Report may hold clue to housing Windfall sites could satisfy five-year criteria
COUNCILLORS are asking to see a “secret” report from lawyers as part of a probe into controversial house-building schemes in the borough. Several major schemes could be under
threat following a Maidstone Council in- quiry into the availability of land, which some members say has been miscalculated. The argument revolves aroundwhether or
not the council has allowed for windfall sites in its assessment of housing land avail- ability, what precisely is classed as windfall – and whether or not there are likely to be any such sites. Figures produced by council officers
show a housing land availability of 4.2 years, but some members have argued that the inclusion of windfall sites would push it up to between five and seven years. Several important planning applications
– including the development of 130 homes on the former Maps site in Marden – have been granted due to the council’s failure to have a five-year land supply. Representatives of TaylorWimpey, which
wants to build 600 homes as part of a greater Langley Park development, were among those who packed the council cham- ber as the scrutiny committee pulled apart officers’ calculations. If figures on future land supply prove to
Brothers fined for under-age
alcohol sales TWO brothers who sold ciga- rettes and alcohol to youngsters at their shop in Vinters Park have been ordered to pay more than £6,000 in fines and court costs. The convictions followed an undercover investigation by Kent Trading Standards in March, using two volunteers aged 15 and 16. Erna Limited, trading as Capi-
tol Express, of Snowdon Parade, was convicted of selling ciga- rettes and alcohol to under-age children. The company’s direc- tors, Ferhat and Bulant Ok, who sold the items, were also fined for the offences. Trading standards manager Richard Strawson said: “Despite visits to advise the business of the importance of checking and verifying the age of people buy- ing age-restricted products, Bu- lant Ok sold cigarettes and a bottle ofWKDBluewithout ask- ing for age or identification.” The company and Ferhat Ok
were also fined for failing to dis- play notices warning that to- bacco products would not be supplied to those under 18. Together with costs, the com-
pany was fined £2,850 with a similar amount to be paid by Ferhat Ok. Bulant Ok was or- dered to pay a fine and costs to- talling £1,175. Capitol Express’ licence to sell alcohol was suspended for three months in June. KCC trading standards also applied to Maid- stone Council for a further re- view of the premises’ alcohol licence.
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KCC figures give an average of 320 windfall sites per annum in Maidstone – which would morethansatisfy theneed for further sites;only 74ayearwould be required to reachthe crucial five-year criteria. Chartered town planner Paul McCreery, who
wasbrought inby BoughtonMonchelseaParish Council, said: “I have been giving evidence for Maidstone borough since 1976, and every year it hasbeen said thatwindfall sites will run out–
be flawed, this – and several other big build- ing schemes, including those in Barming and Marden – could be shelved. It could mean the council was premature
when it released for development greenfield sites at Bridge Nursery, land east and west of Hermitage Lane, land north of Sutton Road and land north of Bicknor Road prior to completing its emerging Core Strategy. Boughton Monchelsea Parish Council sought top legal advice when details of the Langley Park scheme first emerged. As a re- sult, its QC, Christopher Lockhart Mum- mery, claimed officers had misdirected Maidstone Council into making incorrect planning decisions. The council sought its own advice, and barrister Megan Thomas took the opposite
but ifwe look at the data, windfall sites have in- creased. “It is abundantly clear tome that Maidstone
does have a five year land supply at this time.” The council’s head of planning, Rob Jarman,
said that current methodologywasmuchmore sophisticated and rigorous than in the past, so sites which may once have been classed as windfall hadalready been takenintoaccount in the council’s calculations.
view. However, it emerged at a meeting of the scrutiny committee that a second opin- ion was sought – and this one had not been revealed to members. Now, as part of a wider investigation into
the officers’ methodology, the committee has demanded to see the document – as well as information from other councils in Kent as to how they have calculated their own land availability. Officers argue their calculations must be
based on evidence if they are to hold water – and there is no evidence as to how many of these windfall sites there might be on an annual basis. The committee will reconvene once it has studied the data from other local authorities – and the “missing” report.
Residents campaign to save pub
TIME might have been called on a popular Bearsted pub that a devel- operwant to convert into housing. The former Old Plantation has
changed hands several times inre- cent years. It was on the market with pub sale specialists Guy Sim- monds in 2011 with an asking price of £35,000andannual rental of £42,000 but returned as unsold to Enterprise Inns. Morerecently, ithas beenonthe
market with Maidstone-based chartered surveyors Porters with an asking price of £500,000 and contracts have now been ex- changed. Developer Swift Roofing is un-
derstood to be keen to use the site for housing, retaining the Grade II listed property – but residents and real ale fans are fighting to retain their local pub. Residents are campaigning for
the council to list the pub as of ‘value to the community’under leg- islation introduced by the Govern- ment under the Localism Act last year.
This means that if the borough council considers the pub to be a valuable community asset, the sig- natories willbegivensixmonths to raise the necessary cash to buy it themselves.
ties an opportunity to keep these buildings in use and makes sure they stay asocialhub.” Assets of Community Value can include everything from shops and pubs to village halls and commu- nity centres which run the risk of closure but, given the right kind of support, can oncemore add to the vibrancy of a community. The Maidstone and Mid Kent
The pub was marketed with po-
tential for conversion, which at- tracted the interest of local builders.However, locals say it is a valuable community asset to resi- dents in the area who face a trek to other pubs on the Green or Ash- ford Road. A Government spokesman said:
“Previously, when local amenities have been threatened with sale or closure, community groups have taken them over. But, they faced big challenges and often needed more time to organise a bid and raise money than the private en- terprises bidding against them. The Right to Bid gives communi-
A STUDENT from Invicta Grammar School has helped Leeds Castle design a range of merchan- dise for the castle shops. The castle’s retail manager, Bob Needham
asked pupils to design a knight and princess. The winner was year 13 student Hannah Marno, whowas commissioned to produce more drawings, which are being launched on a wide range of merchandise.
BranchofCAMRA–the Campaign for Real Ale – has succeeded in getting The Walnut Tree in Loose Road listed – the first such listing with Maidstone Council. The branch is in full support of residents campaigning to save the Old Plantation. CAMRA’s JohnMills said he be-
lievedlargepubchainswere killing traditional English pubsby squeez- ing their tenants financially until they became unviable. He added: “The new legislation offers us hope.” If an owner objects to their prop-
erty being placed on the list, they will have a right to an internal re- viewby the council. If theowner re- mains in disagreement after the internal reviewthey have a right of appeal to anindependent tribunal. Nobody at the pubwas available
for comment. Students’ winning designs for Leeds Castle souvenirs
Hannah is now studying for a degree in graphic illustration. Students were also invited to write stories for
the characters, which Hannah will illustrate. The retail partnership between the school and
the castle will continue, with two cushion de- signs produced in conjuction with the school being launched early in the autumn term. They will also appear in the shops.
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