News


‘Toothless’ vote allows homes


HOUSING is to be built in Loose on a site rejected byMaidstone Council. Beggar’s Roost inWell Streetwas declared unsuitable for housing in the council’s draft local plan – but its planning committee has now given the green light to four new homes. Cllr Sue Grigg (Lib Dem), who opposed the development, called the committee “toothless”. She said: “This should have been thrown out. Instead, almost half the members abstained because theywere fright- ened of it going to appeal. “This should be a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ committee – if you don’t have the courage of your convictions to vote, you shouldn’t be on it.” Loose pumping station is already unable to cope with surface water, with some homes reporting sewage in their gardens. Yet Southern Water, along with the Environment Agency and KCC, the highways au- thority, raised no objections. Cllr Tony Harwood proposed ac- cepting the application from Coun- try House Developments, fronted by Guy Osborne, to build the four three-storey semi-detached houses


on the land. Because of the council's lack of a


five-year land supply therewere no policy grounds to support a refusal, he said. Cllr Grigg said: “At least he [Cllr Harwood] had the guts to say what he felt – but who knows what will happen at an appeal? If we don’t have the courage to fight, we may aswell not be here.” Helen Mulholland, who lives near


the site, said the proposal would lead to a loss of privacy for her fam- ily. She said: “The land stands 30 inches above our house.Add to that the height of the houses andwe will be dwarfed and overshadowed by what will feel like a four-storey block of flats.” She said the narrow access roads


would be unable to accommodate increased traffic – a view shared by Cllr Mike Hogg, a member of the committee – and called for the land to be retained as a buffer for the Loose Valley Conservation Area. Five members voted in favour,


twowere against and six abstained. Cllr Grigg said: “We should not


be frightened of voting because we are concerned about an appeal.”


A SHEEP was taken from a field in Staplehurst Road, Suon Valence. Eggswere thrown at the window of a property in Salts Lane, Loose. A running machine, a Bosch freezer and


various toolswere stolen from a shed at a home in Haste Hill Road, Boughton Monchelsea. Heating oilwas stolen from a tank at the


side of a church in Lower Road, East Farleigh.A white Ford Transitwas seen nearby. Fuel and buckets were stolen from a JCB


in a field at Church Road, Chart Suon. A shedwas broken into at a home in Crumps Lane, Ulcombe and an old radiatorwas stolen. Six metres of copper earthing wirewas


stolen from Redwall Lane, Hunton. Ceramic tileswere stolen from a pallet in


a building site in Goudhurst Road, Marden. Fencing panelswere taken from the garden of a home inWell Street, Loose. Garden furniture was stolen from the


rear garden of a home in Stocke Lane, Coxheath. A large six-wheel trailer was stolen from


a driveway of a commercial compound in Dean Street, East Farleigh. The trailer had been secured to the back of a lorry. A shed in the back garden of a home in


PloughWents Road, Chart Suon was broken into and power toolswere stolen. A bicycle and toolswere stolen from a


shed in the back garden of a home in Green Lane, Boughton Monchelsea. The doors of a garage belonging to a home in Amsbury Road, Coxheathwere


36 Maidstone South March 2015 Scouts prepare for Gang Show


SCOUTS and leaders in Maidstone areworking hard to prepare for their annual Gang Show at The Hazlitt Theatre inMaidstone on April 7-11. The family variety show has a cast


of more than 80, who have been re- hearsing every week since Septem- ber. The show,nowin its 45th year, is full of song and dance routines, with two scenes from Charlie and the


A PLAN for four detached houses with garages in SuttonValence has been refused. Maidstone Council feltWealden Homes’ proposal for Southfield Stables, which would have been served by driveways off South Lane, would “unacceptably erode the openness of the area and in- crease coalescence between the


Chocolate Factory and Barnum. To get them in the mood for the


show, the gang visited the Hazlitt Theatre for a guided tour. They then took to the stage to rehearse a few numbers. Tickets are £11.50 to £12.50 from www.hazlittartscentre.co.uk or you can call 01622 7586111. Details at www.maidstonegangshow.co.uk


Detached houses turned down


older part of SuttonValence and the newer element of TheHarbour.” Several objections were raised.


The parish council claimed the parking would have been inade- quate and called for a turning bay. A neighbour also complained


that their home would have been overlooked by the proposed devel- opment.


NeighbourhoodWatch Working to reduce crime. Call Crimestoppers 0800 555 111 or local police


damaged in an aempt to break in. A shed in the back garden of a home in Eastwood Road, Boughton Malherbe was broken into and garden tools, including a Honda strimmer and a Stihl chainsawwere stolen. A property in Linton Hill, Linton was broken into and itemswere taken. A shed at a property in Eastwood Road, Boughton Malherbewas broken into and a lawnmowerwas taken. A garage was broken into in Lenham


Road, Headcorn and a pressurewasher was stolen. A vehiclewas stolen from an outbuilding


in Bowley Lane, Boughton Malherbe. Several windowswere damaged at a property inWell Street, Loose. Dieselwas stolen from commercial


vehicles parked in a yard in GravellyWays, Yalding. A shop window in Old Loose Hill, Loose


was damaged, probably in an aempt to gain entry. CCTV footagewas examined and three offenders are thought to have been involved. An office outbuilding at the country park


in Maidstone Road, Yaldingwas broken into and cashwas stolen. Copper cablewas stolen from electricity


poles in Staplehurst Road, Marden. A carwas broken into in Station


Approach, Staplehurst and a bicyclewas stolen. A property inWilson Court, Yalding was entered and games equipment and other electrical itemswere taken. A vehicle in a car park off the High


Street, Staplehurstwas stolen. Itwas later recovered burned out. The door of a garage in Goudhurst Road, Mardenwas damaged. Nothing was missing. A garage at a home in Maidstone Road, Staplehurstwas broken into and power tools including a drill and sawwere stolen. A property in Heathfield, Langley was broken into and items taken. A property in Station Road, Staplehurst


was searched. Itwas not known whatwas stolen. A Honda generatorwas stolen from a


shed at a home in Headcorn Road, Suon Valence.


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