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Nominations are invited for community awards


IT’S that time of year when the good folk of Bearsted get the chance to Advice on


land fund COUNCILLORS in Bearsted are to seek advice from Loose about how to buy and manage land for the community. Terry Davis, from the Loose Amenities Association, has offered to speak to members about the pro- tocols of acquiring and maintain- ing land for public benefit. The Loose Amenities Association


owns 21 acres of land in the Loose Valley, which volunteers preserve and protect. Although pledges from villagers


were insufficient to buy the land recently offered for sale at Water Lane, the council now has a land fund should a future need arise. Members were encouraged by


the response from the community which pledged almost £1m at very short notice in a bid to protect the land from development. The council is drawing up a draft


governance document for potential purchases, covering issues such as reasons for purchasing land and value for money.


New website


LOOK out for a new Bearsted website coming soon. The parish council has been working on a more user-friendly website, due to be launched before the end of the year. The site will carry village news,


plus details of forthcoming events. It will also be linked to facebook


and twitter, and will have an events calendar.


Crime report


BEARSTED appears to be a fairly safe place to live. There were only three instances


of crime during August – a bur- glary in Lenside Drive, a non-resi- dential burglary on Ashford Road and an act of criminal damage in Church Lane. There was also a report of two


vehicles causing a nuisance in the Church Lane car park.


Taking action on untidy shops


THE parish council is to step up its efforts to tackle the appearance of some of the Madginford shops. The council has complained to Maidstone Council about some of the dilapidated and dangerous fas- cia boards on the Egremont Road shops (pictured), only to be told its concern is merely with health and safety. The upkeep of the boards is down to the individual leaseholders. However, the parish council


agreed it had a duty of care to resi- dents, who could be injured if a boardwere to fall. Maidstone Coun-


cil is monitoring the situation. Meanwhile, resident Terence


Turner has complained to the parish council about the dirty state of the pavement and parking bay, which he says never seems to be weeded or swept. The meeting heard that the location is always busy with cars through the day, which may mean cleaning is a challenge. Members are to raise the issue


with both Maidstone Council and Kent County Council, which share the responsibility for the upkeep of highways and street cleansing.


nominate the best of the bunch for their service to the community. Each year, the parish council presentsMynnAwards to residents who have made an outstanding contribution to the life of their neighbourhood and village. Past recipients have included charity workers and volunteers, carers, sportsmen and women and supporters of the many local groups and organisations, includ- ing the village churches. The Mynn Awards, named in memory of the late, great, Kent


cricketer Alfred Mynn,were started in 2004 by the former parish coun- cil chairman PatrickWalton and the tradition has been upheld every year since. Three independent adjudicators decide who should receive the awards. Anyone can nominate a candi-


date and details should be submit- ted in writing to the parish council clerk at the parish office in Madg- inford Hall by November 1 or by


emailing clerk@bearstedparish- council.gov.uk A maximum of five awards are approved in any given year – but the judging panel can decide to issue just the one. The award – or awards – will be presented at a special ceremony prior to the December parish coun- cil meeting, which takes place on Tuesday December 8, when the winning nominators will also be in- vited to read out their citations.


Light delays


PLANNING consent problems could leave residents in the dark close to Christmas. Although the parish council has obtained specifications for the pro- posed lights on Church Landway, because they are different in design to the current ones, planning per- mission is needed. With a potential turnaround time


of eight weeks for planning con- sent, it could be late November be- fore work can start. The parish council is planning what can be worked on in parallel in an attempt to shorten the timeline. Three contractors are to be asked


for quotes for three slightly differ- ent styles of light, but all will be four metres high, vandalproof LED lighting columns from companies approved by Maidstone Council and Kent County Council.


Fears over bike rally on Green


THE parish council has expressed concerns about a bumper bike rally, due to take place in Bearsted. The Distinguished Gentleman’s


Ride, organised by Triumph Mo- torcycles, takes place each year to raise funds for charity. Bikers are asked to turn out wearing mono- cles, moustaches, silk vests, crisp shirts and tailored suits. The White Horse offered to host


the end-of-ride gathering on Sun- day, September 27, but only gave the parish council four weeks’ no- tice that they wanted to use the Green for up to 250 bikes. Although members liked the


This page is sponsored and edited by:


Bearsted Parish Council www.bearstedparishcouncil.gov.uk


32 Maidstone East October 2015


idea in principle, particularly if it were to become an annual event , they felt it was impossible to plan such a large scale gathering with- out a proper event management plan and risk assessment covering health and safety issues. It would also need to have insurance. The event also clashed with the farmers’ market. The council agreed to write to the licensees and the brewery advising that, given fair warning and due diligence for health and safety, it would try to accommodate such a gathering in 2016. However, this year, they advised


the pub to confine the gathering to its own car park and said it could face legal action if it spilled over on to the Green without consent.  The council is still looking at the commercial aspect of hiring out the Green to clubs and societies and for private events. Members heard that more and


more organisationswere making a charge for use of land and playing fields and that the council should consider levying a charge when, for example, the Green was being used as an alternative to a school or church hall, which would attract a fee.


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


01622 630165 Chairman:


clerk@bearstedparishcouncil.gov.uk Fiona Redman


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


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