All-night takeaway plan rejected


AN APPLICATION to sell baguettes and hot food in Maidstone town centre until 5am on Saturday and Sunday mornings has been thrown out by councillors, who fear an increase in littering and anti-social be- haviour. Subway, at the top of Gabriel’s Hill, had hoped to extend its opening hours from 3amto5am,inlinewithaneighbouring kebab shop, and to start offering hot food in addition to cold. But police said an extension would lead


to more trouble in the town centre, as clubs and pubs dispersed in the early hours, close to the taxi ranks where many of them congregated for transport home. Licensing officer PC Neil Barnes said: “Although there is a popular belief that fast food outlets assist the nighttime economy,


Lunchtime


concert dates A SERIES of lunchtime con- certs is planned at Maidstone United Reformed Church in Week Street this summer. The season kicks off on June


5, with a recital by soprano Ju- dith Buckle and baritone Matthew Craven, followed a week later by a performance by The Musick Cabinet, a chamber music ensemble. Sue Greenham performswith


her piano pupils on June 19, and on June 26, violinist Stephen Hatfield will be joined by Adrian Burridge on guitar. Students from Maidstone Grammar School will provide the music on July 3, and on July 10, pianoforte duo Bryan Gipps and Richard Kemp will feature. Sheela Mahadevan, soprano


and pianist, will perform on July 17, followed on July 24 by organist Lionel Marchant. The final concert seesMarion Whitehead on piano joined by flautist Jaymee Coonjobeeharry. All the concerts start at 1pm,


with doors opening at 12.30pm, and admission is free. Coffee will be available and a collec- tion will be taken at the door.


Bowling blow TOVIL Working Men’s Club is considering selling its bowling green to developers to recoup cash lost through falling mem- bership numbers. The suggestion was made at


the club’s annual meeting and would leave both Tovil Bowls Club and Coombe Farm Bowls Club homeless. Tovil Petanque Club also has pistes at the working men’s club but they could be accommodated else- where in the club’s grounds,


Calling all knitters THE HEART of Kent Hospice will be starting a knitting group at its shop in King Street. The group will run from 3- 4.30pm on the third Thursday of everymonth, starting on June 20. The cost is a £1 donation to the Aylesford-based hospice. For details call 01622 790195.


28 Town Pupils from SenacreWood school in the woodland zone Pupils taste of country life


CHILDREN from all overKent celebrated a decade of Living Land at the Kent County Showground, Detling. More than 3,000 children from years 3 and 4 from over 60 schools


converged on the showground for a day, learning about the importance of farming, agriculture, the countryside and healthy eating. In Maidstone, children from Archbishop Courtenay Primary School


and ParkWay Primary School were among those who learned how to milk a cowand make sausages in the interactive zone. Pupils from Harrietsham and Lenham were thrilled to get up close


and personal with shire horses and tractors in thewoodland zonewhile kids from Kingswood and East Peckhamwere among the packed audi- encewhowatchedthe informativeandhilarious sheep showandabirds of prey presentation. Itwas the10th year of the show, organised by theKent County Show- ground, which invites children to see and touch a wide variety of ani- mals, make food and fabric, and learn about farming and food.


Children happy with childminder


AN INSPECTION of the care provided by childminder Melissa Osmond, of Court Drive, Maidstone, showed it to be good. Ofsted inspectors said children had secure trusting relation-


ships with Ms Osmond, and were settled and happy with her. A good range of toys was available to develop their curiosity


and help them learn. The childminder had a good understanding of her child protection responsibilities, her home was safe and she had taken steps to reduce risks. Ms Osmond showed commitment to keeping her skills updated


and had a professional approach to childminding. To achieve an outstanding rating, parents’ contributions about


their children’s learning at home should be developed to enable them to be fully involved in their child’s development plans.


Two arrested in diesel theft case TWO men have been arrested in connection with the theft of fuel. At about 4.40pm on Monday, April 22, officers responded to a re-


port of twomen acting suspiciously in the Union Street area of Maid- stone. Containers of what was thought to be diesel were found. A 39-year-old man from Chatham was arrested on suspicion of


theft and a 30-year-old man from Maidstone was arrested on sus- picion of theft and handling stolen goods.


as they provide people with food to absorb alcohol in their stomachs, from a policing point of view they lead to significant un- dermining of the licensing objectives as they cause people to hang around in town. The people who use these venues at this time are normally at the end of their night out and often worse for drink.” Applicant Hemina Haque, on behalf of Cambridge Subway, said she was prepared to put a bouncer on the door and remove seating from the premises after 10.30pm to discourage people from loitering in the shop. She said the shop also used CCTV and was a member of the MaidSafe crime fighting initiative. Town centre police sergeant John Mar-


shall said crime and disorder issues had occurred inside and near Subway in


Gabriels Hill in the past. He told the com- mittee the premises had been open until 5am for a period and when asked by police to close at 3am, in line with their licence, the incidents of crime and disorder re- duced significantly. Members accepted that the premises


were responsible, but were of the view that to permit hot food until 05:00 on Fridays and Saturdays would not promote the li- censing objective of prevention of crime and disorder. They did not think the offer of using a


door supervisor and removing chairs and tables from the premiseswould make a dif- ference. The subcommittee rejected the applica-


tion on the grounds of preventing crime and disorder.


Orchestra date YOUNG musicians from Or- chestra ONE brought a flavour of world music to Maidstone, after devising their own pieces under the guidance of top in- ternational players. Orchestra ONE (Orchestra of


New Experiences) allows young musicians to develop their own styles at creative re- hearsals leading to a perform- ance in front of an audience. The education initiative’s Project Five ended in a concert at New Line Learning Acad- emy, Maidstone. The scheme was run by Kent Music and Rhythmix, supported by Gold- ing Vision, Soundhub and the Kent People’s Trust. To take part in Orchestra ONE Project Six, from Friday, Au- gust 2, to Sunday, August 4, email orchestraone@kent- music.com, call 01622 358406 or visit Orchestra ONE’s face- book page.


Bike shed plan CHRISTOPHE Mauriange has applied for retrospective plan- ning permission for a bike shed in the front garden of 31 May- fair Avenue,Maidstone. An email sent to Maidstone Council’s planning office said: “We decided to build a small shed to the front of the house be- cause we do not have a garage or access to our back garden from the front of the house.”


Driver uninsured JASON Holloway (23), of Courtenay Road, Maidstone, was disqualified from driving for 36 months and fined £210 byWest Kent Magistrates Court. He admitted drivingwith no in- surance or licence in Penenden Road, Maidstone, and was also ordered to pay £85 costs and a £20 victim surcharge.


Mobile signal plan NINE antennas up to 22m high and four new satellite dishes may be installed at the top of Star House, Pudding Lane, Maidstone to provide 2G and 3G mobile phone coverage for Vodafone and Telefonica users.


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


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