News
downsmail.co.uk Beating loneliness of old age
MAIDSTONECouncil is aiming to reduce levels of loneliness and iso- lation among the elderly. The borough has more than 28,000 residents above the age of 65, of which 3,500 are over 85. Many of them live inAllington and Bearsted. Sarah Robson and Sarah Shear-
smith, from the council’s housing and community services depart- ment, have made recommendations on tackling issues arising from the town’s ageing population. A council report says: “Under- standing individual cases involves specific contact and support. This can only be delivered by partner-
A PROPOSAL to fell a protected sweet chestnut tree in the rear gar- den of 18 GoldstoneWalk,Walder- slade has been refused. A planning application claimed
the tree’s roots were affecting the lawn and causing cracks in a neigh- bour’s drive. Also, the sweet chest- nut’s branches were said to be blocking light into the house. However, Maidstone Council said
these claimswere not backedupand the treemadea positive contribution to the local landscape.
ships between the council and other organisations supporting older peo- ple and communities.” Population projections from the
Office for National Statistics show expected increases in all age groups in the coming years, with the largest percentage hike occurring in the 85+ age groups, with a 25% increase. The projected increase for Maid-
stone for 2018 is just under 7%, which would take the population to just over 170,000. Because the borough has a higher
than average proportion of the pop- ulation over 50, the town’s health services will come under greater
pressure and it may be necessary to expand the capacity of health serv- ices such as GPs in areas of the largest population increase. Schools, health authorities and
other groups are to be approached for help in developing proposals, which include an information pack and bereavement guide. Maidstone has a range of services
and activities such as walking groups and healthy eating classes, which havephysical and psycholog- ical benefits. A resource pack is available at
www.jrf.org.uk/publications/loneli- ness-resource-pack.
Tree must stay Free hospital wifi
MAIDSTONE patients will be able to hook up to free internet wifi during their stay in hospital thanks to the league of friends. The leagues at Maidstone andTunbridge
Wells hospitals joined forces to provide the service to patients and visitors at a cost of nearly £40,000. Supporters raise money in ways such as providing services in the hos- pitals. Wifi has been available in Tun- bridge Wells since Christmas and in Maidstone since early January.
Analysing figures
THE lowest number of retired peo- ple live in the Detling and Thurn- ham, Loose, North Downs, Leeds, Downswood and Otham wards, while Boughton Monchelsea and Chart Sutton have the fewest num- ber of residents aged 85 plus. The report points out that lonely
people can neglect their diet and drink too much alcohol. The wards most at risk are High Street, Shep- way North, Shepway South and Parkwood, closely followed by North, Bridge, Heath and Fant.
Donna-Marie Jarrett, the director of health informatics at the hospital, with Maidstone Hospital League of Friends volunteers
New plan for village green shops
AREVISED plan for the redevelop- ment of the shops on Bearsted Green is likely to be submitted soon.
GBM Architects, acting for site
owner Evenden Estates, withdrew its original application to demolish the parade of shops, building three new units with seven flats above, after outrage from residents. But GBM claims a revised plan
will address some of the residents’ concerns. Glen Ernest, director of GBM,
said: “We are positively reacting to local concerns and looking at the is- sues raised. This is a helpful process which allows us to design and build a scheme that will be re- spected and can soon become part of the local vernacular. “We hope the campaigners do
not see this as a fight but as a process of achieving the best solu- tion and a scheme that will have the ability to provide local facilities
RESIDENTS of Hockers Lane, Detling, and the many people who use the road as a short cut from the A249, face an easier win- ter after the completion of road works at the southern end of the lane.
After a nearby soakaway stopped working and drains be- came clogged a puddle formed
6 Maidstone East February 2015
Roundwell Park objection
well into the future.” Leases on the existing retail units
are due to run out later in the year and Mr Ernest confirmed that each tenant would be able to negotiate new leases if the resubmitted plan- ning applicationwas successful. Maidstone Council’s planning department received 346 letters op- posing the original scheme, with fears for the future of the current butchers, computer shop and newsagent, as well as the scale of the development, parking slots and the space to service the shops. Roger Vidler, from the Bearsted
regularly on the western side of the road. In heavy rain this was known
to spread and drain into proper- ties on the eastern side of the lane and during freezing weather the combination of standing water and ice made the lane treacher- ous.
The Downs Mail’s Neil Nixon,
and Thurnham Society, which launched the Save our Shops cam- paign, said the societywas consult- ing experts to push on with its application to protect the building by getting it listed, but admitted thiswas neither quick nor easy.” He added: “This has very much
been a people’s campaign. There is an awful lot of people committed to that building and those businesses – just as they are. “If we were to lose them, it
would be a tragedy for the busi- nesses, the people who work there and for their customers.”
Flooding boost after soakaway repaired
who lives near the newly in- stalled soakaway, said: “The early months of last yearwere the worstwe had seen in 16 years liv- ing here and the council began is- suing sandbags. “There was a gang on the lane
for almost a week, who dug a new soakaway and hopefully the problem is now fixed.”
BOROUGH councillors have reiter- ated their opposition to the notion that 50 homes should be built on land at Cross Keys, Bearsted. A year ago, Maidstone Council’s cabinet deleted the proposal from the draft local plan but officers have included it in a list of new housing sites to address a shortfall in the tar- get of 18,600 homes between 2011 and 2031. Officers’ enthusiasm for the scheme follows a second planning application by Country House De- velopments to develop the land that it calls Roundwell Park. The appli- cant’s latest proposal, for 50 homes, follows its withdrawal of a 39-home plan in February last year. Cllr Richard Ash, chairman of Bearsted Parish Council, told the planning scrutiny committee: “The land being developed is above a flood plain and if it takes place it will exacerbate the problems.” Aswell as flooding fears, the com-
mittee objected due to pressure the development would put on school places at the village’s primary schools. However, Rob Jarman, head of planning, stated that neither the Environment Agency (responsi- ble for flooding) nor KCC (educa- tion) had objected to the latest planning application. As the Downs Mailwent to press,
the cabinetwas to decide whether to remove the site from the local plan.
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