Top award for
music classes MOTHER-of-three Paula Ray is celebrating after her classes for pre-school children were voted the very best inWest Kent. The Musical Playtime scheme, which started in 2001, won the top prize in the na- tional awards from the UK’s biggest parenting site, Net-
mums.com. The group beat off competi-
tion from dozens of other classes in the area, and will be listed as the area’s best on the Netmums website. The classes run throughout Maidstone at Grove Green, Detling, Allington and Barm- ing. Mums praised the class for being friendly and the highlight of their children’s week. Over a million mums voted
for the awards, the UK’s biggest parenting prize. Jubilant Paula said: “I’m de- lighted our class has been crowned the best inWest Kent. The Netmums award means so much as it’s voted for by the parents.” Netmums founder Siobhan Freegard added: “Musical Play- time was a worthy winner.” For more information, con-
tact Paula Ray on 07901 712510 .
www.musicalplaytime.co.uk
Vision for new classrooms
MAIDSTONE’s Invicta Gram- mar School is to receive £1.8m for a new English block. The school, which has just completed its first year as an academy, applied to the De- partment for Education for funds to replace the “pods” and “podlet”, which currently house the department. Head of School Julie Derrick
said: “Although we have made a concerted effort to maintain the teaching area, it is clear that our staff and students have had to cope with an environment that is both hot in the summer and cold in the winter and poorly sound-proofed.” The new English block will
house 11 classrooms, a library, media suite and drama area. Mrs Derrick said: “We are working with the architects on the design, but initial drawings have provided us with an ex- citing new academic year to look forward to.” The head said the latest stage of the school’s improvement
A NEWbuilding is also proposed for neighbouring Valley Park Com- munity School. Thiswould be built on part of existing tennis courts to the south of the school. Temporary classrooms to thewestwould be removed, and turned into play space. Valley Park has secured £3.4m for the building, which will have additional classrooms to accommodate the school’s growing num- bers. Building is due to start in the autumn, for comple- tion by Christmas 2013.
confirmed the school had made the right decision in moving to academy status. In June, DownsMail reported
that the two-storey building would be placed on the site of current tennis courts, which would then be re-laid on the site of temporary classrooms that will be demolished. It is scheduled for comple-
tion in December 2013 and the school hopes it will be able to refurbish its design and tech- nology block at the same time. The school then hopes to im-
prove its sports facilities and wants to build a new sports hall. Planning permission has been applied for. The school’s academy funding
has also enabled it to make im- provements to its staffing, and a further 20 teaching staff will join the school in September.
Listed offices can be converted Extension refused
MICHAEL Folb’s application to convert former Maidstone Council offices at 2-3 Bedford Place, Maidstone, into seven flats has been accepted. While neighbours had few qualms with bring-
ing back into use the former home of the council’s planning department and the demolition of a sin- gle storey extension to the rear of number 2, they criticised the other aspect of the scheme – the erection of two semi-detached houses in a current parking area to the rear of the site. Noting that the buildings are Grade II Listed
and located in a conservation area, ward member Cllr James Ross told the planning committee: “Building an extra two dwellings will soak up valuable land at the back that could be used for amenity. This is overkill in an area that should be protected.” Ms Fituowska, representing the applicant, said
the cost of converting the former offices would be “substantial”, so building the additional homes was “the only viable way to provide a long-term future for these Grade II Listed properties that have fallen into disrepair. It secures the long-term future for a heritage asset”. Committee member Cllr Richard Thick said: “If
School reception A PROPOSED new reception area at St Simon Stock “will create a more welcoming face to the school”, according to a supporting statement. The RC secondary school, in Oakwood Park, wants the new frontage to go “hand in hand with the proposed internal al- terations and space planning to reconfigure the staff, music and food technology areas.” Maidstone Council will de- termine the planning applica- tion.
32 Town
NIALL Acott’s application to demolish and outbuilding and erect a single-storey rear exten- sion at 15 Dorset Way, Shep- way, was refused. Maidstone Council’s decision
notice said: “The development, by virtue of its height, projec- tion and proximity to the boundary with 16 Dorset Way, would result in a significant loss of daylight and sunlight to, and overshadowing of, that property, detrimental to the res- idential amenity of its occu- piers.”
the two homes were going to be a ghastly steel and glass structure, Iwould object quite strongly. But as long as this can fit in with the area it will be a gain, as they are losing the awful extension at the back.” The planning application and listed consent ap- plicationwere voted through emphatically by the committee.
Spirit of Ecstasy statue stolen POLICE are appealing for help after this chrome statuewas stolen from the roof of a property in Buckland Hill in Maidstone. It’s thought the incident occurred between
July 8 and 11, when it was discovered miss- ing.
The distinctive statue is the “Spirit of Ecstasy”, better known as the Rolls Royce mascot. Depicting a flying lady, it is about two feet tall, and chrome plated in bronze. Two men on bikes were reportedly seen in
the location around the time of the offence. If anyone is offered such a statue for sale or
has any further information about the theft they are urged to contact Kent Police on 101 or Kent Crimestop- pers on 0800 555 111 quoting crime reference YY/012422/12
Garage project A PLAN has been lodged to de- molish two garages, replacing them with two one-bedroom flats at 1C King Edward Road, Maidstone. The garages were part of a
larger block of six. The two garages to the east have been re- placed with two one-bedroom flats. Maidstone Council will determine the new application.
Crime award ARRIVA employee Sean Sum- ner was awarded at a recent ceremony for helping to cut crime on the transport network. Based at the company’sMaid-
stone depot, Sean is responsi- ble for CCTV captured on buses across the region.
More parking space THE Cutbush and Corrall Char- ity has been allowed to extend its car park at College Walk, Maidstone, to provide an addi- tional six spaces.
You can e-mail the Downs Mail —
info@downsmail.co.uk
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