News


Lobby plan for school


A NEW glazed entrance lobby could be built at Sutton Valence School in North Street. A planning application has been submitted to extend the school shop building and toilet block to create a new reception. “The proposed reception build-


ing is intended to create a visible point of entry to the school, which is currently lacking,” a supporting statement said. “To mark the en- trance point we are proposing a glazed entrance lobby, which, while following the existing gable roof line, will clearly be identified as a modern extension.” Maidstone Council will decide


the application, which includes a canopy roof between the new re- ception and refectory as well as al- terations to the internal access road.


Homes agreed


PLANNING permission has been granted for four commercial build- ings and six detached houses in Headcorn Road, Sutton Valence. The scheme will also see the demolition of a bungalow called Greentops. A proposal for eight detached


homes on the site was withdrawn within the past year due to con- cerns over the scale, layout and de- sign of the development.


downsmail.co.uk


Luxury houses proposed on former orchard site


APLANto build a luxury development of 14 detached houses in Linton has been submitted to Maidstone Council.


The application, by Alan Firmin


Ltd and Countryside properties, is for a site south of the crossroads, north of Wheeler Lane. The plan, on the site of a former


pear orchard, now called Vicarage Fields, impinges on the conservation area and the Greensand Ridge. The parish council, of which Firmins director Ian Firmin is a long- standing member, has opposed the application. The scheme is opposed by numer-


ous residents and the Maidstone branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England. The parish council does not be-


lieve the village’s sewerage system can support additional housing. It says: “There have been failures within the village to the south of the site that have resulted in contami- nated land and raw sewage in neigh- bouring residential properties. “The additional load of 14 large properties can only exacerbate the potential for future failures of the an- tiquated system.” However, the response added:


Young driver dies from injuries after car crash


AYOUNGdriver has died follow- ing a serious road accident in Hunton over the holiday period. Police are still appealing for wit-


nesses to the accident, at the junc- tion of Lughorse Lane and Hunton Hill.


Nicole Parnell (22) was driving


her Peugeot 307 along Lughorse Lane towards Hunton Hill at about 9.50pm on Friday, December 19 when the accident happened. No other vehicles are believed to


have been involved and it is thought the car left the road and hit a stonewall. Nicole (pictured), a former pupil


of Hunton Primary and Cornwallis schools, was taken to King’s Col- lege Hospital by ambulance with serious head injuries, from which she never recovered. Her family made the heartbreak-


ing decision to turn off her life sup- port machine on December 30 after saying their goodbyes. It is believed Nicole was travel-


ling home from her work as a carer when the accident happened. Flowers and tributes have been


left at the scene and Nicole’s griev- ing parents Sharon and Paul, to- gether with her three brothers,


24


Jamie (24), Tom (17) and Jack (14), have been comforted by the dozens of messages left on social media by Nicole’s many friends. PC Graham Holdstock, from the serious collision investigation unit, said: “The blue Peugeot 307 ap- pears to have been the only vehicle involved, butwe would like to hear from anyone who saw the incident or the vehicle prior to the collision occurring.” The road was closed for four


hours after the accident. Anyone with any information is


asked to call 101 or 01622 798538, quoting reference 19-1738.


Maidstone South January 2015


number of dwellings in the pro- posed development means that the overall layout is of a relatively low density, which matches the sur- rounding dwelling patterns,” said a design statement. It is not the first time the Wares


“There is a difference of opinion on the parish council regarding the sta- tus and effect ofdevelopment on the existing (and proposed) conserva- tion area that is a key feature of Lin- ton.


“Linton is a fine example of an ‘es-


tate village’. To some, the high qual- ity of the proposal would improve the existing bare fallow field. For others any development is complete anathema to the status quo.” Countryside Properties says the


homes would blend in with the ar- chitecture and material of surround- ing buildings and integrate with the landscape. The houses have been de- signed with very large gardens, some with existing established trees. “The ratio of garden space to the


Farm site has been put forward for housing. Planswere proposed as far back as 1961 and 1972 – and rejected. Firmins submitted another pro-


posal in 1995, whichwas rejected by the parish council the following year. In 1999 a planning inspector said the site should not be desig- nated for housing for several rea- sons, including “the harm to the character and appearance of this part of the conservation area caused by this proposal.” The latest plan allows for 58 park-


ing spaces for the 14 properties and opponents say this volume of traffic would be unacceptable alongside what is already a very busy through road into Maidstone. If approved, the parish council


wants to see the 30mph limit ex- tended south beyond Redwall Lane.


Blaze hits dance studios


THE owners of Warmlake Dance Academy have been putting their best foot forward in an impressive move to keep new studios in Sutton Valence open after fire swept through the building. The blaze failed to stop two Christmas parties from going ahead just two weeks after the blaze, as all sides pulled together to clear the mess. Lorraine Mason,whose daughter Hannah opened the academy in September, thanked everyone for their help on the dance studio’s website, saying: “All of us here at Warmlake Dance Academy would like to thank everybody who has shown us so much support and


Dropped kerb


A PLANNING application has been submitted for a dropped kerb crossover at numbers 2 and 3 Medway Cottages, Pattenden Lane, Marden. Maidstone Coun- cil will decide.


Extension bid


A SIDE extension is planned at The Barn,West Street, Hunton to provide secure storage for an agricultural business.


wished us well during this hard time.” Four fire-engines, with crews


from Maidstonewearing breathing apparatus, spent nearly two hours tackling the fire on the Warmlake Business Estate off the Maidstone Road on November 29. The kitchen and reception area were worst af- fected, with soot and fire damage caused to two studios. Mrs Mason, a director of the busi-


ness, was grateful that her daugh- ter’s boyfriend had spotted the blaze, preventing more damage being caused. Three people were treated for smoke inhalation. It is thought the fire was caused by an electrical fault.


Caravan plan


A PLANNING application has been submitted to station two mobile homes, a tourer caravan and a dayroom on land south of Love Lane, Headcorn. Maidstone Council will determine.


Shed to home


PLANNING permission was granted to convert a tractor shed into a one-bedroom home in Lin- ton Park, Linton.


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