www.knowyourflood- risk.co.uk/


 KCC’s emergency planning team has asked Yalding Parish Council to host a multi agency emergency flood planning workshop.


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ham Calvert from Tunbridge Wells could replace the broken pipe, a 40m trench had to be dug from the church door to the gas meter, near the junction of Claygate Road and Darman Lane – which was where the local community got stuck in. Despite all the helping hands,


the exercise cost the church be- tween £3,500 and £4,000 in re- pairs and wasted gas. Graham thanked helpers, in- cluding Graham Calvert, Stefan Mackay, Robert Body, Bert Box- all, Digby Danvers – and a few others too!


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