Kicking up stink Saying no to cold-callers


over dog mess FUR has started to fly over the contract to empty Maidstone’s 350 dog waste bins. RIP Cleaning of Chatham was awarded the contract last year when Maidstone Council scrapped a plan to get rid of the bins, which would have saved £33,000. Although the Tory-led council decided not to provide any further dog waste bins, it agreed to retain existing bins. It has since launched a cam-


paign to highlight the fact that bagged dog waste can be placed in any of the council’s 1,300 litter bins. Now, RIP fears the writing is on the wall when its contract comes to an end on July 30. Cllr Derek Mortimer (LibDem)


who is also a member of Tovil Parish Council, which pays for the emptying of its dog waste bins, said: “I am against putting dog waste in litter bins especially in play areas.” Bearsted is an- other parish which pays for its dog bins to be emptied, at an av- erage cost of £50 permonth. It is estimated that the cleaning contractors clear three tonnes of dogwaste perday in the borough. Cllr Marion Ring (Con), cabinet member for environment, con- firmed the contract comes to an end in July but said no decision had yet been taken on the future.


Trial delayed


by Olympics A MAIDSTONE coach accused of sexual activity with an 11- year-old boy has had his trial delayed until after the Olympics, after a judge heard that he was training an athlete for the Games. Chris Bowman (48) of Rein-


den Grove, Downswood, ap- peared at Maidstone Crown Court after being arrested on suspicion of abusing the young- ster while in a position of trust. He pleaded not guilty. His trial was postponed by Judge Michael Carroll until August 28, after hearing he was men- toring decathleteMartin Brock- man (24) of Maidstone in his bid to qualify for the Olympics.


JOURNEY times in and out of Maidstone could be doubled by 2026 if something is not done to tackle the town’s groaning trans- port infrastructure. Commuter journeys along Ash-


ford Road could double from 14 minutes to 28, while traffic com- ing in from the west, along Ton- bridge Road, could face a 20-minute journey, as opposed to the current 11. The harsh realities of travelling


in the county town were pointed out to representatives of the bor- ough business community at a Town Hall transport workshop. John Bunney, associate director of JMP Research, who had been commissioned to undertake a congestion study, pointed out that


A CONTROL zone is being set up in Headcorn to deter cold callers from knocking on doors to sell goods or services. Organised by the Maidstone


and District Neighbourhood Watch Association, the zone en- courages residents to say no to cold callers. It alerts businesses to the fact


that cold calling is unwelcome, and deters bogus callers. Kent Police Watch liaison of-


ficer Lorraine Hemphrey held an event, attended by more than 100 people, at the village hall to raise awareness of the scheme and give homeowners the chance to sign up. Shesaid45peoplehad al-


ready joined, and anyone inter- ested should contact her. She added: “We have received a lot


Community warden Dawn Riach-Brown, Ken Stevens and Linda Sinclair of NeighbourhoodWatch; watch liaison officer Lorraine Hemphrey; Kent Police volunteer coordinator Catherine Mulhol- land and PCSO Siobhan De Burca


of support from Headcorn Parish Council and County Cllr Jenny Whittle and we are all committed to keeping Headcorn a safe place to live.” In the coming weeks, resi-


dents will receive window stickers and a leaflet with hints


Underground dining hits heights


UNDERCOVER chef Hari Covert is helping Yalding Church Preservation Society (YCPS) host a dinner party with a difference – at the top of the church tower! The event will take place on Midsummer’s


Eve, Saturday, June 23, when six guests will climb the tower to dine with fantastic views across theWeald. Only six guests will get the chance to enjoy


dinner on top of the world, but 50 more will be invited to a reception in the churchyard. Diners are invited to “bid” for theirplacesat


£1atime, atuk.virginmoneygiving.com/Hari- Covert. The winners’ nameswill be drawn out of a “virtual hat”. YCPSchairman PhilipKeeler said: “Wehope


this event will not only raise funds for the re- pairs to the building but also give six lucky people amemorable dining experience.”


DOORS could be closing at some local libraries under KCC’s plans to save cash. Plans to revolutionise book- borrowing could see village halls and community centres turned into libraries,with others turned into “self-service” centres. Sue Sparks, KCC’s strategic manager for modernisation, told Bearsted Parish Council that bor- rowers’ needs were changing. However,Kent had a legal obli-


Town traffic forecast looks grim


the town’s core strategy included the building ofmore than 10,000 new homes by 2026. Towncentremanager Bill Moss believed part of the solution was to extend the town’s park and ride facility, but Cllr Malcolm Robert- son said thiswould mean putting up the cost of town centre park- ing. He pointed out that usage of the existingpark and ride scheme was falling every year. Other suggestedmeasures to re-


duce congestion were: Newsouthern approach road or the Leeds-Langley bypass An additional lane on the “pinch point” of the town bridge gyratory system near St Peter Street, which leads to Fairmeadow.


gation to provide a comprehen- sive and efficient library service accommodating local need. But she said: “Modernisation


and tips on how to protect themselves. Signs will also be installed in the area to promote the scheme and deter cold callers from the village. For details, call 01622 604395


or email lorraine.hemphrey @kent.pnn.police.uk.


Low-cost homes for


first-time buyers A NEW housing development in Sutton Valence will help first-time buyers get their foot on the property ladder. Work is underway on Golding Homes’ development at Haven Close, Sutton Valence, where eight houses to rent are being built alongside four two-bed- roomed homes, which will be offered on a shared ownership basis. This is Golding Homes’ first shared ownership scheme and has been designed to offer peo- ple with a specific connection to Sutton Valence the chance to own their own home.


Libraries at risk in radical book-borrowing rethink In other areas, volunteers


might like to run the library service, she said. In Folkestone, a parish coun-


of the service and saving money while meeting local needs is quite a challenge!” She said different formulae would work for different areas. In some places, sharing a village hall mightmake the village hall more viable, while saving the li- brary money at the same time.


MAIDSTONE United FC’s plan for a new all-weather surface as part of its football ground scheme could increase light pollution for residents of the social housing flats alongside the new Kent Library and His- tory Centre. The third-generation (3G) surface can be used more fre- quently than a grass pitch and the Stones plan to host games and practice sessions of all lev- els at the new stadium in James WhatmanWay, which is due to open in the summer. Local ward member Cllr


Tony Harwood said: “The arti- ficial pitch is 70m from peo-


cil met in a library, while in the Maidstone area, a local history group ran a workshop and advi- sory service in a library. The Maidstone Locality Board


will have the final say in the fu- ture of the service, once the public consultation exercise is complete.


Lights concern at Stones ground


ple’s bedrooms in Thomas Place, and will make a differ- ence to their amenity.We need to sort this out.” Cllr Clive English, of Maid-


stone’s planning committee felt the 3G pitch demonstrated a lack of ambition from the Isth- mian League Division One South club, as it might not be a suitable playing surface shoul the Stones achieve two promo- tions to the Conference South. The application, specifically


for the 3G surface, found favour from 11members of the committee, with Cllr Harwood and ward colleague Cllr Jenni Patterson abstaining.


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