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J8 development ‘biggest issue facing community’


RESIDENTS in Bearsted are being urged to back the fight against the


plannedWaterside Park development. With a public inquiry due to start


Traffic scam


DRIVERS are being warned to take extra caution on the roads – espe- cially the A20 – following a recent traffic scam. People driving alone should drive


more slowly, allow more time for their journeys and leave plenty of space between their car and other vehicles following a series of inci- dents reported to police in the Lenham and Charing area. Police areaware of a problem and


have asked people to be on their guard for anyonedriving in a suspi- cious manner and to note registra- tion numbers, if possible.


Online banking BEARSTED Parish Council could soon be going into the digital age. The clerk is to take instruction


from the Boxley parish clerk onhow internet banking can benefit the council, with a view to streamlining financial transactions.


Roadwork plan DRIVERS are being advised to steer clear ofWater Lane and Roundwell at the start of July when KCC will commence a programme of micro- surfacing. Sections of Water Lane, Roundwell and Pilgrims Way will be closed, along with parts of Mallings Lane, from The Street to Fremlins Road.


Vehicle thefts


SEVERAL vehicles were the target of thieves in Bearsted during the month of April. Property was stolen from cars parked in Cross Keys, The Street and Roundwell and outside The Chimes. There was a burglary in Ware Street and also from an out- building in The Street.


Playscheme date


THE annual playscheme starts on July 27 for twoweeks. The cost is £6.50 per day or £30 per


week. Application forms will soon be available online and from the parish office.


at Sessions House, County Hall, on Wednesday, May 6, leaflets are going to every household in the vil- lage outlining the proposal and the impact it could have on the area. The application from the Gal-


lagher Group for land on the south side of the A20 would see a ware- housing and industrial park, ac- cessed from the A20. A similar scheme by Roxhill has


been submitted to Maidstone Council for a site to the north of Ashford Road, on part of the land which was subject of the Kig in- quiry. The Bearsted and Thurnham So-


ciety, The Joint Parishes Group, Council for Protection ofRural Eng- land Kent, along with the parish councils from Hollingbourne, Leeds, Bearsted and Thurnham are all vehemently opposed to any land close to J8 of the M20 being used for commercial and industrial pur- poses.


Residents are being urged to turn


out in force at the inquiry to demonstrate the strength of feeling in the village. Cllr Denis Spooner (pictured)


told the parish council: “This is the biggest issue to face the community


since Kig. It is up to everyone to help fight it in whatever way they can.” He said more than 800 people


had turned up at the Mercure Great Danes Hotel when the KIG enquiry was held. Both Gal-


lagher and Roxhill have said that granting per- mission for their particu- lar scheme would lead to the protec- tion of the rest of the land in the area – which, said Cllr Spooner, proved just how vacuous such assuranceswere. Planning inspector Katie Peerless


will conduct the enquiry, which is expected to last fourweeks. Ms Peerless, who comes from


Kent, has been a planning inspector for more than 15 years, during which time she has been asked to rule on many high-profile cases in which development would have impacted on the local environment. The applicant will be represented


by Craig Howell Williams QC – who specialises in planning and en-


vironmental law and who repre- sented Kent County Council at the Kig inquiry – while Maidstone Council’s case will be argued by Neil Cameron QC, from London’s Landmark Chambers. CPRE Kent, in partnership with


the Joint Parishes Group (a consor- tium of parish councils local to the area), is presenting evidence and will cross-examine witnesses at the inquiry. It has submitted 10 witness state-


ments detailing its reasons for op- posing the scheme which it says would be detrimental to the coun- tryside setting of the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural beauty (AONB) and the important heritage asset of Leeds Castle. CPRE Kent director Hilary New-


port said: “We have worked very hard on our case to convince the planning inspector that any devel- opment on this site would harm the landscape, have an unacceptable impact on tranquillity, could lead to water pollution and would mean the loss of land needed for food se- curity. We hope the planning in- spector will reject the proposal because, if allowed,we fear it could set a precedent for development along the A20 and M20.”


Protests can’t stop homes Volunteers to


MOREthan 50 Bearsted residents, mostly from Sutton Street, Roundwell and Cross Keys, protested outside Maidstone Town Hall against the plan for 50 houses on Lilk Meadow. Lilk Meadow is the last remain-


ing meadow in the village and is known locally as The Bogs be- cause it floods so frequently. The protesters were supported


by all three of Bearsted’s borough councillors and the entire parish council, all ofwhomcrowded into the council chamber to hear the debate. In a debate lasting over 90 min-


utes, Cllrs Richard Ash, Michael Cuming and Val Springett all spoke eloquently against the de- velopment – as did Cllr Denis Spooner, vice-chairman of


This page is sponsored and edited by:


Bearsted Parish Council www.bearstedparishcouncil.gov.uk


28 Maidstone East May 2015


Bearsted Parish Council, and Roger Vidler from the Bearsted and Thurnham Society. Cllr Spooner said: “The argu-


ments against the development could not have been put more forcibly by those who spoke against it and it came as a very nasty shock when the planning committee voted by seven votes to four to grant planning permission. “The residents and their local councillors left the council cham- ber in total disbelief that such an appalling decision had been made.” A representative of the parish council will now be invited to join a team to oversee the preparation of a management plan for the de- velopment, which will cover both its implementation and aftercare.


help clean up ATEAMfrom Love Maidstone will be loving Bearsted on Sunday, June 21.


The volunteers from Jubilee Church have offered their services to the village, helping out with lit- ter picking and odd jobs in the area, as part of their annual clean- up within one of the borough’s wards. Last year, they held a litter pick


in the High Streetward in the town centre, but this year they have cho- sen to help Bearsted. Following their endeavours, the volunteers will hold a tea party and picnic for residents on the Green. Cllr Denis Spooner said: “This is


an excellent idea which is a fantas- tic benefit to the community.” Jubilee Church members assist with numerous village activities.


Council Office: Madginford Hall, Bearsted Telephone: E-Mail:


01622 630165 Chairman:


clerk@bearstedparishcouncil.gov.uk Richard Ash


MEETINGS HELD SECOND TUESDAYOFMONTH (7.30PM) AND THE PUBLIC IS VERY WELCOME


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