News


downsmail.co.uk Cash to help town’s traffic flow


GOVERNMENT money could be used as a priority to ease traffic congestion in the south east of Maidstone.


And councillors hope more money will come Maidstone’s way before next year’s general election. Unveiling a list of proposed road improvement schemes to the town’s joint trans- portation board, KCC leader Paul Carter said: “I thinkwe have a do-able op- eration if we work together


and are pragmatic.We do notwant to fritter away capital resources which could be used on other schemes.” Upgrading the B2163 through


Leeds – or building an alternative road nearby – will be looked at as a priority among measures to ease


The make-up


of borough SOUTH Africans make up the largest non-British part of the pop- ulation in the Tonbridge and Malling borough.


Figures from the Office of Na- tional Statistics show 772 South Africans now live in the borough – the highest number of foreigners making it their home.


According to the figures, people from more than 30 countries now make up the borough’s 120,805 res- idents, with most coming from England (109,887), Scotland (1,398), Wales (894), South Africa (772), Republic of Ireland (581), Germany (499) and India (497). Although there are 379 Poles liv- ing in the borough, this number is dwarfed by the populations in neighbouring Maidstone (1,526) and Tunbridge Wells (1,075). The nation with the lowest num- ber of its residents living in the borough was Somalia with just two.


Wall damage THREE trees, which are damaging


the boundary wall of All Saints’ Church in Snodland Road, Birling, could be removed. Churchwarden Sheelagh Hellyar has applied to Tonbridge and Malling Council to cut down a eu- calyptus, field maple and self- seeded ash, and also to raise the lower crown of a mature yew by three metres.


Formore local news 24


www.downsmail.co.uk Malling October 2014


the gridlock in Maidstone. Cllr Carter said: “It doesn’t have


to be over-grandiose. It has to be modest and affordable.” KCC has received £12.5m for Maidstone from the Government’s local growth fund, but £4.56m of this has already been earmarked for improvements to the town cen- tre bridge gyratory system. Schemes competing for the re- maining £8.9m total more than £57m, with more likely to come on board as members put forward their ideas. But Cllr Carter told the JTB: “I


have been assured there will be more money this side of the general election.” The JTB will now examine the proposals while KCC continues to bid for more money. But KCC head of transportation Tim Read said members should decide as quickly


as possible which schemes offered the best value and greatest benefits. Upgrading the B2163 could cost


as much as £25m, but it would re- move much of the traffic from the narrow road through Leeds village – critical if new housing is given the go-ahead nearby. Itwould also ben- efit residents in Kingswood and Broomfield. Other schemes to be examined in greater detail include improving the A229/A274 Wheatsheaf junc- tion at an estimated cost of £5m to- gether with a road-widening scheme, improving the junctions between the A274 Sutton Road and Willington Street and Wallis Av- enue and upgrading the junction of theA20Ashford Road andWilling- ton Street. North of the town centre, where


1,000 homes are earmarked for land near Hermitage Lane, im-


From left, KCC deputy leader John


Simmonds with Mark Davy, of Futurecity and Andrew Blevins, of Lib- erty Property Trust UK


Art brings the past alive


AMBITIOUS artworks have been unveiled to bring Kings Hill’s past alive. Centred around the art deco


control tower, the works comprise 12 brass reliefs, 11 of which feature planes that were stationed at Kings Hill during World War II when it was RAF West Malling. The 12th is of the “Magical Mystery Tour” bus, marking the day The Beatles filmed at the airfield. These reliefs can be taken as brass rubbings, allowing children to engage with the history. Close to the refurbished tower are


large roundels embedded in the ground, one featuring slang used by World War II pilots and the other containing anecdotes and memories provided by those who


lived and worked on the airfield. Word trails with stories, quotes and ideas provided by the community have been set in bronze and embedded throughout Liberty Square. They include inspirational poetry about flight written by the children of Kings Hill, and veterans’ memories of the airfield. Called Kings Hill…A Place of Landings, the artworks were commissioned by Kings Hill developer Liberty Property Trust UK and Kent County Council, from recommendations set out in Kings Hill’s culture and placemaking strategy by curator Futurecity. Local historian and author Peter Hall unveiled the artworks, watched by more than 200 people.


Quiz night for cancer charity QUIZ teams can test their knowledge at the Gallagher Stadium on Thursday, November 20.


The quiz night, which is being held to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support, starts at 8pm, with doors opening at 7.45pm. Tickets are £8 per person for teams of up to eight people, and include nib- bles. There will also be a raffle on the night. To book a team or for more information, call Helene Poursain on 07764 503 484 or email hpoursain@macmillan.org.uk.


provements would be needed to M20 Junction 5 (costing £700,000), the junction of the A20 and Her- mitage Lane (£800,000), the junc- tion of the A20 and Coldharbour Lane (£2.6m) and the Fountain Lane junction of theA26 (£400,000). Mr Read told the board: “Maid-


stone town centre has a long his- tory of severe peak hour congestion resulting from uncontrolled, dis- proportionate growth and KCC, as the highways authority, will not ac- cept this being simply com- pounded by excessive further development.” Maidstone’s chief planner Rob Jarman expressed concern that the list of proposals had no mention of pedestrian routes, cycle paths or park-and-ride schemes, to which Mr Read replied: “This is not an ex- clusive list – it is just a foundation to get the ball rolling.”


Funeral of


college head STUDENTS from Maidstone’s Mid- Kent College were among the hun- dreds who paid their respects to former principal Sue McLeod, in a memorial service at Rochester Cathedral. Sue was diagnosed with a brain tumour in June, and died in hospi- tal a month later, aged 53. The memorial service was led by The Dean of Rochester, Reverend Dr Mark Beach, who earlier in the day had overseen the funeral serv- ice at Blue Bell Hill Crematorium. The college’s chief executive, Stephen Grix, said: “The further ed- ucation sector has lost a champion, MidKent College has lost an inspi- rational principal and many of us have lost a dear friend.” Sue’s partner and daughter paid moving tributes to the former travel and tourism lecturer, who became the college’s first female principal since it began more than 100 years ago. Vice-principal Simon Cook has been appointed acting principal by the college’s governing body.


Tree trimming GRAHAM Morse of Ffinch Close,


Aylesford has applied to Tonbridge and Malling Council to trim back an oak tree growing in his next door neighbour’s garden and over- hanging his property. The work would involve lifting the crown of the oak, which is sub- ject to a tree preservation order, by four metres.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48