News
downsmail.co.uk
Expansion of village ‘could be good thing’
Tree protected
MAIDSTONE Council has acted to protect a lime tree thatwas under threat from a proposed develop- ment in Malling Road, Teston. In June last year, the council re-
fused a planning application to build a bungalow at Dolly Bees be- cause it would have led to pres- sure to remove the tree (above) on a verge fronting Courtlands. Following a 43-name petition to
save it, the planning committee has now decided to make perma- nent a temporary tree preserva- tion order on the lime tree.
Cedars at risk
FIVE cedar trees could be felled on land next to 1 Little Loddenden, High Street, Staplehurst. The application says two of the
trees have been damaged by wind, while the others are susceptible to damage. Maidstone Council will de- cide the conservation area proposal.
CONCERNED residents in Mar- den have been told that an expan- sion of the village might be good for them.
Maidstone Council’s planning committee has accepted Rydon Homes’ planning application for 44 homes north of Howland Road – the third major greenfield development near the village to be given the go- ahead in recent months. With two more applications still
to be determined, and Maidstone Council unable to provide a strong defence of such proposals due to a lack of a five-year land supply, it is feasible that a total of 527 new homes could be on the cards. A 100-name petition against the Howland Road schemewas backed by objections from Marden Parish Council and 48 residents, but Cllr Richard Ash, a member of the plan- ning committee, said: “Marden is taking hit after hit. My ward, Bearsted, took the hits in the 1960s and 1970s, which continued into the 1980s and 1990s. “The village is now suburbanised but it’s still a popular place to live.
People who put their properties on the market tend to sell quickly. Growth is not always negative. I would not want to live anywhere else in Maidstone but Bearsted.” The Howland Road scheme will
be built behind homes to the south, and is bordered by Bridgehurst to the east, Howland Cottages to the west and the railway to the north. The application was in outline
form, with only access considered. Cllr Rodd Nelson-Gracie said: “I would ask that great care is taken to ensure there is ample space for cars to park. I would like to be assured that places will be assured for local people at the village school and that
Marden Medical Centre will be able to cope with the higher population. “We have two more applications
for another 200 homes, putting a further strain on infrastructure.” Cllr Tony Harwood said: “Mar-
den is a remote village. There is no big supermarket and no secondary education facilities. It is being asked to absorb unprecedented levels of development in a short time.” Existing great crested newts and
slowworms on the site will be trans- ferred to a nature reserve in Pad- dock Wood. The committee accepted the scheme, with seven votes in favour, three against and three abstentions.
Major housing developments planned
MAP Depot site, Goudhurst Road: 130 homes accepted July 2013. Parsonage Farm, east of Goudhurst Road: 144 homes accepted January 2014. North of Howland Road: 44 homes accepted March 2014. Stanley Farm, Plain Road: 85 homes. Application submitted September 2013. Marden Cricket and Hockey Club, Stanley Road: 124 homes. Applica- tion submitted November 2013.
10
Maidstone South April 2014
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