News


downsmail.co.uk Green space part of homes plan


MAIDSTONE Council will ask its counterpart in Tonbridge and Malling for a nature reserve to form part of a 140-home develop- ment at Bridge Nursery, Alling- ton.


Maidstone’s planning committee granted planning permission for Ward Homes’ application on land north of Blackmanstone Way and east of London Road, but recom- mended that land left as open countryside in the north-west of the site be made a local nature re- serve.


Because the land is in Tonbridge


and Malling, Maidstone’s council- lors will have to rely on their neighbours to ensure the land is protected. All the land is allocated for hous-


ing in the current plan and ear- marked for 165 homes in the draft local plan. However, Cllr Dan Daley, borough and county coun-


cillor for the Allington area, and his Lib Dem colleague Rob Bird collected 1,100 signatures oppos- ing the loss of the greenfield site. Cllr Daley said: small is


“This acreage


Cllr Cynthia Robertson


supremely valu- able for a wide va- riety of natural resources, includ- ing the wildlife and the quality of the soils, which are irreplaceable.


“Allington has successively lost


most of its open aspect and green space during the past 70 years of planning spread. This small piece is now all that is left in a virtually virgin state.” Cllr Cynthia Robertson, who also represents Allington, said the land had been used for many years by dog walkers. “This is a very sad


Parents fined for school absences


PARENTS in Tonbridge and Malling are paying a high price for taking their children out of school to go on holiday. The number of fines issued to par-


ents in the borough for breaking the rules has more than doubled in three years – from 261 in 2011 to 622 in the year 2013/14. But this is not because there are more unauthorised ab- sences – just a reflection of the tougher stance being taken by schools and the Department for Ed- ucation (DfE). The total number of fines issued to


Kent parents has gone up from £96,900 in 2011 to £319,560 last year – an increase of 230%. If a child is taken out of school without prior permission, each parent can be fined £60 per child per period of absence. This rises to £120 if it is not paid within 21 days, with those who re- fuse to pay facing a fine of up to £2,500 or jail of up to three months. The DfEmadethe decision in Sep- tember 2013 to remove the discretion for a headteacher to authorise parental requests for up to 10 days


Charity car park


MAIDSTONE Lions Club will be manning the 150-space car park at Countygate offices in Stacey Street (by the White Rabbit pub) for charity every Saturday in December. The car park will be open from10am to 5.30pm, and donations are invited.


24 Malling December 2014


leave for the purpose of a holiday in term time, aswell as extended leave of absence during term time. Parents now have to apply for ex- ceptional leave of absence with the headteacher who will decide how much leave will be authorised – if any. If unauthorised leave is taken, the head can apply to Kent County Council for a penalty notice. In Kent, Gravesham tops the table


for the most penalty fines issued last year with 695, while Swale comes a close second with 688 fines, but it was the only one of the 12 districts in Kent to show adecrease in absences, down from 821 the previous year. Schools in Tonbridge and Malling


had the third-highest number of unauthorised absences during the year, rising from 490 in 2012/13. A spokesman for KCC said: “The


DfE is placing greater emphasis on pupil attendance and schools are taking a robust approach.” The spokesman said there was


“clear evidence” of a link between poor attendance and low levels of achievement.


FORMER Maidstone borough councillor John Horne raised con- cerns that there was nowhere in Maidstone to buy a national bus ticket. He told Thurnham Parish Coun-


cil that previously theywere avail- able from Arriva and then a kiosk


KCC Cllr Sarah Hohler, second fromleft, with parish councillors Peter Robinson, Patricia Garrett and Stephen MacDonald-Gay


Village gets defibrillators


ADDINGTON Parish Council has adopted two redundant BT phone kiosks and installed potentially life-saving defibrillators in them. County Councillor Sarah Hohler joined members of the parish council


for the unveiling of the defibrillator in Trottiscliffe Road. A second defibril- lator has been installed in the kiosk in the forecourt of the Jet garage on the A20. Members thanked Cllr Hohler for donating money towards one of the defibrillators from her member grant. The parish council and Cllr Hohlerwere delighted that the whole village


now has access to a defibrillator. The defibrillators have been registered with the emergency services and will be inspectedmonthly.


KCC calls for lower voting age


PETER Homewood, chairman of KCC, is to write to the Prime Minis- ter urging him to introduce legisla- tion to lower the voting age to 16. A motion was proposed by Lib


Dem member Cllr Brian Clark and seconded by Cllr Rob Bird.


KCC has its own Kent youth county council (KYCC) wheremem- bers represent young people in their area and help to bring about change. Fifty-six councillors voted in


favour of writing to the PM, 17were against and four abstained.


‘Nowhere to buy a bus ticket’ Farm housing


in The Mall shopping centre. However, his recent endeavour to buy a ticket ended in failure. He told councillors: “Appar-


ently, this facility ceased at the end of August.” Maidstone coun- cillor Nick De Wiggondene said he would look into the matter.


A PLAN to replace farm buildings at Kiln Barn Road, Ditton with threedwellings has been approved. The units will provide accommo- dation for employees and visitors of the Gallagher Group including the farm manager of Gallagher Equine. The change of usewaswel- comed by neighbours.


day for residents of Allington,” she said. Cllr Bird said the road network


would not be able to cope with the increase in vehi- cles.


MP Helen Grant Cllr Rob Bird


also raised con- cerns about the loss of a recreation area and an in- crease in traffic. Although Peter


Rosevear, trans- port planner at


KCC, conceded that the scheme would lead to more traffic and an extra delay, he did not object to the plan. Cllr Mike Hogg, a member of the committee, said: “This is a valuable place for wildlife, but it is private land and if it is refused, the plan- ning inspector will grant it because it is in our local plan.”


Cats risk to wildlife


MAIDSTONE councillor Tony Har- wood believes housing develop- ments built too close together could harm local wildlife through the introduction of cats. Speaking during a planning committee meeting in reference to the development of 140 homes at Bridge Nursery in Allington, the Lib Dem planning spokesman said: “As soon as you have 140 houses cheek by jowl it will be full of cats, which will destroy reptiles in months.”


The scheme, which includes a mixture of two, three, four and five bedroom properties, 30% of which would be affordable, was given planning permission thanks to five votes for, two against and four ab- stentions.


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