Adrian keeps on running


A DEDICATED Walderslade athlete has greatly exceeded his fundraising target to donate to cancer research, but is still de- termined to do more. Adrian Line (45), of Oaks


Gidds Pond residents have issues with parking proposals


Gidds Pond residents demand visitor parking


RESIDENTS in Gidds Pond say the proposed car park needs to accommodate not only two cars per household, but allow for visitors to the cottages. Anna Gray, who lives in one


of the eight cottages, said: “It would not be acceptable to ar- rive home late at night and find therewerenospacesleft to park.” A spokesman for DHA Plan-


ning, the applicants’ agent, said: “A public exhibition was held at the Hilton Hotel. All the residents of Gidds Pond Cottages were notified individ- ually and many attended the consultation event. The pro- posed car park for the resi- dents was created as a direct


result of the consultation which took place with resi- dents. “We have at all times sought


to engage with the local com- munity, firstly over the pro- posals for Kent Institute of Medicine & Surgery, which will bring world class medical facilities to Kent, and, subse- quently over the wider plans to create the Maidstone Med- ical Campus being brought for- ward by landownerMaidstone Medical Campus Ltd.” The residents refute claims


that the hospital will add to the character of the area. Mrs Gray said: “The area has


been spoilt and eroded at the expense of other issues.”


Medical campus plan Continued from page one


As well as the fear of being overlooked by the new devel- opment, residents are con- cerned about the amount of traffic that will be generated – and increased levels of noise and air pollution. The cottages are shielded by


trees to the rear and residents are opposed to any develop- ment higher than a single storey. But the proposal is for blocks of up to four storeys high.


Although Bearsted Road is designated a B road, it is rap- idly becoming like an A road, where traffic is both heavy and fast, claimsMrs Gray.


She wants an assurance that


the preservation orders on trees to the land north of Bearsted Road are still current and a guarantee that all the ex- isting trees to the back of their properties will remain, in- cluding a large oak tree that could act as a buffer during the construction phase. The Maidstone Medical Campus – www.maidstone- medical.co.uk – is intended to be a world leader in training and treatment. The plan is to link the campus with hospi- tals and universities around the globe, providing a centre of excellence for education and training.


Train fares are on the up again


COMMUTERS could face another massive hike in fares in the NewYear – putting the cost of an annual season ticket to London above £4,000 from Bearsted andMaidstone.


The Trades Union Congress is already protesting at stations around the


county, claiming that the cost of rail travel will have gone up by 40.1% in six years, while average earnings only rose by 15.16%.


Commuters travelling from Bearsted and Maidstone East could pay around£400amonth or £4,184and£4,122respectively if the anticipated fare increase of 4.1%was to be applied in January.


Train operators can increase fares by July’s Retail Price Index – which


was 3.1%- plus 1%. Theexact fare increases will notbeannounced untilDecemberbut could


be a bitter Christmas present for the thousands of commuters from Kent who travel daily up to the City forwork.


TheAssociation of TrainOperating Companies says that increasesabove inflation are needed to support investment in new trains, better stations and faster services.


20 East


Dene, was told by his friend Kate in June 2012 that she had been diagnosed with terminal breast cancer. He decided to support her by running a series of four half-marathon races that should have ended in April. Having completed events in Canterbury, Maidstone and Lydd, wearing a sign saying he was running for MY MATE KATE, injury prevented Adrian from completing his final scheduled event in Plymouth. Undaunted, he entered the London 10K on May 27, com- pleting the course and taking the money he raised to over £2,000, around 250% more than his original target of £800. Adrian will continue running


to raise money completing the series with the 2014 London 10K. He also hopes to get an entry into next year’s London Marathon. Adrian said: “It was life changing for me being able to


PEOPLE might complain about parking problems in Maidstone – but the price they pay for over- staying their welcome is just the tip of the iceberg, compared to many other parts of Kent. Figures released by the RAC Foundation reveal that Canter- bury City Council raked inmore than £2.5m in parking fees and fines between 2011 and 2012 – while Maidstone’s was a little more than half a million. Almost all of the local coun-


cils in Kent boosted their profits from parking charges and fines in the same period, with Canter- bury and TunbridgeWells prof- iting the most. Only Thanet and Shepway


saw a drop in income from on and off-street parking. Maidstone’s income rose from £495,000 to £557,000 – a rise of £62,000 and a snip compared to Canterbury’s leap of £400,000, putting its total income for the same period up to £2,564,000. TunbridgeWells climbed from £2,356,000 to £2,490,000 – an increase of £134,000.


DETLING and West Malling’s crucial role in the Battle of Britain is described in a new booklet written by a war veteran from Maidstone. The airfields and the part they played in winning the war of the sky over the South East in 1940 were pivotal in preventing a seabourne German invasion. Fight for the Skies – The Battle


of Britain, 1940 – has been written by Maidstone author Dick Collinson, from Anglesey Avenue. Dick, a former Naval man, will


Adrian Line raised £2,000


run to raise money for Kate. I have had a complete lifestyle change and a massive feeling of satisfaction knowing Iwas able to do something to help oth- ers.”


Anyone wishing to donate money to cancer research via Adrian’s Just Giving page can find it at: https://www.justgiv- ing.com/Adrian-Line1.


Parking income soars in Kent Medway, which also tops the


£2m mark for parking in- come, saw an increase of £80,000 to £2,090,000 and Sevenoaks from £1,431,000 to £1,568,000. Nationally, Westminster City Council pulls in the most money from car parking charges and fines – a staggering £41m a year.


Professor Stephen Glaister, di-


rector of the RAC Foundation, said: “For many local authori- ties, parking charges are a nice little earner. “Hundreds of millions of pounds are being contributed annually to council coffers through parking charges.” But he added: “Drivers who


are paying them have a reason- able expectation to see the cash spent on improving the roads.”


Recently, Barnet Council was panned by a High Court Judge for acting illegally in trying to set charges to raise revenue, rather than as part of traffic management.


Fight for the Skies booklet on target Dick


Collinson


share any profit on sales with Armed Forces’ charities. The 48-page booklet costs £5


and is available from Lucky’s Newsagents, Boughton Parade, Loose Road and Loose Post Office.


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