Town centre strip club refused
A MEDWAY-based businessman has been refused a licence to open a lap dancing and strip club inMaidstone town centre. Aaron Stone, whose company Century Buildings (Rochester) Ltd operates similar clubs in Rochester and Essex, had applied for a sexual entertainment licence for the upper floor of the old Loder & Payne shop in Bank Street. Despite assurances that the club would
have extensive security, the town’s licenc- ing committee rejected the application after readingmore than 120 objections from busi- nesses and residents in the area. Maidstone Town Centre Management ar-
gued that the centre of town, and a stone’s throw from the new Jubilee Square, was an inappropriate location, but Steven
CUSTOMERS at a Staplehurst pub raised their glasses to an eight-year-old girl who raised the alarm after fire broke out. When thick smoke started to
fill the rooms above the kitchen at the 17th century Kings Head, Rebecca Tallon ran to tell her parents before rescuing her 10- year-old sister Jessica.
HUNTON is holding its first ever Christmas market on Sat- urday, December 8. There will be stalls selling Christmas trees, dried flowers, candles, jewellery and lots of
Hutchins, operationsmanager for the Aaron Stone Group, and barrister EdmundWalters told the committee it should not be swayed by moral concerns. He argued the project would bring employment as well as enter- tainment to the town centre. A number of residents turned up to air
their views at the hearing, as well as Sir Tony Baldry, MP for Banbury. Acting as a barrister on behalf of some of the objectors, he said: “This is a decision about whether Maidstone wants a sexual entertainment centre at its heart.” The police withdrew their objections to
the application, having been given an as- surance on adequate numbers of door staff, but the committee concluded the locality, between Mill Street and The Mall, was in-
Girl praised after pub fire drama Customers fled outside with
their drinks while firefighters from Maidstone tackled the blaze, believed to have started in an unattended frying pan. Mum Nicola Tallon (32) was
given oxygen to help with her breathing, but nobody was hurt. The pub re-opened later in
the day. Christmas market held in church
festive fare in the churchyard of the village church and in the church itself. The market starts at 4pm andwill be brought to a close at 7pm with Christmas music and songs.
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appropriate. Members concluded: “The use (of the town centre) by families and people of all ages for all sorts of activity, should be able to continue.” A decision was also due to be announced
on an application to turn the former Ethos bar in Gabriels Hill into a lap dancing and strip club, but this too would fall within the locality designated as unsuitable. The Players Coyote Bar in Bank Street, which features female dancers on the bar tops, opened without a sex entertainment li- cence as there is a strict code of no nudity. As the Downs Mail went to press, build-
ing work had ceased on the Bank Street premises and Century Buildings was con- sidering whether or not to lodge an appeal against the council’s decision.
Oliver earns his rugby stripes
A STUDENT at Cornwallis Academy hasearned his stripes by designing a new sporting strip for Maidstone Rugby Club. Oliver Ralph (12) from Staplehurst,was
the winner of a school competition to de- sign a new change of kit for the club, whichhas justmade itsdebut at theMote Park ground. The first teamwore the newkit – which
has ‘Designed by Oliver Ralph’ written on the back – in the first home game of the season,whenOliverwas presented with a shirt of his own and a framed copy of his design. Cornwallis Academy have also adopted
the design as the newacademy strip. More than 500 students entered the competition to design the newstrip.
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