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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR


Retail park ‘will be an eyesore’


Dear Sir – After reading in the Downs Mail about the Newnham Park scheme, I felt I had to write to Maidstone Council to com- plain. This is the letter I sent them: Like so many others, I write to strongly


object to the proposed Policy SS4 “Newn- ham Park”. The proposal will destroy this rural set-


ting and cause insurmountable traffic chaos in an already overstretched local road network. Noise pollution, already at a very high level, will increase to an unac- ceptable level; harmful air pollution will increase above the high level that exists at present. This proposed massive industrial and retail complex will create an enor- mous eyesore, and will destroy the envi- ronment we cherish. It will never be able to be recovered. This north east area of the town has al-


ready been completely ruined by the dread- ful cheap and nasty office blocks that have been permitted at Eclipse Park. They should never have been allowed to have been built there. They are too high, and provide inad- equate car parking, because office occupiers there are parking “off-site” in the Hilton


Give van drivers a break! Dear Sir – After reading your story entitled ‘Bridge traffic relief hope’ (DownsMail Town edition, October), I felt compelled to write to Cllr Fay Gooch, who was quoted as saying she thought it was fair game to pick out van drivers when a situation needed someone to blame. This is the letter I sent her: I share everybody’s concerns about the


old East Farleigh bridge, and agree that heavy goods vehicles are damaging this wonderful old river crossing. What I find distasteful, however, is your comment where you lament “we will never be able to prevent white van men from using Farleigh bridge”, like these people are some kind of low-life scum. When you require services to come to your house, like a plumber, electrician, washing machine engineer or double glazing fitters, they come to you in a van. When you take your car to be fixed, the parts are brought in a van.Whenyour elderly relative receivesmeals on wheels, they come in a van. So if you’re going to start singling out other


road users, why not pick on people who use a 4x4 to get to the office, ormumswhotake their kids to school in a car, for example. I’m a family man, not some yob or irrita-


tion to be despised. My van is smaller and lighterthanmost4x4s, andit’sinavery roadworthy condition. Not all of us work in an office, and we all


need to use the roads. Please think twice when you put labels on people. Andy Holbrook,


name and address supplied


Park will benefit community Dear Sir – I would like to thank Dennis Fowle for highlighting the improvements at Cobtree Park. This is the first of three phases, which will allow the community to benefit from the legacy left by our benefac- tor, Sir Garrard Trywhitt-Drake.We are con- fident the significant improvements will attract many new visitors to the park. Roger Hext, Trustee,


The Cobtree Charity Trust Ltd 36 South


Newnham Court could become part of a ‘massive retail complex’


Hotel’s guest car park. Eclipse Park office development has to-


tally spoilt this area, which was previously farmland with views across open fields to- wards the North Downs. Please do not allow this mistake to happen again. This site is not a “park”. It will be de- scribed as a hideous industrial units site with a major out-of-town retail complex, which will obviously demand an enor- mous amount of car parking spaces plus themovements of delivery lorries and serv- ice vehicles, probably coming and going all through the night.


The increase in traffic volume will be as- tonishing and the results will only be grid- lock. The tired, grubby, shabby town centre needs enhancement – that is where devel- opment is urgently needed. This is a totally unacceptable project and


will be strenuously objected to by all resi- dents in this pleasant semi-rural edge-of- town residential area. We have had to put up with Eclipse Park


– we are not prepared to endure “Newn- ham Park”.


David Hart, Emsworth Grove, Maidstone


PFI company with a 9.025% annual return on their investment. The present Bank of England base rate is


0.5%,most clearing banks do not offer more than 3% pa on deposits, and I can find no 30-year mortgage where the interest rate is anything like 9%pa. My instinct is that local hospital services


are being put at risk by the fact that the PFI provider is simply overcharging the Maid- stone and TunbridgeWells NHS Trust. If this is correct, why cannot the PFI provider ac- cept amore realistic rate of return so that jobs andmedical services are not cut? John Cobbett, Foxgrove House, Hollingbourne


Food market not the answer Dear Sir – In reply to Mrs J Fulton, I do live on the Sutton Road, but it is a long road and some of it is semi-rural with no amenities or frequent bus service. I sympathise with people who live in the


Bingo hall needs decorating Dear Sir – Reading your story, “Bingo hall is letting town down” in the Downs Mail in September, may I say I agree with every- thing Bill Moss says about the former Granada cinema in Lower Stone Street. I have passed it on several occasions, and,


like him, I think it badly needs decorating. I do not know who tried to smarten it up


with murals, which are an eyesore. In fact, I thought they were graffiti. I cannot comment on the state of the building inside as I never go there. It seems the Gala Coral Group have too much money and don’t want to part with it. JMArcher, Vinters Park,Maidstone


Hospital repayments too high Dear Sir – I was interested to read in the Downs Mail that it will cost £1.7 million a month over the next 30 years to finance Pembury Hospital, after which it becomes public property. On the basis of the figures quoted in your report, including the construction cost of £228 million, I calculate this provides the


more built-up end of the road, but at least when they aren’t able to drive, they can still get to shops and town etc. I don’t think the idea of a food market is viable. Some peoplewould need to getmore than just food. I agree we don’t need more supermarkets, just a bigger one further away from Maidstone and a park and ride site. Rob Taylor, Sutton Road, Maidstone


Sports shop link Dear Sir – Following the article about the closure of Hubble and Freeman, may I just put straight the lengthy history of this fam- ily business, because in the article there was no mention of my husband David Reader. He was the grandson of JC Hubble, and was an owner and partner in the business from 1960 to 2001. Originally, he joined HJ Hub- ble, and later was joined by P Ludgate. Over the years they opened eight other shops in Kent, and our three daughters worked in the shops too. The business thrived for many years within the sports trade. Thank you for the article. Zandra (Buzzie) Reader,


Fairbourne Court, Harrietsham To contact Downs Mail just phone 01622 630330


You can write to us at: Downs Mail, 2 Forge House, Bearsted Green Business Park, Bearsted, Maidstone, ME14 4DT or e-mail: stephen@downsmail.co.uk


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