LETTERS TO THE EDITOR


Building resentment Dear Sir – We note with dismay that two sites suggested for consideration by Maid- stone Council for housing development are the two green fields next to RichmondWay, between Postley Road and Cripple Street. We understand that the Government has released local authorities from the need to meet housing targets imposed by central government. It is anxious that evidence of local need is properly established to justify any housing proposals, with the involve- ment of local people to avoid resentment. We have observed the rising levels of air,


noise and light pollution over Maidstone in the last 25 years. It was therefore encourag- ing when we were informed of the council’s policy of establishing green corridors. To allow for building on the town’s green lungs would be a gross betrayal of this duty of care. It does seem extraordinary that the coun-


cil is even considering yet more develop- ment on the south, when traffic is already congested. In addition, we have had a park and ride site removed to provide more po- tential building site land. Using public transport is actively discouraged! These fields would provide 150 homes, which apparently means nearly a third of a million traffic movements per year. Has any councillor driven down Cripple


Street lately? It is an unofficial town bypass. If a need for new homes is established, why should it be at the expense of precious countryside? The residents of this area have been sub-


jected over the last 30 years to repeated planning applications on green field sites. That of Hayle Place Stud Farm has taken pride of place. This property started life as a hoppers’ hut, and was given retrospective planning permission. In due course, a strip of council land was sold to a developer be- fore any planning permission was granted. The gift of land for a nature reserve was midwife to the consent being given, so Maidstone retained this part of its lungs by having 130 more houses built on top of it. This nature reserve has yet to take its first breath. It is already threatened by a council which is close to putting the needs of devel- opers before its duty to the people in its care. Brian and Valerie Hunt, Cripple Street, Maidstone


Traffic calming DEAR Sir –The article in the Downs Mail about the 30mph restriction on the A274 is more than welcome, despite the fact that it will rarely be enforced, but if Cllr Dan Daley is really serious about “slowing the traffic” he should turn his attention to the Five Wents junction. While interactive signs have been put up at


the Rumwood bend and theWarmlake junc- tion, FiveWents has been ignored. This is a blind junction, with no warning signs of traf- fic. There are often HGVs waiting to turn right to Boughton Monchelsea or coming from this road to travel north to Maidstone. It is also blind to traffic turning right or


left from the B2163, the end and start of the “rat run” to theM20. As there is no chance of a bypass being


built in the next 30 years and with plans for increased building in the area with addi- tional traffic, it is the junction on the A274 which has up to now been ignored. One would hope that it does not take a


very serious accident at this point to get the powers to be, including Cllr Daley, to get something done urgently. M. Morecroft, Leeds Road, Langley


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


Leader ‘ignored concerns’ DEAR Sir – Regarding your article “Tories bruised by UKIP surge” in this week’s Downs Mail, I suggest one of the reasons Cllr Chris Garland, the leader of Maidstone Council, failed to secure enough votes in the recent election was because he failed to do anything about the ludicrous amount of noise suffered by residents from a farmer’s gas gun/bird scarer earlier this year. Themechanism fired 12 times an hour for


most of the day, and was audible over a very wide area. This was despite the representations


made to Cllr Garland, the complaints sub- mitted to the council and the fact that the farmer isn’t even a resident of Maidstone. Why on earth should anyone vote for a can- didate who ignores the wishes of his con- stituents in such a manner? Dr D J Nicholls, by email


Roundabout madness DEAR Sir–Iwould like to say the same as Ken Goodchild in May’s Downs Mail. What idiot gave permission for the new layout at the Notcutts roundabout? Do they know about the saying “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”? The slip road worked perfectly, now there are more hold-ups, not to mention the roadworks, which are a com- plete shambles. How did that get past? On Detling Hill, when there is a show on, everyone has to go the whole length of the hill to turn round. Now we find they have taken away the sliproad from the park and ride? How much are we paying this idiot who has no good ideas at all? A Oxenham, Detling Hill


In defence of young people DEAR Sir – I write regarding the letter from Naomi Fenton in the June edition of the Downs Mail. Naomi, you are not alone. Years ago in Maidstone I and my friends were regularly “moved along”. I am now coming up to 62 years of age,


and I don’t find youths intimidating, threat- ening, rude or unkind. I wish I could say the same for their elders. I had a serious acci- dent in 2011 and since then have walked with crutches. Do older people hold doors for me, give up their seat for me? Very rarely. On the contrary, youngsters invari- ably do. Why can’t more people remember that


they weren’t always old and miserable, en- joyed meeting their friends and generally enjoyed life. Yes, youth is loud, brash, a lit- tle bit frightening. But, then, weren’t we all! DavidWoodcock,Willington Street, Maidstone


Save our bluebell wood DEAR Sir –Howmany residents realise that part of the development off Hermitage Lane involves building on a bluebell wood, which is in fact on the council’s list of an- cient woodland and therefore protected under government legislation? I understand this was not on the original


plans, but was quietly voted through as an expanded scheme, hoping, no doubt, that it would not be noticed until it was too late. This woodland is being cut back dramati-


cally, with two access roads running through it. Once done, it will never recover and wildlife will be lost forever. When every empty house and suitable building is used for homes, and land which is not part of our national heritage is built on, then it could be considered a necessity to use sites such as the bluebell wood, but at


the moment that is not the case. If you care about keeping our green spaces, please petition the local authority to stop this from happening. Patricia Fyfe, HalsteadWalk


Bus lane would lead to jams Dear Sir – As regards the Loose bus lane plan, not all drivers going in to Maidstone are going on a little shopping jaunt or to work in the town centre or to school. Many are crossing town to go to work fur-


ther afield, so a single ordinary bus trip in and out is not an option, especially if their working hours are longer. Any bottleneck leads to long tailbacks, which can be seen anywhere you care to look, not only on motorways. Traffic lights have a similar effect. This idea is badly thought out, having


very little benefit, and will lead to severe congestion at the very time all these extra housing and business developments are being planned,which will increase the traf- fic burden on the roads inMaidstone. Sadly, it seems the town council is pursu-


ing as many housing and other develop- ment as possible, without regard to the problems for people negotiating Maid- stone’s inadequate transport infrastructure, especially when developers dangle finan- cially rewarding carrots in front of them. More high quality, reliable park-and-ride schemes strategically placed (eg south of Maidstone) with additional bus routes to cover more areas and times, not all just going to the town centre, would encourage people to use buses more. But with the costs, pigs might fly.


Mrs J Davies, by email


Part of me is gone Dear Sir – I would just like to thank Mr G Judge for his comments on Cobtree Park in last month’s Downs Mail. At last, someone who agrees with me. I have been walking in the park since


1984. I used to enjoy the peace, and the wildlife was a treat to watch. A fox ate out of my hand and a robin metme every morn- ing for his food. Now the fox has gone and my seed feeders have been pulled to bits. It breaks my heart to see such a lovely park ruined. All you see now is rubbish at every turn. The families turn up at weekends and are only interested in breaking the trees. Everyone moans about dog poo, which I


find hard to find, but on several occasions I have taken my dogs home covered in human waste. I am afraid I don’t go as often now, and it


feels like part of me is gone. Linda Rochester, by email


Park big enough for all Dear Sir – As an occasional user of Cobtree Manor Park, both before the recent changes and since, I was amazed at the letter from G. Judge in a recent edition of Downs Mail. Before, it was a rundown park with little


to commend it, and now it is becoming a placeworth visiting, both for those wanting peace and quiet and families wanting an imaginative play area. Statements made by Mr Judge are just patently untrue (“litter strewn throughout the park andwoods”, “horrendous amounts of dog mess”, “cafe prices are exorbitant”) or unproven (“the wildlife of the park has been depleted”). The park is very large, and we find there


is ample room to accommodate both those wanting a good play area and those wanting peace and quiet. Malcolm Luxton, Chestnut Street, Borden


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