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aitude, its bias against the indigenous population and renowned largesse with its money is the talk of all the poorer countries. By cramming more and more people on


to this crowded island, the great pretenders inWestminster are storing up major problems for the future, which will be further exacerbated and made manifest whenwe have the next economic downturn and not only dowe have the current 2.5 million unemployed, but also large numbers of immigrants. The farce is compounded by the fact the


two parties in power, Tory and Lib Dem, are locally and nationally opposing the building of essential housing while still leaving our borders wide open to cram in even more people with nowhere to go. Stop this madness and vote UKIP. Phil Granger, Alma Road,West Malling


Phil, while your assessment of the national immigration policy may have merit, ruling politicians both locally and nationally are doing all they can to address the perceived housing shortage. The Government has relaxed planning laws


to force local authorities without an adopted local plan to provide a five-year land supply for new housing. Maidstone Council falls into this bracket, and as a result several large new housing developments have been given planning permission. The Government’s Help to Buy scheme has also resulted in 35,000 mortgages since it began more than a year ago. Tonbridge and Malling Council, which is run


by the Conservatives, has begun working on a housing target of 13,000 homes between 2011 and 2031. In Maidstone, which was until the May elections controlled by a majority Conservative administration, this target is 19,600. Even though the opposition Lib Dems


THIEVES broke the petrol cap of a grey Ferguson T20 tractor in a field in Norton Road, Chart Suon, and stole petrol. Aplastic grillewas taken from a grey


Ford Focus in Market Street, Staplehurst. The grille was recovered but the carwas le damaged. Therewas a break-in at Marden Cricket


and Hockey Club, Albion Road, Marden. Ablack motorcycle, registration WK11


ATU,was stolen from the parking area at Maynards, Marden. Therewas a break-in at a property in Claygate Road, Laddingford. Asatnav and a bag containing personal


items and documentswere stolen from a Ford Transit van in Lenham Road, Headcorn. Apushchair, which had been delivered


and le at the front of a property in Huntington Road, Coxheath,was stolen. Ashedwas broken in to in George Street, Staplehurst. Therewas an aempted burglary in Marian Square, Staplehurst. The suspect was said to be a white man in his early 20s, of stocky build, andwearing black tracksuit booms and a blue top. Aparasolwas stolen from a garden in


Slaney Close, Staplehurst. Two very large old cobble stones,


believed to date back to 1858,were stolen from the garden of a property in Frienden Road, Staplehurst.Amid-blueBMWestate was seen in the area. Atyre was stolen from a blue Land


Rover Discovery in Fairhurst Drive, East Farleigh.


have been disputing this figure, they accept that tens of thousands of new homes will be built. Sadly for those of us who want to protect the countryside, all these numbers add up to a situation where, through political will, new homes are being built on a grand scale on local greenfield sites. As for UKIP, the group now has four seats


on Maidstone Council and one of its policies is not to build on greenfield land, but this is a depressing inevitability if the essential housing you are calling for is to be built. Response by Stephen


Footpath needs repair


Dear Sir –As a local resident and avid environmental campaigner I write to express my concern at the continued lack of action by the Environment Agency over the ongoing problems on the footpath between Teston and Barming Bridge. The footpath was made accessible to all


and a new path laid to create part of the Millenniumwalk between Teston Country Park and the Millennium Park in 2000. This once-nicewalk has been turned into an unusable and dangerous path due to the damage caused to the footpath bridges during the New Year floods. While the floods subsided many months ago, the Environment Agency doesn’t seem to have any plans to repair the footpath and bridges, making the path inaccessible to


the elderly, children and disabled who all previously enjoyed this scenic route. The concerns of local people who are


disgusted about the state of the current footpath seem to have been ignored for the sake of saving a few pounds. I and many others are willing towork


with the Environment Agency to return this footpath to its previous state by helping to put the footpath bridges back in place and carrying out any repairs. I hope the necessary repairs to the footpath bridges will be carried out in the near future sowe can all once again enjoy using this footpath, which goes through the heart of the Kent countryside and provides amazing views of the river Medway. Elliot Dean, Abbots Field, Maidstone


The Environment Agency has been completing some footpath resurfacing works near Teston Bridge due to a short footpath diversion, hence the possible confusion that the EA is responsible for the whole path. The footpath was under water during the


winter floods and the surface and structures have been damaged. In particular two six-metre bridges were washed away and deposited on the banks further downstream.We did not close the path as most walkers are still able to use the path without difficulty and the streams are only shallow at this time of year. No member of the public or parish council


has reported access issues here so far. There have been two complaints about surface vegetation causing an issue for some walkers and vegetation clearance work on the worst parts of this stretch of path will be completed shortly. The route and damage have been surveyed,


and the contracts are about to go out to tender. The technical natures of these repairs make them unsuitable for volunteer projects. Response by spokesman for public rights of way service at KCC


NeighbourhoodWatch


Working to reduce crime. Call Crimestoppers 0800 555 111 or local police Awooden field gate was stolen in


Talebury Lane, Headcorn. The gate to a footpath in Suon Valence


Hill, Suon Valence,was pulled down and the bolts stolen. Aholdallwas stolen from a shed on an allotment in Tumblers Hill, Suon Valence. Alarge quantity of cashwas stolen from


a property in Station Road, Nelestead. The windscreen wiperswere removed


and stolen from a white Transit van in Kings Road, Headcorn. Three excavator buckets were stolen


from the roadside in Redwall Lane, Linton. Cash and a handbag were stolen in a break-in at Caseco, Select Business Centre, Lodge Road, Staplehurst. Asuspect escaped aer hewas disturbed trying to steal a farm gate in Boyton Court Farm, Boyton Court Road, Suon Valence. Ared Honda generator was stolen from the porch of a home inWierton Hill, Boughton Monchelsea. Three excavator buckets were stolen


from the roadside in Redwall Lane, Linton. Amobile phone is thought to be the only


item stolen when a home in Bow Hill, Yalding,was burgled. AWestminster chime clockwas stolen


from a property in Marden Road, Staplehurst.


Ashedwas broken into in Dean Street,


East Farleigh. Therewas an aempted burglary at a property in Lenham Road, Kingswood. Power tools and building materialswere stolen from a factory unit at Frank’s Place Smarden Road, Headcorn. Documentswere stolen from a white


Peugeot Expert in Lenham Road, Headcorn. The keys to a Land Roverwere stolen


from a property in Collier Street, and the vehicle subsequently taken from the driveway. Solar lights and black raan garden furniture comprising a two-seater sofa, two armchairs and a coffee table with a glass topwere stolen from the garden of a home in Heath Road, East Farleigh. The exhaustswere stolen from two


Iveco vehicles in a yard inWierton Hill, Boughton Monchelsea.


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Crime Reports


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