Planning fears over homes shortfall Continued from page one


130 homes on the site of the former MAP depot in Marden, despite it being contrary to the borough’s development plan as it was located partly in open countryside. It is now feared that the council will be unable to prevent housing developments in open countryside. Principal planning offi- cer Chris Hawkins admitted at a recent planning committee meeting that “specu- lative applications can now be submitted”. He added: “The lack of a five-year housing supply makes it in principle hard for us to object to housing development in green- field sites outside the village envelope.” Cllr Lesley Mannington, a member of Marden Parish Council, told the planning committee: “Marden Parish Council de- plores and regrets that Maidstone Borough Council has left itself, the parish council and residents of the parish in the position where there is no planning policy in place under which the suitability of this site compared to other sites in and around the village can be compared on a consistent and fair basis. “Marden Parish Council is not opposed


to sensible and sensitive development in the village, which has been designated a rural service centre. However, whatever de- velopment is eventually permitted there is urgent requirement of a village wide infra- structure study to be reported before it takes place. “The lack of a local plan has opened up a developers’ charter and Maidstone Bor- ough Council in its delay has left itself wide open for premature development, particularly in a rural service centre like Marden.” In theory theMarden decision may have


Golf part of


plan for park GOLFERS could get the chance to learn aboutMaidstone’s her- itage while playing a round, if plans for Mote Park go ahead. An adventure golf course is


just one idea being considered to develop the park’s earning potential. Others include an ar- tificial ice rink, a café and a conference centre. Cllr Malcolm Greer said the


golf course, which would tell the history of Maidstone from marshland to the millennium, would increase visitors to the park. He also hoped the confer- ence centre could be a licensed wedding venue. Cllr Greer told the town’s business forum: “We need to look at franchising and increas- ing the earning potential of our assets. We need to make Maid- stone some money and Mote Park could be a big earner.” Cllr Greer said the plans would include more parking, plus signs around the town, to help visitors find attractions. With 400 people due to start


work at the KIMS hospital next year and plans for the redevel- opment of Notcutts, Cllr Greer said he was hoping a circular bus service could link Notcutts, KIMS, the town centre and the proposed Next at Home store.


12 East


cut the unmet five-year land supply by over 30% but Chris Garland, the council leader, said the reality was that the borough would be unable to defend applications until a concrete figure is established in the adopted core strategy. After a call for sites in February, the cab-


inet will decide which ones it will allocate for housing in September. The number will be based on a higher target of 14,800 dwellings between 2011 and 2031. Following a six-week public consultation


the sites will eventually be decided by the full council before being signed off by the Government, hopefully by next summer.


COMMUNITY groups and parish councils are being asked to come up with a list of “brown- field” sites that couldbedeveloped for housing. The Lib Dem opposition on Maidstone Coun-


cil is concerned that the Conservative call for sites has resulted in mostly green field sites being put forward fordevelopment, whileempty office blocks andderelicturban spaces remain untouched. Now, Cllr Tony Harwood, Lib Dem planning


spokesman, is calling on local people, parish councils and community groups to send him suggestions. He is especially keen to hear of empty office


blocksand under-usedurban spaces that could be adapted for housing. At the same time, he will also ask local people to identify agricultural or amenity space in theirarea thatmustbepro- tected. LibDemparliamentary spokesman for Maid-


stone and theWeald, Jasper Gerrard, said: “At present,many emptyofficeblocks,warehouses etc are not going to count against the 14,800


He said: “We need to get our local plan


in place butwe have to do it responsibly so we can get it right first time. Any delays to the process will result in more speculative applications coming forward.” Cllr Tony Harwood, the Lib Dem plan-


ning spokesman, said the council was pay- ing for taking a “laissez faire” approach to regeneration policies. He said: “There are still significant amounts of land across our town, villages and hamlets requiring re- generation and modernisation which will now just be left to rot because developers have been, quite deliberately, allowed to pursue a ‘greenfield first’ approach.”


Lib Dem call for brownfield sites


housing target, because developers are trying to get permission on green field sites first, knowing they can easily go back later and get permission on these previously developed sites.”


Armed with this information, the group in-


tends to produce what it claims is a “more en- vironmentally-friendly” local plan. “Maidstone and its villages deserve proper planning,” said Jasper Gerard. “Because green fields are cheaper to build on, these are what developers are putting forward – knowing full well they will later also get permission to con- vert the office blocks and disused ware- houses.” Cllr Harwood added: “Though derelict sites


across our townand villages remain ripe for re- generation, toomanydevelopers onlyhaveeyes for lucrative greenfield sites. “We believe that a broad coalition can inject


somecommonsense intotheplanning process and force the borough council down a more sustainable road.”


Busy Bees pre-school’s farewell to staff


THREE BusyBees have decided to stretch their wings and ‘buzz off’ for the final time from a Bearsted children’s pre-school group. The St Peter’s Busy Bees nurs-


ery, which meets in St Peter’s Church Hall, Button Lane, has seen thousands of children pass through its doors. Andnurseryworker Judy Holland


has probablymet most of them! Judy, from Weavering, said


farewell to the current batch of children on the last day of term after 27 yearsworking for the pre- school group and was presented


with flowers, plants for the garden and champagne by grateful par- ents and fellowstaff. Also receiving a bounty of gifts


were Donna Chadwick, from Tasker Close, Bearsted, and Louise Baker, from Sandy Mount. Donna has worked with the Busy Bees for 14 years and Louise 13. Judy said: “My children came


here and some of the children I looked after now send their own children here! Carol Swan, who runs the nurs-


ery, thankedthe trio for their years of hardwork and dedication. She told the assembled guests:


“They have given our children sup- portandagreat start in lifeandwe should be very grateful to them.”


Apprentice scheme to boost jobs


APPRENTICES in Maidstone are reaping the benefits of a gov- ernment-funded initiative, which aims to produce an addi- tional 100,000 engineering tech- nicians by 2018. The Arriva bus company, in Armstrong Road, is one of the many companies to benefit from a scheme to offer subsidies to- wards apprentices’ pay. They are just some of the 1,600 youngsters who have foundwork in the borough in the past year under the initiative. Catherine Bearder, MEP for


the South East, visited Maid- stone to tell more businesses


about its benefits and visited the Arriva’s Armstrong Road HQwith Lib Dem parliamentary spokesman Jasper Gerard and Maidstone South councillor Derek Mortimer. They are pic- tured with Arriva staff. Apprenticeship funding is


available from the National Ap- prenticeship Service. The size of the contribution varies and is dependent on sector and age. Employers of apprentices aged 16–18 receive 100% of the cost of their training; 19-23 year olds attract 50% funding.


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