News


downsmail.co.uk Meadow homes are approved


RESIDENTS in Bearsted have lost their battle to prevent one of the few remaining areas of greenfield land in the village from being developed.


Maidstone Council's planning committee granted permission for 50 homes south of Cross Keys, which will form the Roundwell Park development fronted by Guy Osborne of Country House Devel- opments. A bridge will be created over the stream in Lilk Meadow to link the development with Cross Keys, which will be the main access. The proposal will also see the demolition of a block of 24 garages, which would be replaced by two terraces, comprising a total of seven one-bedroom houses. The eastern side of the site will


take the remaining houses – two- storey terrace homes and detached properties. The western section would remain an area of wetland forwater retention. The scheme was fiercely con- tested. Some 124 objections were raised, Bearsted Parish Councilwas strongly opposed and Maidstone Council's conservation officer ob- jected over the harm that would be caused to listed buildings Gore Cottage, Sutton House and the barn in Sutton Street. KCC recommended refusal due


to the scheme's incursion into the open countryside, damage it would cause to a special landscape area and risk of flooding – a concern that provoked an objection by the Kent branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England. Cllr Denis Spooner, of Bearsted


Choir tribute


to member BEARSTED Choral Society per- formed the Passion of Christ at its spring concert. Audiences were also treated to


the Requiem, by Bob Chilcott, which music director Andrew Lowen chose to open the concert. This workwas originally written


for a choir, with soprano and tenor soloists. But, in a change from tra- dition sisters Kirsty and Danni O’Neill sang both parts. The concert organist was George Inscoe, who has been invited to play for Canterbury Cathedral Choir on tour in the USA. The concert was dedicated to long-standing member Mike Thresh, who died this year and is much missed. The next concert will be at St Nicholas’ Church, Leeds village, on Saturday, July 4. It will be light- hearted music for a summer’s evening and will include works by Flanders and Swann and Gilbert and Sullivan.


10 Maidstone East May 2015


the committee, claimed the devel- opment would actually reduce the threat of flooding. He said: “The area floods near the Lilk, which is caused mainly by waste water and a wall creating a dam effect. The bridge will reduce the flood risk by opening up the area.” He added: “As a child I used to


Flooding at Lilk Meadow


Parish Council, said: “This will de- stroy forever the open green gap between Cross Keys and Sutton Street and destroy forever the his- toric and semi-rural setting of Sut- ton Street, which is Bearsted's oldest street.” Although some of the land is in


flood zone three – the most vulner- able category for flooding – the ac- tual housing will be in flood zone one, which is considered less risky. Cllr Tony Harwood, a member of


catch slow worms on this site; I played in the woods and learned to ride a motorbike in one of the garages. I still watch tawny owls – this is a site close to my heart. “However,we are in an impossi-


ble position in planning policy terms because we do not have a five-year land supply. In six years of pre-application discussions the proposal has been refined and ifwe are ever going to have develop- ment here this is the best we will ever do.” Cllr Harwood's only concernwas that he felt the access should have


Buyers ‘face ongoing costs’


RESIDENTS of the new homes could be hit with crippling management costs, Cllr Richard Ash has warned. Cllr Ash, who represents Bearsted on the borough council and sits on the


parish council, was one of only four members of the planning committee to vote against the scheme. He said: “The people who will buy these houses are responsible for the


bridge, all the internal roads and the drainage system. They will be re- sponsible for the habitat management plan. There will be ongoing costs – I wouldn't want to live there.” These costs are unlikely to apply for the40%affordable housing on the


estate.


Theatre group’sWilde production set to tour


AMAIDSTONE-based theatre com- pany has received critical acclaim for its touring production based on OscarWilde and his works – and is now about to embark on another. Stephen Fry and Gyles Brandreth


are among top names to have ap- plauded European Arts Company for its work on The Trials of Oscar Wilde which toured Britain in 2014, before a run in theWest End. Based at Maidstone’s Hazlitt The-


atre, the companywas set up in 2002 by writer and producer John O’Con- nor. It has toured classic plays all over the UK, Ireland, Germany, Greece and Italy but the Trials was the first collaboration between O’Connor and OscarWilde’s grand- son, Merlin Holland. Brandreth described EAC as “a


small but brilliant company”, while Stephen Fry wrote of the cast: “Ut- terly compelling and heart-rending, brilliant ensemble acting”. This year sees the 125th anniver-


sary of the publication of Oscar Wilde’s only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray. Set in Victorian Lon- don, it combines drawing-room comedy and gothic horror. It is another work done in tandem


with Merlin Holland and O’Connor said: “This is a gripping and hugely entertaining theatrical event that showcasesWilde’s talent.” The production is touring 55 ven-


ues all over Britain and will play at The Hazlitt, Earl Street, on Thursday May 21, in TunbridgeWells on May 28 and Chatham on June 10. The Picture of Dorian Gray fea-


tures a talented cast familiar from stage and screen, including Guy Warren-Thomas as Dorian Gray (Downton Abbey) and Gwynfor Jones as Lord Henry (TheWomanIn Black in theWest End). The production is supported by


Arts Council England and Unity Theatre Trust in association with the charity Stonewall.


been from Roundwell rather than Cross Keys – currently a fairly quiet side road. However, a planning of- ficer said Cross Keys would be a safer access road and that KCC did notwant archaeological remains in the field abutting Roundwell to be disturbed. Alack of school placeswas also a concern, with KCC admitting that none of the four local schools – Thurnham Infants, Roseacre Junior, Madginford Park and St John’s Pri- mary – could be expanded, due to restrictions in the area of the sites. But a Maidstone Council officer


said the demand for school places might fluctuate in the future, meaning it was no ground for re- fusal. Cllr JohnWilson tabled a motion


on refusal for intrusion into the countryside; harm to the setting of the listed buildings and lack of sus- tainability due to pupils having to travel long distances to attend pri- mary school. But this was sup- ported by only three councillors, with five voting against and four abstentions. An alternative motion to accept


the schemewas agreed, with seven votes in favour and four against. Cllr Martin Cox said: “It is an outstanding quality design here. They have mitigated all the prob- lems and I am impressed by the way they are using land that can't be used for housing as a green space for the public.”


Park to rock at


music festival LIVING rock legends will be dust- ing down their Stratocasters for a two-day extravaganza of classic country, blues and rock in Maid- stone’s Mote Park. Greg Allman, founding member


of the Allman Brothers which en- joyed huge success in the early ‘70s, and the Scorpions will make their onlyUKappearances of 2015 when they headline the Ramblin’ Man festival on July 25 and 26. Other top names include Camel, Marillion, Blue Oyster Cult and Seasick Steve, with Ian Anderson playing the best of Jethro Tull and Bernie Marsden reviving some of his old Whitesnake hits. There will also be a spoken word


stage, music cinema and luxury camping, as well as a beer festival and gourmet food court. Organisers are expecting visitors


from the UK and France and early bird tickets are already sold out. The festival will be supporting local charities.


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  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64