News
Land to become a village green
APATCHof neglected open space at Larkfield will at last be cared for as an asset to the community. The area, which is off Marlowe
Road, has been taken over by East Malling and Larkfield Parish Coun- cil after lengthy legal negotiations and is set to become a village green. The issue came to light last sum-
mer after residents complained to the parish council that the grass needed cutting. Following a land audit, Ton-
bridge and Malling Council dis- covered that it did not own the site which it had maintained for 30 years. The ownershipwas traced to developers who had built the nearby houses in the 1980s. The parish council stepped in,
and after tracing the company that now owns the former development firm, has taken over the site, which has just had its first cut and will be formally registered as a village green.
The land off Marlowe Road, Larkfield A Tonbridge and Malling Coun-
cil spokesman said: “We are very pleased to hear that the parish council has stepped in. Whilst the borough councilwas legally unable to continue maintaining the land and the private landowner had not undertaken any maintenance over the past few months, it is encour- aging to know it will now be main- tained for the benefit of local residents.”
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THE first phase of a plan to give Maidstone’s Mall shopping centre a re-vamp has moved a step closer. Owner Capital & Regional has submitted a planning application to Maidstone Council to deliver the first stage of its town centre vision. The proposalswere unveiled at a
public exhibition earlier this year. If planning permission is granted, the phase will entail the lift lobbies being improved and a renovation of the public toilets. Shops will be reconfigured to
meet modern retailer requirements and two entrances will be created on King Street and Gabriel’s Hill. Capital & Regional is still refin-
ing plans for longer-term improve- ments to The Mall, which would
downsmail.co.uk Mall plan submied
see extra retail and leisure space created for restaurants, a cinema and more shops. The proposals would link The
Mall to the wider town centre and a new anchor store would transform The Mall’s frontage onto Gabriel’s Hill and the ring road. Mark Bourgeois, executive direc-
tor at Capital & Regional, said: “This planning application is the first stage of a bigger master plan for Maidstone and we are looking forward to engaging with resi- dents, businesses and community groups as we continue to define our vision.” The Mall is one of six shopping centres across the UK owned by The Mall Fund.
Nursery wins good rating
A KINGS Hill nursery has re- tained its good rating. Ofsted inspectors found staff
at Nursery on the Hill, in Gibson Drive, had good relationships with children, who felt happy and settled at the nursery. They were committed to pro- viding “effective learning expe- riences” to help children progress. Good relationships be-
tween staff and parents helped to make sure children’s needs were met, and the manager made sure staffwere able to keep chil- dren safe. Inspectors found staff did not
always use mathematical lan- guage consistently. This would help them understand concepts such asweight, measure and vol- ume.
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