News


Town magnet for migrants


ALARGE number of the new eastern European immigrants to South East England are expected to head for Maidstone, a report has claimed. The “network” effect cited in a


study suggests the county town will be the most favoured destination in the South East for Bulgarians and Ro- manians coming to the UK, following the lifting of immigration restrictions for the two countries on January 1. A report by researchers at Reading


University found that a significant number of Bulgarians and Romanians had made it into Britain, despite pre- vious restrictions. Of these, Maidstone had registered 15.4% of all Bulgarians settling in the South East and 9.2% of Romanians. Tonbridge and Malling registered 4.5% and 3.9%. Maidstone has proved a magnet for Bulgarians and Poles, while Ashford and Shepway have strong Nepalese communities.


School making good progress


OFSTED inspectors returned to Loose Infant School to check on progress following a report that judged it required improvement. They found that senior leaders


and governors were taking effective action to tackle problem areas, but further action was needed to evalu- ate teaching. Staff meetings were focused on improving teaching, and training events were used to address areas identified in the report. Learning walls had been provided


in classrooms to promote literacy and numeracy, and pupils enjoyed contributing to them. The quality of marking and lesson planning had also improved.


RODERIC Lambert wants to fell four trees in the Loose Conservation Area. His proposal would see three cy-


press and one leylandii moved from the grounds of Brickfield Cottages, Loose Valley. His planning application, which


will be determined by Maidstone Council, says theywill be replaced by native hedging including field maple and beech aswell as a crab apple and an amelanchier tree.


downsmail.co.uk


Landlord plans to evict all tenants on benefits


MAIDSTONE’S best-known landlords have opened their doors to the in- flux of Eastern Europeans – but slammed them shut on benefits claimants.


Judith and FergusWilson have sent


out 200 eviction notices to tenants on benefits and advised their letting agents they will no longer take on ten- ants in receipt of housing support. TheWilsons, who live in Boughton Monchelsea,made national headlines in 2006 after becoming millionaires through snapping up buy-to-let prop- erties. With a portfolio of 1,000 homes,


chiefly in Ashford and Maidstone, the Wilsons say their gesture is no differ- ent to that of many other private land- lords, who find working tenants rarely fall into arrears, while single parents and other families relying on housing benefit, do.


Mr Wilson


said he had found Eastern Europeans to be good ten- ants, who paid their rent on time. He said:


“Tenants on benefits are competing with eastern Europeans who came to the UK in 2005 and have built up a good enough credit record to rent privately. “We've found them to be a good category of tenant who don't default on the rent.” Mr Wilson revealed that, of the


number of tenants on benefit, more were in arrears than those who were not. He said sympathy for single mothers and the unemployed was fast disappearing. But Maidstone Greens described


MrWilson’s actions as “immoral” and said the couple were discriminating against benefit claimants at a time when homelessness was showing a rapid increase. Stuart Jeffery, of MaidstoneGreens,


said: “I urge him to reconsider his de- cision.His portfolio of properties cov- ers Maidstone, which has seen an eight-fold rise in homelessness in the past three years and now is sure to rise even higher.”


Charity helps families in urgent need


MP gets her skates on


MAIDSTONE and TheWeald MP Helen Grant got her skates on when she vis- ited the Kent Artistic Roller Dance Club at the Maidstone YMCA.


The club caters for all ages and skill sets, and holds an annual open artistic roller dance skating competition, while competing nationally and internationally every year. Mrs Grant is pictured with members.


Trees face axe School conversion approved


PLANNING permission has been granted to convert the former Arch- bishop Courtenay School in Church Road, Tovil, into eight homes. Alan Leahy’s proposal to build a


two-bed house, a two-bed flat and six one-bed flats, each with a parking space, was accepted by Maidstone Council. A statement said alterations to the roof structurewould be minimal.


The infant school closed in 2012


when it merged with the junior school in Priory Road, Maidstone, on a new site in Ecclestone Road. Tovil Parish Council planned to


turn the school into a community cen- tre, but the Diocesan Board of Educa- tion increased its asking price of £150,000 and the parish council could not meet the valuation. Itwas eventu- ally sold at auction for £250,000.


Rail passengers facing higher ticket prices


COMMUTERS are adding up the cost ofworking in London following the latest rise in season ticket prices. For those travelling to the city


from Maidstone East, the standard season ticket is now over £4,000. At some stations, commuters have


also been hit with 10p and 20p rises in daily parking fees.


30 At West Malling, an annual park-


ing ticket has gone up to £807, at Sta- plehurst to £950 and Maidstone East to £887. A Southeastern spokesman said


the company opted for an average rise in season ticket prices of just 2.8%, amid fears it could have topped 4%.


Maidstone Town February 2014 Standard class season tickets into


central London now cost £3,996 from West Malling, £4,144 from Bearsted, £4,080 from Maidstone East, £4,640 from Headcorn, £3,996 from Barm- ing and £4,572 from Staplehurst. Those who wish to take advantage


of the high-speed service are charged at least £1,000 per year more.


THE Help a Maidstone Child cam- paign has helped 11 families in ur- gent need in recent months. Rapid response grants have been awarded to families in the town to help with issues such as replacing a broken washing machine and car- peting bare floorboards in a child’s bedroom. Natalie Smith,HaMCpanel mem-


ber, said: “We have been over- whelmed with demand.” Demand for rapid response grants


was so high that funds for this fi- nancial year were all committed be- fore Christmas. Applications will re-open in April. Natalie said: “We have been busy replenishing our funds, particularly over Christmas, and would like to thank The Vine, Energise Commu- nity Choir and Innominata for their generosity, plus members of the public who supported our street col- lection.” The charity is also grateful for a generous donation from Mountwell Engineering Ltd, of East Farleigh. HaMC has been raising funds to improve the lives of local children in need since 2011. The charity also makes maintenance grants to local frontline voluntary organisations supporting children and young peo- ple, such as M4S, Mencap Cobtree Playschool, Home-Start and Dande- lion Time. Anyone wishing to find out more


or make a donation can do so through the website www.helpa- maidstonechild.org


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