South March 2015

News Gypsy site

plan reduced WILLIAM Stacey has applied for a smaller gypsy site in Ul- combe after a previous proposal was refused last year. Maidstone Council turned

down a scheme for 10 mobile homes and 10 touring caravans on land next to Vine Cottage at Pye Corner after a string of ob- jections. A revamped scheme reduces

the number of mobile homes and touring caravans to seven each. A supporting statement said: “Reducing the number of pitches will allow room for suf- ficient amenity space, parking and landscape enhancement mitigation. “With the exception of one

tree and 5m of hedgerow, the retention of all landscape fea- tures including the orchard to the north will ensure that land- scape character and visual amenity impacts are min- imised.” The council will decide the application.

Formore local news www.downsmail.co.uk

downsmail.co.uk Garden city idea ‘popular’

THEbusiness community is said to be “won over” by the concept of garden cities, according to a Maid- stone law firm. Gullands, based in Mill Street,

held a garden city event at the Gal- lagher Stadium where one of the speakers was Chris Blundell, who was last year shortlisted for the Wolfson Economics Prize for his vi- sion to create a 15,000-home garden city in south-east Maidstone. The Downs Mail reported thatMr

Blundell, director of development at the housing association, produced a 152-page document supporting a garden city fringing Otham, Lang- ley and Leeds. It is an extension of a much-criti-

cised proposal aired in 2013 by Golding Homes for a 5,000-home garden suburb in the Otham area. The event was attended by more

than 60 business leaders from Maid- stone and surrounding areas. A re- port in Gullands’ winter magazine

said: “The business communitywas won over by the concept of garden cities but there is still a long way to go to tackle the cost, planning and infrastructure hurdles.” Maidstone Council twice rejected Golding Homes’ 5,000-home proposal after it was submitted for its “call for sites” to help develop the local plan. Mr Blundell, working on the 15,000-home project in a personal capacity, has not yet formally sub- mitted his scheme to the council.

Forum to improve cycling facilities

CYCLISTS in Maidstone have been given a voice in the borough – thanks to a new campaigning group. Labour Cllr Paul Harper opened Maidstone Cycle Forum’s inaugural meeting, attended by individual cyclists and members of San Fairy Ann Cycle Club, Sustrans and the Cycle Touring Club. Hewas joined by Elliot Dean, who

hopes the forum will be successful in campaigning for cyclists in Maidstone. One of its first jobs will be to lobby Maidstone and Kent councils for improvement to the infrastructure

chance of being heard and getting through its proposals to make Maidstone safer for cycling. Life-long cyclist and Labour

Elliot Dean (left) and Cllr Paul Harper (right) with forum members

and facilities for cyclists. Harper said: “As a councillor, I can

provide us with direct access to Maidstone Council.” He believes that by working as a community, the forum has a better

campaigner Elliot Dean said: “Our town and borough has very poor facilities for cycling. There is only limited provision and this is seen by the very low number of people cycling into town – under 200 regular cycle commuters, with some schools having almost no pupils cycling in. This is a disgrace.” Cllr Harper is also a spokesman for

the national Cycle Touring Club in Maidstone and Kent.

The Real You-

No Limitations A free interactive talk

You are invited to

Last Night At The Proms on Saturday 14th March 2015 at 7.30pm at The Salvation Army,

74-80 Union Street, Maidstone (ME14 1ED). This will be led by

Maidstone Salvation Army Band with guests:

Kent Police Male Voice Choir Tickets £5 are available from the Community Office.

For further information please contact the Community Office on 01622 681808.

18 Maidstone South March 2015 with Tom McElroy

An international speaker and practitioner of Christian Science healing and a member of the Christian Science Board of Lectureship

Thursday 19th March 2015

7:00pm to 8:00pm at First Church of Christ, Scientist Corner of Vinters Road and Sittingbourne Road Maidstone, ME14 5DX

For more information phone the Christian Science Reading Room on 01622 685830 or email csmaidstone@gmail.com. or visit www.csmaidstone.co.uk (Please note this is NOT Scientology)

Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4 | Page 5 | Page 6 | Page 7 | Page 8 | Page 9 | Page 10 | Page 11 | Page 12 | Page 13 | Page 14 | Page 15 | Page 16 | Page 17 | Page 18 | Page 19 | Page 20 | Page 21 | Page 22 | Page 23 | Page 24 | Page 25 | Page 26 | Page 27 | Page 28 | Page 29 | Page 30 | Page 31 | Page 32 | Page 33 | Page 34 | Page 35 | Page 36 | Page 37 | Page 38 | Page 39 | Page 40 | Page 41 | Page 42 | Page 43 | Page 44 | Page 45 | Page 46 | Page 47 | Page 48