downsmail.co.uk Fair play on Mote plan
Dear Sir – They say there are two sides to every story. To date, within the pages of Downs Mail only one side of the conflict at The Mote has been highlighted. Well-meaning members of the public have
at various times expressed their disappointment that Maidstone has lost its cricket festival and have been encouraged to believe that there is still a real chance of it returning. Maidstone Council has been challenged to
get behind the proposed Mote development. The response by the Mail’s editor quotes Mote Cricket Club stating that Maidstone Council supports its redevelopment plan. There is no evidence of such support, as Maidstone Council has excluded any residential development within the boundary of The Mote from its dra local plans. The Mote tenant, Maidstone Rugby Club, has proposed a number of alternative options to improve facilities, all of which increase the chances of acceptability to statutory consultees Sport England aswell as the National Planning Policy Framework. Mote Cricket Club is not considering
these alternatives. Finally, any realistic assessment of the likelihood of Kent County Cricket reinstating Maidstone CricketWeek, as the festivalwas correctly known, will show it is unlikely to happen in the foreseeable future, on purely practical grounds, given Kent County Cricket’s commitments at Beckenham (see Kent Cricketwebsite News section on November 25, 2013 and January 29, 2014). Jim Tinsley, president of Maidstone Rugby Club
Kent County Cricket Club continues to support a return of first-class cricket to Maidstone, evidenced at the recent annual meeting. Maidstone Council strongly supports the
Mote development proposal and has made a grant of £15,000 to the club to help submit a powerful planning application for an enabling development that will be considered separately from the emerging Maidstone local plan. Part of this planning exercise will be consultation with statutory consultees such as Sport England. More sports now show keen interest in being part of a regenerated Mote and helping to secure this precious but endangered site for generations to come. Response by Dennis Fowle, chairman of The Mote CC Development Commiee
Let us speak our minds
Dear Sir –We have to agree with Jean and Malcolm Beaton (“Comments not welcome”). It is a mark of a free press thatwe are all
allowed to express our opinions. However, the new leers page format allows the editorial team to commandeer this forum in addition to the Mail Marks facility andwe do not feel it is a progressive step. Your readership is an intelligent bunch,well able towork out what is going on andwe are
Contact our team ...
Stephen Eighteen Editor
stephen@downsmail.co.uk 01622 734735 ext 231
Diane Nicholls
Assistant editor
diane@downsmail.co.uk 01622 734735 ext 232
Jane Shotliff Journalist
jane@downsmail.co.uk 01622 734735 ext 233
Dawn Kingsford
Journalist
dawn@downsmail.co.uk 01622 734735 ext 233
Malling April 2014 31 Tall trees are a danger
Dear Sir – I am writing with reference to your article in the March issue: “Oak tree drops leaves in pool”. Althoughwe have sympathy with how annoying this must be, you may be interested to hear about some tall fir trees, which have a tree preservation order, on a neighbour’s land opposite us. I have wrien to the owner and emailed
Liz Guthrie at the council office and our local parish council on many occasions. I finally understand that a survey is being carried out this month, organised by Liz Guthrie. It has been pointed out to them many
times when the cones are falling in the normal season that I can never use the front of my drive to park a car because of damage by cones falling from such a great height. During periods of high winds I have to leavemy car in a road at the back of our house, because of foliage and cones all over our drive. Any visitors have to do the same because all parking in the lane is restricted. I have always pointed out in all our correspondence that my problem is secondary to people generally using the lane, especially with the infant school at the boom. I have a report from 20 years ago from a reputable tree surgeon, which I paid for, stating that 8m should be removed from the top of the tree opposite us. What makes itworse is knowing that
our climate has changed so much regarding the winds, which are normally all southwesterly, so our side of the lane is theworst side to live. It is very stressful knowing that,
afraid your responses do belile the valid views of those who take the trouble to write to you.
Maidstone Council does not listen to its electorate and publications like Downs Mail offer an opportunity to let other readers know they are not alone in theirworries. In the past, any responses by the editorial
team have been limited to a single sentence, possibly expanded in an actual column in the main body of the paper. Please restore this to the previous format. The public likes to read the public’s opinions in the Comment section; you have the whole paper to voice yours. Steve and Jeanne Gibson, Birling Avenue, Bearsted
We’d love a pharmacy
Dear Sir –With regard to your story in the Malling edition of the Downs Mail about plans for a pharmacy being refused, is it not time that we who live in Leybourne got a say for a change? We have a lot of elderly people in Leybourne, aswell as a lot of young mums with small children, andwewould love to have a pharmacy. Sometimeswe cannot get a doctor’s appointment on the day, and it would be so
The tall fir trees that are causing concern in Rectory Lane North
because of the tremendous height of these tress, should one ever come down it would more than likely go across our side of the lane and Iwould not like to think about the consequences. Mr & Mrs A Suon, Rectory Lane North, Leybourne
Liz, the tree and landscape officer, has quite properly given advice that a full tree survey should take place to ascertain the health of the trees and to make any recommendations as to their maintenance. Depending on the outcome of that it will be for the owners of the trees to decide what action, if any, they wish to take. We would hope to be given sight of the survey results, particularly if the survey leads to any applications for works to the trees. Response by Tonbridge and Malling Council spokesman
good to be able to get some information from a pharmacist. P Ricke, Bridgwater Place, Leybourne
Unfortunately for those in Leybourne who have campaigned for a pharmacy at their local medical centre, the NHS did not see the pressing need for one aer opposition from the big national companies in the area. Residents may find it hard to accept that another business such as a shoe shop could open next door to an existing one but a proposal to open a pharmacy several miles away from others is refused. Response by Diane
KIMS amissed opportunity
Dear Sir – The Kent Institute of Medicine and Surgery maywell be a huge asset to the area. It is just a pity it has not been beer designed. The development looks like poorly-designed 1960s council flats.A huge opportunity for good design has been missed. Let us hope that the developers of Newnham Court use architects who have a bit of flair and will produce buildings that will be sympathetic to their situation. Colin White FRICS, by email
Comment
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