downsmail.co.uk Ex-chairman
making plans AFORMER chairman of Maidstone Council’s planning committee was granted two separate consents by his colleagues. Cllr Dennis Collins, who was chairman until lastMay and remains on the committee, left the room while members decided to allow his proposal for a two-storey extension at Gudgeon Oast, West Street, Hunton aswell as the conversion of a hair salon into a home at Eden Barn, Vicarage Road, Yalding. The latter scheme sparked dissent
from Yalding Parish Council, which was “very disappointed at the loss of this small, commercial building”. Localward Cllr Steve McLoughlin, a Conservative colleague of Cllr Collins, endorsed these comments. However, neither raised formal objections and the committee unan- imously backed both applications. Cllr Collins represents Coxheath and Hunton.
Stable conversion FORMER stables are set to be con-
verted into offices in Gravelly Bot- tom Road, Kingswood. Maidstone Council gave planning permission for the creation of 121sqm of office space behind Chart- wood, Duck Pond Lane.A roof will be connect the two buildings.
Artist Mel breathes life into her dragon world
AN artist from Yalding is busy turning colourful creatures from her vivid imagination into a series of children’s books. Melanie Rae Chapman has been
a keen artist since childhood and particularly enjoys drawing and painting animals. Mel (25)was only eight when she created “Animal Games”, a 60ft mural made from 6ft panels,which is now installed in the grounds of her old school, Parkwood Hall, in Swanley. The mural took her nine months
to complete and she studied all the events featured – which were part of a BBC programme. Jonathan Pierce, who narrated the series, vis- ited the school to officially unveil the mural in 2006. Mel has won several prizes for
her work and is a member of Yald- ing Art Group, as well as Hadlow pottery for adults with learning dif- ficulties, which she attends two days eachweek. One of her animals was recently
cast in bronze and now takes pride of place in the family home. Mel, who is autistic, has recently
Melanie Rae Chapman with her work
begun experimenting with com- puter graphics and has just launched the first fearsome product of her imagination upon the public – in Yalding Post Office. Mel is the daughter of postmas-
ter Tim Chapman and his wife June – so what better place to showcase her work than in the village shop? Her Christmas cardswere a pop-
ular seller – now, in their place, is her garishly green inaugural book
of “Bamboozle Dragons”. The young artist has a clearly de-
fined concept of her dragon com- munity who live on the Bamboo Islands – as well as an idea of who their friends are going to be. “The eco-system on the Bamboo islands supports a community at the bottom, the middle and the top – so there’s lots of scope for crea- tures,” she said. Inspired by the Dreamworks film
“How to Train your Dragon”, Mel would ideally like to see her Bam- boozle creatures come to life on the small – or big – screen. In the meantime, anyone who
would like to accommodate one of her black-eyed green-striped mon- sters can find them in the post of- fice for a nominal £3. The book has been financed by
the Melrae Trust, whichwas set up to support Mel’s work. Mum June, herself a keen artist,
said: “We have always painted to- gether, so it’s quite a nice mother- and-daughter thing we can do together – although Mel’s work is very individual and different to mine!”
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