Powerhub plans revealed
THE first step towards transforming an- other section of Maidstone’s town centre river frontage is underway. Baltic Wharf (Maidstone) Ltd, whose of-
fices are based at Court Lodge Park, West Farleigh, has applied to Maidstone Coun- cil for permission to convert the listed building into a mix of business, retail and leisure, including a big-name foodstore at ground level, with offices for professional and financial services above, a restaurant and car parking for almost 400 vehicles. The scheme could provide up to 350
jobs, says applicant Cliff Thurlow. An ear- lier scheme to demolish the building and the adjoining Raglan House was with- drawn after English Heritage imposed a Grade II listing on both last year. The main factory building is a five-
storey reinforced concrete framed factory building dating from 1917. It is believed to be the earliest surviving building de- signed by Wallis Gilbert & Partners, who went on to design the Hoover and Fire- stone buildings in west London. It was home to motor vehicle and component manufacturer Tilling Stevens for almost 50 years. However, many of the reinforcement
struts are corroded, according to London- based consultants Alan Baxter & Associ- ates, who advise removal of the rooftop. Ian Taylor, from Alan Baxter, said: “The
main rooftop area facing St Peter’s Street is in very poor condition with severe spalling and reinforcement corrosion evi- dent throughout.” He believes structural damage is so bad
The Powerhub, seen from the river
that remedial workswould not offer a per- manent solution to the problems and mean on-going maintenance costs. Baltic Wharf is hoping the application
will be decided before the council deter- mines its Core Strategy. At present, planners could object to this
site for retail as it would conflict with the National Planning Policy Framework and cause road congestion. However, accord- ing to property consultants GVA, who have submitted a 162-page retail assess- ment, only limited weight can be attached to a policy in an emerging plan where there are unresolved objections. GVA’s analysis of trading at both town centre supermarkets and out-of-town stores concludes that Maidstone town centre is currently under-served by main foodstores. Cliff Thurlow, director of Baltic Wharf
Ltd, now hopes to obtain outline planning permission to demolish those parts of the Powerhub which are structurally un- sound, as well as Raglan House and sev- eral outbuildings, replacing them with a food store and car parking.
Dental technician
was not registered A MAIDSTONE man has been prosecuted by the UK regulator of dental practice, the General Dental Council (GDC), for the ille- gal use of the title “dental technician”. Liam Sherry admitted the illegal use of a
title, contrary to sections 39(2B) and (3) of the Dentists Act when he appeared before Maidstone magistrates. He was prosecuted after failing to pay his annual subscription to remain on the national register between September 2011 and August 2012. He had been operating a company by the name of LPS Prosthetics in Tonbridge Road, Maid- stone.
Sherry was fined £650, ordered to pay a
£15 victim surcharge and ordered to pay costs to the GDC of £550. By law all dentists, dental nurses, dental technicians, clinical dental technicians, dental hygienists, dental therapists and or- thodontic therapistsmust be registered with the GDC to work in the UK. Although Sherry was a qualified dental technician, he was not registered, following an earlier prosecution by the GDC in 2010. Then he admitted being prepared to prac- tise dentistry and was given a conditional discharge for 12 months and ordered to pay £1,000 in costs. Chief executive of the GDC Evlynne Gilvarry said: “People who practise den- tistry unlawfully pose a significant risk to the patients they treat. The GDC is commit- ted to ensuring public safety and I hope this prosecution sends a clear message to others who may be tempted to practise without being registered with the GDC.” Patients can check their dental profes-
sional is registered by logging on to the GDC’s website
www.gdc-uk.org.
Maidstone Borough Council
Spring Market Tu
ues The Mall Chequer
Tuesday 9 April 2013 7.30am – 1.30pm Barke
a ker Rrker Road, Lockmeadow FREE entry AND FREE shuttle
The Mall Chequers bus station. bus (number 505) from Featuring:
MiniFarm - hold, feel and feed a variety of farmyard animals awly R
Birds of Prey
US! Stalls selling quality meat groceries, fruit & veg, fish, local produce, fashion, plants, pet
feel and feed a
variety of farm ard animals Creepy Crawly Road Show
Children’s ride
PLUS! Stalls selling quality meat, fashion,
accessories, DVDs, toiletries, second hand goods and furniture.
Maidstone Market,
Barker Road, Maidstone ME16 8LW 01622 602258
www.maidstone.go
v.uk You can e-mail the Downs Mail —
info@downsmail.co.uk Great People, Great Place, Great Opportunity Town 9
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