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two applications, from Gallagher Properties and two Marden-based companies, to buildWaterside Park on land south of the A20. Now, planning inspector Katie
Waterside Park appeal rejected ‘Now protect
Maidstone Council turned down
have an adverse impact on traffic congestion levels. MsPeerless concluded: “I find that
Peerless has supported Maidstone planning officers and dismissed Gal- lagher’s appeal. The inspector said she was con- cerned that the proposed develop- ment would “prove disruptive and seriously harmful to the character of the wider landscape”. She wrote: “The impact of the schemes would be further exacer- bated by the extent of the earth- works that would be needed to create the development platforms and the surrounding bunding. These would be engineered, obvi- ously man-made features that would contrast unfavourably with the gently rolling hills leading to- wards the scarp of the NorthDowns and would permanently change the topography of the landform.” Ms Peerless said the development
would be detrimental to walkers and she believed that the proposals did not tie in with the development plan policy regarding protection of the countryside. One of her greatest concerns was the impact of the development on
Rotary honour forWilliam
Leeds Castle and its parkland. She said it would intrude on the “iconic view” of the castle from the golf course and “diminish the signifi- cance of the heritage assets”. The inspector accepted there was
a need for additional industrial and employment development in Maid- stone, but said there was available space elsewhere in neighbouring boroughs and, as neither ADL nor Scarab – the two Marden companies – had a formal agreement to take up space, the development was effec- tively speculative. She conceded that the site was “a
highly sustainable location in terms of accessibility to major road trans- port links” but said she believed de- velopment on such a scale could
the environmental harm would be greater than the identified economic advantages and the adverse impacts would significantly and demonstra- bly outweigh the benefits.” Roger Vidler, treasurer of the Bearsted and Thurnham Society, said: “The decision vindicates the stand that the society, the Joint Parishes Group, the CPRE and oth- ers took on this development. “It also adds furtherweight to the argumentswe and others advanced for this area alongwith the land be- tween the M20 and A20. “However, as always with MBC,
the position is not as straightforward as one might hope.We understand that there is still pressure to desig- nate junction 8 as a site for industrial and commercial development and, of course, the threat from the Roxhill development covering part of the former KIG site remains.” NickYandle (pictured), chief exec-
utive of Gallagher Properties, said: “The inspector’s decision is of course disappointing.We have a number of options open to us, and we are giv- ing these due consideration, taking the inspector’s decision and reason- ing into account.”
PLANS to build an industrial estate near M20 Junction 8 at Hollingbourne have been thrown out by a Government inspector.
this land’ RESIDENTS are pleading with Maidstone Council to protect land near M20 Junction 8 from development. The Bearsted and Thurnham Society has written to Cllr Fran Wilson, the leader of the coun- cil, asking that J8 be removed as a location for employment in the draft local plan. Society secretary Mary Richards referred also to the de- cision to reject an application for the Kent International Gate- way road/rail freight inter- change inAugust 2010. The society believes the coun-
cil should designate the area as “a valued local landscape and/or Green Belt to check the unrestricted sprawl of Maid- stone to the east and to safe- guard this valued area of open countryside from development, also to protect the setting and character of Leeds Castle and other nearby heritage assets and to assist with the regeneration of employment land within the Maidstone urban area.”
Green driveway refusal New town tourist boards
A BEARSTED homeowner has been told she will not be granted a lawful development certificate for turning an old cart track into a paved driveway. WhenLorraineSummersbought
THE first duty of incoming presi- dent of the Rotary Club of Maid- stone, David Hackett,was to award outgoing president William Perry the club’s highest honour, a Paul Harris Fellowship. This marked his “tremendous amount of time and effort during the year” and also his career as a “headmaster of standing,” which started when he became Kent’s youngest head at the age of 28. A resident of Hollingbourne, he
served as chairman of Holling- bourne and Leeds Parochial Church Council; was a churchwar- den; a member of the Prison Parole Board (young offenders); and sup- ported Mencap Cobtree pre-school.
22 Maidstone East August 2015
No 1 Smarts Cottages in Bearsted Green,analley alongside the house was grassed and overgrown. She has since had the pathway paved, with gates to the front and back. The previous parish council ad- ministration claimed it owned the land and said it was not a private drive but a public access to The Green. Itdemandedsheremove the paving and reinstate the driveway to its former state. Since then, the council has discovered the land is not registered at the Land Registry – but has been attempting to get it added legally as part of The Green. In the meantime, Mrs Summers continues to park her car on the land but leaves the gates open to allow pedestrian access. More than 50 residents wrote to Maidstone Council when Mrs Summers applied for the lawful development certificate, claiming the path had been in public use for more than 150 years and the recent changes acted as a deterrent to pub-
lic use. Mrs Summers argued the land had been used for car parking since 1987 and that the works had significantly improvedboth the ap- pearance and drainage and did not impact on anyone else. On her application, Mrs Sum-
mers states that, in advising her to apply for the certificate, Maidstone Council’s Alan Howell said that “there is no problem with the use or works and that no action will be taken by the council.” In refusing the application, the borough council said that “insuffi- cient evidence has been submitted to establish that the use applied for has been carried out continuously and without interruption for more than 10 years.” A spokesman added: “Ourplanning enforcement team is currently looking at the issue of the works on the land.”
TWELVE new historic tourist infor- mation boards are being designed to go on display in Maidstone town centre. The existing tourist information notices, which were expected to be in place for six years are now 12 years old, and “looking a little sad”, admitted Maidstone Council’s Christine Dyer at a meeting of Maidstone Town Centre Manage- ment. She said workwas progressing to approve designs, with the hope of getting the new replacement boards up across the town at the earliest opportunity. Maidstone Town Centre Man- agement’s events group is also working with Celebrate Maidstone to produce two treasure trails for school children and visitors to town. Both initiatives aim to engage, educate and promote the area at home and to foreign visitors, com- plementing recent initiatives by the Town Centre Regeneration Group including new flags in Jubilee Square and garden planters outside the town hall and in the main shop- ping areas.
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