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Residents’ anger at Powerhub plans


PROPOSALS to put a supermarket in St Peter’s Street have angered locals who have put their names to a petition to the coun- cil’s planning committee. More than 100 residents signed a letter to


the council, expressing concern about the level of traffic they claim will increase by 54% if a supermarket is built in the Pow- erhub building. The Green party’s Stuart Jeffery argued:


“There is overwhelming opposition to a su- permarket on St Peter’s Street, as the peti- tion shows. “Local people have suffered since St


Peter’s Street was turned into a shopping area, and the roads now regularly turn into


Discovery’s new head announced


Jason


Matthews (right), who is currently in charge of Ryarsh Pri- mary School. He will


start his new role in Janu- ary 2014, following the retire- ment of founding head Alison Farrall at the end of this year. Mr Matthews, who has been


in his current role for four years, was praised in the latest OfstedreportatRyarshas“a highly effective leader” while the school was rated outstand- ing in all categories. Mark Wardle, chairman of governors at the Discovery School, said Mr Matthews had had “an enormous positive im- pact” on Ryarsh school. “I have every confidence he will do a fantastic job for us at Discov- ery”, he said. Mrs Farrall (58), who began teaching in 1977 at Wilming- ton, opened the Discovery School after it was built 10 years ago. She said she was leaving the school with “mixed emotions” but was looking forward to spending more time with her daughter and granddaughter who live in Australia. “I was very proud when I opened the school in 2003. Our amazing children and innova- tive staff have made me delight in coming to work every day since”, she said. Mr Wardle said finding a re- placement had been a daunting task. “She has led the school since its inception, is a ‘Na- tional Leader of Education’, and iswidely respected for hav- ing driven very high stan- dards”, he said. “It was clearly critical that


her replacement be of the very highest calibre.”


12 Malling


gridlock. Increasing the number of cars on them by 54% is madness.” Mr Jeffery said there were already six su- permarkets within a mile of the site, and a seventh was planned for the old Army and Navy store. He said: “There is no need for one here. It


will simply damage existing businesses. There is no bus service to the site and the nearest stop is 400 metres away so the ma- jority of people will be driving there.” LibDem ward Cllr David Pickett said: “I


am very keen to see a strong and viable ap- plication to preserve this venerable and iconic Grade 2 listed building. “This is a unique example in Maidstone


of one of the first Kahncrete factories to be built in this style and design in the UK [1917] during the FirstWorldWar. “The Victoria Coach Station in London is another similar example of this Art Deco style.


“Many local residents have indicated


that they want to see the Powerhub build- ing brought back into profitable use but that the traffic and pollution generated by the building of a supermarket on the site would only add to an already congested St Peter’s Street and surrounding roads. “It would be helpful if we knew if any of


the major supermarket chains were looking for a site at this location.”


Council honoured for quick payments


THE new head teacher of the Discovery School at Kings Hill is


TONBRIDGE and Malling Council has scooped top honours for the speed atwhich it pays its bills. The borough was named the


country’s fastest paying local au- thority in a nationwide survey by the Forum of Private Businesses into the rate at which councils in England pay supplier invoices. MP Sir John Stanley presented


the award. The employer support organisation’s research showed the council paid 97% of its suppli- ers in less than 10 days. The Government has asked all councils to aim to pay in less than 10 days, to help struggling firms improve their cash flow. Borough chief executive Julie


Beilby, who collected the certifi- cate, said: “We are delighted that our achievement hit the ‘top spot’ within the survey. ForumchiefexecutivePhilOrford


said: “Ourmembers tell us that one of the biggest problems they have is slowpayment frombig business, so to hear a local authority is pay-


THE fifth annual Kings Hill Music Festival takes place at The Spitfire in Liberty Square from 1pm on Sunday, June 23. Kings Hill indie band Signals


Red, who play covers and origi- nal songs, will perform, along with Rolling Stones tribute The Lips, The Throwbacks, InterSep- tors, The Kick Backs and others. Tickets, purchased in advance


from The Spitfire, cost £8 for adults, £5 for children and £20


Tonbridge andMallingMPSir John Stanley with Sharon Shelton, finance director; Cllr Martin Coffin, cabinet member for finance; Julie Beilby, chief executive; and council leader Cllr Nicholas Heslop, all from Tonbridge and Malling Council, and Sir John Fionnuala Horrocks-Burns, Forum of Private Businesses


ing so many suppliers and so quickly is really quiteastonishing– butalsomostwelcome. Theprivate sector could learn a lot from this example.” Sir John said: “When I was min-


ister of state for housing and con- struction between 1979 and 1983 I came across somany businesses that experienced financial difficul-


Festival line-up revealed


for a family of two adults and two children. Tickets bought on the day cost £10 for adults, £7 for children and £25 for family tickets. For details of the event, which is sponsored by Shep- herd Neame and will be raising funds for Kings Hill Rotary Club, call 07596 974282, email limelitelivemusic@ymail.com or search for kings-hill live- music on Facebook.


ties because local authorities and national government agencies for whom they were working were so slow in paying. For Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council, which represents over three quarters of my parliamentary constituency, to be the recipient of this award is therefore particularly pleasing and I congratulate them.”


Floral tributes DEDICATE your favourite flower to a loved one or mark a special occasion at the Church of St John the Baptist, Ton- bridge Road, Wateringbury on Saturday, June 22, from 10.30am to 4.30pm. Visitors can also hear St


John’s choir from 3.15pm singing requested hymns. Re- freshments, home made cakes and cream teas will be avail- able. For more details call 01622 814656.


Cricketers’ cycle tour for new pavilion


LOCAL cricketers will swap their whites for Lycra as they embark on a fundraising bike ride that takes in landmarks as- sociated with the sport. Theywill leave Teston CC on


June 27 and head for Newen- den – near the Sussex border – on the first of three legs of a 100-mile trip. After an overnight stop in the village, which boasts the first literary mention of cricket in


the 1300s, the cyclists head for Canterbury – home of Kent CC. The last section takes them


home via Thurnham, final rest- ing place of Victorian cricket legend Alfred Mynn – aka the “Lion of Kent” – and on toWest Malling, setting for the match between All Muggleton and Dingley Dell in Charles Dickens’ Pickwick Papers that featured on £10 notes until 2003. Organiser Peter Erlam said


Teston’s pavilion was no longer fit for purpose and if it isn’t re- placed, the club – founded in 1895 and always associated with the village’s Reader cricket ball factory – would cease to exist in a few years. If the club’s application for a


Sport England grant is success- ful, more money would still be needed.To sponsor the 100-mile “Ton for Teston” cyclists, go to www.localgiving.com/testoncc


Have you got news for us? Phone our News Desk on 01622 734735


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