‘Medical excellence’ on our doorstep


PLANS that would see Maidstone become a cen- tre for medicine have been unveiled to the pub- lic at an exhibition held at the Hilton Hotel. The first phase of the £90m Kent Institute of Medicine and Surgery (KIMS) is due to open in April next year. Once operational, the seven-acre KIMS site near junction 7 of the M20 will put specialist services including cardiac surgery, or- thopaedics, neurosurgery and surgical oncology, on the doorstep of people living inMaidstone. KIMS director Andrew Frost said 350 medics would offer clinical excellence to both private and NHS patients. In total 25% of resources will be devoted to NHS patients. Leading medics such as Professor Richard Un- derwood, a specialist in nuclear medicine at Lon- don’s Royal Brompton, and cardiologist John Deanfield, of Great Ormond Street Hospital, will be among the experts employed at KIMS. Mr Frost said the development represented a unique partnership between business and the medicalworld,with doctors being consulted over the design of the institute and involved in its man- agement.He said the institute was created “by cli- nicians, for clinicians” and would also offer unrivalled educational opportunities formedics.


Also on displaywere ambitious plans for a pro-


jected second phase – the Maidstone Medical Campus – to include a women and children’s hospital and a neuro-rehabilitation village, as well as centres formedical training, research and development, pathology and accommodation for medical staff.Acommunity woodland is also en- visaged. The £350m project is earmarked for land next


to Newnham Court Shopping Village and would bring 3,800 new jobs. An application for outline planning permission is due to be submitted to Maidstone Borough Council within the next few weeks, with the aim of opening the first facilities mid year in 2015.


Local Tory role for MP’s husband


THE husband of MP Helen Grant has been elected to a lead- ing role within the local Con- servative Association. Lawyer Simon Grant is now deputy chairman of the Maid- stone and Weald Conservative Association (membership and finance), following its annual meeting in April. Mr Grant serves alongside Maidstone Cllr Stephen Paine, who is deputy chairman (poli- tics) and beneath new chairman Cllr JohnWilson. The appointment coincides


with Mrs Grant’s decision to give up her London apartment, renting instead the property in Marden she held during her


Thief’s car is


confiscated A SHEPWAY woman has had her car confiscated after stealing three televisions, clothes and a variety of homeware and trying to take a wedding veil worth £320. Lisa Ann Wallace, 40, of Owletts Close, denied the at- tempted theft from a shop in North Street, Headcorn, and shoplifting from another at Hempstead Valley Shopping Centre, Gillingham. But magistrates found her


guilty, and confiscated herVaux- hall Astra. A police spokesman said a vehicle could be taken if the ownerswere unable to prove they bought it legally or if itwas likely to be used by the owner to commit a crime. In addition to depriving her of


her car, Magistrates sentenced Wallace to 180 days in prison, suspended for two years, and or- dered her to carry out 250 hours of unpaid work within the next 12 months. She must also pay £250 costs.


election campaign in 2010. Former aide Tony Williams, whose revelation his sick pay had been slashed following changes to his contract by Mr Grant, has now been declared fit to return to work – but placed


on ‘garden leave’ by the MP, who has restructured her office since being elected Joint Parlia- mentary Under-Secretary of State at the Ministry of Justice and forWomen's and Equalities issues.


Helen and family back in Kent home HELEN Grant, the ToryMPfor Maidstone and TheWeald, and her husband Simon, have returned to their former constituency home. They are again renting the cottage in Albion Road, Marden, where they lived until 2011. TheMP, now aminister in two government departments, told the Downs Mail: “We discovered our cottage in Marden was available again and it was an easy decision to return to the village. Everyone we know here has been very welcoming. I work in London most of the week, but it’s great coming home to Kent on Fridays.” Mr and Mrs Grant’s house in Surrey has been on the market since October 2010.


Cricketers cycle for pavilion fund


MAIDSTONE's Peter Erlam is among several local cricketers swapping their whites for lycra as theyembarkonafund-raising bikeride that takes in landmarks associatedwith the sport. They set off on 27 June from


their ground at Teston and head for Newenden – near the Sussex border–on the first of three legs of a 100-mile round trip. After an overnight stop in the village,which boasts the first lit- erary mention of cricket in the 1300s, the cyclistshead for Can- terbury - the home of Kent CC since 1847. The last section takes them home via Thurnham, final resting place of Victorian cricket legend Alfred Mynn – aka the “Lion of Kent” – and on toWest Malling, setting for thematch between All Muggleton and Ding- leyDell inCharles Dickens' PickwickPapers, that featured on£10notes until 2003. Organiser Peter (60) of White Rock Court, said Teston's pavilion was


no longer fit for purpose and urgently needed replacing, or the club - founded in1895and always associated with the village'sReader cricket ball factory - could cease to exist in a fewyears. “We need to plan for the future now, or there won't be a future for us,


and Teston's historic link with cricket will be lost forever, now that the factory has closed. Thatwould be tragic.” Even if the club's application for a Sport England grant is successful, a


lot more money will still be needed for the pavilion project. To sponsor the 100-mile ‘Ton for Teston’ appeal, go to www.localgiv- ing.com/testoncc and press the ‘Make a donation’' link.


Traffic fears CONCERNS over increased traffic congestion are being looked into by developers at DHA Planning. Jason Lewis, of DHA in Eclipse Park, says the firm has yet to complete the findings of a full-scale traffic analysis, but that he anticipates junction modifications will need to be made at three roundabouts – Notcutts, Bearstead Road and at Junction 7 of the M20. Mr Lewis said that the inten-


tionwouldbetoneutraliseany negative effects from in- creased traffic.


Have your say FOR information on KIMS and the Maidstone Medical Cam- pus and to have your say on the development visit www.maid- stone-medical.co.uk


Barclays plans to relocate to


modern store BARCLAYS Bank is looking to close its two High Street branches and move into Frem- linWalk,Maidstone. The bank wants to relocate to


No 13, currently occupied by Clinton Cards, who wouldmove to a smaller retail unit at 8 Frem- lin Walk, should Maidstone Council grant planning permis- sion for the Barclays move. A supporting statement said


both High Street branches were considered “off pitch”, as they are “situated outside the main retail core area of Maidstone town centre”. It added: “Barclays seeks to relocate from existing premises at 5/6 High Street and 40/46 High Street, as the current branches do not meet the mod- ern banking requirements that are expected by its customers. “Furthermore, the current ex- teriors do not fit with Barclays’ modern and contemporary re- tail banking profile and appear- ance.


“Through an investment of £2million, a new Barclays branch at 13 FremlinWalk will include a high quality glazed frontage and entrance, to as- similate with the existing retail frontages, presenting an open view of activity within the branch from the street.” The High Street branches em-


ploy a combined 27 full time members of staff. The company says the pro-


posed Fremlin Walk branch would employ 30 full time members of staff in total, with existing employees relocated where possible. Maidstone Council will de- termine the planning applica- tion.


You can e-mail the Downs Mail — info@downsmail.co.uk Town 37


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