LETTERS TO THE EDITOR


Store wars a common trick Dear Sir – Regarding the plan for a super- market in Staplehurst, this is just another example of two companies pretending to “have a battle” over who gets the right to service the poor souls of Staplehurst , thou- sands of whom have died of starvation and malnutrition over the past few years due to their inability to make a 10-minute journey to a supermarket! It has happened all over the country. A couple of these giants pick out a small vil- lage which has happily existed on local shops and weekly trips out, they pretend to square up to each other and everyone is faced with an either/or situation , instead of just one being rejected . Themajority of residents of this village do


not want a supermarket of any description here, with the resulting traffic chaos, small shop closure and increased parking prob- lems. However, remember that MBC will only see themoney side of this – a huge in- crease in rateable income to the coffers is the upside of granting permission. Mike Hawkins, by email


Let supermarkets compete Dear Sir – I agree with the comments from Isabelle Heard-White in the March edition of the Downs Mail. Staplehurst is to have some 450 houses


built in the near future, andwe need the in- frastructure to support the people. The Gov- ernment sold off all the utilities to generate competition – let’s have some competition with two new supermarkets in the village.


Peter Langmaid, by email


Lorries now have no choice HAVING just read your article (Downs Mail South) on “Lorries warned” about the no-go areas of Yalding and Laddingford, I wonder whether you have actually seen the signs to which you refer? If you travel from Seven Mile Lane to use


the short cut, your journey takes you over Hampstead Bridge and on to the Lees, and it is at this point that the signs tell you there is aweight restriction in Yalding. The signs di- vert you on their recommended route as a right turn towards Laddingford. As all roads from this road now have, or


have had, the same weight restrictions, the lorries that are overweight now have no choice but to drive through Laddingford. I hope there are no problems with the ve-


hicles using even narrower and more un- suitable roads than through Yalding village. Nice one Yalding Parish Council!


Mr Thom, Coxheath


Drivers’ pothole misery Dear Sir – Gallants Lane in East Farleigh is full of holes! Has it ever been properly resurfaced?We pay our council tax, but still I have another puncture.


Miss Mann,Wilson Lane, East Farleigh


Signs of cabbies’ hypocrisy Dear Sir–Ihavejustreadinthe Downs Mail South edition how Dennis Conyon and his “cabbies” are furious about the council U-turn at the High Street, after they cam- paigned for signs to inform drivers of the prohibition. Is this not a touch of hypocrisy? At the junction of Mill Street/Bishop’s Way/Palace Avenue there is a bus lane from Mill Street (All Saints’ side) intoMill Street (Robins and Day). The sign clearly states this is a bus and cycle lane and does not authorise taxis to travel north across this junction. Does this stop the taxi drivers? No, it does not.


32 South


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


How can the cabbies of Maidstone be


upsetwith a decision that enables drivers to use a more convenient route, when they are continuing to flout the law and use the con- venience of the bus lane? Mr Thom, Coxheath


No water for extra homes Dear Sir – Firstly congratulations on pro- ducing a great informative newspaper. My reason for putting pen to paper is, in


your March edition the headline read 5,000-home village plan, then went on to say estimates of housing needs are closer to 16,000 units, with a further 4,500 re- quired by 2030. It would appear to me that somewhere, someone has suddenly discovered a new supply of water. The last two summers we have been threatened with a hosepipe ban. Several years ago, on April 1, I put a no-


tice on a billboard outside my shop at Pe- nenden Heath, which caused several smiles, saying that the water shortage was over, because the water board had found a way to dilute the water. Maybe they have just done that. Another thought – where are these extra people going to find employment and where are they coming from, not to men- tion who is going to pay the rent? At this time, people are being made re- dundant , shops are closing down etc. I sincerely hope that things will work out, now and for the next generation. C C PWilliams, Faraday Road, Penenden Heath


Speed is irrelevant in town Dear Sir – I was surprised to see a letter in the Downs MailMarch complaining about the possible introduction of more 20mph speed limits in Maidstone, seemingly on the grounds that they were too slow. Most of the time during the day and dur-


ing shopping hours at weekends, particu- larly around the one-way system, traffic always seems to be at a crawl and achiev- ing even 20mph is rare. There is scant evidence of police enforc-


ing traffic laws in the town. For example, the yellow box junctions on the one-way system might as well not be there, because they are widely ignored. That’s the reason for build-up of traffic in St Peter’s Street; speed is irrelevant to that situation. A large number of people pass the pro- hibition sign at Fairmeadow junction with High Street, which clearly shows that mo- torcycles and private cars are prohibited. The only other exemption is buses, but drivers (particularly in the misnamed “rush-hour”) turn left past the sign, to then turn right into Mill Street. Every one of them is committing an offence. This means in effect that no vehicle, out-


side those exempted, can use High Street and Mill Street, particularly if they are using these roads as a through route. This would be an easy offence for even the most novice police probationer to report, but again the police seem reluctant to commit any resources to such enforcement. The council cannot be regarded as com- pletely blameless, as its policy of creating lots of movement, in the belief that this will help to keep the traffic flowing, in fact has the opposite effect. . Christopher Hudson-Gool, by email


Another parking ‘rip-off’ Dear Sir – Like your reader, Peter Packham of Bearsted, I was also “ripped off” with a parking fine in exactly the same place at


Lockmeadow. If only I had read his article first! I had a choice of spaces, but on close in- spection of the markings in that spot, I de- cided it was a valid space with a smudged T shape, indicating a parking space on ei- ther side of the T. A few years ago I used to park frequently


at Lockmeadow, when I went to the local gym, and I can’t say I have ever seen peo- ple turn in that spot. It is more normal to reverse out backwards if there are no spaces at the rear of the car park. I have written to KCC suggesting they re-


paint their markings more effectively and clearly indicate that it is a turning spot. If they don’t, I will.


Teresa Ewence, Loose


Give us back proper library Dear Sir – The new library is more like a combination of a computer games centre and toddlers’ nursery than anything else. Is that what “state of the art” means? Perhaps Maidstone Council can provide


us with a proper library again? There is a vacant property in St Faith’s Street just right for the job. George Whitney, AngleseaAvenue, Loose


Move on gangs of youths Dear Sir – I was in The Mall shopping cen- tre in Maidstone recently andwas horrified to see a number of girls congregating around the photo booth. As I had my grandchildren with me we


were unable to use the facilites, but I was amazed when a security guard strolled past. He never even spoke or moved them on. Surely he could see the problem they were causing? This has caused me to stop shopping in


the Mall at weekends, as the groups were very intimidating. I would like to know if any other readers have had this problem?


C. Smith, by email


Jobs went with factories Dear Sir – Regarding Dennis Fowle’s com- ments on Maidstone’s “attractive river- side”, I’m sorry, but I must disagree with your views regarding the buildings along the river. To me, they are a sad loss of employment


to Maidstone’s unemployed. Maybe you have lived in a different “class” to me. When I came to this area for my late fa- ther’s work as a gardener, we lived in an old farm worker’s cottage until he died.We were then evicted, and I bought my pres- ent house. I must then be called a long-term resident and a lover of Kent. I well remember all the paper mills in


Tovil and Aylesford – all gone now. Where do we get our paper now? Then, we also had Tilling Stevens – such


a busy factory – giving work to school leavers when they followed their father looking for a safe job . The girls went to Sharpe’s Toffees or Fos-


ter Clark Custard, mostly coming from our growing council estates and allworking, in- stead of themany benefits they all get as the unemployed now.We still have the unedu- cated school leavers, who will be unable to work in the fast-growing computer world today.


Maybe I’m too sentimental for today’s world. But I will always say I had the best childhood. We have online shopping and supermarkets delivering food – soon we will have no employment for shop workers. I hate the self-checkouts now in the stores.


You can e-mail the Downs Mail — info@downsmail.co.uk


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