LETTERS TO THE EDITOR No solar farm in our


glorious back yard Dear Sir – I am a Nimby, as ismy husband. Our “back yard” is a stretch of the most beautiful, productive, agricultural land in the Weald of Kent that is threatened by a proposed solar farm just 100 metres from our home. Over 50 acres of land will be covered by


2m solar panels, inverters, transformers, switch gear housings, and possibly security lights surrounded by a mesh fence with danger notices attached. A planning application has been submit-


ted to Maidstone Council by Vogt Solar, acting for The Farm Energy Partnership. Maidstone Council has no policy on solar installations. There are many such proposals in Kent.


A clear strategy is needed before any in- stallations are given planning permission, or our glorious countryside will be lost. Solar power does have a part to play in generating clean energy, but we oppose this plan on the following grounds. This is a rural landscape which will be industrialised by using productive farm- land. The UK can not feed itself so why de- stroy farmland? Marden Meadow, an SSSI, is only a few metres from the site and we are concerned about the impact on wildlife and protected flora. Our area is alivewith pheasants, par- tridge, bats, bees, hares, larks, nightingales, kingfishers, mallard, Canada geese, corn- crakes, two species of woodpeckers and owls. Planning should not be granted until a full year’s survey is conducted. How can a system designed to meet re- newable energy targets be called green when energy and environmental damage is


Thanks for defending foxes Dear Sir –Well done to the Downs Mail for your front page article with Chris Packham defending the fox. An even better well done to Victoria Phelps for contacting Chris. I could not believe it when I read on the vil- lage Neighbourhood Watch email what Geraldine Brown was saying. I just hope that Ms Phelps, being a school secretary, will encourage the teachers to teach the children to have compassion for wildlife. They are the future for our creatures. With the Government killing the badgers, what will be next?


LynneMarden, by email


MPs not worth my vote Dear Sir - I would just like to endorse An- thony Lang’s letter (Kent is place for air- port). He has put in to print the opinions of the


vast majority of people. It seemswe are here merely to finance numerous public en- quiries that feather the nest of politicians’ legal profession associates who meet in the bars and clubs surroundingWestminster. I have not voted since 1990 as there is no


one to vote for. Unfortunately the press ap- pears to have joined the circle, under the pretext of PC. I amamazed that you actually printed his


letter.Well done, Downs Mail. Richard Lawson, Langley


Admin hampers hospitals Dear Sir – There were two items of interest in the AugustMaidstone East edition about which I would like to comment. Mail Marks – Dennis Fowle speaks a lot


28 South


You can write to us at: Downs Mail, 2 Forge House, Bearsted Green Business Park, Bearsted, Maidstone, ME14 4DT or e-mail: info@downsmail.co.uk


The view from our house - agricultural land which could become a solar farm


made elsewhere? We have very serious concerns about our health and security. Why are danger no- tices posted on the fences around these in- stallations, if they are safe? Solar installations are a magnet for thieves and vandals and our security would be seriously compromised. We would be an obvious target being so close to the site and would be easily identified as an isolated, vulnerable property. The power generation calculations seem


to be based on the maximum output, if these panels were new, clean and sited on the equator. How many other distorted facts are in Vogt Solar’s propaganda? Vogt Solar says it is helping farmers.


What about help for residents whose back yard is being defiled, whose homes may no longer be safe andwho could see the value of their houses plummet? Our taxes are being used to subsidise


these installations, and we will reap no benefits. Only opportunistic farmers and big business will profit. They are cashing in on a flawed Government scheme to the detriment of our magnificent countryside. The Farm Energy Partnership, set up by farmers, is cashing in by persuading farm- ers to rent out their land for considerable sums of money, over a 25-year period.


of sense. I think one of the main problems with the Maidstone & TunbridgeWells Trust is down to administration. In January I un- fortunately slipped on ice and broke my right hip. I cannot fault the excellent service I had at Pembury. Aweek after the operation I wasmoved to Maidstone for rehabilitation. The staff were cheerful and very helpful. Some of them even went in their break to buy me a news- paper when Smiths and visitors were not permitted due to a virus in three other wards.


However after a couple of days I was


bored and felt frustrated and I considered I could improve quicker at home. This was agreed and on theWednesday afternoon the occupational therapist visited me to check my home requirements, although all the de- tails had been agreed at Pembury. But she did nothing about the order for equipment until after 9am on the Thursday, only to find that equipment delivery to the Grove Green Bearsted area takes place on a Thursday and the van leaves at 8.30am. In other words Iwould have to stay blocking a bed for another week. So we arranged for my wife to collect the items that afternoon and I went home on the Friday. Why didn’t the occupational therapist


know the timings? What would be even bet- ter is more flexibility in the deliveries. Roundabout a big help – I agree entirely


with David Berry’s letter. However there is one problem that still needs to be resolved. Approaching the roundabout from New Cut Road passing Vinters Crematorium on the left, the road is markedwith three lanes, the right two being for the M20 and A249


Sometimes a “planning gain” is offered – a one-off payment or an annual fee over the 25 years. This is paid to local and parish councils who approve the planning appli- cation. Is this morally right? There is considerable low-flying activity


and bird migration over the site, with light aircraft, hot air balloons, microlites, heli- copters, both civilian and military, and we are on the RAF low-flying practice flight path.Would glare from panels increase the risk of accidents? If construction goes ahead, a warning should be given that there could be unex- ploded bombs on the site. The proposed area was used as a landing strip, during both world wars. We have seen the bomb squad called out twice for unexploded bombs on Great Pagehurst Farm. The motivation, for this scheme, is purely financial and will benefit the landowner and the solar company at great cost to the environment. It is being rushed through before Government subsidies de- crease, and before guidelines on solar in- stallations have been given full consideration by Maidstone Borough Council. It is financial exploitation of tax- payers’ money. P F and S E Roche, Pagehurst Road, Staplehurst


North. But on the roundabout as you enter it there is just a single line, making two lanes. There is an accident waiting to happen for vehicles using that middle lane. The car going right is to the right; the car going straight on towards the Chiltern Hundreds does not keep fully to the left but nearer the single line and the poor old driver in the middle is squashed out. The single line needs to be removed and


two lines placed. Also, the approach sig- nage needs to be changed showing left lane for straight ahead Maidstone; middle lane for M20W (London) and A249N (Sitting- bourne) and the right lane forM20E (Dover) and possibly A249N. Monty Knight Olds, Grove Green


No housing in Mote Park Dear Sir – I am writing about the proposed housing development in Mote Park to fund modernisation of the rugby and cricket fa- cilities there. There is no way my neighbours and I would support yet more building in the park. The development in the Willington Street corner is too much in my opinion. Mote Park is the jewel in the crown of Maid- stone’s amenities. Once these green spaces are gone, they are


gone for ever! Although many people enjoy sport, there


are far more people, like families with chil- dren, who visit the park. The property built on the park will in-


crease traffic congestion and putmore strain on the infrastructure. I suspect members of Maidstone Council are rubbing their hands with glee at the


You can e-mail the Downs Mail — info@downsmail.co.uk


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