Co-op plan is ‘devastating’
THE worst fears of Lenham busi- nesses were realised when Co- operative Group Ltd submitted a plan for a convenience store in the village. Three petitions containing
over 1,000 signatures objected to the scheme in Faversham Road when it was first mooted almost a year ago, and over 100 people attended a public meeting. But an application for a retail
store and four flats on the site of the Lenham Ironmongers,which was damaged in an arson attack three years ago, has been submit- ted to Maidstone Council. A consortium including- Matthew Cockell, owner of the existing convenience store in The Square, planned to buy the site to enable Lenham Ironmon- gers to return and to establish af-
fordable housing. But it emerged that the site was not up for sale, after landlords Ramac revealed the proposal for a 250sqm Co-op retail unit and flats was already well advanced. Mr Cockell said: “We are dev- astated that the plans have gone in, after the result from the pub- lic meeting last year.We thought Ramac/Co-op understood the mood of the village on the pro- posal and may have looked to bow out, but obviously not. “It could be the start of the de-
mise of our beautiful village. It makes our future here uncertain, along with many of the other in- dependent shops here. We will fight it with everything we can.” Several local businesses stand
to be affected by the develop- ment and insist Lenham did not
Nursery ‘graduates’ move on
A DAY nursery in Turkey Mill, Maidstone held a special grad- uation ceremony for the children about to leave for school. Thekidsunlimited nursery’spre-schoolers–aged4-5 years
–were due to start school this month so the nursery held the celebration to say goodbye andwish them the best of luck as theymoved on. The childrenwore gowns and mortarboards and took turns
to collect a scroll and teddy bear from the nursery staff. All the parents enjoyed an afternoon picnic in the garden. AmyRooney, nursery manageratkidsunlimited Maidstone,
said: “It was a great day here at the nursery, one filled with tears, smiles and laughter. It’s very important to recognise this huge milestone in the children’s life as they prepare to take the next step.”
Some of the kidsunlimited ‘graduates’ pose for a final picture at nursery
need another convenience store. Co-op claims market research showed 18% of people in Lenham did their food shopping online – four times the national average – and almost all of the 375 people interviewed did their shopping away from the village. However, there are fears that
the new supermarket will dam- age the viability of local shops, including the newsagent, the greengrocer and the butcher – as well as causing the closure of the GDC dance school on the site. Mr Cockell added: “Our best
angle to fight the plans is the ac- cess for their deliveries and park- ing highways issues.” To comment on the scheme, go
to the planning section of Maid- stone Council’s website and type in application reference 13/1571.
Woodland gets
funding boost BEARSTED Woodland Trust was one of six community proj- ects awarded funding from Maidstone Council’s Pride in Maidstone fund. The £70,000 fund, which was awarded in two rounds, was launched by the council to help build strong communities, tackle disadvantage and in- crease employment opportuni- ties in the borough. Pauline Moore, who died in August last year, had fiercely protected her land from devel- opers for over 40 years. Now in the care of the Bearsted Wood- land Trust, the £4,500 award will provide signs to help visi- tors make the most of her legacy. Full list of winners:
The Symbol Trust – The Hopshed (£11,315) Crossroads CareWest Kent – Young Carers Sporting Chal- lenge (£6,825) BearstedWoodland Trust – Custodians of Miss Pauline Moore’s Meadows (£4,500) Maidstone Special Needs Support Service – M4S Create (£4,345) Maidstone United Football Club – United for a Better Maidstone (£3,975) Beanstalk – Confident and Literate Children in Maid- stone (£1,833).
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