Stoves by Edmed


New role for Tabernacle


THE iconic Tabernacle in Mote Park has been saved andwill be restored and opened as a youth sports centre, thanks to a £31,490 grant from Sport Eng- land. The Mote Cricket Club last


year received other grants of £21,000 to stabilise the derelict building with a new roof and restored walls. The money will provide a large changing area and classroom, toilets, shower and a small kitchen. The grant also covers the cost


of coaching aids such as a video camera, screen and com- puter to help develop young cricketers, rugby players, foot- ballers etc. “We plan thiswill be the first


step in major improvements to this important site,” said Den- nis Fowle, chairman of The Mote CC development commit- tee.


“We will now liaise closely


with Maidstone Council on an exciting scheme to build amag- nificent new pavilion, im- proved access, internal road tracks and at least 200 car park- ing places. “Kent County Cricket Club


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access scheme AN APPLICATION to widen vehi- cle access at 44 Sittingbourne Road, Maidstone, through the removal of four protected lime trees has been refused by Maidstone Council. Applicant Robert Hall said the sightline from the driveway was “non-existent from 2.4m back”. His design statement added: “The users of the driveway have to take signif- icant risks when pulling out of the driveway, endangering not only themselves, but also all users of Sit- tingbourne Road.” Despite offering to replace the


trees with four semi-mature lime trees and anewfootway, Maidstone Council said the proposed loss of trees would “result in harm to the sylvan character of the site”.


Visit Downs Mail’s website — downsmail.co.uk Council blocks


has written to support im- provements and a return of first-class cricket to the ground. We see the site becoming a sig- nificant centre, too, to benefit theMaidstone community.” The total cost of the scheme


is estimated at about £3m and the club hopes this will come from further grants and an en- abling residential development. There will still be two cricket and three rugby pitches. Hugh Robertson, Mid Kent


MP and Minister for Sport and Olympics and himself a keen cricketer, said: “This funding will allow The Mote to reno- vate and update an important building and, in a year when the Olympic torch comes to Maidstone, allow another gen- eration to enjoy this wonderful ground.”


Where Lord Bearsted changed THE Tabernacle was built 100 years ago by the 1st Lord Bearsted when Mote Parkwas his country estate and he lived inMote House. The founder of international giant Shell Oil


played cricket and used The Tabernacle as his private changing area and for entertain- ing.He had his own steps to the field of play. Everyone else changed in the nearby two- storey pavilion, also built by Lord Bearsted. After his death, Mote Park was sold for £50,000 to Maidstone Council in 1929 and the cricket ground was left in a trust to The Mote CC. Lord Bearsted was in the family international business trading in ornamental sea shells. He identified the growth in transporting oil and set up his own business. He decided to name it after the family business – and Shell Oilwas born.


Great Danes


name is back THE Great Danes name wil once again hang over th door of a hotel in Holling bourne, after the manager’ long fight to restore it. General manager Domini


Di Cara has been fighting fo years to give the hotel it original name back, and now Mercure has agreed that i should be known as the Mer cure Maidstone Great Dane Hotel. The hotel was named th


Great Danes in the 1930s, bu when it was taken over in th 1990s it became the Jarvis In ternational, and more re cently the Ramada Hotel and Resort.


Locally, the name has neve


gone away, and post is often addressed to the Great Dane hotel, so Mr Di Cara is hoping the official name change wil clear up any confusion.


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