Paying price of parish challenge Chimney tax aims to ease burden


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Monchelsea will seek to per- suade Maidstone Borough Council and TaylorWimpey to make proper provision for community mitigation in a S106 agreement for Langley Park. “If BMPC is unsuccessful in securing the above aim … the parish councilwill seek to have planning permission at Langley Park not granted until such time as community impact mitiga- tion measures have been prop- erly aired at a local plan examination. “By that time, BMPC believes


the matter may well be dealt with under community infra- structure levy in any event.” Following these instructions,


Mr Lockhart Mummery claimed that Maidstone Council’s plan- ning officers had incorrectly calculated that there was a 4.2- year land supply as some wind- fall sites had been excluded. This prompted a full-blown investigation, with the borough


THE community infrastructure levy, sometimes called the ‘chimney tax’ will replace currentS106agreementsandensuredevelopers contribute cash to the local area for community projects. Maidstone hopes to have its CIL in place by late 2015 and BMPCes-


timates itwould receiveat least£1.5munder suchascheme.However, BMPC’s document said: “Because of the uncertainties associated with the collection of CIL payments,BMPCwould prefer to reach an accept- able S106 contribution in negotiation withMBCand Taylor Wimpey.”


council instructing its own bar- rister and planning officers spending hours preparing for a series of lengthy debates in the Town Hall chamber. The final consensus among borough councillors was that the offi- cers’ figure was accurate. Council leader Chris Garland


said: “The amount of hours, manpower and resources spent on this one issue is incredible. BMPCmay well find the devel- oper lodging an appeal for non- determination as a result of these tactics – which could ac- tually speed up the develop- ment, rather than delaying it.” Cllr Garland said the S106


rules appertaining to the Lang- ley Park development would not permit the council to give funds to Boughton Monchelsea for improvements in the village centre, as the development would impactmore on Langley, ParkWood and Shepway South. He said: “They have gone


about it completely the wrong way. If they wanted to take issue, it should have been with the S106 agreement, not the five-year land supply.” Another borough council member said: “This letter is the elephant in the room. What Boughton Monchelsea have done is quite out of order. Be-


cause they didn’t get what they wanted, they have thrown their toys out of the pram and cost the council a huge amount of money.” Cllr Ellis admitted the parish council had been trying to get an agreement on money from the developer and the borough, but said: “This is not the main reason for challenging the land supply calculation. “Boughton Monchelsea is an established community, with all the social groups already set up. We are being asked to absorb a new suburb with all that it en- tails, and the borough council cannot expect us to bear all the inconvenience and costs of this. “Our over-riding concern is


that we will have 50% increase in our population and we have been arguing strongly that we want a contribution from the developer to help mitigate any adverse effects. We would not be doing our job if we did not argue robustly on behalf of our residents.”


Villagers club together to build fighting fund


PARISH councils around the borough are being asked to club together to back Boughton Monchelsea’s argument on the calculation of land supply. Rural villages are being asked to put


their hands in their pockets in support of a £40,000 “fighting fund” to seek a judi- cial review of Maidstone Council’s deci- sion to back its officers on their methodology. Officers say they do not need to include unexpected windfall sites in their calcu- lations, as they have already been ac- counted for elsewhere, but opponents maintain their maths are wrong, putting greenfield sites at risk of development. Now, the Maidstone branch of KALC – the Kent Association of Local Councils –


CELEBRITY chef Paul Holly- wood has given his seal of ap- proval to a Linton chocolate maker. Paul, a judge in the Great British Bake Off, was fascinated by the way Linton Chocolates used Kentish cobnuts in their products and sent a TV crew to investigate. The crew filmedDebbieCarter making cobnut bars, chocolates and chocolate-coated cobnuts. Debbiewas then invited to the


ANN Barnes, police and crime commissioner for Kent, ad- dressed more than 100 older people at the Maidstone Older Persons’ Forum this month. The forum, run by Voluntary Action Maidstone, also heard from Barbara Hagan, manager of the Maidstone and Malling car- ers project, on the support, infor- mation and advice available to carers, and from Sarah Robson at


6 South


wants to build up a £40,000 fund to take the matter to judicial review. Geraldine Brown, chair of Maidstone KALC, has written to Maidstone council leader Chris Garland voicing her dismay at the council’s failure to include windfall sites in its calculations. “History would indicate that this is just


not reasonable,” she said. Maidstone is the only housing authority


in Kent to have a five-year land supply shortfall – it has land available for only 4.2 years – but Boughton Monchelsea Parish Council maintains it is statistically very likely that a number of windfall sites will become available. At a recent meeting of Maidstone KALC, members considered the evidence from


TV baker praises chocolate nuts


studios to meet Paul, who cooked a cobnut recipe and tasted the chocolate cobnuts, which he loved. The nuts are roasted, caramelised and dipped twice in either milk or dark chocolate. Debbie said: “Paul’s interest


has created a buzz with more customers wanting to try their unique taste.” “Paul Hollywood’s Pies and


Puds” was due to air on BBC1 on Monday, November 4.


Crime chief Ann talks to forum


the borough council who con- sulted the group on the council’s initiatives with older people. Peter Spearink’s term as chair-


manofthe forumendsinJanu- ary. Anyone who is over 55 and interested in issues affecting older people can apply for the role. They should call Voluntary Action Maidstone on 01622 677337 or email office@vam-on- line.org.uk.


BMPC, which included its QC’s opinion that the council had been wrong in not making an allowance for windfall sites. In light of this, KALC agreed to chal-


lenge Maidstone’s approach and, if neces- sary, go to judicial review. Boxley Parish Council is the first to


agree in principle to contributing towards a fighting fund to take legal action over the council’s stance and, as the largest parish, has agreed to contribute a “rea- sonable amount” – of up to £1,500 – to fight the potential injustice. In the meantime, Cllr Brown, who also chairs Yalding Parish Council, has asked council leader Cllr Chris Garland and his colleagues at MBC not to grant any plan- ning permission for greenfield sites.


Call for better bus service


RURAL villagers who claim they are being failed by bus companies are petitioning forabetter service. Staplehurst residents say theNo


5bus is unreliable, sometimes not turning up and often being too full to board.


Campaigner Paulina Watson,


said: “Staplehurst is now a mas- sive village and it needs a better bus service.” Widower Carmel MacGregor, of McCabe Close, Staplehurst, said: “There are so many pensioners suffering because of the service. Feelings are running really high.” Cllr Brian Clark has alreadywon agreement to get two extra No 5 buses from the Linton crossroads after he saw children waiting at bus stops unable to get on full buses. He is nowworkingwith Lib Dem parliamentary campaigner Jasper Gerard to see if Arriva is prepared to put on an extra bus. If they have no joy, they will approach a sepa-


Visit Downs Mail’s website — downsmail.co.uk


rate bus company. County CouncillorsRob Bird and


Dan Daley have already had suc- cess in persuading Nu Venture to runanextraNo79bus for the peo- ple of Allington. Mr Gerard, who is pictured


above with Mrs Watson, said: “Buses are a lifeline for rural peo- ple–andthe onlyway people with- out cars can get intoMaidstone.”


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