War memorial couldmove
SUTTON Valence cenotaph could be on the move. The memorial to the village’s
war dead, at the junction of Headcorn Road and Chart Road, has been hit so often by passing traffic that the parish council is considering relocating it. In the first of three incidents al-
ready this year, the lorry driver who clipped the ragstone wall around the monument was so devastated that he knocked at a number of nearby houses until he found someone with whom he could leave his details. However, not all drivers are so honest and the parish council is frequently left to pick up the cost of any repairs. Now, the council is talking to Maidstone’s Ghurka regiment to see if it could assist by taking on the project. Discussions are at an early
stage. Parish council chairman Eileen Riden said there would be full consultation between the parish council and residents be- fore a final decision was taken.
OWNERS of Stilebridge Nurs- eries in Staplehurst Road, Mar- den, face a massive repair bill after a fire swept through the family business. About 30 firefighters fought the blaze, but farm buildings and
the A274 into Chart Road, which is totally unsuited to heavy goods vehicles.” In early February, a lorry from
Possible ‘safer’ locations for
the cenotaph include outside the parish church or on the vil- lage green. Parish clerk Janet Burnett
said: “Increasing numbers of large lorries are turning from
four large greenhouses contain- ingmachinery were destroyed. The nurseries supplies whole-
sale Asian fruit and vegetables to restaurants, and owner Chi- Ping Mau, 71, said he was able to keep the business going with
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E&R Moffat Ltd, Bonnybridge, demolished the ragstone wall. Before it could be repaired, the memorial was hit a second time. Local contractor SimonWright, from Wright Landscapes, who carried out the repairs, said: “I’ve repaired thewar memorial five times in two years. Last time,Irepaireditonthe Wednesday and it was hit again on the Thursday. “The Scotsman was ab- solutely devastated by what he had done and went to a lot of trouble to leave his details, but he is the first driver who has. I feel really strongly about this – it’s amemorial to the fallen and should be treatedwith respect.” “Moving the memorial would
be a sensible idea, but would obviously be a sensitive issue and potentially very expensive. If the Ghurkas could help, it would be great.”
Greenhouses destroyed as blaze hits nurseries
a portable generator. However, he estimated the cost of the damage at £200,000. No-one was hurt in the fire, which was believed to have been caused by an electrical fault.
Plans for 300 village homes
Continued from front page
said care home provision was a possibility, alongside ponds, public open space and a variety of housing styles. Staplehurst is the largest village
in the borough, but needs bigger and better facilities, such as a vil- lage hall, the meeting heard. Developers of schemes ex- ceeding 15 properties must pro- vide affordable housing, plus community facilities. David Edwards, from Taylor
Wimpey, said only 35% of its site would be used for housing, leaving public open space and a woodland area to protect the environment and the popula- tion of great crested newts. The company would also en- courage greater use of footpaths to the station and consider traf- fic calming measures. However, Robin Kenworthy,
of Bathurst Road, and Caroline Highwood, fromMarlfield, said there were huge problems with drains,which would be exacer- bated by more housing. Congestion was amajor prob-
lem at the Marden Road traffic lights and would get worse, res- idents argued. Gleeson said it would take ac-
count of residents’ views if they came to consider a planning ap- plication, while TaylorWimpey offered to set up a website with details of its proposals.
the
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