LETTERS TO THE EDITOR


Campus views ignored Dear Sir – I recently atteneded the planning committee meeting of Maidstone Council, where outline permission was granted for the vast development proposed on the re- mainder of the land surrounding KIMS. If any of your readers harbour any linger-


ing hope that the views of residents are ever taken into consideration when developers approach the council with offers of huge amounts of money, they need to let them go. The borough council went through the motions. The member who outlined the ap- plication paid lip service to the fact that the land is designated as “countryside” and part of the strategic gap and as such no develop- ment is permitted, but went on to say how muchmoney the development would bring. At no point, however, did any of the speak- ers in favour of this development demon- strate a clear need for it. The likes of Mr Dickman, who proposed


both the KIMS development and this vast extension, want the development because they stand to make huge amounts of money from it. So the planning committee didn’t even stick to the rules they had laid down in their plan! Cllr Tony Harwood and Cllr Ian Chitten-


den did their best to represent the views of those of us who will mourn the loss of a huge part of the strategic gap and the impact this will have on local wildlife. The fear of the massive impact of up to


3,000 vehicles accessing the site daily, the pollution impact on an already highly-pol- luted motorway junction, hundreds of new residents who will need infrastructure – schools, dentists, dare I say doctors etc – which will not be available as local services are already stretched to screaming point. CllrsHarwood and Chittenden didn’t call for the application to be refused, they merely proposed that a decision should be delayed for a proper environmental impact inspec- tion, so they would have advice from a qual- ified expert. After all, what professional qualifications do the borough councillors hold that enable them to make a decision to destroy a green field site and judge that the benefits will outweigh the costs? Remember, this is only a part of the proposed develop- ment around theM20 junction 7 site. Cllr Harwood feared residents could have


no confidence in their borough councillors who took no notice of their views. How true! He also feared that, if this application was granted, it would open the flood gates for further developments. After all, how could the council refuse future applications if they chose to disregard their own planning re- strictions in this case. The final insult was when the chairman enthused about the possibility of having such a facility on his doorstep as many of his friends and family could benefit – unbiased, impartial? I don’t think so. So, fellow residents look well on the beau-


tiful countryside to the north of Bearsted Road and Ware Street, it won’t be there much longer.We can all look forward to 10 years of disruption whilst this facility is built. It may be prestigious for Maidstone, but it’s still a private profit-making facility and, unless you have private health care, you will only stand a 1 in 4 chance, at best, of ever being treated there. Jane Rabbatts,Weavering


Illegal tree-felling endorsed Dear Sir – Mr Sines, owner of Pilgrims Re- treat, Harrietsham, illegally felled a wood- land area in an Area of Natural Beauty and


42 East


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


commenced to lay bases for new park homes in an unauthorised development. In so doing, he changed the contours of the land by massive excavation works. WhenMr Sines first started felling trees in


May 2012, he was told byMaidstone Coun- cil to stop, but he chose to continue with the deforestation. Many of the trees were cov- ered by tree preservation orders. Eventually he was issued with an injunction and stop notice. At the time, Cllr Chris Garland said Mr


Sines would be made to replant the trees. This week, the borough council gave ap- proval forMr Sines to develop the land, and not replant it. How can that be? How can someone repeatedly ignore in- struction from the council, illegally fell a woodland, start to develop it without per- mission, be issued with an injunction and a notice to stop only then to be given ap- proval? Is Maidstone Council endorsing illegal felling of trees, particularly those with TPOs, and are they saying it is OK to cause devastation to an AONB? Celine Harker, by email


Thank you for caring Dear Sir –Mymother Mabel Stanley died on October 31. She lived in the Madginford area of Bearsted. She had been diagnosed with dementia


and over the last three or four months had taken to wandering around the estate. She would walk a long way with her little trol- ley, but unfortunately she could never find her way home. Mum seemed to like the Bramley Crescent area of the estate the best and I would frequently receive a telephone call from the police or member of the public asking me to retrieve her. Most times people would be kind enough


to take her in and give her a cup of tea and in the end she became quite a well-known figure. She could never understand why I was so concerned, as she regarded the peo- ple she met as her friends. Thankfully that was what you all were – friendly. Most of you were a voice on the other end


of the telephone. I neither knew your name nor where you lived. I would like to say a heartfelt thank you for the kind way you all treated my mother in her last few months on this earth.


Jeanne Brunger, by email


Shopping village welcome I couldn’t agree more with every word of StephenWilliams’ letter in the Downs Mail in November, regarding plans for the new shopping village at J7 of the M20. Why would I want to sit in traffic, driving


round Maidstone town centre trying to find somewhere to park?When I do, I often find a traffic warden stalking me to the ticketma- chine.


Parking is expensive, and the town is scruffy and dirty. I avoid Maidstone centre and go to Hempstead Valley, where parking is ample and free. Shopping there is a pleas- ant experience, unlike shopping in Maid- stone where I feel stressed and cannot wait to get out and get home. Gloria Johnson, by email


County town a disgrace Dear Sir – I think it’s about time Maidstone wasmade to look like a county town, not the way it looks now. Stephen Williams’ letter in last month’s DownsMail is right – the town is a disgrace. I’m ashamed when my relations visit Maid-


stone. They come from Nottingham and Grimsby, and both places are much nicer than Maidstone. My friend from Canada visited a month


ago and she thought the Granada was an ab- solute disgrace to the town. P Jones, Vinters Park


Response is incorrect Dear Sir – Councillor Geoff Licence is in- correct in his letter (“Enquiry report mis- leading”). The monitoring officer made his recom- mendations after the code of conduct en- quiry had been completed, so the money had already been spent on the enquiry. Bearsted Parish Council could not have acted on the advice given earlier and Cllr Li- cence is incorrect when he states “the whole episode would never have happened”. Let’s be positive and look to the future though. As Cllr Licence says, he is “contin- uing to work hard with his fellow council- lors to make Bearsted a better place to live”. If closing down the hugely popular play area on the Green because of a lack of mainte- nance is part of this then I’m not convinced I want to see what else is being planned, es- pecially when we proposed replacing the play area two years ago, but thiswas rejected by a number of the councillors. I, and a number of other councillors, re- signed from the parish council last year be- cause a minority of councillors would not embrace change and move forward in the best interests of the residents of Bearsted. Unfortunately it seems that nothing has moved forward since then, and the underly- ing issues are still very much there. Paul Young, Fauchons Lane, Bearsted


Sporting excellence aim Dear Sir – It is a shamemore inner city green space is to be given to housing at The Mote. Why does the cricket club not develop a


centre of excellence for sport instead of just thinking how cricket can benefit? There should be a development inclusive of all the clubs and people it may affect and also in- clude the people of Maidstone. They could also look to other sports. The


aim could be a wonderful legacy for future generations of sports people of our area. Phillip Crane, BoughtonMonchelsea


Comment by Dennis Fowle, chairman of Mote CC development committee: The pub- lished aim of The Mote CC is to create a cen- tre of sporting excellence by replacing the faded facilities to benefit all existing sports. Table tennis, keep-fit, running and petanque are among sports showing early desire to join in. Kent Cricket Club says it wants to return.


And the club also says the Maidstone com- munity will be encouraged to use the site and especially excellent social facilities planned for the new pavilion first floor.


Resignation was a shame Dear Sir – I was sorry to read your report that Cllr Fran Wilson, leader of the Liberal De- mocrats was planning to give up her group leadership and resign early as a councillor. She iswell respected and has used her en-


ergies and arguments to improve the lot of local residents. Whilst as a Conservative, I don’t always agree with her views, they are always closely argued and honestly ex- pressed. Since the Lib Dems selected their prospec-


tive parliamentary candidate, Jasper Gerard, serious splits have opened within their party. Gerard’s divisive manner and inter- ference have upset the more politically ma-


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