Ads on toilets approved
MAIDSTONE Council hopes to make as much as £12,000 from allowing commercial adverts to be placed on its property. The borough will allow pri-
vate companies to advertise on boards at 26 different locations, mainly public toilets and car parks, in urbanMaidstone. The planning committee ac- cepted separate applications for all locations, but the proposal to place a 1.6m-high poster case at the Penenden Heath toilets was met with concern by local ward
Choir invitation PEOPLE who enjoy singing are invited to join the Square Mile community gospel choir. The Maidstone choir is open
to anyone aged eight and over, and families are welcome. They will be rehearsing at the Salvation Army Hall at 74-80 Union Street, 4-5pm on Sun- day, May 13. For details, call the church office on 01622 681808.
Keep up good work LOOSE Infant School is contin- uing tomake good progress, says an interim Ofsted inspection. Because the school was judged to be “good” at its last inspection in 2009, a full as- sessment will not take place until the summer of 2013.
The decision to allow adverts at Penenden Heath toilets did not please all
members Cllr Jenni Paterson and Tony Harwood. Cllr Harwood said: “While I support the principle of realis-
FOUR people from the Maid- stone area who were fraudu- lently claiming benefit have appeared before Maidstone Magistrates’ Court. Krystal Arnold (26), of Upper
Stone Street, Maidstone, admit- ted illegally claiming more than £9,000 in housing and council tax benefit. She was sentenced to seven and a half months in prison, suspended for 18 months, and a 250 hour com- munity order. Michael Donlon (57), of Northumberland Road, Shep- way, admitted an overpayment of £14,200. He was given a 16- week suspended sentence, made subject to a curfew and ordered to pay £150 costs.
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ing any financial benefit, I feel we may have reached the thin end of the wedge with this site.” He recommended refusal be-
cause he felt the sign would de- tract from the character of the area through the creation of an urbanising element. However, a separate motion to back the ap- plication was backed by seven votes to four to give the go- ahead to the application. Maidstone Council will be al-
lowed to decline any adverts it feels are inappropriate.
Benefit fraudsters are sentenced
Louise Penman (42), of Egerton Road, Ringlestone, ad- mitted failing to declare she had several jobs while claiming ben- efits. She was overpaid £19,940. Penman was given a 120-day suspended sentence, and 200 hours unpaid work. Denise Viegas (40), of The Hedgerow, Weavering, pleaded guilty to dishonestly failing to declare she was living with her partner. She was overpaid hous- ing and council tax benefit amounting to £29,693. Viegas was sentenced to 180 days im- prisonment, suspended for 18 months, and 240 hours unpaid work. In all cases the overpayments will be repaid to the council
Letterbox at Gateway had
been set alight MAIDSTONE Council has re- vealed that it closed a letterbox outside the Gateway centre due to vandalism. When Maidstone Gateway opened in January 2009, a small letterbox was installed just outside the entrance in King Street. But it was removed less than two years later as it had been damaged and was considered a danger to mem- bers of the public. According to a Freedom of In- formation response: “The let- terbox was often found to contain items other than gen- uine post, including litter and needles. “On more than one occasion
the letterbox had been set on fire, possibly by lit cigarettes, or had been flooded with alcohol meaning the contents were de- stroyed. “There are no plans to install another letterbox outside the Maidstone Gateway. However, this is not restricting any mem- ber of the public from deliver- ing post to us at the main council office. “This was not the main coun-
cil letterbox, that is at the en- trance to the main offices at Maidstone House. There is also a post box inside the Gateway for use during opening hours.”
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