News


downsmail.co.uk KCC to underwrite flood defences


THE leader of KCC, Paul Carter, has pledged the authority will underwrite the cost of building better flood defences for Yalding and Tonbridge. Cllr Carter says a “flood forum”


will raise the £17m needed to match-fund the government’s own £17m, but has not confirmed where the money will come from. LibDemparliamentary candidate


Jasper Gerard had previously ac- cused him of backtracking on a promise to find the money. After Deputy Prime Minister Nick


Clegg promised the coalition would come up with £17m to raise the height of the Leigh barrier and cre- ate a flood barrier on the Beult, Cllr Carter initially said that those at risk of flooding might have to pay a higher tax precept to fund KCC’s half of the scheme. But the leader later added: “We'll underwrite it, but we're forming a flood-funding forum with our friends in local government – parish councils are involved in that – in looking at how we can locally help to narrow the gap that will be


Bellringer plea


CAMPANOLOGISTS are being sought by parishioners at Hunton Church. The parish church has six bells,


but needs more ringers to keep the peal appeal alive on Sundays and special occasions. The bell ringers are members of


the Kent County Association of Change Ringers and are often in- vited to ring at other bell towers in and around the county, as well as further afield. Although some church bells


weigh as much as 32cwt, you do not necessarily have to be strong to be a ringer and, at Hunton, the smallest bell is 6cwt and the largest 11cwt. For details or to volunteer call


tower captain Michael Webb on 01622 745716, or send an email to leahcimbbew@yahoo.co.uk Bell ringing practice takes place each Friday from 7.30 to 9pm.


School grant


HUNTON Primary School has been awarded a major grant from the Big Lottery Fund. The school has received £8,665


which will enable it to create a sen- sory and development room with areas for art, computer use and reading.


allow flexible activities such as dance, drama and art. The re-vamped classroom will be


used as a play area for children to use during lunch hours and will also be used to host lunchtime and after-school clubs, as well as en- hancing the existing breakfast club.


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Pupils recreate football truce Pupils from Sutton Valence School’s Combined Cadet Force who helped


to recreate the Christmas Day WWI truce


STUDENTS at Sutton Valence School held their own Christmas Day truce to commemorate the centenary of WWI. Students in the Combined Cadet Force (CCF) held a football match


which sought to mirror the one played by the British and German troops on Christmas Day 1914. The teams weremade up by the Army section on one side and the


Navy and RAF on the other, playing in their CCF uniforms. There was a 10-minute each waymatch between the third and fourth


form players and a 15-minute each waymatch between the fifth and sixth form contenders. As the two teams stood opposite each other, the choir sang Silent


Night (Stille Nacht) in both English and German, then the teams shook hands and the matches began, refereed by VinceWells, master in charge of football. At the end, the teams lined up again and lay chaplain Gwyn Davies


said amoving prayer before presenting a commemorative chocolate bar to each member of the winning teams – the Army students in both cases.


Furniture will be moveable to Immigrants found in lorry


POLICE were called to Pattenden Lane in Marden after a report of a number of illegal immigrants hiding in a fruit refrigeration lorry. The lorry was delivering to Tomkinsons in Pattenden Lane, where


the 15 peoplewere discovered, wrapped in coats and scarves to survive their trip in the refrigerated truck. Three police cars and a van attended and the 15 suspected illegal im- migrantswere transferred to the immigration authorities.


Maidstone South January 2015


the area. Extra funds could also be available through our application for a Local Enterprise Partnership Growth Fund.” Mr Gerard said: “It has been a struggle, but the people of Yalding, Laddingford, Wateringbury, the centre of Maidstone and other areas wholive in fear of flooding can now look forward with more confidence. “Wemust keep up the pressure to


ensure the defences are delivered on time, because every year they are not in place, lives are at risk.” The initial estimated cost of de-


Nick Clegg at the meeting with MP Helen Grant and Lib Dem parliamen- tary candidate Jasper Gerard


placed upon the council tax payers of Kent. Because we can't just find £17m overnight. “We will look at a developer con- tribution from new houses built in


veloping aLower Beult storage area is about £25m, and the estimated cost of increasing capacity at the Leigh barrier is £11m. Danny Alexander, Lib Dem chief secretary to the treasury,was one of the politicians who visited Yalding and met victims of floods in Decem- ber 2013. The Environment Agency says it


will be four more years before a de- tailed scheme can be drawn up and tested – and up to a further four be- fore it is completed. In the mean- time, residents continue to try various methods of protecting their properties, while battling with in- surance companies reluctant to cover areas of high risk. A spokesman for Maidstone Council said:“We have not been ap- proached for a contribution towards the capital cost of the work but pro- tecting the borough from flooding is a high priority for us. We worked closely with Kent County Council, the Environment Agency and Ton- bridge and Malling Borough Coun- cil to fund the feasibility study for the flood defence works andwe are working with others on a bid to the Local Enterprise Partnership Growth Fund for a contribution to- wards the capital cost of the flood works.”


Plans chaos to


be resolved CHAOSwhich has reigned in Maid- stone Council’s planning depart- ment should be resolved by the next financial year. Council leader Annabelle Black-


more assured members of the pub- lic – including property tycoon FergusWilson – that the problems which had beset the department since it merged with Swale and TunbridgeWells,were nowwell on the way to being resolved. All three boroughs had experi-


enced delays in answering letters, carrying out searches and validat- ing applications since the merger – which also coincided with the in- troduction of a new IT system. Many frustrated homeowners


had gone ahead with schemes without waiting for the required permissions; others had taken them to the planning inspectorate for a decision in the absence of anything from the council. In response to Mr Wilson’s re-


quest whether the planning system was fit for purpose, Cllr Blackmore assured: “A robust plan has been implemented to put it back on track and we are heading towards a tar- get of processing applications within five days.” By April, Cllr Blackmore said she


hoped it would be down to two days.


Applicants have the right to ap-


peal to the planning inspectorate on the grounds of non-determina- tion if a decision is not reached within the requisite time, which takes the matter out of local au- thority hands.


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