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homes so far earmarked for Marden. Will this mean a free for all without restraint that could seriously damage the hitherto subtly developed,well-managed, well-resourced, successfulWealden village of Marden with the addition of an unlimited number of houses in inappropriate places? How canwe resolve this threat to our village? David McFarland, chairman, Marden History Group and Heritage Centre


David, you finish your leer with a question that I don’t think anybody can answer in the way you may want. The grim policy position at Maidstone Council means that 2014 is likely to be a year of frustration, with many powerless to stop housing on greenfield sites that they feel are inappropriate. The only hope is that the council gets its core strategy in place as soon as it can so Marden, like other villages, is given the planning protection it needs in the face of increased confidence in the housing market. Sadly, these things take time, so for the moment lile can be done. Response by Stephen


Shocking bus service


Dear Sir – Recently I stood with many others at the bus stop in King Street waiting for either the No 89 bus to Coxheath or the No 5 to Staplehurst and beyond. Therewere no buses to either destination between 3.10pm, when I arrived, and 4.40pm. Plenty of buses came in, but having dropped the passengers it immediately put up the Out of Service sign and drove off. Therewere eight people waiting just at our particular bus stop. Those of us of a certain age joked that there must be a mystical village where buses disappear to, called Out of Service, but it became less of a joke when the number of schoolchildren arriving increased considerably, blocking the pavement and being very boisterous. When a bus did arrive, itwas a single- decker to Sandhurst. Imagine the rush to get on! Therewere few seats and no hand straps. Some of us older members of the public who remember the term “to queue” had to be assertive and remind the youngsters that we had been there first. Adriver told us that buseswere taken off to do the school run. How could this be, when the entire population of several schoolswas standing on the corner of Week Street and at every bus stop in King Street and at the Chequers Centre? It is like this every aernoon during term time.


Daphne Claw, Coxheath


Test kit is a lifesaver Dear Sir – It seems that every day the media comes up with a “bad news” story about the failings of the NHS.


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Maidstone South February 2014 25


Iwould like to tell a different and personal “good news” story about Maidstone and TunbridgeWells NHS Trust. In September 2013 I showed a positive result for the NHS bowel cancer screening test.Asubsequent camera examination and CT scan showed I had a large cancerous tumour in the upper section of my colon. Thiswas successfully removed in early November by keyhole surgery, followed by a five-day stay in Maidstone Hospital. Iwant to shout loud and clear about the superb treatment I received throughout the whole diagnosis and treatment process at Maidstone Hospital. The rapid response from the screening test, the professional skill and treatment from the colorectal surgery team, the care and commitment of the nursing staff in Pye OliverWard, and even the hospital food, all deserve high praise. I anticipate that I will make a full and lasting recovery from bowel cancer, which, in addition to my outstanding treatment, is also due to an early detection by the screening test. Sadly, Iwas informed by one of the specialist nurses that only 50% of these test kits are returned. Iwould like to advise anyone who receives a screening test kit in the post to complete the test and return it as instructed. Believe me, it is a potential lifesaver. What have you got to lose? If your test is negative, you have peace of mind; if positive, you can be certain of receiving some of the best treatment available from a dedicated team of caring people. Richard Baker, Grove Green


Balance to be applauded


Dear Sir – The Downs Mail’s drive for editorial political balance at election times (Mail Marks) is to be applauded. If only all local newspaperswere so balanced – I have now given up on local newspapers, who are suckers for blatant and unending political propaganda. Martin James, Maidstone (by email)


Thanks Martin. Unlike most of the national newspapers, we don’t ‘back’ any political party but simply lay out the positions of political parties and allow voters to decide. Response by Stephen


Is cricket festival lost?


Dear Sir –Will Maidstone Rugby Club’s decision not to relinquish its lease before expiry in 2016 now mean the much-loved annual Kent cricket festival will not return to The Mote? What a huge gap this leaves in Maidstone’s social life. Roger Love, Loose.


Kent Cricket Club still says its wish is to return to The Mote if ground facilities are modernised. The Mote CC says the rugby decision will cause a delay – but the club hopes to modernise facilities by 2017. Response by Dennis Fowle


So grateful for my carer


Dear Sir – Carers have had a bad press lately, but the oneswe have in this area are the best. I aman amputee and wheelchair dependant, so they help me to do things I am otherwise unable. Whenwe had the badweather andwere told to expect power cuts, my morning carer came with a flask of hot boiledwater for me to make a drink if the powerwent off. She also did the same for other people. What a lovely caring carer. I feel so lucky to have someone like her to help me. Why dowe only hear about bad carers? Bertha Rose, Glebe Gardens, Lenham


River depth has been lost


Dear Sir – Your January edition had an interesting leer from Bill Young about the effect of silt on flood levels. As a boy in the late 1940s and early 1950s I kept my sailing dinghy at Barnes boatyard at Tovil, so I knew the Medway verywell. To find the best fishing places for roach and bream, my friends and I surveyed the river and took depth readings all theway from Tovil to Farleigh lock. The riverwas 13 to 13 6ins in the centre andwell out towards the banks. I understand it is now about 3 6ins to 4. In the 17th or 18th century, the riverwas canalised all theway up to Tonbridge to take the large barges, whichwere hauled by gangs of men. As a boy I can remember two of these bargeswere derelict just below Tovil; they were big andwould have needed that 13 depth. Since the volume ofwater carried by the river is defined as the cross section of the river multiplied by the velocity, it is obvious that the capacity of the Medway is now a third of what it was when the river was dredged. Maybe the solution is to dredge the river up to Tonbridge once again. Perhaps the Environment Agencywould care to comment. Peter Malby, by email


We spent £45 million in the last financial year on improving river flow, including dredging and weed clearance. However, dredging is oen not the best long- term or economic solution compared with other flood risk measures such as building walls or providing storage upstream. In many cases, dredging will not reduce the risk of flooding, simply because many rivers quickly silt up again as part of their natural processes.We therefore focus our efforts on dredging at those locations where it has a proven benefit of reducing flood risk. Dredging or de-silting of some rivers, including the Medway, is now carried out for navigation purposes on a risk-based approach. As part of the River Medway’s annual maintenance programme, we undertake a 10- week programme of dredging between March and June each year. Response by Environment Agency


Comment


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