News
downsmail.co.uk Work starts on £8mwater pipe
WORK has begun on an £8.1 mil- lion water main scheme which will secure tap water supplies to parts of Maidstone, Larkfield, Ditton, Ley- bourne andAylesford. South EastWater has begun clear-
ing vegetation within Leybourne Lakes Country Park and installing newt fencing close to BushyWood, near Eccles, along the 7km route. The aim is to minimise the impact
on the environment. Any newts found will be relocated. The first stage of the scheme to in-
stall 2km of piping is scheduled to take place within Leybourne Lakes
Continued from page one housing benefit, payroll, creditors, housing (including right-to-buy), in- surance claims and taxi licensing. In alternate years, a similar exercise matches council tax single person’s discount to the electoral register to identify potentially false reductions. Latest Audit Commission figures
show that Tonbridge and Malling had processed 94% of NFI data matches by March 31, almost twice asmanyas the average of 54% for 14 comparable councils and of 46% for all district councils.
Leybourne Lakes Country Park
Country Park before April 2015, while the park is not as busy. Chris Love, South EastWater de-
livery manager, said: “Our ecologists have been clearing grassland in Ley-
bourne Lakes Country Park to dis- courage water voles and reptiles from living close to where we plan to install the pipe. By temporarily re- moving the habitat any animals will relocate and therefore not be at risk when the constructionwork starts. “Near BushyWoodwe have been installing specialist newt fencing as the great crested newt, a protected species, may live in the area. “Our licensed environmental team
will then make daily visits, collect- ing any newts and placing them out- side the fenced area. “Oncewe have finished installing
the pipeline grassland will be able to re-grow and any fencing will be re- moved so the animals can return.” The new pipeline will replace an
old water main that has burst nine times in the last four years. Mr Love said: “I’m sure our cus- tomers, like us, don’t like seeing water beingwasted which iswhyit’s essential we replace this old water main. “Not only is there disruption to
the local community when this old pipeline bursts, but due to its loca- tion in marshland it is extremely dif- ficult to access and repair.”
Benefit inquiry boosts funds Fraudster must repay money Councillorswere told that the cor-
porate fraud team had made “sig- nificant progress” with both the council tax and housing benefit ex- ercises. The borough’s chief financial serv-
ices officer Neil Lawley said that only a small number of fraud and error cases were identified from the referrals received, which meant that the council could place assurance on its fraud prevention systems. He added: “However, significant savings can be identified from that limited number of cases.”
A SNODLAND woman was con- victed of benefit fraud after giving two false statements to Tonbridge and Malling Council. Daniella Peirce (50), of Saltings
Road, pleaded not guilty at Sevenoaks Magistrates’ Court on two counts of knowingly making a false statement. Peirce failed to tell the council
her partner, a long distance lorry driver, was living with her when she applied for benefits. The benefit department decided her address was his main resi-
dence and she had been overpaid £6,285.53 in housing benefit and £822.38 in council tax benefit dur- ing a period of two and a half years. She was fined £175 for each offence and given a victim sur- charge of £15. She will also have to repay all the money fraudu- lently claimed and £500 costs. Cllr Martin Coffin, Tonbridge
and Malling Council’s cabinet member for finance said: “I am pleased that we have been able to record yet another successful pros- ecution.”
6
Malling October 2014
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