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Dilapidated shops are a danger, says council
COUNCILLORS in Bearsted are concerned that someone could be injured by deteriorating properties in the Egremont Road parade of shops.
The Villager Keeping your
parish tidy BEARSTED is lucky to be blessed with a number of volunteers, sev- eral of them parish councillors, who freely give up their own time to carry out various minor mainte- nance and repair jobs around the parish.
These community-spirited peo- ple can frequently be seen main- taining the attractive flower border by the Bearsted Medical Practice car park and the lavender bed alongside the Holy Cross Church car park; litter-picking in public areas; sometimes clearing foot- paths and keeping clean the play equipment in the parish council’s two play areas on The Green and in the Bearsted Woodland Trust. If you become aware of some- thing you think needs attention anywhere in Bearsted, please con- tact the clerk.
It may be that any work that needs to be done will be the re- sponsibility of KCC, MBC, or someone else but, whatever the case, the council will either deal with your concerns or pass them on.
The parish council has written to the property company that owns the parade of shops to complain about their deteriorating condition, drawing particular attention to a large section of fascia boarding that fell off several weeks ago – poten- tially injuring someone – and which has still not been replaced. Other parts of the fascia are cov- ered in mould and the parish coun- cil considers that the frontage of the entire block of shops is in need of redecoration and refurbishment to make the shops more attractive to residents.
The parish council has also taken up with Kent County Council the maintenance of the grassed area around the Madginford shops car park that has not been cut for sev-
eral weeks and is now very over- grown, creating a poor impression of the area. Parish Council chairman Richard Ash said: “Historically, this grass has always been routinely cut by KCC but last year, some grass cut- ting responsibilities were trans- ferred from KCC to MBC and it
seems that responsibility for the grassed area at Madginford was forgotten in the negotiations that took place.”
The parish council has now es- tablished that KCC is still responsi- ble for the cutting of this area and it continues to put pressure on KCC for it to be cut it as soon as possible.
Future of school house on agenda
THE schoolmaster’s house, next to the library at Bearsted Green, is owned by KCC but has been empty and disused for more than 40 years.
The parish council is now look- ing for suggestions about how the property could be brought back into use to enhance the conserva- tion area, of which it is a part. A spokesman for the parish council said: “Due to lack of main-
tenance, the property is now rap- idly deteriorating and in danger of becoming an eyesore on a promi- nent site facing the village green.” Local councils have a statutory responsibility to do all they can to maintain or enhance the architec- tural or historical interest of build- ings within conservation areas and the parish council considers it unacceptable for KCC to have al- lowed the schoolmaster’s house to
Waterside Park is still not wanted
BEARSTED Parish Council is still vehemently opposing development at Waterside Park. A revised plan has been submit- ted by Gallagher Properties for the warehouse park, south of the A20, near M20 Junction 8. Councillors have not been ap- peased by the reduction in area and building height and have written to Maidstone Council to say they be- lieve the plans are still contrary to the National Planning Policy Framework 2012.
They argue: “It is on a greenfield site, in a totally unsustainable and isolated countryside location at considerable distance from the
built up area of Maidstone and far from all local services.”
The council says protecting the unspoilt character of the land was a major consideration in the Secre- tary of State’s emphatic dismissal four years ago of the Kent Interna- tional Gateway planning appeal. Members believe the develop- ment would lead to increased traf- fic, noise and air pollution and draw investment away from the Maidstone urban area. The council’s letter to Maidstone Council concludes: “The reduced size of the buildings and the addi- tional landscaping proposed in this revised application cannot over-
This page is sponsored and edited by:
Bearsted Parish Council
www.bearstedparishcouncil.gov.uk
28 Maidstone East September 2014
come the compelling and compre- hensive national and local planning objections to this massive and to- tally unacceptable industrial devel- opment in such an unspoilt countryside location.”
The council says the needs of Marden-based businesses Scarab and ADL, who want to relocate to Waterside Park, cannot be allowed to damage economic, social, envi- ronmental and landscape objec- tives. Copies of the letter have gone to MP Hugh Robertson MP, all local county and borough councillors, Hollingbourne, Leeds and Thurn- ham parish councils and Maid- stone’s Joint Parishes Group.
stay empty for so long.
It has been suggested that the house could be converted into two flats which could provide much- needed homes for local people. If you would welcome the con-
version of the property into two flats – or have any other ideas or comments about what use could be made of the property – please either write to or email the clerk, whose details are below.
Objection to
bungalow plan THE parish council has objected to a planning application to convert a single detached bungalow in Cavendish Way into two semi-de- tached houses.
The council considers the pro- posal to be a massive over-devel- opment of the site, seriously out of character with the existing dwelling and, most significantly, with the character of the street scene. Members also believe it would be severely detrimental to the amenities of the neighbouring bungalows.
Council Office: Madginford Hall, Bearsted Telephone: E-Mail:
01622 630165 Chairman:
clerk@bearstedparishcouncil.gov.uk Richard Ash
MEETINGS HELD SECOND TUESDAY OFMONTH (7.30PM) AND THE PUBLIC IS VERYWELCOME
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