News


Second access to new homes angers residents


RESIDENTS concerned by the expansion of Marden may have got off lightly after the provisional go-ahead was given for a development of 85 homes on greenfield land on the edge of the village.


Marden has been the village most affected by the lack of land in Maidstone borough to meet gov- ernment housing targets. Since July last year, three major


developments totalling more than 300 homes, mainly in open coun- tryside, have been given the go- ahead for the village, leading to fears that infrastructure will be un- able to cope and the village’s char- acter will be lost. The council’s draft local plan al- locates 170 homes at Stanley Farms, Plain Road, but the planning com- mittee has agreed to accept Mill- wood Homes’ outline proposal for only 85 homes on this 5.4-hectare agricultural plot. The outline scheme deals only


with access, which caused conster- nation among residents on the Cherry Orchard estate, a cluster of homes built in the mid 1990s, due to the late inclusion of Napoleon Drive (pictured) as a second access to the development, contrary to the council’s draft local plan saying the


sac but suddenly it becomes a through road. That would really annoy me if I lived there. “At Plain Road, access would af-


only entrance would be from Plain Road.


Objectionswere raised through a 112-name petition signed by resi- dents of the estate and 100 letters. Stephen Witts, of Roundel Way, said: “No other development has access in this way. Kent Highway Services says the main road is able to cope with the extra traffic but the additional access road will run across a children’s area and cause danger to children.” Cllr Richard Ash, a member of


the committee, said the decision to have two access pointswould affect a greater number of properties than if all traffic went through Plain Road. He added: “This is a cul de


Rural banks to close as transactions go digital


TWO more rural banks are to close south of Maidstone as the march towards more online transactions gathers pace. The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) is to close its NatWest branches in Marden and Cox- heath at the end of November. Both banks have recorded a sig- nificant reduction in counter transactions. A spokesman said: “People do their banking where and when it is convenient. “When we close a branch, we take a number of factors into ac- count, including usage and alter- native ways to bank with us in the local area. We’ve taken a number of measures to ensure that our customers will still have access to banking in the area.” Post offices in both villages will provide banking services for NatWest customers for a period following the closures.


At present, the Marden branch is open for 18 hours a week and the Coxheath branch for 10 hours a week. Neither branch has tech- nology linking it to the RBS com- puter systems.


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RBS claims online and mobile transactions have shot up by more than 200% while there has been a 30% fall in branch transac- tions over the past four years. “We expect these trends to con- tinue as more customers bank with us through our mobile app, by online and telephone and through our upgraded ATM net- work,” said the spokesman. The nearest alternative branch to Marden is in Staplehurst, whilst Coxheath customers will need to travel into Maidstone. The bank says it is investing


over £1bn over the next few years to give customers greater choice, including installing 100 new ATMs. ”We’ve advised staff and we’re writing to our customers to make them aware of the closure and the different ways they can still bank with us. If customers or local businesses are concerned about how this will impact their bank- ing, they can go into the branch where staff will be happy to dis- cuss the alternative ways to bank with us,” said the spokesman.


Maidstone South September 2014


fect half a dozen properties at most.” Mr Thorp, representing the ap- plicant, said Millwood had de- signed the scheme with a single access from Plain Road, but added Napoleon Drive after Marden Parish Council and local ward member Annabelle Blackmore, now leader of the council, opposed the original idea in April. Cllr Steve McLoughlin, who is


Cllr Blackmore’s ward and cabinet colleague, agreed that dual access was the fairestway of reducing the impact on residents in the area. Planning permission was granted, but the constructionwork can only begin once the committee has accepted a full application. Aproposal for 124 homes atMar- den Cricket and Hockey Club in Stanley Road is still to be deter- mined.


downsmail.co.uk Medical centre


funds debated THERE was bemusement among councillors and residents at a legal agreement between the developer and council to contribute money for the improvement of the med- ical centre in Lamberhurst – al- most nine miles from Marden. Principal planning officer Peter Hockney explained the reasoning behind the Section 106 agreement, which stated that £46,332 would be shared between Marden, Sta- plehurst and Lamberhurst med- ical centres. He said: “The key aspect with


health provision, and particularly doctors’ surgeries, is that you need to enable future residents to have a choice of doctors. “There are certain doctors that people get on with and other ones they don’t, so it is to enable them to have a choice. People from this development may not all go to Marden surgery, despite the fact it is the closest. They may use alter- native experts elsewhere, which is why developer contributions are usually spread over more than one surgery.” It was agreed to prioritise spending on the medical centres in Marden and Staplehurst before any would be given to Lamber- hurst.


Formore local news www.downsmail.co.uk


Play scheme keeps kids busy


CHILDREN from Yalding and the surrounding area enjoyed hours of fun and games during the annual summer play scheme. About 36 children took part in the scheme over the three weeks it ran


in the village school, with many activities devised by the children themselves. The scheme welcomed PCSO Nicola Morris and colleague who talked


to the children and joined them for a game of football, as well as the Mayor ofMaidstone Cllr Richard Thick and his wife, Rosanne, who tucked into a barbecue with the children and staff. As well as table tennis, rounders and other sports, the children put on


a talent show, enjoyed arts and crafts, did some cooking and got soaked in a water fight or two. The playscheme, funded by Yalding Parish Council, has been led for


Yalding’s Twford pre-school leader Linda Gilbert for 25 years. She said: “The children always have a great time and there’s a huge


variety of activities and things to do to keep them entertained.We have had children come fromall over Maidstone in the past; they have such a great time.”


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