County cricket Training firm ‘making progress’


back at Mote? KENT County Cricket Club confirmed at its annual meeting a strong desire to return first- class cricket to Maidstone. A member questioned the


club missing out on the huge population in Maidstone and Medway Towns since 2005, when the club withdrew from the county town. Chief executive Jamie Clifford


said the club now felt confident The Mote Cricket Club’s wicket had much improved and this would be testedwith many 2nd X1 games there this summer. He was pleased The Mote CC


now had major improvements in mind for the ground facili- ties, including a new pavilion, and when these were achieved Kent hoped for a very early re- turn of first-class cricket. Kent 2nds’ programme at The


Mote starts with a one-day fix- ture against Somerset on Mon- day July 1 followed (July 2,3,4) by a three-day game against the same county. The 2nds play a 20/20 game against Essex on Monday, July 22, with a three-day game start- ing on July 23. The 2nds play a three-day game against Sussex starting on Tuesday July 30 fol- lowed by a one-day game on August 2.


Lions quiz night


and awards THE team fromMaidstone CAB had plenty to smile about at Maidstone Lions’ annual quiz and presentation evening. Not only did they win the


quiz, but they also heard the grant to replace their IT server had been approved. Lions president Malcolm Luxton said: “Maidstone CAB helps many thousands of peo- ple each year, so it is only right that we should do all we can to ensure they can offer an effi- cient service. We are very pleased to have been able to help them.” Other awards included a con- tribution towards Maidstone Christian Care’s vehicle to sup- port the Food for Thought proj- ect; a new projector to support Hi Kent’s home visiting service; and copies of Life Changes – a PSHE resource presented to Maidstone Soroptomists for distribution to children’s cen- tres.


The quiz raised £700.


Group for knitters THE HEART of Kent Hospice will be starting a knitting group at its shop in King Street, Maid- stone, on the third Thursday of every month, starting on June 20. from 3pm to 4.30pm. The group is for all abilities


and the cost is a £1 donation to the Aylesford-based hospice. For more details, contact 01622 790195.


20 Malling


A MAIDSTONE company that provides training in childcare is making improvements after re- ceiving an inadequate rating from Ofsted. Parenta, which provides a number of services including government-funded training for the childcare industry, was told in July last year that both out- comes for learners and quality of provision in its Foundation Learning programmes were in- adequate. Amonitoring report published by Ofsted in March revealed the


company, in Rocky Hill, had made “significant progress” in reducing the number of learners who leave the programme early and enabling learners to achieve their objectives. Significant progress had also


been made in terms of leader- ship and management, where “leaders and managers at all levels in the organisation, in- cluding tutors in the classroom, have made significant improve- ments to the management and day-to-day running of the pro- gramme”.


Reasonable progress had been


made in monitoring the teach- ing and learning process, ensur- ing learners’ specific needs were met, providing learners with opportunities to visit childcare settings, and develop- ing links with outside agencies. Following last summer’s re-


port, director NickWilliams said the company was appealing the results of the Ofsted report as it claimed the assessment was based on just 1% of its work – the Foundation Learning pro- gramme.


Trust creates shopping centre garden


AFRUITFULpartnership betweenaMaidstonecharity and the Town Centre Management has led to a “blooming’’ good result which everyone can enjoy. Volunteers from The Blackthorn Trust, which pro-


vides careandrehabilitation throughwork in the com- munity, have given a patch of waste ground outside the Chequers Mall a makeover. Now, visitors to the town who enter the Mall from


the bus station or the car park, can see the results of their labours, instead of a patch ofweeds. The Princes Trust contributed towards the project


whichused staff, volunteersand co-workers from The Blackthorn Trust, to enhance thelook of thegardenby planting, painting the railings and working together as a team as part of their development journey. The trust, based in St Andrew’s Road, helps those


who are recovering from health conditions. Rose Moore, who heads the charity’s gardening


team, said: “The project raises our profile in the town centre and has given a focus to the creativity and en- thusiasm of our volunteers. “We have forged a strong link with the TownCentre Management group and The Mall who now benefit from an attractive and sustainable garden where


therewas once an untended patch of land.” The gardenwas opened with a ribbon cutting cere-


mony performed by Paul Alcock, chairman of Maid- stone Town Centre Management and Jan Prior, chief executive of the Blackthorn Trust, pictured above. TheBlackthorn Trust has a caféwhich is open daily


during the week, as well as a bakery, plant nursery and crafts for sale. For further information, visit www.blackthorn.org.uk


Family home planned on site of bungalow ‘too big’


PLANS to replace a “sub-stan- dard” bungalow, at Ashes Lane, Hadlow, with a larger four-bed- room house have run into op- position from the parish council. The 1960s property Three


Ways is in a very poor state and beyond economical repair, ac- cording to planning agent and builder Scandia-Hus Ltd. “Demolition of the bungalow


and replacement with a new, well specified dwelling is now the only sensible and cost-effec- tive solution,” says the com- pany’s planning document. But Hadlow Parish Council


has objected to the develop- ment, citing its “disproportion- ate increase in size within the Green Belt”. Applicants Mr M Smith, who


has three children, and Miss S Sommerville, who has two, have lived at Three Ways for more than three years. They wish to provide a house that of- fers suitable space for their ex- tended family, said the agent. The proposed new two-storey dwelling has four double bed- rooms, each with an en suite, and has a detached garage. Scandia-Hus said: “There are


no issues of overlooking and the intended building has been scaled to reflect the character, shape and generous size of the plot. It has been designed with a traditional character, but keep- ing in mind limitations so as not to appear unduly dominant or intrusive.” Tonbridge andMalling Coun- cil will decide.


On trail of stables’ missing trailer A TRAILER like the one pictured was stolen from a stableyard in Comp Lane, Offham, on the night of April 26. The 18ft trailer, valued at £5,500, is a Brian James cargo tilt-


bed triple axle 3.5 ton model, with yellow stickers. Anyone with in- formation can call 101 quoting crime report number YY/8113/13.


Rapist jailed


20 years on A DOUBLE rapist from West Malling has been jailed for 15 years when his DNA was iden- tified following a cold case in- vestigation. Ian Phipps, 50, pleaded guilty


to the rapes, one on a 14-year- old girl in Halling in 1986, and the other on a 23-year-old woman inWrotham in 1991. The schoolgirl was walking


home along a secluded public footpath in Halling, when she was attacked by Phipps. In the second attack the 23-


year-old was walking in Cooper’s Wood, Wrotham, when Phipps struck. He threat- ened to hit her if she screamed. Witness appeals established a


link between the two attacks, with Phipps being described as “chubby” and wearing army- style trousers. A review of the attacks by the


Kent and Essex Cold Case In- vestigation Team in 2012, re- sulted in Phipps being identified by his DNA. He was arrested on October


16 and denied the attacks, but later confessed to his crimes at Maidstone Crown Court, where he was sentenced to 15 years in jail.


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