News
Gypsy family can stay on land
A GYPSY family has been given permission to stay living on land in Kingswood – despite fierce op- position from the parish council. Rosemarie Humphreys, husband
Peter and teenage daughter Sophie, had been living at Kwana in Cross Drive during the winter, but travel- ling to fairs and auctions during the summer months, Maidstone plan- ning committee heard. Parish council clerk Gail Gosden
said the parish had “more than played its part” in providing ac- commodation for gypsy and trav- eller families. Broomfield and Kingswood’s emerging neighbourhood plan had already identified adequate gypsy and traveller sites in the parish, she said, with a number of sites already occupied by multiple families. Mrs Gosden argued Kingswood
had a lack of facilities and seven children had failed to gain admis- sion to the local primary school this year because of the increased de- mand for places. However, Maidstone Council’s
planning committee granted the application for change of use of the land to mixed use for agriculture and as a residential caravan site, with the condition itwas limited to no more than one static caravan and one touring van at any one time, with an amenity block, to pro- vide a bathroom and storage. Members conceded it would
cause some visual harm but this was minimal, and would be miti- gated by the surrounding land- scape.
Members heard the family needed a settled base so they could have proper facilities when living on site and also a base from which the daughter could attend school. They also needed space to look
after their livestock – six horses, two sheep, 10 chickens, five geese, four ducks, two turkeys and three bee hives.
Committee chairman Cllr Clive English said: “Out of the many, this is one of the most justifiable I have seen and I have no problem sup- porting it.”
downsmail.co.uk Rotarian’swork rewarded
A ROTARIAN with a long record of service to Maidstone has been awarded a Paul Harris Fellowship by the Rotary Club of Maidstone. Bernard Head, of Clarendon Close, Bearsted retired fromlocal company
Marley in 1990 and set up his own accounts business working as a bursar for five schools, including Roseacre Primary School, Bearsted, and Redhill special school, East Sutton. He became treasurer of Redhill Trust after the school closed in 2002. He is a former treasurer of
Holy Cross Church, Bearsted, founder member of both Bearsted tennis and bowls clubs and is treasurer and a trustee of BearstedWoodland Trust. He joined Rotary in 1995, was club treasurer for five years andwas president in 2004.
PresidentWilliam Perry presents award to Bernard Head with his wife Helen
Village school could expand
THE expansion of Headcorn Pri- mary School on its current site is being discussed, according to the county’s area education officer. It follows calls for a concrete fi- nancial offer from developers to- wards the provision of school places before any more homes are built in the area. Cllr Jenny Whittle, cabinet member for education, says with
420 new properties proposed in the borough council’s draft local plan, the 210-place primary school needs to be expanded. Jared Nehra, KCC’s area educa-
tion officer, said: “Additional pri- mary school places are required to meet the demand arising from new housing in Headcorn. Our preference is to expand the current school to two forms of entry.”
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Maidstone South December 2014
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