Grim prospects for town economy


THE outlook for Maidstone's public sector- dominated economy is “grim” as hundreds of council workers await the full impact of the Government's austerity measures. A third of the workforce is employed by


one of the several local authorities. Maid- stone Council, KCC, the police and fire serv- ices all have their headquarters in the town, and hundreds more are on NHS payroll. Talks are under way with staff about the


future shape of council services. Many will be holding their breath about the long-term prospects as Chancellor George Osborne ex- pects councils to cut their spending bymore than 25% over the next four years. By 2014,


County FA sees its new HQ opened


THE Kent County FA’s new £1.2m at Cob- down Park, Aylesford, has been officially opened. The ceremony was performed by Mid


Kent MP and Minister for Sport Hugh Robertson, who unveiled a plaque at Invicta House. He told guests: "I am extremely proud that


such an amazing hub of grassroots football exists in my home county of Kent. “There is no doubt that Kent FA is lead-


ing the way in football development across the whole country, and this building will help to continue the great work already being achieved." Guests included Kent FA staff and direc-


tors, along with the architects and builders who made Invicta House a reality. Tributes were paid to KCFA chairman


Barry Bright and retiring chief executive Keith Masters for their dedication in over- seeing the move from cramped premises in Chatham to Cobdown. The Bishop of Dover, the Rt Reverend


Trevor Willmott, was also present to bless the new building.


Facelift for school LUNSFORD Primary School in Swallow Road, Larkfield, is set for a facelift. The governors have asked Tonbridge and Malling Council to approve plans for an extension at the front to provide an improved reception area and increase staff accommodation. The scheme also includes an administration office, confer- ence area for the headteacher and a teaching room.


KCFA’s new headquarters at Aylesford


Law with a brush is help for home Led by marketing manager


CHILDREN in a residential home now have an activity room to relax in thanks to a team of Kings Hill-based lawyers. Staff from Vertex Law worked


hard to convert the room in just one day. The firm paid for the work


and the team gave up part of their weekend to complete the project at Hornbeam House, at Smeeth, near Ashford.


A QUARRY firm’s plans to dig up ancient woodland at Oaken Wood have been op- posed by Tonbridge and Malling council- lors.


Proposals by Gallagher Aggregates to ex-


tract a million tonnes of aggregate a year from the site, near its existing quarry at Hermitage Lane, Barming, had sparked protests from residents and conservation- ists.


Councillors voted against the proposal


as it involved the loss of ancient woodland and said this should not be allowed unless Kent County Council established an over- riding need for the ragstone which could not be met from elsewhere. KCC may still approve the development and should this happen, Tonbridge and


12 Malling


Hazel Dermody, volunteers were Janine Filmer, Jo Owen and her mother Jane, Katie Jones and Caroline Young, as well as Hazel’s fiancé Neil Pet- titt and his parents, Kay and David. The home is run by the Calde-


cott Foundation charity which Vertex will be supporting until after its centenary anniversary in October 2011.


Malling councillors wished to see several conditions attached. These included con- trols over the frequency and times of blast- ing, monitoring of dust and noise pollution, and the routes of HGVs, as well as ecological measures and restoration work.


Gallaghers said therewas no overall loss


as the land was only borrowed. The com- pany pledged to restore the land which would eventually result in a significant enhancement. The current quarry has re- serves until about 2014, working at current rates, and the extra 74 acres would extend this by a further 23 years. Members had deferred their decision


until they had visited the site. Cllr Anita Oakley was concerned that


Sports minister Hugh Robertson (centre) with KCFA chief executive Keith Masters and chairman Barry Bright after the plaque unveiling.


Maidstone aims to have reduced its current £23m budget by £6m. Council leader Chris Garland said Mr Osborne's comprehensive spending review was broadly in line with what the council had assumed in its budget calculations. But the fine detail will not emerge until next month. Lib Dem leader Fran Wilson told the Downs Mail: "It will be grim. A third of our workforce is in the public sector. If we are all taking a serious hit – and 25% is the av- erage – that will impact on our second biggest industry, retail and leisure. "I can't see where we can pick up those


lost jobs." The council's chief officers and members


are working towards setting next March's budget and, in particular, which services they should provide and the ones they can- not afford. Town Centre Manager Bill Moss said:


“With so many public sector workers living in Maidstone, it would seem that the town will probably be hit harder than others in the county.” But he added: “Fortunately, Maidstone is


Kent’s biggest shopping town, and the mix of specialist independent shops and leading high street names means that customers come from far and wide to shop here. “Maidstone entered the reces-


sion from a position of strength and has perhaps not suffered as much as many other town cen- tres, so I’m pretty confident the town will weather the storm.”


Pupilscook up


£1,400 for Pudsey PUPILS at Kings Hill School raised more than £1,400 for Children in Need by baking and selling their own biscuits. All the children were given a Pudsey Bear biscuit cutter and recipes from ASDA to take home. Many of them baked bis- cuits and sold them to friends and family to raise money for this year’s appeal. The children also dressed in something spotty for the day and brought in an extra dona- tion for this privilege. Headteacher Kerry Thomas


said: “Our School was a really colourful place. Year 5 children also held a biscuit sale during morning break and Pudsey Bear came to collect our money which caused great excitement in the afternoon!”


Shopspartnership A SAFER Towns Partnership in which businesses rent a radio linked to other firms, CCTV and the police, is set to be rolled out to Snodland and Larkfield.


Co-ordinator Mandy Smith is


progressing the scheme inWest Malling after its launch in Ton- bridge and will expand it to the other areas as soon as possible. Traders share information to help prevent shoplifting.


Opposition wins the day in vote over woodland quarry plans


where existing measures had been taken to re-establish fields “they just look so ster- ile. There wasn’t a weed out of place.” She said: “My understanding of ancient woodland is that the soil structure of this particular site is unique and it’s the sub strata which makes the soil particularly special.” A site visit was due to be held at Oaken


Wood this Tuesday (December 7), followed by a public meeting at Oakwood House, off Tonbridge Road, Maidstone, attended by the KCC planning applications com- mittee, starting at 7pm. A KCC spokesman said: "The Gallagher application is unlikely to be considered by the committee until it meets on January 20, at the earliest."


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