News
downsmail.co.uk Crime head defends office spend
KENT Police and Crime Com- missioner Ann Barnes has de- fended expend-iture on her new office, after a claim in a Sunday newspaper that she spent £200,000 on the move. The allegation was among sev-
eral in an article published by the Mail on Sunday. Mrs Barnes de- nied the claims and said her deci- sion to move from the centre of Maidstone to Kent Police HQ in
centre agreed PLANNING permission has been granted to create a replacement café and new extended visitor cen- tre at the Cabin Café in Cobtree Manor Park in Forstal Road, near Aylesford. The visitor centre will include a dining area, improved toilet facil- ities and space for functions asso- ciated with the park. The building will also include a ranger’s office. According to a supporting state-
ment, the current public toilets are “oversized and subject to anti-so- cial behaviour”. Maidstone Coun- cil’s planning committee unanimously granted consent.
Ann Barnes
Sutton Road will save public money in the long run. Mrs Barnes said: “We recently moved from an of- fice block in the centre of Maid- stone to half the bottom storey of a block on Kent Po- lice’s HQ site. “I made the de- cision to relocate
premises last August, as the con- tract for the old police authority officewas up for renewal. “Had I renewed the Maidstone
office contract itwould have been one of the most expensive build- ings on the police estate. I just couldn’t justify this during times of police cuts. “The move will save around £250,000 over the next five years, and even more in years after that.
It made perfect sense to me to use excess space at Kent Police HQ. The force, as everyone knows, has lost almost a fifth of its workforce in this round of government cuts to police funding. “The move has also eliminated additional, ongoing costs to the public purse by reducing constant travel expenses, not to mention the opportunity costs of every- one’s time.”
Cobtree visitor Safety fears over nursery plan Join gospel choir
MAIDSTONE Council has blocked a proposed rear exten- sion at Hemsley House Day Nursery at 137 Tonbridge Road, Maidstone. The council’s decision notice
said the scheme would have been overbearing and out of character with the local area.
The scheme would have in- creased the number of employees from 10 to 14, but there were no details about the additional num- ber of children the nurserywould have catered for. The council felt the proposal
could therefor have compromised highway safety.
Castle snubbed for role in films LEEDS Castle has missed out on twomajor filming opportunities. Researchers abandoned the castle as a venue for Great British Bake Off
after agreeing to film nearer judge Mary Berry’s home, while the produc- tion manager of new film, The Mortdecai Trilogy, starring Johnny Depp, felt the English weather was “too difficult”. It was instead made in Los Angeles.
KEEN singers are invited to come along to rehearsals of the Commu- nity Gospel Choir. The choir meets fortnightly from
4-5pm on Sundays, June 1, 15 and 29 at The Salvation Army, 74-80 Union Street, Maidstone. For more details, call the community office on 01622 681808.
Pastors on patrol
MAIDSTONE’S street pastors came to the aid of 24 barefooted revellers in the town centre during April. The volunteer group handed out
24 pairs of flipflops, 25 water bot- tles and seven foil blankets. It also provided nine sick bags and col- lected 310 bottles and glasses.
Asbestos and Mesothelioma advice
Funding changes for mesothelioma claims will come into effect on 1 July 2014. Act now to maximise your compensation.
An independent garden centre with enthusiastic and helpful staff and an extensive range of high quality plants. If you’re passionate about plants too then we’re well worth a visit, we probably have the widest range in the south-east!
Kent Gardens 2014 The National Gardens Scheme
www.ngs.org.uk
Contact Jeremy Horton T: 01622 680415 E:
jeremyhorton@brachers.co.uk
www.brachers.co.uk 12 Maidstone Town June 2014
01622 737801
Ashford Road (A20), Bearsted, Maidstone, ME14 4NH We are open 7 days a week,
www.thepottedgarden.co.uk including Sundays from 9am until 5.30pm
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