Plans in place to reduce winter woes


MEASURES have been taken to avoid a re- peat of the worst effects of last winter's snow and ice chaos. Kent Highway Services (KHS) was criti-


cised in some quarters for the way it coped with the worst winter weather for 30 years. But lessons have been learned. One is that


the county council has to work more closely with district authorities such as Maidstone. Another is the need for better communica- tion with the public. Parishes will also be provided with more salt.


Jewellery skills feature in artists’ exhibition


SILVER and woven jewellery is among the work of five Kent artists which has gone on show at the Hazlitt Arts Centre, Maidstone. They include Holly Bridgestock-Perris, a qual-


ified veterinary nurse who has transposed her love of animals into horse plaques, and her mother Gill Bridgestock, who produces fine sil- ver crocheted and woven jewellery. Also on display are framed wood engravings by


Sue Scullard and silverwork by Mary Larkin under her “Muriel and Lily” trading name. KirstenMoore, from Kings Hill, is also showing


her range of fine jewellery. The Craft Cases are run by Patsy Dixon of Kings Hill-based Liberty Gallery in conjunction with Maidstone Borough Council. The work will also form part of the Contempo-


YOUNG people are being warned to keep their mobile phones out of sight following a robbery in Maidstone. Following an investigation by Mid Kent’s Area


Major Enquiry Team, two 14-year-old girls from the town have been charged with robbery after the incident, which happened in an alleyway just off Essex Road. Senior investigating officer Det Insp Susie Harper urged young people to be safety conscious when using their mobiles in public. “Recent research shows that about half of all


street crime offences involves the theft of mobile phones and in about a third of all these crimes the only item targeted and stolen is the mobile. In Kent alone about 500 mobile phones are reported stolen each month,” she said. “Statistics also show that young people are the


most likely age group to have their mobiles stolen and often the offenders are also young people,” she added.


The artists with some of their work


rary Art, Craft and Design exhibition being held in the Graham Clarke Gallery at the centre from November 29 to January 4.


Mobile phone crime warning to young people


Most thefts and robberies of mobile phones are opportunist. Det Insp Harper said: “Make a note of the Inter- nationalMobile Equipment Identifier (IMEI) num- ber, the unique reference number given to all phones.We need this when you report it stolen. It also enables us to return your phone if we do find it.”


The IMEI number is a 14 to 17 digit number which can usually be found on an identification sticker on the phone itself or by pressing *#06#. Mobile phone thefts should also be reported to


your network provider so they can block the SIM card and handset,making the phone useless to the thief. Det Insp Harper said: “Mobile phones can be


high value but there is also the hassle factor of los- ing stored numbers,messages and pictures to con- sider. But just by being a little more safety conscious people are less likely to fall prey to this type of crime.”


Careful planning CHAIRMAN Vianne Gibbons asked all members to think carefully about the budgets that have to be in by the end of No- vember and to think about plan- ning for at least the next three years. It was unanimously agreed


that members would not take any allowances for 2011-12. Out-of-pocket expenses would continue to be reimbursed. The chairman’s allowance would be set at £150. Problems were reported at


Loose Amenity Association’s annual meeting when young people were running in and out during the meeting and the po- lice were called. Patrols were to


DownsMail In touch with your parish Loose Council


be increased in the area during Hallowe’en and bonfire night. PCSO Richard Chainey said


five crimes had been reported in the previous month: theft of a farm trailer from Filmers Farm and resulting criminal damage to a fence at Ambridge Oast; criminal damage to a car at Car- mens Close; two shed break-ins, one with nothing stolen, and in the other a knife was taken. Reports had also been made


about youths hanging around the building site in Pickering Street, making excessive noise and being verbally abusive. An ASB car should be visiting the area and the security of the building site would be looked into.


The PCSO also mentioned that a 13-year-old had been


beaten up in the valley that night and urged anyone who saw anti-social behaviour to re- port it, with descriptions of the offenders if possible. It was reported that problems continued with regard to the building site in Pickering Street with mud on the road and the corner adjacent to the Scout HQ being eroded by large vehicles. The importance of pedestrian


safety was raised. The clerk was askedtofollowthismatterup once againwith KentHighways. The clerk reported a phone


call received in respect of the land adjacent to Salts Avenue that had now been bought by Boughton Monchelsea Ameni- ties Trust and to composting that was being done by farmers, causing a smell from the site.


An online survey earlier this year identi-


fied a concern about the treatment and clearance of pavements. Many town and vil- lage centre pavements remained largely un- treated and in a treacherous state for several weeks. Scores of ice-fall victims had to be treated at Maidstone Hospital. It was felt at the time that the borough's


street cleaners could have been diverted to snow-clearing tasks. Now, a new KHS winter service policy states that district council staffwill be com-


missioned to clear footways, after agree- ment at director level. A KHS spokesman said the following


snow emergency plans have been agreed for Maidstone: a priority list of footpaths in the town


centre and other key shopping areas will be cleared 100 borough council staff could be avail-


able if they are unable to carry out their nor- mal duties plant includes a small gritter, JCB, access


to tractors and trailers and var- ious 4x4 vehicles the council can store a quantity of salt at its Bircholt depot, Parkwood At Maidstone’s Joint Trans- portation Board, Cllr Malcolm Robertson said KHS officers had done a superb job in tack- ling the issues raised last win- ter. A database of critical locations, such as schools, doc- tors’ surgeries and old folks’ homes, had been drawn up. He was confident it would be a “different story” if heavy snow fell this winter. JTB chairman Cllr Gary


Cooke said the county had ad- mitted being slow off the mark but had quickly made amends with this new policy. Meanwhile, many parish councils have requested extra salt bins for the coming winter. These are being allocated on the existing priority point-scor- ing system. One of the losers is Harriet-


sham,whose four requests were rejected. But funding has been approved for bins in Stoneacre Lane, Otham; Murrain Drive, Downswood; and Brogden Crescent, Leeds. In addition, the provision of one-tonne bags of a sand/salt mix for parishes will be tri- alled.


Loose homes plan KING & Johnston Homes has applied to replace existing homes with six new houses at 46 Salts Avenue, Loose.


With regard to the Loose


Youth Group, it was agreed that the parish council should em- ploy the YMCA, with the funds already available, to run it with volunteers and for three adult members to be present at any meeting. It was reported that silt had


built up in the pond and mill- race after being washed in from the roads. It was decided that Maidstone Council should be invited to visit Loose to give members of the public the chance to voice any concerns about the new weekly food waste collection service. The chairman is going to try


to organise an open forum prior to the parish council’s meeting in January 2011.


You can e-mail the Downs Mail — info@downsmail.co.uk Town 47


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