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Value” in order to protect the Len Valley and the seing of the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. This designation will be embodied in the


local plan that Maidstone Council is producing and includes all the land previously proposed for Kent International Gateway (Kig). Then, quite incredulously, on the following evening the council also decided to allocate in the local plan 65 acres of open countryside at Woodcut Farm for mixed business uses – offices,warehousing and industrial. Woodcut Farm is part of the former Kig site; iswell within the Landscape of Local Value that the council approved only the previous evening; is close to Junction 8 of the M20; and is just across the road fromWaterside Park, which only last monthwas rejected as an industrial site by a government inspector following a costly planning inquiry lasting eight weeks. The inconsistency of the Woodcut Farm allocation within the Landscape of Local Value beggars belief. Far from protecting the local landscape, a 65-acre employment site at Woodcut Farm will massively denigrate wider landscape interests and severely compromise surrounding countryside for yet more industrial development around Junction 8 of the M20. These are exactly the same planning arguments that were used successfully by Maidstone Council to oppose Kig and Waterside Park at major planning inquiries. Public consultation on the local plan is expected later this year and yet again local people and organisations to the east of Maidstone will be compelled to voice their strong objections to development at junction 8 – this time specifically to Woodcut Farm. Should Maidstone Council be successful


in its aempt to secure industrial development at Woodcut Farm, it would show contempt for the compelling planning reasons set out by the Secretary of State and the Inspector for rejecting Kig in 2010 andWaterside Park in July of this year; would confirm that the council had wasted £1.5m of tax payers’ money in opposing these proposals; and be a vicious betrayal of all those people and organisations who have consistently opposed development proposals in this very sensitive area for almost 10 years. Denis Spooner, former vice-chairman, Bearsted Parish Council


Cancer care superb


Dear Sir – Last December Iwas diagnosed with advanced metastatic prostate cancer, aggressive and with no cure. Having read Dennis Fowle’s article about Maidstone Hospital (September 2015), I should like to share my experiences. The service in the oncology department


has been absolutely excellent. The staff are so pleasant and nothing seems too much


trouble. I amkept fully informed of personal medical information and there have been a number of occasions when I have been telephoned at home with important test results or purely to see how I am. One has the distinct impression of staff who are not just consummate professionals but compassionate by nature and caring towards their patients. To say I amalways impressed would be puing it mildly. Regarding my own journey on the prostate cancer pathway, yes, there are times when the reality hits, but there is tremendous comfort and reassurance from knowing that there is very real help to be had from Maidstone Oncology. All I have to do is pick up the telephone and ring my allocated nurse. That is worth a lot. At a time when the National Health Service frequently receives a bad press, I would like to balance the situation by highlighting the incredible service I have experienced at Maidstone Hospital oncology department, following a thorough diagnosis by the urology department, always on time and pleasant. To my mind, the service has been second to none. Warren Hanlon,Ware Street, Bearsted


No room for migrants


Dear Sir –At the momentwe see every available space being filled with houses and new estates springing up, while roads seize up, services are stretched and our National Debt continues to rise past £1,500,000,000,000, the interest being more than we spend on defence. Strangely, some of the people who


believewe should take more than the current 640,000 immigrants a year (330,000 net) also believe in keeping this country green, reducing pollution etc. This tiny island has more people thanAustralia, New Zealand and Scandinavia all put together and still those not having to endure the problems of overcrowding call for more immigration. There's a saying "Those whom the Gods


wish to destroy, they first make mad". The Government pretends all iswell, but a close look at the reality shows our continued subservience to the EU and refusal to address the very serious problems facing this country will take us down at the next down-turn. Thenwe'll be no good to ourselves, let


alone immigrants. Phil Granger, Alma Rd,West Malling


Goodbye to Cobtree friends


Dear Sir – Earlier this year I resigned from my job as a ranger at Cobtree Manor Park due to stress. I left suddenly, without saying goodbye to


all the wonderful visitors to the park who I had got to know over the years. These people became good friends, but I only knew their first names (and the names of their dogs!), but they know who they are.


FRONTLINE police officers in Kent willwear video cameras next year, after a £1.8m schemewas ap- proved by Kent’s Crime Commis- sioner Ann Barnes. Kent Police began piloting 400 of the cameras in Maidstone, Medway


and Thanet in late 2014, which en- abled officers to record interactions with suspects just like mobileCCTV. It was found that suspects routinely modified their behaviour because they knew theywere being recorded. Mrs Barnes said: “This stops mali-


I justwant to thank them dearly for all the support they gave tome and to my work – it made it all worthwhile. Eva, ex-Cobtree Ranger


Cabbie smoking illegally


Dear Sir – It would appear that Maidstone Council does not care that its licensed taxi drivers are commiing an offence and smoking in their vehicles. I sent my complaint to Maidstone Council


one month ago and, despite its promise, I have heard nothing further. The driver had just left Maidstone Hospital and clearly believed that, as the cigareewas being held out of the window therewas nothing wrong. The photograph shows the driver held a lit cigaree out of his window – presumably believing this did not mean hewas smoking inside the car. Of course each time he inhaled, itwas inside the car and so contravening the law. If Maidstone Council condones this, it too is liable for prosecution. Many of your readers must have similarly spoed taxi drivers smoking illegally, but may not have brought this to the aention of Maidstone Council. The council should take appropriate action


and stop this abuse for the benefit of taxi users – especially the non-smokers. Name and address withheld “The driver of a licensed vehicle must not smoke in the vehicle at any time, including when being used for social, domestic and pleasure purposes. “The driver of a licensed vehicle shall not


permit any other person or fare-paying passenger to smoke in a licensed vehicle. This is a requirement of the Health Act 2006. “Any instances where this is reported as


taking place should be reported to the EHO enforcement team.” Maidstone Council spokesman


Preachers are welcome


Dear Sir – I am a parish councillor for Yalding and I wish to state that I had no part in banning the horse-drawn caravan from stopping on the Lees. They cause no trouble – all they do is preach to fellow Christians. They have been coming and stopping for a number of years and only stop for a couple of days. I would like it noted that I amnot a racist and I amnot against any religion. William Bird, Yalding


Cameras to be worn on police officers in £1.8m scheme


cious complaints against officers and it stops officers being hurt.” She cited other benefits including improved evidence gathering, a re- duction in bureaucracy and an in- crease in guilty pleas from offenders. The initial cost of providing 1,600


more cameras will be £1.4million – which includes set-up costs as well as the cameras themselves – with a further £400,000 set aside to cover on- going costs for the next three years. It is expected the cameras will pay


for themselves in two years. Maidstone South October 2015


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