Meeting over solar farm postponed


APUBLICmeeting that would have allowed Headcorn residents to view plans for a solar farm in their village has been postponed until September. The event was organised by Solar Securi-


ties, which submitted a screening opinion to Maidstone Council indicating it wished to erect 112,008 solar panels at Great Tong Farm. However, Solar Securities has told Downs Mail the design of the farm is being changed and there are likely to be fewer panels than initially proposed. Executive director Kelly Edwards said the southern part of the array would be deleted from the plans, but could not say how many panels would be removed. The public meeting was due to take place


at The Weald of Kent Golf Course in July, but borough Cllr Richard Lusty, chairman of Maidstone Council’s planning committee, received a letter from the firm saying the date had been put back. Cllr Lusty told DownsMail: “They toldme they’d had a lot of comments from local people and they


Parish car park


to ease traffic THE new parish car park next to the school and recreation ground in Vicarage Lane, East Farleigh, will be open before the start of the school term in September. Serious traffic problems in


the lane at peak times have con- cerned the parish council and residents for years and were highlighted in the parish plan document. For about two years the Parish Plan Action Group has been looking for a solution. Now the parish council has bought land south of the school and current funding has en- abled construction work to allow the 72 parking spaces to come in to use. Initially parking will be on crushed concrete and this sur- face will be improved once fur- ther funding is in place. Drivers dropping off or pick-


ing up pupils will be expected to use the cark park. Police, who have helped resolve many problems in the past, will often be on duty to try to ensure use of the new car park goes smoothly. The parish council is hoping


to avoid the use of yellow lines in the lane - but they are still an option.


wanted to take those comments into con- sideration.” One of those people was Ulcombe Road resident Shellina Prendergast, who gave DownsMail a copy of a long letter she sent to Solar Securities on behalf of herself and a “significant” number of residents. Ms Prendergast claimed wildlife including barn owls, dormice and great crested newts would be harmed by the proposal, produc- tive agricultural land would be lost and views from footpaths and listed buildings would be ruined. She said: “While we support the develop-


ment of renewable energy, we feel very strongly indeed that this should be sited in brownfield areas, not in viable greenfield lo- cations in the garden of England.” The residents asked Maidstone Council to reconsider its decision that Solar Securities did not need to carry out an environmental impact assessment before submitting a plan- ning application and called for the land to be designated as an SSSI (Site of Special


Girls rewarded for their


work in community TALENTED and community-minded young people from across the Maidstone area have been recognised at the annual Try Angle awards, organised by KCC. Two youngsters from the south of Maidstone, who


were among the eight winners, received their awards during a celebration evening at the Hazlitt Theatre. KatieBishopwonthe volunteeringandservice tothe community award, presented by Alexa Kersting- Woods, from Kent Fire and Rescue Service. Katie, from Coxheath, is a member of Kent Youth County Council, a senior member with Maidstone YouthProject, a writer for The Vibe magazine, co-chair of MaidstoneYouth Advisory Group,apolice cadet, has been part of the interview team for the youth police commissioner, trained for young inspectors, com- pleted the Dance LeadershipAward and helped teach the project's dance crew. A spokesman for Maidstone Youth Project said:


“Katie is bright, mature, positive and always willing to help out when she can. She takes each role she has seriouslyandis always trying to connecteverything to- gether. She rarely says no, and takes on every new challenge with positivity.She is a fantastic role model and an asset to the project.”


COUNCILLORS inWest Farleigh have scrapped the idea of putting “speed-reducing” demarcation gates into the village. The white gates mark the vil-


lage boundaries and have re- cently been installed in neighbouring East Farleigh. However, West Farleigh Parish Council agreed that the


LETTERS TO THE EDITOR


Bring cannon back to town Dear Sir – Iwas shocked when the bus Iwas on rounded the corner from the one-way bridge system into the High Street, only to see that the cannon was no longer there. I have lived in Maidstone all my life, and


have spent many a wait for the bus sitting on the cannon’s plinth. I have read the in- scription surrounding it, but cannot recall what it said. I think it was gifted to Maid- stone after being captured from the Rus- sians. I wonder whether it will be returned to its rightful spot?


24 South


Scientific Interest) or a conservation area. Solar Securities spokesman Rupert War-


wick confirmed the meeting would be in September and said residents and council- lors would be notified as soon as the date was decided. An initial public consultation took place in June. Mr Warwick said: “Following comments


from the local community, it is clear the sec- ond consultation event for the proposed Great Tong Farm solar fields is best resched- uled for a date in September, after the holi- day period.” Last month,William Day,who owns Great


Tong Farm, told Downs Mail he sympa- thised with people’s concerns about the vi- sual impact of the solar farm, but stressed it was a temporary 25-year set-up that could be removed at any time, and said the move was necessary for the future of his business and energy production. The panels would be built over several of Mr Day’s fields, al- most amile north of Headcorn, between the A274Maidstone Road and Stickfast Lane.


Bethany Simpson and Katie Bishop The personal development awardwas presented by


Sam Lain-Rose, from Staplehurst Parish Council, to Bethany Simpson, from Loose. Beth takes part in many activities including Hazlitt


Youth Theatre, dance and Maidstone Youth Project. Shehas helped the projectwithmany things including young inspectors training, dance leadership course, Try Angles andmore. Katie and Bethany were also two of the four hosts


and readers for the evening. The eight winners will go forward to the Spirit of Try


Angle Awards, which highlights the best of the nomi- nations received from across Kent and Medway


Speed-reducing village gates are scrapped


matter was costly and difficult. Even though County Cllr Paulina Stockell had offered to help fund the gates from her members’ highway budget, the council decided itwould be dif- ficult to find appropriate loca- tions as the gates had to be erected on wide verges, which were rare inWest Farleigh.


Church fete YALDING’s annual church fete is on September 7 this year. The St Peter and St Paul fete,


in the church and grounds, is the biggest fundraising event of the year. There will be stalls, fun and games, afternoon tea, a barbe- cue and much more – all get- ting underway at 1pm.


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


I wanted to put my point across as I am saddened that such a landmark has gone. I hope that it will be returned. Vicky Simmons, Edmund Close, Maidstone


Editor’s note: As reported in May’s Downs Mail, the cannon is being repositioned into a new paved open space as part of Maid- stone Council’s High Street regeneration scheme. This will involve its temporary re- moval and demolition and reconstruction of the stone plinth, using the existing mate- rials wherever possible. The cannon will then be re-sited on the reinstated plinth.


Praise after hospital stay Dear Sir–Ihave just had to spend six days in Maidstone Hospital. I was treated by everyone there with the utmost courtesy and consideration. The food was appetising and the whole building gleamed with cleanliness. Some bad things have been said about our hospital, but I felt I had to write to say that my experience was as good as it could have been.


JoyceWinning, Howard Drive, Maidstone


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


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