downsmail.co.uk
Fears for allotments as charity plans to sell site
ALLOTMENT holders say they are desperate to know what St John Ambulance intends doing with its site in Lenham after learn- ing the charity plans to dispose of its drill hall. The entire Ham Lane site was
gifted to the ambulance service in 1979 and has been home to the charity’s drill hall for a number of years. There have been allotments there since 1864. St John’s south east regional di-
rector Mark Farmer told Downs Mail that while the charity re- mained “committed to providing first aid in and around Lenham” the drill hallwould be sold. “Our current building costs too
much to run, so we will dispose of it,” he said, adding: “We are work-
ing with our local volunteers to find a suitable alternative location where they can meet.” The announcement
John Craig
comes at a time when the charity reports ris- ing cadet recruitment across Kent. Supervi- sor Richard Powell has recently taken on the Lenham group. Mr Farmer added
the fate of the allotments had still to be determined. HamLane Allotment Association chairman John Craig said: “We do need to know what the charity in- tends doing with the whole of the site, even if it is only to know whether or not we should be buy- ing seeds for this season or not, but
Castle glamping site wins award LEEDS Castle’s glamorous camping facilities have won silver in this year’s South East Tourism Experience of the Year awards. The castle’s Knight’s Glamping village, which opened last year
was among more than 130 tourism outlets shortlisted for The Beau- tiful South Awards.
communication is so slow. “We understand that St John is in
the red, but this land has never cost them anything. It would be nice to gift it back to the village or if the charity decides to sell, to make it for a realistic sum.” The parish council has success-
fully applied to bid for the site, should it come on the market, to save the drill hall and the allot- ments. In the meantime, allotment holders are also working on a plan to tidy the site and widen its use to the community and as an educa- tional resource. Mr Craig added: “It is crucial that
if it is sold, it is as agricultural land and not a potential development site, which would be out of our reach.”
Oak tree ‘is dead’
ALYSON McKenna has applied to fell a protected oak tree to the front of 14 Quinion Close,Walderslade. Her application form says the
14m tree is dead. Maidstone Coun- cil will make the decision.
News Holiday home
plan refused APROPOSAL to convert two holi- day lets into two regular homes in Harrietsham has been turned down.
Applicant Robert McDermott claimed Maidstone Council’s deci- sion last year to allow the expan- sion of the Pilgrims Retreat caravan site in Hogbarn Lane had made it more difficult to attract tourists to Broomfields, also in Hogbarn Lane, which received planning permis- sion to be converted from stables in July last year. But the council said the idea the holiday lets in Broomfields should become regular homeswas against rural protection policies.
Town’s TV role THE success of Maidstone’s night- time economy could be featured in an hour-long documentary on C5. Researchers want to feature a
town with the purple flag for night time entertainment, security and policing – and have been talking to management at the county town. Maidstone has already been cap-
tured on camera for a Cutting Edge programme for C4, following po- lice and crime commissioner Ann Barnes.
Maidstone East March 2014
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