‘Sites will not solve gypsy demand’
PROVISION of permanent sites for gypsies and the travelling community will not stop spo- radic settlement, Maidstone councillors were told. The council has been awarded £1.3m to provide 15 public pitches by 2015 to meet government targets and is ask- ing landowners and parishes if they know of any suitable sites. However, Cllr Tony Harwood,
Lib Dem spokesman for plan- ning, said the public should not expect the provision of more permanent sites to solve theprob- lems of sporadic settlement. Hesaid: “We are comparing ap-
ples and pears.We get lots of pri- vate applications and these will continue to come forward, to be judged on their planning merits.”
Fund-raising quiz AFAMILY quiz night is being held at Bearsted Memorial Hall to raise funds for a medical student about to undertake a month’s voluntary work in Tanzania. Ex-Invicta Grammar School stu-
dent Helena Sandford, from Tower Lane, Bearsted,will join other stu- dents in Moshi, where they will help rebuild a rural health centre and work in local hospitals. The quiz starts at 7pm on Satur-
day April 7. Tickets are £5 for adults and £3 for under 14s. Call 01622 730918 for details.
Rob Jarman, the council’s head
of planning, agreed that the pro- vision of more pitches would not stop individual applications com- ing forward, but he said: “It will make it easier to enforce against unauthorised sites.” Principal planning officer Sarah Anderton toldmembers the num- ber of gypsy pitches in Maidstone borough was continuing to grow. An assessment undertaken in
2005 revealed the need for 47 extra pitches – a pitch being the area of land and number of cara- vans needed to accommodate a single household – between 2006 and 2010. In the event, permanent planning consent was granted for 52 mobile homes, either by the council or at appeal. However targets needed to be
set as part of the council’s core strategy. The council has put out an ap-
peal to landowners with at least 1.2 acres of relatively-level land. They are also asking parish councils to come forward with ideas for suitable land. Mr Jarman told the local devel- opment document task and finish scrutiny panel that it would be preferable for parish councils to come forward with theirownsug- gestions for sites, over which they had some control. He said: “They need to be honest and upfront. We have to provide these sites.” Maidstone has two public trav-
ellers’ sites, at Stilebridge Lane, Marden, and Water Lane, Ul- combe, which provide 32 pitches. However, the panel was told
pitches need not necessarily be in rural areas: some travellers had asked to be housed in an urban environment. Cllr Harwood stressed that the
new sites need not be large – big sites could bring with them their own social problems, he said. “There are some grim sites in
the region,”he said. “We are look- ing to provide people with a good quality of life.” He added that Maidstone his- torically had a large travelling community, with records of gyp- sies settling on Penenden Heath in the 17th century. He said offi- cers had been criticised for being a “soft touch” when there were historical, cultural and family rea- sons for planning consent being given.
Agency nominated
A BRANDING, print and digital commu- nications agency in Harrietsham has been nominated in the Recommended Agency Register awards category of Best Value for Money. Creative Heads is the only agency in
south eastEngland to be nominated for this category. The winner will be an- nounced in early April. Founder and creative director Paul
Duckworth(pictured), said: “In2011we wereawardeda‘Recommended’status with RAR, so receiving this nomination gives reassurance to clients.”
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