South October 2015

News

RESIDENTS in Bearsted and Thurn- ham have failed to buy a parcel of land to protect it from development. Locals had pledged more than £500,000 to secure land at Bridge Farm, east ofWater Lane, which once formed part of the controversial Kent

International Gateway (KIG) pro- posal. Bearsted Parish Council had also pledged £80,000 to help pur- chase the land. Aspokesman for the Bearsted and Thurnham Society, which helped co- ordinate the response, said: “Sadly,

wewere not successful.” Thurnham Parish Council had offered £10,000 to the bid. Chairman Cllr Daniel Skinner (pictured) praised those in- volved for rallying to the cause so quickly. Two plotswere advertised for sale,

with guide prices of £550,000- £600,000 and £300,000-£325,000, at the western end of the former KIG site. They form a sizeable green belt between residential development in Bearsted and the M20. Mary Richards, secretary of the Bearsted and Thurnham Society, said: “The agent, Hobbs Parker, has told us that they are unable to reveal the identity of the purchaser.”

Work order after theft spree

A HABITUAL thief was ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work after being sentenced at Mid Kent Magistrates Court. Aaron Jones (19) from Square Hill Road, Maidstone, admitted seven

counts of theft from a vehicle and a count of fraud by false representation. He stole a sat nav system from a vehicle in Brogden Crescent, Maidstone

and items worth £800 from a vehicle in Green Lane, Boughton Monchelsea. He stole a saw and ashtray worth £150 from a vehicle in Wykeham Grove, Leeds, and adash cam, a hands-free kit and anMP3player worth £175 from a vehicle in the same road. In Grasslands, Langley, he stole awallet, CDs, a drill and a sat nav worth £280 from one vehicle and items including CDs and keys, a sat nav, and cash from two others. He then spent £18.14 at a restaurant in Maidstone on a stolen card. He was ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work, pay £562 com- pensation, a £180 courts charge, £85 costs and a £60 victim surcharge.

Continued from page one councillor, I cannot remember a planning objection from KCC, with the exception of Kig. “Unfortunately, their objections

downsmail.co.uk Land deal fails KCC planning objections

are not supported by any change in policy or evidence. It would appear to be just part of their ongoing issue with our local plan and an attempt to make life difficult. They are still arguing that our figures are wrong – but have yet to produce any evi- dence.”

Maidstone Council claims it needs to provide 18,560 new homes in the

borough by 2031 to meet future need. But KCC leader Paul Carter, who

lives in Langley, one of the areas under threat from development, has always maintained the borough’s figures are too high and believes 16,257 would be adequate. Cllr English said: “I anticipate this

is just the start of a whole series of objections from KCC on highways grounds, both on Loose Road and the Sutton Road. The move is to be welcomed but the motives are ques- tionable.”

Policy ‘won’t change the past’

IN its capacity as the highways au- thority, KCC is asked for its views on all planning applications whichcome before the borough. Previous policy has been to raise no objections. Were it to raise objections, Maid-

stone Council would be in a stronger position to defend unwanted devel- opments at appeal. In December last year, KCC raised

no objection to an application from Millwood DesignerHomesto build36 houses and re-align Cripple Street in Loose, an application later turned down by Maidstone Council, and is now the subject of an appeal. In a letter to planners, KCC strate- gic transport and development plan-

ner Peter Rosevear wrote: “KCC has concluded that there is little scope for physical capacity improvements to the A229 Loose Road/Cripple Street/Boughton Lane junction.” Instead, the S106 contribution of

£3,000 per dwelling would go to- wards “strategic improvements to the A229 corridor from the A229/A274 junction to the Bridges Gyratory”. KCCraised no objection to Langley

Park, under construction off Sutton Road, or toWards Field at Boughton Lane, now the subject of an appeal. According to Cllr Clark, KCC has

said it cannot change its comment on retrospective applications but will adopt the new policy for the future.

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