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downsmail.co.uk Fury over rural growth plans


RESIDENTS are fighting Maidstone Council proposal to increase the size of two villages. Villagers in the picture postcard


village of Yalding and nearby Cox- heath, who want to retain their his- toric identities, have put a spoke in the wheel of plans to make them rural service centres. Following protests by the parish councils, the borough council’s plan- ning and development scrutiny com- mittee agreed to withdraw the item until it had been discussed with the parishes concerned. As part of proposals for its local


plan, the council was suggesting re- classifying both Yalding and Cox- heath, to join the existing RSCs of Staplehurst, Headcorn, Marden, Lenham and Harrietsham. Arural service centre is viewed as self-sustaining, with services such as a doctor’s surgery, library, post office, one or more pubs and a school. Villages are seen as those that


serve only their home community, whereas RSCs serve a wider rural hinterland. Coxheath Parish Council gave


MBC a very firm “no” to a request to become an RSC five years ago, and was outraged to discover the pro- posal back on the cards. Cllr Brian Mortimer, local borough


member, said Coxheath declined the chance to become an RSC in 2009. Cllr Clive Parker, Coxheath Parish Council chairman, said: “We do not support any further increase in hous- ing numbers over and above that suggested in the draft neighbour- hood plan.”


In addition to the RSCs, Maidstone


would like to see Boughton Monchelsea, Sutton Valence and Hollingbourne added to its list of “larger villages” – also likely to at- tract new development. In the meantime, Coxheath Parish Council is hoping it can come up


Racers are pram-tastic


THE 34th Sutton Valence pram race 2013 was run in high winds and rain over a 1km circuit of the village. Nine teams raced around Chapel


Street, Church Road, Broad Street, High Street and Lower Road, watched by about 300 hardy spectators. The prize for the best dressed team


went to Nigella and Saatchi whowere also the race winners. The veterans’ prize went to the Best of The Ashes. The former chairman of the Queen’s Head Odd Fellows, Lyndon Davies, who has organised and man- aged the pram race for 18 years, offi- ciated, supported by Steph Ewen, of the Queen’s Head public house. Donations were made to Demelza Hospice.


with a neighbourhood plan, which will help to guide how the area is de- veloped over the next 15 years. This will not only look at possible


development sites, but also parking, traffic calming, health and recre- ational facilities, cycle routes and the protection of community assets.


Homes on Tesco


site turned down A PROPOSAL to build 22 homes in the countryside near Staplehurst has been refused. Combe Park Homes had submitted


an outline planning application to es- tablish 16 houses and six flats on land at George Street, close to where Tesco wanted to build a car park as part of the company’s supermarket proposal thatwas refused byMaidstone Coun- cil.


The council has again acted to pro- Some opted for a festive theme


tect the land, claiming the new hous- ingwould cause “unacceptable visual harm to the character and appearance of the countryside”.Adecision notice added that the proposal contained in- sufficient information on flood pre- vention and ecological measures.


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