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tion 8, dubbed Waterside Park, might just be a ruse to extract sand, rather than contribute to the local economy with the provision of jobs, according to chartered surveyor Robert Sinclair. Speaking as a witness for CPRE Protect Kent on the sixth day of a public inquiry after Maidstone Council refused the Gallagher Group’s planning application last year,MrSinclair told Inspector Katie Peerless that a different use such as offices, which would be permitted if the plan got the go-ahead, could re- sult in the creation of fewer jobs. ADL, one of the two Marden-
based companies eager to move on to the site, has already withdrawn its interest and Mr Sinclair said he doubted any building would be ready for occupation before 2020, begging the question why the re- maining company, Scarab, was so keen to move to this site. Heargued that other suitable sites
were available within a 30-minute drive of Marden. He said the site was not near train stations, shops and public amenities, leaving em- ployees dependent on their cars. Mr Sinclair suggested that per-
haps this proposal was a “Trojan horse” to enable the applicant to re- move the minerals (sand), and that if the applicant had instead applied for mineral extraction in isolation it
Warehouse plan ‘Trojan horse’ Historic castle
APROPOSAL for an industrial estate on agricultural land south of the A20 near Hollingbourne might be nothing more than a “Trojan horse”, a public inquiry into the scheme has heard. The plan for land near M20 Junc-
‘is no pastiche’ BILL Lash, currently chief execu- tive of the Leeds Castle Founda- tion,was not pleased to have read in the appellants’ rebuttal that the Castle was deemed a “pas- tiche” design. He briefly described the castle’s
Protestors gather outside County Hall where the public inquiry took place
would have been refused. His evidencewas backed by Gary Thomas, the former chairman of both Boxley Parish Council and CPRE Kent. Mr Thomas, chairman of CPRE
Kent’s transport specialist group and the Maidstone branch, argued that the transport section of the appli- cant’s case failed to deal with the re- moval of sand and topsoil. Major adverse effects on the local road sys- temwere likely, he said. Hollingbourne parish Cllr John Cobbett, who said the development would be a “blot on the landscape”, said the community was concerned about the scale of sand extraction and traffic and therewas no guaran- tee that the buildings would be built. More than 70 people from Bearsted, Thurnham, Hollingbourne and Leeds joined KCC leader Paul Carter and borough councillors in
Both sides claim victory in school parking demo
BOTH sides of the debate on whether the Jubilee School should be allowed to stay in Fant believe a parking exercise backs their view. In March, Maidstone Council’s planning committee deferred an ap- plication to grant permanent plan- ning permission for up to 240 pupils at the free school in Gatland House due to concerns about traffic, park- ing and amenities available. The primary school, managed by
the Jubilee Church, opened in Sep- tember to 30 reception pupils. Itwas allowed on a temporary basis under the Government’s free schools legis- lation. By September 2020, the school wants to have 420 pupils on its roll. Gatland House, which closed in
2012 and was declared surplus to KCC requirements, has no proper playground and space for just 40 cars. Residents believe the traffic caused by parents dropping and col- lecting their children will be not only be chaotic but dangerous. The Save Fant Farm group, which opposes the
46 Maidstone Town June 2015
proposal, organised an exercise in which 40 cars parked in Gatland Lane – indicative of what could hap- pen during a school run. It claimed its protest caused “utter chaos”. However, Neil Pattison, a trustee
at the school, said cars, vans – and even a bus –were able to pass along the lane without incident. He said: “Gatland Lane is not especially nar- row and two cars can pass even when vehicles are parked legally. We invited a PCSO to attend who said there were no problems with the traffic flow. This will be even more the case after zig zag lines are added outside the school. The fact that the PCSO did not intervene demonstrates the uneventfulness of the exercise.” The school admits there would be
the need for as many as 137 short- term parking spaces at peak times. The council has received more
than 230 neighbour comments on the application – the majority con- cerned at the traffic impact.
protest at County Hall. The applicant’s case claims that Maidstone Council’s LocalPlan 2000 was out of date, the emerging local plan should carry little weight and that junction 8 had been previously identified by Maidstone Council as a strategic site for development. Craig Howell Williams QC, who appeared for KCC at the Kent Inter- national Gateway appeal five years ago but now acted for the applicant, criticised Maidstone Council for its delay in determining its local plan. One of the original applicants,
ADL, has said it will no longer oc- cupy its part of the site (about 75%). Chartered town planner Martin Carpenter, for KCC, said the onus was now on the applicant to prove that the remaining interested com- pany – Scarab – had a “need” to move to the site which overrode the harm to the landscape.
history through the centuries, em- phasising a multitude of royal connections, adding that, like any other building, changes had taken place, frombeing a fortified castle, to a home for many royal kings and queens, to a country home for Lady Baillie, and latterly as a venue for the Northern Ireland Peace talks. It was quite clearly a real castle and not a pastiche. He added that the castle made
a substantial contribution to the local economy, and emphasised the importance of its approaches, critical to the enjoyment of the visitor experience. The inquiry heard that views to-
wards the site from Leeds Castle would be “disastrous” – the Wa- terside Park buildings would be the height of a six-storey block of flats and four metres taller than the new Next building off M20 Junction 7.
New owners at town pub
LONG-serving landlord Alan Marlowe has pulled his last pint at the pub he ran for almost 37 years. Alan, together with his wifeWendy, took on the Rifle Volunteers in
Wyatt Street in 1978, when it was owned by Shepherd Neame. It was later taken over by Goachers and voted Maidstone and Mid Kent CAMRA’s Pub of the Year in 2002 and 2005. It was also voted runner- up in 2012 – the same year it celebrated 15 consecutive years listings in the Good Beer Guide. The pub has now been taken over by former licensees of the Pilot, in
Upper Stone Street, Matt Bannerman and Gina Keohane – itself a pub of the year in 2008. Colin Mann, from the Maidstone and Mid Kent Branch of the Cam-
paign for Real Ale (CAMRA) said: “Regulars at the Rifle will be pleased to know that it is still in good hands. As long time fans of the Rifle Volunteers, they are not planning major changes.”
‘Strategic’ healthcare site
Continued from page one Although a proposed university now looks set to be developed next to
TunbridgeWells Hospital, the site is still designated for healthcare use. The proposal will not impact on a groundbreaking neuro-village,
which Kims developer Franz Dickmannwants to take forward. He hopes to conclude negotiations shortly with Maidstone Council and landowner Pantony to progress the village, which could be the first of its kind in the country. Cllr Malcolm Greer, council cabinet member for economic develop-
ment, said: “The development ofMMCwill further enhance the reputa- tion of Maidstone as a centre of medical excellence. Advertising the site will put it in front of some of the world’s biggest healthcare investors.”
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