News
downsmail.co.uk Solar farm plan for ‘gap’ land APROPOSAL has been lodged for a massive solar park next to Hermitage Lane, near Barming.
AG Renewables wants to build an energy-generating site, Whitepost Solar Park, on 32 hectares of rough grazing land behind the Kent Police traffic HQ and the traveller site in Coldharbour Lane. The proposals, which are at a very
early stage in the planning process, involve rows of dark matt reflective panels standing 2.5 metres high and about 5m apart, as well as trans- former kiosks and a substation build-
ing. Access would be from Coldhar- bour Lane and the parkwould gener- ate up to 20 megawatts for the National Grid. Grasswould be sown so that sheep
could graze between the rows. The applicant has requested a screening opinion from Tonbridge and Malling Council on whether an environmental impact assessment would be needed if the proposals are formally lodged. The firm says the
site, which is designated as a strategic gap between Tonbridge and Malling and Maidstone, had “no significant vegetation” but there were mature trees and hedgerows around the boundary and a small pond in one corner. The land had not been in formal agricultural use for over 10 years and was considered too small to be a vi- able agricultural unit, said the screen- ing request.
Asmall amount of trafficwould be generated during construction and once operational, there would be oc- casional visits for maintenance. Also in Hermitage Lane, Croudace
has submitted an outline application for 500 homes next to Maidstone Hos- pital, and Swan Properties wants to build 250 homes near Oakapple Lane. A shopping centre is also planned opposite the entrance to Preston Hall with access from Hermitage Lane.
Alan named chief constable Police training proposals
ALAN Pughsley has been named the new Kent chief constable . Mr Pughsley is cur-
rently deputy chief con- stable at Kent Police, a post he came to in March 2011. He joined Kent Police
in April 2009 as assis- tant chief constable for specialist operations, heading up the joint Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate. Before this,Mr Pughsleyworked at the Metropolitan Police Service
from 1984.He has expertise inmur- der investigations, armed robbery, firearms and drug-re- lated crimes. He also served as a borough commander in Lewisham, and a detec- tive superintendent in Surrey. Mr Pughsley was one
of three candidates vying for the role of chief constable, follow- ing the decision of cur-
rent chief constable Ian Learmonth to retire.
KENT Police Authority has applied for permission to erect two specialist training buildings at the police’s training centre in CoverdaleAvenue, Maidstone. The units would offer facilities for
public order and firearms training. A supporting statement said: “Currently, Kent Police are reliant on external providers (predominantly the military) to provide suitable training venues for training in a range of highly-specialised skills. “The availability of those venues is diminishing as a direct result of gov- ernment cuts on public services, the drive to develop land for housing
You are invited to a
PROMS PRAISE on Saturday 8th March 2014 at 7.30pm at The Salvation Army,
74-80 Union Street, Maidstone (ME14 1ED). This will be led by
Maidstone Salvation Army band, with the following guests:
- The Military Wives Choir, Shorncliffe - Lesley Thomas (Mezzo Soprano)
Tickets £5 are available from the Community Office.
For further information please contact the Community Office on 01622 681808.
10 Maidstone Town February 2014
Barbers NoW open
L P
and increased military use of re- maining sites. “Acquisition of suitable venues has
always been a problem, but it is now reaching a critical point. “Therefore, the buildings would provide dedicated training facilities to deliver this specialist training without the need to source other suitable facilities. “The two buildings would be erected on the southern side of the firearms building, on a plot of land between this building and the skid pan.”
Maidstone Council will determine the planning application.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56