News Hostel agreed
PLANNING permission has been granted to convert a hotel into emergency accommodation in Lon- don Road, Maidstone. Maidstone Council has been
given the go-ahead by the planning committee to convert Aylesbury House into a 12-bedroom hostel for people it has a duty to accommo- date when they become homeless, such as families with children. The authority bought the hotel for £600,000.
Ash could go
AREQUEST has been made to fell a protected multi-stemmed ash tree at 1 Fagus Close,Walderslade. A planning application says it is
“an immature small self-seeded tree that is growing close to the conservatory and blocking off side access to the property”. Maidstone Council will determine the pro- posal.
Advert errors
DUE to a technical problem the advert for St Augustine Academy in the March Downs Mail had to be reset. Unfortunately during this process two typesetting errors were made.We would like tomake it clear that the errors were our fault and not the academy’s.
downsmail.co.uk
Fears for heathland as footpath is blocked off
RESIDENTS are rallying to pre- vent a much-loved part of Penen- den Heath from being built on. Part of the heath – known locally
as “the Fuzzies” – has been grubbed-up and flattened and the public footpath and right ofway to the heath blocked. Maidstone Council's draft local
plan contains a development allo- cation for 35 houses on the green- field
site between Old
Sittingbourne Road and the ancient HeathWood, and it is believed that Persimmon Homes, the UK’s biggest housebuilder, has an option to buy the land. Acampaign has been launched to protect the Fuzzies, now that the draft local plan consultation is underway. Campaigner Tommy Long said:
“If housing is permitted on this last remaining open countryside at Pe- nenden Heath the resultant distur- bance and damage to HeathWood will inevitably lead to deteriora- tion.” The campaign is backed by the Lib Dem group, whose deputy
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leader Cllr Tony Harwood said: “This is an interesting site because of the underlying alkaline sands, with lots of bugloss, common cud- weed and orchids. It’s not bad for invertebrates and reptiles and it provides a good complementary habitat for HeathWood. “For such a relatively small num-
ber of houses (35), it would be a real shame to lose this site, espe- cially when virtually sterile inten- sively-farmed sites have been rejected by Maidstone Council as unsuitable for development.”
Cllr Tony Harwood (left) and Tommy Long with the pile of earth that was dumped across the public footpath
Maidstone Council had long de- fended the site to protect local land- scape and wildlife, so the change in established policy has come as a shock to residents. Cllr Harwood said: “It would be
a tragedy if this landwas lost to yet another housing estate.” The Fuzzies is a corruption of
“the furzes”, after the gorse which characterises the sandy landscape. Councillors reported the blocked footpath to the KCC public rights of way team and were pleased by its swift action to get it re-opened.
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