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Lights go out on footpath after repeated vandalism


RESIDENTS in Bearsted could lose some of their valued street lighting after another attack by mindless vandals.


Objection to


shops scheme THE parish council objected strongly to a planning application to redevelop the shops on Bearsted Green. The application has subse- quently been withdrawn. The proposal, for new shop


units with seven flats above, raised objections from the Bearsted and Thurnham Society and several res- idents who addressed the parish council’s planning committee. The committee unanimously ob-


jected to the loss of an iconic build- ing unique to Bearsted; the poor standard of design of the pro- posed new building; and because the proposal would not maintain or enhance the character of the Bearsted Conservation Area. There was also concern about a


lack of parking, highway problems and the possible loss of the exist- ing shops which provide a much appreciated local service.


Precept up ...


but bills to fall BEARSTED’s parish precept is going up – but the cost to the residents is coming down. The parish council has voted to increase the precept by £1,800 from £95,000 to £96,800, but the ac- tual cost to the taxpayer will fall, thanks to a change in the Govern- ment’s tax base. A band D homeowner will pay


£27.09 for 2015/16, down 3p from this year’s £27.12 . Bearsted has one of the three


lowest precepts in Maidstone bor- ough – only Boxley and Boughton Malherbe are lower – and resi- dents pay only half the national average precept of £52. In most other parishes in the Maidstone borough, residents con- tribute £60 pa upwards to their council tax bill for parish council services.


In the latest incident, vandals caused damage to 11 of the 19 low level lights in an evening of de- struction along the Church Land- way footpath . The lights had only been switched on two weeks earlier, after four lights were damaged in a similar incident in March last year. A spokesman for the parish council said: “These lights have been much appreciated by resi- dents, particularly on long dark winter evenings but clearly some- body is hell bent on continually destroying them.” The lights (pictured right) have


so far cost the parish council £4,280 in repair bills due to van-


dalism since they were first in- stalled four years ago. To avoid further expense, the 11 damaged lights will not be re- paired but ”capped off’ to make them safe. The remaining eight working


lights will be switched on as soon as possible but, if they are subse- quently damaged, they will also not be repaired and the footpath will lose all its lighting. Anyone who has any informa-


tion about who could have de- stroyed these lights is urged to contact the clerk of the parish council using the contact details at the bottom of this page. All information will be treated in the strictest confidence.


Get your tree votes in


TREE spotters are wanted in and around Bearsted. The Kent Men of the Trees are


on their annual search for prizewinning specimens – and local nominations are needed. Each year, villages throughout


Kent are invited to enter the KMOTT competition, where their trees can be inspected by an expe- rienced judge who will award points based on the quality of trees, their condition, evidence of new planting and care of the trees.


Judges qualify the term “vil-


lage” as the heart of the parish and generally withinwalking distance for the judge’s inspection. Those villages awarded the highest number of marks are pre- sented with a tree and a cash prize. Other villages reaching high standards are awarded “highly commended” certificates. If anyone would like to recom-


mend one or more trees to be put forward, please contact the parish clerk.


Residentswarned of scam


RESIDENTS are being urged to be extra cautious following a spate of telephone scams in the area. Criminals are targeting unsus- pecting homeowners, claiming to be from the Metropolitan Police, advising that their credit cards have been cloned and should be cancelled. Then they keep the phone line


open as victims call to cancel their cards, obtaining all the data they need to access the victim’s account. In some cases, victims are ad-


vised to call 101 – the freephone po- lice number – to verify the caller’s identity, but the line is intercepted and the call goes to an accomplice.


This page is sponsored and edited by:


Bearsted Parish Council www.bearstedparishcouncil.gov.uk


20 Maidstone East February 2015 Bearsted Parish Council has is-


sued an alert to all residents, fol- lowing reports of several local people being targeted in recent weeks.


Community warden Martin Sherwood said: “This new method has taken scamming to a whole new level. It is very clever. “The best advice is never to give


any information of this kind away on the phone and, if someone calls claiming to be from the police or a credit card company, return the call from a different telephone or mo- bile. That way, if they have inter- cepted the line, you won’t be caught out.”


Footpath row


THE parish council has objected to a planning application requesting confirmation that the footpath next to 1 Smarts Cottages is a residential drive.


Owner of the house Lorraine Summers is seeking confirmation under planning legislation. Coun- cillors said there had been public ac- cess to the footpath for more than 170 years and that Mrs Summers fenced, gated and paved it last Sep- tember as a private drive to park her cars on land that she did not own. The council has informed Maid-


stone Council that the footpath has never been a residential drive; that full public access to the footpath must be restored; that all paving, fencing and gates must be removed; and parking on the path must cease.


Missing signs


COUNCILLORS are on the trail of whoever stole all of the signs for Bearsted Farmers’ Market. The banners had disappeared


when councillors went out to col- lect them. It is possible a well- wisher had taken them to put in a safe place.However, as the council will now have to go to consider- able expense to replace them, any- one who knows of their whereabouts is asked to comeclean as soon as possible.


Council Office: Madginford Hall, Bearsted Telephone: E-Mail:


01622 630165 Chairman:


clerk@bearstedparishcouncil.gov.uk Richard Ash


MEETINGS HELD SECOND TUESDAYOFMONTH (7.30PM) AND THE PUBLIC IS VERY WELCOME


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