the
Camper van
man moves on A CAMPER van driver who set up home for three months in West Malling village hall car park has left after action by the parish council. The man had remained in residence at the Norman Road site, despite requests to leave from the parish council and visits from PCSO Ed Moore.
However, he eventually left
after the council wrote to him, threatening to obtain a court order, and the letter was posted on his wind- screen by the PCSO. The parish obtained legal advice as well as consulting borough and county council officers. Complaints had been received from residents and users of the village hall, including parents of pre- school pupils, who had ex- pressed concern about hygiene issues. Parish clerk Carole D’Silva
said: “It has been resolved smoothly, we are pleased to say. He got the message and moved on.” County Cllr Trudy Dean,
who chairs the parish coun- cil, said the van owner had applied for a KCC gypsy site place, but there was a long waiting list.
New play area open for fun
FREE ice creams were handed out to children at the official opening of the new play area at Cobtree Manor Park. The council has spent £65,000 on nine new items of children’s play equipment for the park, at Forstal Road, Ayles- ford, and the mayor, Cllr Rodd Nelson-Gracie, declared them open for play. The new equipment includes
a double cableway, basket swing, spinning dish, see-saw, climbing frame, rockers, an agility trail and a rope swing. It marks the first stage of a
major investment programme by the Cobtree Charity Committee. Cllr JohnWilson, chairman of
Cobtree Manor Park. “Cobtree is going to be one of
the best family days out in the area.” He is pictured with the mayor at the opening. Other improvements will in-
the committee said: “Maid- stone’s parks and open spaces keep getting better. We have just finished our £2.6 million heritage lottery-funded restora- tion of Mote Park and work has started on a £1 million invest- ment by the Cobtree charity in
clude additional paths and a vis- itor centre. Next Easter, the council hopes to unveil a cus- tom-built walled play area, with seven metre towers, large slides, lookout towers and wobbly walkways, Cobtree Manor Park was left
to the people of Maidstone by 12-times former Mayor Sir Gar- rard Tyrwhitt-Drake. Cllr Wilson said: “I think Sir Garrard would have approved of the improvements.”
Cafe owner back in the park
BUSINESSMANDonWyatt is back at theCobtree Cabincafé inManor Park, Aylesford. He opened it in 2002 and built
up the business over the next six years, concentrating on customer service. The park, once home to Maid-
stone Zoo, is undergoing a series of improvements funded by Maid- stone Council and the Cobtree Charity Trust. The work includes two play
areas, a newvisitors’ centre and a café, due to open in January2013. The Cabin willmove in to the new
centre. In 2008, Mr Wyatt took a back
seat from the day-to-day manage- ment of the cafe to run a catering and cleaning business in London, but after four years he wanted to return to oversee the café’smove. Mr Wyatt said business at The
Cabinhadbeensteady through the recession and the caféwas seeing an increase in visitors since the newplay area opened. October sees the 10th anniver-
sary of the Cobtree Cabin, and Mr Wyatt is planning some evening openings to mark the anniversary.
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