4G ‘will boost
town business’ SUPER FAST 4G mobile Inter- net technology has arrived in Maidstone. The service from mobile phone network EE, which runs Orange and T-Mobile, makes Maidstone one of the best-con- nected areas in Europe. The 4G mobile service allows smart- phone users to surf the internet an average five times faster than the current 3G, EE said. Maidstone Council wel- comed the technology and be- lieved it would drive economic growth by improving business productivity, as well as making the area more attractive to busi- nesses and residents. Cllr Brian Moss, cabinet member for corporate services, said: “Now the latest generation of mobile technology has ar- rived, we are an areawhere it is even more attractive to live, to work and to do business.”
Dispute over land DISPUTE has been raised over whether land outside Old Cot- tages in Tovil Green is owned by Maidstone Council. The parish council agreed to
speak to Maidstone Council andwould seek to take over the land to protect it from develop- ment. Clerk Alison Chew said residents were in favour of the parish council taking responsi- bility for the land.
New bid for Sutton Road homes
THE prospect of almost 900 homes being built in the Sutton Road area of Maidstone has moved closer after another two planning applications were lodged. Downs Mail reported last month that Bellway Homes had applied for permission to build 186 homes on a 5.58 hectare site bordering Gore Court Road, Park Wood, to be known as Im- perial Park. Now, an outline planning ap- plication has been submitted to Maidstone Council to build up to 600 homes, a primary school, shops and a pub on fields south of Sutton Road, between Bir- cholt Road and Langley Park driving range. Developer Taylor
Wimpey also hopes to create a community centre, allotments and a nature conservation area at the 32 hectare development, known as Langley Park, and there is the potential for offices and a care home near the site entrance. It proposes creating a roundabout in Sutton Road leading to the site. A 10m wide “woodland buffer” is planned for the devel- opment’s western boundary to separate it from Parkwood In- dustrial Estate. Buildings will be mainly two and 2.5 storeys with some three storeys. They will vary in size and style. Redrow Homes has become
the third developer to formalise its interest in new housing off
APPRENTICES in Maidstone are reaping the ben- efits of a government-funded initiative, which aims to produce an additional 100,000 engineer- ing technicians by 2018. The Arriva bus company, in Armstrong Road, is
one of the many companies to benefit from a scheme to offer subsidies towards apprentices’ pay. They are just some of the 1,600 youngsters who
have found work in the borough in the past year under the initiative. Catherine Bearder, MEP for the South East, vis-
ited Maidstone to tell more businesses about its benefits and visited the Arriva’s Armstrong Road HQwith LibDemparliamentary spokesman Jasper Gerard and Maidstone South councillor Derek
Monumental Stonemasons Est. 1973
NAMM, BRAMM & NAMLC Registered
Mortimer. They are pictured with Arriva staff. Apprenticeship funding is available from the National Apprenticeship Service. The size of the contribution varies and is dependent on sector and age. Employers of apprentices aged 16–18 re- ceive 100% of the cost of their training; 19-23 year olds attract 50% funding.
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Sutton Road by submitting a screening opinion indicating it intends to apply for planning permission to build about 100 homes on 3.8 hectares of land to the east of Imperial Park. Redrow and Bellway say they are co-operating to ensure the developments proceed “in a co- ordinated manner”. The council’s emerging core strategy and local plan 2000 identified all three sites as suit- able for residential develop- ment. The council will determine both planning appli- cations and decide whether Redrow needs to carry out an environmental impact assess- ment before it can submit a full planning application.
Apprentice scheme to boost jobs
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