Good childcare OFSTED inspectors who vis- ited childminder Margaret Fitzgerald in Postmill Drive, Maidstone, found that children in her care felt safe and at ease. The care provision was rated
as good, and Ms Fitzgerald pro- vided a welcoming environ- ment with familiar resources and activities that helped the children to settle in quickly. Partnerships with parents
were found to be a key strength. Children made good progress
in their learning and develop- ment, due to the childminder’s good interaction with them.
Spring ball tickets TICKETS are still available for the Mayor of Maidstone’s spring charity ball at the Mer- cure Great Danes Hotel, Hollingbourne. The black tie event starts at
7pm for 7.30pm, and tickets are £39, with proceeds going to the mayor’s charity fund. For details or to book, call
01622 602183, or email
mayor@maidstone.gov.uk.
Sustainable scheme THE development of 14 zero- carbon homes in Forest Hill, Tovil has been accepted. Ashford Road-based develop-
ers Da Vinci Properties with- drew a similar application for the terraced homes in December 2011, butMaidstoneCouncil ap- proved the latest proposal.
Park tennis plans explained
A CHURCH has clarified its proposal for a tennis academy in South Park after an anonymous cam- paigner put up posters about the plans in the park.
Representatives from Jubilee Church attended a meeting of the Friends of South Park to give a presentation on ideas they are discussing with Maidstone Council to revamp tennis courts and bring the old pavilion back into use, including having a tearoom inside, and create courts for other sports in the part of the park known locally as the Pleasure Gardens. After the meeting, posters appeared around
South Park slating the proposals and urging resi- dents to write to Maidstone Council to object. However, Jubilee Church leader Neil Pattison said “facts” included on the poster were inaccurate and the church had asked the council to investi- gate. He said: “Access to the public would be as it is
now; we know how many people enjoy the open space. We definitely would not go for an all- weather “bubble” cover because it would be in- trusive. “We want to consult the community at every
step. We have asked Maidstone council to find out who put the posters up.” The type of cover being proposed by the church
is a translucent canopy with sides that can be rolled up in the summer, similar to those pro- duced by DOE Sports (pictured), but any design would be subject to planning permission. Mr Pattison said the church hoped to set up a
tennis academy, but said the courtswould also be open to the public. He stressed that although there was sometimes no one collecting money from people using the courts, they were not free to use. In the future the church might look into turning
The type of tennis cover
proposed by Jubilee Church for South Park
the disused bowling green and grass tennis courts into courts for paddle tennis and netball, he added.
Rowland Simmons, also from Jubilee, said an-
other idea would be to turn the bowling green into a sand pit for beach tennis and beach volley- ball. The pair said they would seek funding from local and national organisations, including the Lawn Tennis Association. Mr Pattison said the park has been designated for sporting use. Friends of South Park welcomed the idea of a
tennis academy, refurbished courts and pavilion and said they would consider floodlights. How- ever, chairman John Wilson said the part of the park in question is a quiet area where residents can enjoy activities such as dog walking, and playing with small children. The Friends said any lease given to Jubilee Church should be restricted to the hard courts and pavilion and stressed that a business plan should ensure public access was not restricted to the tennis courts at any time. Mr Wilson said: “It is the firm view of the Friends of South Park that in our densely devel- oped part of Maidstone, a section of South Park must be left for the quiet enjoyment of residents.” Cllr Ian Chittenden, who represents South
ward, said it would be unacceptable to allow what could become a busy facility into the quiet part of the park.
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