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A BOX containing 10 pairs of shoeswas taken from the driveway of a home in Birch Crescent, Aylesford. Glasswas smashed in a greenhouse in Hollow Lane, Snodland. Dieselwas stolen from a construction site


in Station Road, Aylesford. Vandals poured something over a vehicle


in Roman Road, Snodland, damaging the paintwork. Two men tried to remove a trailer carrying an industrialwater pump from a building site in Mill Hall, Aylesford. They were disturbed by a resident and drove off in a 4x4 vehicle. The menwere said to be white and in their mid-30s. A windowwas damaged at a property in Church Lane, East Peckham. Credit cardswere taken from a car parked in Lake Road, Aylesford. Gardening equipment was takenfrom an outbuilding at a clubhouse in Station Road, Dion.


Intruders damaged a garage and a side


gate at a property in Hermitage Lane, Aylesford. A car parked in a driveway in New


Road, Dion was scratched. Three bicycleswere stolen from the garage of a property in The Hawthorns, Aylesford. Dieselwas stolen from a construction site


in BellinghamWay, Dion. A mopedwas tampered with on the


drive of a home in TheAvenue, Aylesford. An office blockwas broken into in London Road, Dion and searched. It is not known if anything was taken. A man described as in his early 40s and scruffywas seen acting suspiciously at a farm shop in Teston Road,Oam.Hewas tampering with the till and charity collection box, then left in a Volvo. Enquiries are continuing. Fencing and plantswere damaged at a property in Upper Mill, East Malling. Tools and equipment were stolen from a shed in Church Road,Oam.


Sad loss of historic house


Dear Sir – Although I live a longway from my home town of Maidstone, the decision to demolish the elegant building (above) that oncewas the convent of the Sacred Heart, in Boxley Road, reached me. Iwent to school here during the war.


Deep shelters had been installed for the pupils’ safety and I remember siing in these long tunnels with books on my knees to continue the lessons underground. Several timeswewere turned away in the morning because there had been blast damage during a raid the night before. To erase this elegant building, which


could provide many apartments, and build only 14 houses is madness when more housing is desperately needed. I am surprised there have been only 44 objections and am also amazed that there was not a preservation order on the house. Beryl R Ross, Taunton, Somerset Beryl, you echo my thoughts entirely.


Contact our team ...


Stephen Eighteen Editor stephen@downsmail.co.uk 01622 734735 ext 231


32 Malling June 2015 Diane Nicholls


Assistant editor diane@downsmail.co.uk 01622 734735 ext 232


Jane Shotliff Journalist


jane@downsmail.co.uk 01622 734735 ext 233


Dawn Kingsford


Journalist dawn@downsmail.co.uk 01622 734735 ext 233


NeighbourhoodWatch Working to reduce crime. Call Crimestoppers 0800 555 111 or local police AnAudi TT parked in Lime Crescent,


East Mallingwas damaged by vandals. A windowwas smashed at an office in London Road, Addington. The door of a home in Church Road, Oamwas damaged. An outbuilding in Carnation Crescent,


East Mallingwas damaged. A garage doorwas forced at a property


in Church Lane, East Peckham but nothing appears to have been stolen. Bicycleswere stolen from an outbuilding


in Butchers Lane, Mereworth. A shedwas broken into at a property in Maidstone Road, East Peckham but nothing was reported stolen. Two youthswere seen punching and damaging a fence in Lunsford Lane, Larkfield. Gardening equipment was taken from


the shed of a property in Church Lane, East Peckham. The number plateswere taken from a


vehicle parked in New Hythe Lane, Larkfield. Graffiti was sprayed on thewall of an outbuilding in Pippin Road, East Peckham. Jewellerywas stolen during a break-in at


a home in Beech Road, Mereworth. Mailwas taken from a property in Catlyn


Close, East Malling. Therewas a break-in at a garage in a


block in Kingfisher Road, Larkfield but nothing was missing. Fencing and a sports pitchwere damaged in Hammonds Square, Snodland. A vehicle parked inWest Malling High


Street was scratched. Cutlery was stolen from a home in Townsend Road, Snodland.


Drugs seized in


rail station swoop POLICE seized a knuckle duster, cannabis and cocaine during an operation at Snodland station. The operation was assisted by members of


the special constabulary and a sniffer dog. A total of 18 people were searched on sus-


picion of drug offences. A 20-year-old man from Maidstone has been reported for sum- mons on suspicion of possessing six bags of cannabis and for possessing an offensive weapon – a plastic knuckle duster. Other offenders, including a 23-year-old Chatham man arrested on suspicion on pos- sessing amphetamines and a 29-year-old car- rying cocaine, received police cautions. One youth caught with cannabis was stopped from leaving until his mother arrived. He will receive drug intervention support. Railway staff also tackled fare evaders and


at least 48 fines were issued to those without valid tickets. Tonbridge and Malling Sergeant Joe Breen


said: “This operation targets cross-border criminals who may be using the railway net- work. A clampdown on nuisance behaviour and criminal activity will continue, not just at the station but throughout the town.”


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“called in” by a local borough councillor – North ward members, Cllr Tony Harwood, Cllr Jenni Paterson and Cllr Thomas Long, all refrained – the planning application was never debated. In Maidstone Council’s defence, it is one of


What I find astonishing is that the decision to demolish this beautiful building, with such an intriguing history (it ended its life as the Russell Hotel, which had links to the Kray family) never went to Maidstone Council’s planning commiee. Instead, officers had delegated powers to


accept the planning application. Given there were 44 objections, it was entirely undemocratic for this decision to be given to unelected employees. However, because the decision was not


the more democratic boroughs because it also allows parish councils to call in certain applications. Not all councils are as kind. Maidstone can also argue that a few weeks prior to the decision the site was studied closely by the scrutiny commiee, whose recommendation to approve the site for housing was then accepted by the cabinet. But when it comes to making the final decision the system needs to be changed to ensure that if a proposal draws a designated number of objections – certainly a figure lower than 44 – it must automatically come before elected members. Perhaps then somebody would have come up


with the much more sensible idea of converting this building into flats. Response by Stephen


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