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legacy award Continued from page one Mr Fowle highlighted three big campaigns: The fierce and successful battle to persuade KCC to build a foot crossing over the A249 in Detling after the death in 2000 of Jade Hobbs (8) and her gran as they crossed to buy sweets – and the paper’s public fund which raised more than £100,000 towards the cost. The successful battle in 2010 to defeat the Kent International Gate- way (KIG) plan for a rail link and warehousing. Two campaigns to retain key services in Maidstone Hospital and forming Mash (Maidstone ac- tion for services in hospital). He explained he was still cam- paigning – now as chairman of The Mote CC Development Committee to establish a modernised sporting and community centre at TheMote. Mr Fowle praised the Jubilee Church for its leading role in Cele- brate Maidstone and recognising the role of “ordinary people doing extraordinary work”. Other presentations concentrated
on these local legacies: sports, arts, business, next generation, educa- tion, local government.
downsmail.co.uk Downs Mail Decisionwas ‘toothless’
HOUSINGis to be built in Loose – on a site rejected by the bor- ough council. Beggar’s Roost in Well Street
was declared unsuitable for hous- ing in Maidstone Council’s draft local plan – but its planning com- mittee has now given the green light to four new homes. Cllr Sue Grigg, who opposed the
development, has hit out at the de- cision and described the commit- tee as “toothless”. She said: “This should have
been thrown out. Instead, six members of the committee ab- stained because they were 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 al-
ready unable to cope with surface water, with some homes reporting sewage in their gardens. Yet Southern Water, along with the environment agency and high- ways authority, raised no objec- tions. It was Cllr Grigg’s fellow Lib
Dem Cllr Tony Harwood who proposed accepting the applica- tion from Country House Devel- opments, 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 there were no policy grounds to support a re- fusal, he said. Cllr Grigg said: “At least he had the guts to say what he felt – but
Hold on tight at fete
THE world tight-stretching championship will again take place at Boughton Monchelsea’s village fete on Saturday, July 4, at the recreation ground in Church Street. Other highlights of the event will include a novelty dog
show, welly-wanging, ferret-racing and other more tradi- tional games and sideshows,while burgers, hot dogs, cream teas and a real ale and cider tent will satisfy the hungry and thirsty. There will also be a display of classic cars. Entry is £1 for adults and free for children.
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8 Maidstone South June 2015
who knows what will happen at an appeal? If we don’t have the courage to fight, we may as well not be here.” Helen Mulholland, who lives
near the site, said the proposal would lead to a loss of privacy for her family. She said: “The land stands 30 inches above our house. Add to that the height of the houses and we 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 and called for the land to be retained as a buffer for the LooseValley ConservationArea. Fivemembers voted in favour of
the development, two against and six members abstained.
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