Group’s bid to save woodland
PAPERWORKis already stacking up for a three-week planning in- quiry into proposals to extend a Barming quarry into woodland. Gallagher Aggregates Ltd
wants to extend its Hermitage Lane ragstone quarry into 81 acres of Oaken Wood, which they claim could yield up to 16 million tonnes of ragstone. However, opponents, which include the Woodland Trust, KentWildlife Trust and Natural England, as well as hundreds of residents, say the proposals will lead to the permanent loss of ancient woodland. Kent County Council’s plan-
ning committee approved the Gallagher proposal on the basis of need. The company said current re- serves would run out by 2015, while the extension would allow quarrying to continue for a further 25 years and protect the jobs of 300 people. However, the county’s draft Minerals and Waste Develop- ment Framework, a consulta- tion paper covering the next 20 years, says there is more than enough ragstone in allocated
sites for the lifetime of the plan. Sarah Cooper, of the Save OakenWood ActionGroup, now thinks the inquiry – and the ap- plication – should be shelved to save time and money. Maidstone Borough and Ton-
bridge andMalling Councils are opposed to the development, as are Barming, Ditton and East Malling and Larkfield parish councils. The public inquiry, due to start
on November 27, will be a crucial test of the Government’sNational Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and the Woodland Trust is campaigning to raise £75,000 to fund its defence. Case officer Christina Byrne
said: “Oaken Wood is home to important, rare flora and fauna. If this application is granted, it would be a catastrophic loss for wildlife. We urgently need pub- lic donations to help pay for ex- pert legal help.” Surveys carried out by Kent
Wildlife Trust have confirmed that OakenWoodprovides an im- portant habitat for bats, dormice, reptiles, 37 species of birds and a range of plants.
Scouts face fears in church abseil EXPORERScouts and leaders took the plunge inanabseilingadventure at St Peter and St Paul Church, Leybourne. The youngsters
from Larkfield, Ley- bourne and Kings Hill abseiled 80 feet downthewest face of the church tower, as part of the challenge, based on Olympic val- ues, set by the na- tional
Scout
Association. Itwas an extra spe-
cial occasion for 14- year-old Gregory Williams,whowas in- vested as an Explorer Scout in a ceremony at the top of the church before abseil- ing down. Larkfield Scout
leader Chris Hardy thanked the church authority and said: “This was a fantastic opportunity for our Explorer Scouts to do some- thing really challenging. Almost the whole unit turned up to face their fears.We practised first on a local climbingwall.”
Priory projects YOUNG people doing Na- tional Citizen Service are working at The Friars, Ayles- ford, clearing and renovating the duck house in the pond. There is another project for
the youngsters restoring a kiosk in the grounds. Na- tional Citizen Service gives 16-17 year olds the chance to learn new skills on commu- nity projects.
Fields celebration WATERINGBURY villagers are being asked to get involved with a celebration planned by the parish council to mark the playing fields gaining Queen Elizabeth II Field Status and the 60th anniversary of her coronation. Anyone who would like to
get involved should call the parish clerk, Sue Cockburn, on 01622 817068 or email her at
susan_jc@btinternet.com.
Have you got news for us? Phone our News Desk on 01622 734735 Malling 7
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