DownsMail In touch with your parish parish.


Problems with parking at the


top ofWesterhill were discussed. Cars associated with the new of- fices in Coxheathwere overflow- ing and parking aliong the pavements and alongWesterhill. The chairman would liaise with Coxheath Parish Council on the issue.


Loose Council New PCSO


NEW PCSO Matt Williams was introduced.He is one of a team of eight covering an area as far as Staplehurst and including Cox- heath and Loose. Contractors were due to com-


pleteworkonthe Brooks Field project by January 20. The clerk would write to “Bob


the cap” (Robert Hall), expressing thanks for his help over the years and for taking several full van loads from Brooks Field while clearing work was being done. A £150 donation was made to


the parochial church council. It was agreed that the parish precept for 2012/13 would in- crease by £1.30 a year for a band D property. Amanda Gould of Maidstone Council would be meeting with pavilion and playing field com- mittee members to discuss the process for the award of £102,375 of Section 106 money from the Leonard Gould development. The committee had agreed to


do the white lining in the car park and reinstate double yellow linestothe endofWalnutTree Lane.


Quality success MARDEN has achieved Quality Parish Council re-accreditation. Thanks were expressed to the clerk for the work undertaken. The amenities committee was looking at a possible Woodland Burial area at Marden cemetery which the clerk was obtaining further information on. The churchwarden had re- quested the use of the parish council’s ride-on mower, but it was felt it would be unsuitable for mowing the churchyard. The


Marden Council


clerk was asked to suggest speak- ing to ascertain a satisfactory so- lution.


Regarding KCC’s streetlighting consultation, councillors agreed that lighting was essential espe- cially when trains were arriving and leavingMarden. In reply to MBC’s survey on


land availability for gypsy/trav- eller sites, the parish was not aware of any sites being available for this. A donation of £500 was made


to Marden Bowls Club. Thanks were passed to the vil-


lage caretaker following emails and telephone calls about his work during the snow. The station ticket office had


been closed for aweek and a sat- isfactory explanation had not been forthcoming from South- eastern. Parking problems alongAlbion


Road and outside Marden Post Office, opposite the Indian restaurant, were discussed.


Staplehurst Council Skate park


A QUOTE for £1,063.16 for re- painting the skate park was ac- cepted. With regard to Maidstone Council’s consultation on public gypsy and traveller sites, coun- cillors considered that as this parish had more than 50 pitches, it already had sufficient. It was agreed to ask MBC for amap and list of all the gypsy pitches in the borough area. It was argued that if a properlymanaged site was es- tablished, then MBC would have greater strength to prevent spo- radic development in the coun- tryside. It was reported that Sainsbury’s


was considering a shuttle bus to serve Cranbrook, Frittenden and Marden. Tesco had now submitted its


plans and a date for a public meeting would be arranged and advertised. The annual report would shortly be compiled and it was hoped to use the photographic competition winning entry on the cover. Itwas proposed to run the competition in 2012 but the rules would be rewritten.


Asupplyoflitterpickerswas


now available. The WI would serve refreshments during the clean-up on March 24. It was agreed the refreshments stock could be purchased from the chairman’s allowance. Tree roots on the youth club


site were causing problems in the Sobell car park but MBC consid- ered the tree should be retained. It was reported the youth club


was busy and well-attended. Without council support the club would have shut by now. A local resident was keen to


work with the parish council on a voluntary basis to improve pub- lic areas with planting schemes such as wild flower strips on verges, bulb growing and hedgerows.


Sutton Valence Council


Motor thefts


PCSO Richard Kirby reported four crimes: the theft of motor vehicles in Forsham Lane and North Street, an attempted bur- glary in Babylon Lane and a theft in Maidstone Road. Initial observations on the draft infrastructure delivery plan pub- lic consultation had been distrib- uted. It was agreed to repair the goal


post in the Harbour play area. At theWar Memorial play area


and field old play equipment had been removed and it was agreed to purchase a new, dark green bin for the field. Stars football team had asked to


hire the field for a football tour- nament in June, and this was ap- proved, subject to the necessary insurance being in place. The clerk would apply for funding from Pro-active London to help upgrade the sports pavil- ion.


The blocked gully in the car


park had been cleared and would be monitored to ensure the prob- lem was resolved; a request for funding towards to cost had been made to Cllr Paulina Stockall. The clerk hadmet with parish-


ioners to confirm the siting of parish bins. The war memorial had been


hit by vehicle, again, and it was agreed the clerk would invoice the insurers of the driver respon- sible. It was unanimously agreed to request a reduction in the 40mph speed limit on the A274 from FiveWents crossroad to the cur- rent 30mph speed limit to be re- duced to 30mph. Plans for the Diamond Jubilee celebrations were coming to- gether. On Saturday, June 2, an archive exhibition would be held in St Mary’s Church, with a chil- dren’s party in the afternoon and tea with music for more senior villagers. Sunday would see a morning church service and on the Mon- day evening there would be a swing band dance and the light- ing of the jubilee beacon. The clerk would apply to the


Weald of Kent Protection Society for a grant towards a bench for theWarMemorial playing field.


Yalding Council Council vacancy


THE council has a vacancy fol- lowing the resignation of Cllr Tony Marshall, who has moved out of the area. PCSO James Austin was being moved to Tunbridge Wells and wastobe replaced by PCSO Nicola Morris,who wasthe PCSO supervisor for a number of years and is an experienced offi- cer.


The Yalding village sign on


Lees Road was being replaced free of charge as a quid-pro-quo from KHS for Cllr Gough helping to clear a tree which had come down and was blocking West Street into Vicarage Road. The lack of lighting at the junc-


tion of Lees Road and Town Bridge was a problem for pedes- trians. The council was to inves- tigate the cost of installing a light on the corner above the sorting office. Work needed to be done on the


horse chestnut tree on the green inVicarage Road to remove a low branch; the plane tree needed a trim and the lights taken out. The clerk would seek permission from MBC.


‘Poorly designed’ home refused APROPOSEDnew detached home in Linton was written-off by Maid- stone Council as “poorly designed”. The council refusedAlasdair Dunbar’s application for Mullion Court


Flood plain work begins


WORK has begun on a new flood plain in Quarry Road, Boughton Monchelsea. It is being funded by the


parish council and DEFRA, with the manpower provided by the 36 Engineer Regiment. Parish council chairman Cllr Steve Munford (pictured wiith


army workers) said: “The proj- ect would not have been viable without the army taking on the excavation part of it, for which the community and the parish council are extremely grateful.” After the army has completed


its phase, a contractor will build the sluice to control water flow.


in Linton Hill because, according to the decision statement: “The pro- posals would introduce significant and poorly designed new develop- ment that wouldharmfully alter the undeveloped and sylvan character of the site, the wider countryside and the Conservation Area.” MrDunbar’s supporting statement claimed he had been born atMul-


lion Court in 1948 and lived there for the first three decades of his life. It said: “There has been virtually no newhouse construction in the vil- lage formore than 50 years. “In so many villages, people who were born and brought up there


have to leave their community because of the shortage of village and rural housing. Unless this problem can be successfully addressed, vil- lages will stagnate and viable communities will die. “Linton is capable of providing more homes without destroying the character of the area, especially if infill land such as the application site is utilised in away that is sensitive to the nature of the village.”


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