Japanese ambassador at museum
THE Japanese ambassador has visited Maidstone museum to open its new gallery “Japan: Land of power, craft and cul- ture”. Mr Keiichi Hayashi and his
wife joined Lord and Lady Bearsted and invited guests to a private launch, which was 88 years to the day that the present ambassador’s namesake Baron Gonsuke Hayashi and the first Lord and Lady Bearsted opened themuseums first purpose-built Japanese gallery together. The new gallery in the East
Wing contains the generous gifts of Victorian and early
Gunners fan’s
book success BY day, he is the assistant prin- cipal of Cornwallis Academy, but outside school times, Jon Spurling has a different interest. An Arsenal fan since the age
of six, he revealed to Philip Hollamby, of The Vibe maga- zine, how his passion for the club had led him to write four books. His bestseller so far, “High-
bury: The Story of Arsenal in N5”, tells of the club’s home be- fore they moved to The Emi- rates, and has sold more than 20,000 copies.He has also writ- ten a book about the seamier side of theWorld Cup. Mr Spurling’s writing career started with interviews for an Arsenal fanzine, and since then he has interviewed high-profile players like Theo Walcott and Thierry Henry. For the full interview, go to
the Vibe’s website,
www.the-
vibemag.co.uk. The Vibe is written by students for students in theMaidstone area
it to the top PENENDEN Heath author Miles Allen has made it to number 1 in the paper- back chart at the Ashford branch of Waterstones with his debut book, TheWalkers of Legend, pushing the new phenomenon, The Hunger Games, from the top slot. The former Kent schoolboy,
who failed his English O level andwentontowrite pro- grammes for fighter aircraft, has written the first in a six-book series telling of two friends’ fight against a vicious empire’s plans for world domination. He has been promoting the
book around the county while working evenings and week- ends writing the second book.
Author makes
twentieth century collectors; in- cluding the Hon. Henry Mar- sham, Hon. Walter Samuel and the Maidstone explorer Julius Brenchley. Through six display cabinets
the power struggles of the Daimyo, dedication of the Samurai, development of trade, manufacture and craftsmanship and the stories of the collectors are told. An education area, part sponsored by the Great British Sasakawa Foundation, is full of activities to help visi- tors to the gallery understand Japanese. The museum is free to visit.
PEOPLE power looks set to stop a plan to create a bus gate in Maidstone’s Tarragon Road. More than 350 residents signed a petition objecting to the bus route, which would allow buses to avoid the busy junction of Fountain Lane and Tonbridge Road. In 1996, developers of the old Oakwood Hospital site agreed to give Maidstone Council £200,000 for highways and public transport between Her- mitage Lane and Queens Road. KCC was proposing to spend £100,000 on a bus link through Tarragon Road, controlled by a “rising bollard” system. Johanna Dickson told Maid-
stone Joint Transportation Board: “This is a residential area where children are free to play. What was opportune in 1996 is not ap- propriate in 2012.” Mrs Dickson said off-road
Japanese Ambassador Mr Hayashi, Lady Bearsted, Cllr Dan Daley, and Lord Bearsted at Maidstone Museum for the opening of the Japanese Gallery, and right, Lord and Lady Bearsted at the opening of wing with Baron Hayashi in 1924.
People power could shut bus gate
parkingwould need to be found for between 50 and 70 cars. Cllr Malcolm Robertson (Lib-
Dem) said the estate did not lend itself to a bus route, due to sharp bends and bollards. Around £10,000 has been
spent on design fees for the scheme and, if the proposal for a Traffic Regulation Order was to go ahead, it would require full statutory public consultation. Cllr Robertson said: “It would
be foolish to waste more money.” Cllr Eric Hotson (Con) said he would like more information from Arriva. However, the rest of the board voted to recom- mend to KCC that the proposal be abandoned. Following the meeting, Mrs Dickson said: “This is an excel- lent result, a combination of people power and councillors listening and acting on con- stituents’ concerns.”
Store to replace empty offices A SCHEME to convert vacant office space in Albion Place, Sit- tingbourne Road, Maidstone, into a convenience store has been accepted by the planning committee. Abacus Accounting’s proposal relates to part of Lyndean House, a four-floor office building built in the 1980s. Committee members agreed with the principle of converting redundant of- fice space, but pointed out that Kent Highway Services had ob- jected on the basis that customers would be encouraged to park on the public highway, posing a safety risk. Cllr Tony Harwood said: “This was once a nice road and a change of use may help to kickstart a renaissance.” The applicant’s supporting statement said: “Itwould be a small convenience store that would provide most day-to-day items and can adapt quickly to changing market trends.” The committee granted planning permission through eight votes in favour, four against and one abstention.
Trees protected MAIDSTONE Council has placed tree preservation orders on three mature pines in the rear gardens of 12, 14 and 16 Ashdown Close, Maidstone. One of the property owners objected, claiming their tree was in poor condition and pre- sented a safety hazard, but planning officers, who recom- mended the TPOs after being made aware of an intention to fell one or more of the trees, said there was no evidence to support these claims. The planning committee agreed, voting unanimously in favour of the TPOs.
Grass trackway DAVID Knight has revised his plan for a 55m long by 2.5m wide trackway at Teasaucer Stables, Bockingford Lane. In November last year, Tovil Parish Council and the Valley Conservation Society objected to the green asphalt surfacing. Now the applicant has amended the scheme to include a recycled polythene grid rein- forced grass surface. Maidstone Council will decide on the planning application.
Eco homes scheme PLANSfor the developmentof14 zero-carbon homes in ForestHill, Tovil, have been resubmitted. Ashford Road-based develop-
ers Da Vinci Properties with- drew a similar application for the terraced homes, heated using solar panels, bio-mass and wind turbines, last December. Maidstone Council will de- cide on the latest proposal.
Scheme could yield 33 affordable homes
THE Hyde Group has applied to build 33 affordable homes in George Street, Maidstone. The site, which has frontages
on to George Street, Salem Street and Orchard Street, would be composed of 15 two-bedroom flats, 11 two-bedroom houses, five three-bedroom houses and two one-bedroom flats. A planning statement said the terraced houses would comple- ment Victorian homes in George Street. It added: “The new flats
at the end of Orchard Street starkly contrast with the his- toric terrace but, being situated at the end of the road it can be viewed as a “full stop” to vistas along Orchard Street . “A terrace of two-storey ter-
raced houses faces the new in- ternal access road. The style of these units is similar to the ter- raced houses facing George Street and has been considered to be sympathetic to the existing terraced housing.
“Finally, the proposals look to provide a contemporary, four- storey block of flats. With 33 units on 0.27 hectares of land, the development will yield ap- proximately 122 dwellings per hectare. This is in no way ex- cessive for an urban site,” the statement continued. “The application proposes buildings with heights that would not dominate the skyline or appear excessive in the con- text of the existing roof-scape.”
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