Orchard sports plan turned down


CAMPAIGNERS fighting the plan for a large sports ground on agricultural land near Mar- den have successfully seen it refused by Maidstone Council. A637-name petition protested


at an outline application to es- tablish a new site off Maidstone Road, just north of the railway line, for the village’s cricket, hockey and tennis clubs. The planning committee


voted against the scheme, due to its large scale and intensity in the open countryside, but one influential member sug- gested an alternative develop- ment could be acceptable. Cllr Tony Harwood said:


“The current proposal would harm the open countryside and the amenity of local residents, butthisisnot to sayweare against the principle of build- ing sports facilities in the coun- tryside. “We could achieve a scheme,


but it needs to be better land- scaped, have better enclosure and be less intensive in terms of issues such as car parking. “The amount of changes to


make it acceptable would be so significant that we should re- fuse it.” The scheme involved the cre-


ation of a new cricket ground with nine playing pitches in a square, two multi-purpose arti- ficial pitches (one floodlit) suit- able for hockey and football, a hockey practice area, cricket nets, a clubhouse, four floodlit


GYPSIES have made another at- tempt to gain planning consent to live on land at Lughorse Lane, Hunton. In February, Billy Smith and


his brother Lenny’s application for two mobile homes and two touring caravans on plot five was refused on appeal, after ear- lier being blocked by Maidstone Council. Planning inspector Nick Free-


man said the site would harm the open countryside, and felt


The orchard where the sports ground was planned


hard-surfaced tennis courts and car parking (60 spaceswith a 40 space overflow area) on a 8.39- hectare site, owned by Alan Firmin Ltd, currently farmed as apple orchards. As well as the petition, ob- jecting letters were received from The Marden Society, Mar- den History Group and the Maidstone Branch of CPRE Pro-


tect Kent,aswellas132 indi- vidual letters from residents. A big bone of contention was


that the applicants made refer- ence to funding the scheme by selling off their 4.2-hectare base in Albion Road for housing. Aresident, speaking on behalf


of the petitioners, said: “This is such an unnecessary scheme. The existing ground, which has been there generations, has a cricket pitch, two good tennis courts and a pavilion that cov- ers only 60% of the land. “A second hockey pitch and


two tennis courts could be built within the existing ground without a problem. The village does not have to lose the cricket ground from its centre to free up housing. There are other sites that can be developed.” Local borough member Cllr Annabelle Blackmore said: “This would increase light pol-


lution, put more cars on the road and be harder to get to. “We should be protecting and enhancing the natural environ- ment, not removing parts of woodland and developing eight hectares of agricultural land. Once it is gone it will not come back.” The application was backed


by a petition signed by 238 peo- ple as well as 77 individual ex- pressions of support, many saying the new facility would help the clubs expand and at- tract new younger members, safeguarding their future. Cllr Clive English was one of


12 councillors who voted against the proposal. He said: “There is a large amount of car parking and scant landscaping. “If we don’t address these is-


sues we are asking for a lot of trouble that can be avoided.” Only one member abstained.


Scouts’ leaflet boosts funds A NEW guide to walks around Boughton Monchelsea has been launched by the village Scout group. The Scouts, helped by graphic designer Brian Patey,


launched their brochure ‘Walks from Boughton Monchelsea’ at ScoutHQ. BrianaskedtheScouts tomakeadonation to the RNLI for his services, and the evening raised over £250. Aneducation volunteer from theRNLI spokeabout lifeboats


and lifeguards and howto stay safe at the coast. The evening concludedwithabarbecue and raffle, followed


by sea shanties sung by NigelWhite and Robin Fuller. The illustratedwalk brochure isavailable inlocal shopsand


Lewis Emmerson and Ben Nix at the RNLI night


pubs and shows three colour-coded walks with an OS-based map. A separate leaflet includes information about the area and its natural history.


Gypsy families’ new bid to stay on site


that allowing the application would set a precedent. The application has now been resubmitted, with the support- ing statement revealing that Billy would live on the site with his partner and two young chil- dren, and Lenny with his wife and five young children. They say they have an aunt, cousin and in-laws in the bor- ough. The statement said: “The fam- ilies are homeless. Since the


Racism claim at chalet park TWO gypsy families want to stay on two plots on land east of Water Lane, Headcorn, having initially moved there without planning permission. Mr Marney and Mr Brown, who each live with their partners and three young children, have applied for ret- rospective consent for two mobile homes and two tour- ing caravans north of Hammerstream Paddock. Another gypsy family already lives on a site to the rear.


A supporting statement said: “The occupants have been on the road and looking for sites for several years. More recently they have stayed at a chalet park for holiday homes. At this site they were racially abused and had to leave (they were also in breach of the occupation re- strictions for the site). “They purchased the application site to meet their


need for a settled site primarily for their children to ac- cess education. The site is set back from the highway and is well screened by existing hedging, further minimising its visual impact.”


dismissal of the appeal they have viewed a number of sites that have been too expensive or have had valid enforcement no- tices relating tomobile homes.” The applicants added that the combination of existing screen- ing and the introduction of a new hedgerow would limit the effect of the site on the open countryside. Maidstone Councilwill deter- mine the planning application.


Site ‘well screened’ A ROMANY gypsy family wants to site two static caravans in Home Farm, Couch- man Green Lane, Staplehurst. James and Kathleen Penfold have sub- mitted the application for land close to Pile Lane, with the second pitch for Mr Penfold’s son George and family. A supporting statement said: “This ap- plication has to be seen with the back drop of the permissions given at Rush Farm [to the north] and other recent plan- ning permissions granted nearby. “The site iswell screened by trees, along


part of its boundaries and further planting and infill planting is planned.” Maidstone Council will determine the planning application, which includes parking for four vehicles, installation of hard standing and a new access.


Extra caravan


is permitted A GYPSY was narrowly given planning permission for a third caravan on a plot in Hunton after a Town Hall debate. Two years ago, Lena Smith


was given a four-year tempo- rary renewal of planning per- mission for a mobile home and touring caravan on plot nine at The Chances, Lughorse Lane. The latest retrospective appli- cation was to amend a condi- tion and allow another static caravan to be sited there on the same timescale. Cllr John Wilson, a local


ward and committee member, was unhappy at the prospect of the appeal decision in 2007 being overturned, claiming the applicant’s needs had not changed. However, Cllr Clive English


said: “If we can say the addi- tional caravan is causing addi- tional harm we can turn it down and start enforcement proceedings, but if we can’t identify harm then it doesn’t matter what the appeal inspec- tor said in 2007.” He felt there was insufficient evidence and his view was backed by six votes to five, with one abstention.


Support YOUR local paper — and we can support YOU - advertise on 01622 630330 South 15


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48