News


downsmail.co.uk Anger over yellow lines plan


RESIDENTS inAylesford have criticised a proposal to implement double yellow lines, designed to tackle parking problems at a nearby school and dentist.


The restriction on both sides of


The Oaks is one of 41 double yel- low line applications for Tonbridge and Malling, which includes Ley- bourne, Snodland, East Malling and Eccles. The road is nearAylesford Sports College and Aylesford Primary School, both in Teapot Lane. Ted Bates, who has lived with his


wife on the ElmWalk junction with The Oaks for 35 years, said: “Since the reason referred to is specifically to prevent problems at school times, it immediately negates any justification for double yellow lines, which prohibit parking at all times.” He says the measure will only displace traffic and prevent visiting friends and family from parking outside his home, even on a Sun-


Rotary thanks THE Rotary Club of Malling pro- vided volunteers to collect funds at Tesco, Lunsford Lane, for the Marie Curie Cancer Care's fundraising campaign. David Emmett, event organiser,


said: “It is always a privilege to support Marie Curie and their Great Daffodil Appeal. We thank the public and Tesco for their fan- tastic support.We are delighted to report that just over £1,280was col- lected to help provide home care for thousands of people with ter- minal cancer and other illnesses.” The club’s annual charity fun


evening, quiz and grand draw at Ryarsh Village Hall also raised more than £650, which will help local and international charities.


Bike crash AN 18-year-old mini moto driver was taken to hospital after crashing into a parked car in Meteor Road, Kings Hill, at around 3.15am on Friday, April 4. Air ambulance medics, whowere


travelling by car, stopped to help at the scene, whichwas also attended by ambulance and police crews. The man was treated for head and arm injuries before being taken to Tunbridge Wells Hospital. Police left the scene at about 5am.


Training site A STRETCH of agricultural land alongside Bull Lane in Aylesford could become a training field for electrical engineers.UKPower Net- works has applied to Tonbridge and Malling Council to use the site so that staff can learn “how to erect and cable telegraph poles in a typi- cal rural setting”.


28 Malling April 2014 The Oaks in Aylesford


day.He claims that while residents successfully objected to double yel- low lines in ElmWalk, those living in The Oaks have not been con- sulted directly. Mr Bates added: “There is a build-up of traffic at school open- ing and closing times due to sheer volume, but it is no more related to parked cars in The Oaks than in


Elm Walk where, purely by resi- dents’ objections, proposed lines have been removed from the plan. “Had all the residents in The


Oaks been given a say the result would be the same – they are not needed and we don’t want them. This is a quiet residential area, not a main road.” The proposals will go before Ton-


bridge and Malling’s Joint Trans- portation Board on June 9. The borough council’s chief engineer MikeO'Brien said: “Formal consul- tation on a range of proposals de- signed to relieve parking concerns across the borough has just fin- ished. “The transportation board will


now decide whether to proceed as proposed or not, based on the com- ments received, including any re-


No more Music on the Hill


ORGANISERS of Music On The Hill have announced that the Kings Hill festival has come to its “natural end”. As a result of the two series of concerts in 2011 and 2013, more than £130,000 was donated to charities including Teens Unite Fighting Cancer and Demelza Hospice Care for Children. However, Colin Thacker, event director and trustee of The Chil- dren’s Development Trust, which also benefited, has an- nounced itwill not be returning. Last year’s festival featured


top names such as McFly, Jools Holland and Peter Andre, while the previous year’s line-up in-


cluded classical diva Katherine Jenkins. Mr Thacker said that in 2011


the organisers had no experience of staging such an event, but it was successful enough to do again two years later. The second festival was big-


ger and received great reviews, but best of all was that children from Demelza and young peo- ple from Teens Unite Fighting Cancer had been given an amaz- ing experience of meeting their idols backstage, he added. He said it had raised money


and awareness of the charities, but “now it is time to move on to new projects”.


Health food award for café


CAFÉ managerVanessa Austin has struck gold with a healthy eatingaward from Tonbridge and Malling Council. TheMayor Cllr Howard Rogers is


pictured presenting the award to Vanessa, who runs theCommunity ArtsCafé for the Beat Project in the St James Centre in East Malling. To keep things healthy, Vanessa


never deep-fries food, uses other flavourings instead of salt, keeps a range of milk alternatives for those with allergies and offers child-sized portions of healthy adult foods. Very high standards of food hy- giene are also maintained. She said: “We hope the award


will show our customers that they can choose from a range of deli- cious food options including awide selection of healthy choices, all of which are prepared in a clean and healthy environment.” Twenty-four businesses in the borough have achieved a silver or gold


award.


ceived from the emergency serv- ices.” He says residentswere consulted


about the proposals informally and the majoritywere in favour. But Mr Bates says hewants coun-


cillors to meet with neighbours on site. “My wife and I are in our late 70s and my wife is a blue badge holder,” he said. “Our neighbour is a widow in her 80s andwe are suf- fering great anxiety by this unnec- essary threat hanging over us. “The imposition of these pro-


posed yellow lines will have a dev- astating effect on us for the rest of our lives.”  Sixty parking improvement measureswere put out for consul- tation by KCC. To view them, go towww.downsmail.co.uk and look under the News section.


Crash mystery THE cause of an accident on the M20 that left a man from West Malling fighting for his life is still being investigated. Apassing motorist pulled the 64-


year-old from his upturned blue Ford Focus on the London-bound carriageway near junction 8 at Leeds. The man was flown by air ambulance to Kings College Hospi- tal in London, where his condition was said to be stable. It is believed his car was in colli-


sion with an HGV at about 4.10pm on Sunday, March 30. Anyone with information is


asked to call the serious collision investigation unit on 01622 798538.


Croquet dates


FREE taster sessions are being of- fered in Ditton by Medway Cro- quet Club on Saturday,April 26, for anyone aged at least 12 whowould like to try the sport. The sessions are available from


10am to 4pm at the club at the Cob- down Sports and Social Club grounds in Station Road, Ditton. To reserve a space, contact Doug Francis on 01622 790158 or Roz Cheesman on 01622 861725. The scheme is part of Spring into


Sport, which is being held at sports venues across Tonbridge and Malling to encourage people who are thinking of trying a new sport or joining a local club.


Child care scheme


NADIA Romano has asked Ton- bridge and Malling Council for per- mission to change 1 Pierce Mill Cottages, Pierce Mill Lane, Had- low, to a childminder’s facility in addition to existing residential use.


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