Time to spend Tip ban for courtesy car


£1.1m savings A SUPPORT worker to help Maidstone’s “troubled families” and investment in employment and housing support are to be key beneficiaries of the town’s unspent cash. A report prepared by the council’s head of finance, Paul Riley, has itemised 22 areas where the council could make a difference. There was an underspend of £1.1m in 2011/12, which has enabled the council to bring forward projects which support the council’s key priorities. They include a town centre “health check” costing £50,000, a £50,000 investment in up to six affordable housing units, £60,000 for emergency accom- modation as an alternative to using B&B, and £50,000 to re- turn empty homes to use. The sum of £30,000 will be


set aside to appoint an employ- ment support co-ordinator to help get young people into jobs, and £35,000 will pay for a proj- ect manager for the second phase of the High Street refur- bishment. The largest sum of £100,000


has been allocated for a street washing and scrubbing ma- chine to maintain the granite surface in the High Street. In a bid to reduce teenage pregnancies, the council is pro- posing £25,000 be added to the “Don’t Abuse the Booze” proj- ect, to fund a preventative health programme for young people and £60,000 for a “trou- bled families” co-ordinator and a support programme. An allowance of £50,000 has


been made for landscaping at Park Wood Industrial Estate, while £30,000 has been set aside for town centre signs and maps.


A RETIRED Grove Green man was left “flabbergasted” when he was refused entry to Tovil tip because he was driving a cour- tesy car. Peter Kemsley (57) had the


Ford Fiesta for the daywhen his own vehicle was at the garage and decided to take some gar- den rubbish to the household waste recycling centre in Burial Ground Lane. But when he tried to drive


into the tip he was stopped by a KCC employee who said vehi- cles with company logos on the side were not allowed in. Mr Kemsley, who ran a card


shop in Strood until earlier this year, said: “It beggars belief – I was flabbergasted. My car was in for a service and I decided to take some garden waste to the tip because I’d done a lot of gar- dening at the weekend and my bin was full. “I am aware there are new re- strictions to stop people taking their trade waste there and I


Peter Kemsley with the courtesy car that was turned away from Tovil tip


agree they shouldn’t be doing that but it was quite clear I was driving a courtesy car. It was ex- tremely frustrating and a waste of my time.”


Mr Kemsley said he contacted


KCC andwas told no “sign-writ- ten cars” were allowed into council tips following recent re- strictions to prevent the illegal disposal of commercial waste at household waste recycling cen- tres. He was told this included courtesy cars and vehicles used by businesses such as driving schools. Mr Kemsley said he had not visited the tip for a couple of years and described KCC’s rules on sign-written cars as “petty”. The black courtesy car was


hired from Bristol Street Motors in Orpington and has “courtesy car” written on the side in white capital letters. Advice on KCC’swebsite says drivers whose only vehicle is a sign-written one need to apply for free vouchers to allow them to dispose of household waste. A KCC spokesman failed to provide a statement as Downs Mail went to press.


Help needed to protect our trees


VOLUNTEER tree wardens are being sought to keep an eye on the foliage in leafy Laddingford and Yalding. The recent spate of tree dis-


ease, which particularly af- fected trees in Paddock Wood as well as the nearby parishes, has caused the council to take a closer look at caring for its mighty oaks – and other vari- eties.


Parish council chairman Geraldine Brown said: “We need people who can keep an eye on tree health, whether they need pruning, felling or planting – or if there are


patches of ivy which need clearing.” A number of tree diseases


are currently ripping through the nation’s forests, and the Asian longhorn beetle was the last to cause chaos to the Ken- tish landscape, attacking maple, sycamore, chestnut, poplar, willow and fruit trees. The oak processionary moth


now affects trees within a 99km radius of London while ash dieback has been found at more than eight locations in Kent. The country land and busi- ness association (CLA) has


Waging war on river invaders


THE Medway Valley Conserva- tion Partnership has had its hands full tackling a series of problems in the Yalding area. Apond in the village has been identified as the source of an outbreak of floating pennywort (pictured), a highly-invasive species which can choke other plant life and starve underwater species of oxygen. This water-borne weed, which can grow up to 20cm a day, can also increase the risk of flooding, as well as reducing flow rates and outcompeting the natural plants. The source of the infestation


on the river Medway near Yald- ing is a nearby pond,which was treated by MVCP in 2011 and again this year. Andrea Griffiths, MVCP part- nership officer, said: “By ad- dressing the source location and by also treating any floating mats which are observed on the


22 South


looking for water fern. MVCP has received a new


main river, MVCP is on top of this situation.We will continue to liaise with landowners and work with partners to ensure the presence of this plant in the area does not become the po- tential problem it could be.” Early in the new year, MVCP


will be be tackling the problem of giant hogweed, which is also rife along the riverbanks. The MVCP tackled almost 20,000 plants along the Med- way in 2012, each of which would have been able to release 50,000 seeds. Volunteers have also been out on the River Beult in Yalding


grant from the Department of Food, Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra), to survey for and tackle water fern on the River Beult SSSI (Site of Special Sci- entific Interest). The summer’s heavy rain, which increased the flow of the river, made it less attractive for this particular pond pest, but MVCP is sure it is only amatter of time before it once more makes its presence felt. Andrea said: “If you live near


the River Beult please keep your eyes open for it and let MVCP know if youhaveitonyour stretch of the river.” Water fern can change from


green to reddish in the autumn. Japanese Knotweed has been another cause for concern, with outbreaks along sections of the Teise, as well as in the Loose Valley Conservation Area.


urged all tree owners to check for the deadly chalara frax- inea in ash trees before they shed their leaves. The disease is thought to be affecting up to 30% of Britain’s native ash trees, causing blackened leaves and dying le- sions on the twigs, branches and main stem. A professional inspection


was recently carried out on all the trees on The Lees at Yald- ing and necessary remedial work to ensure the safety of the trees has been carried out by contractors operating on behalf of the parish council.


Gypsy family’s


caravan plea A PLANNING application has been submitted to allow the permanent stationing of two mobile homes in Little Boar- den, Boarden Lane, Staple- hurst. In October 2008, permission


was granted for four years for the children of Mr Eastwood, a gypsy who already lives on the site.


The latest scheme is to make permanent this provision for Caleb and David Eastwood, who were first given permis- sion to live there in 2006 as de- pendents of their parents. A supporting statement said: “They are still dependant on their father for somewhere to station their caravans when not travelling and somewhere to keep the horses they buy and sell at the fairs.” Maidstone Council will de- termine the planning applica- tion.


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