downsmail.co.uk


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 is well,


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. Then we'll be no good to ourselves, let


alone immigrants. Phil Granger, Alma Rd,West Malling


Leave Mote Park alone


Dear Sir – I read with some abhorrence that a pump track is being proposed, possibly for Mote Park. What? I have been using the park every


day for more than 35 years and in that time have spoken to many people. The topics that are always first to be spoken about are building and entertainment areas. At the outset we have all said that any housing built in the park would be the thin end of the wedge and boy, have we been proved right. First, the houses built right opposite Madginford, then the Audley Retirement Village and now houses proposed for in and around the cricket club. One begins to wonder where next? Then we read of a proposal for a crazy


golf and entertainment area. And now for a pump track. We just do not understand where the council is coming from. Mote Park entices many thousands of visitors a year and that is fantastic, but the vast majority of visitors come to the park for its peace, tranquility and walks, we bet. With the housing, pump track, BMX


track and crazy golf, the park is in danger of becoming like Hastings sea front (that's fine for Hastings, but not a good idea for Mote Park). So let Audley be the very last housing


built in the park, scrap the crazy golf idea altogether and put the pump track in Cobtree, where it will be less obtrusive and far less invasive. It could go right at the back of Cobtree up against the industrial park fencing. This would be a great place as hills and hummocks are already in place, paths are marked out and few trees would need to be chopped down. To the council - please leave Mote Park basically as it is. Brian Blake, Hayle Road, Maidstone


Brian, I would like to reassure you that the story you refer to in last month’s edition – “Bikers welcome pump track plan” – states that the pump track is only a request at this stage. As a possible location, Mote Park was a mere suggestion; no proposal has been submitted. That said, I share your concerns about the creeping urbanisation of Mote Park. In August, Maidstone Council gave a premises licence to Social Events Worldwide to host eight major events in a 12-month period. This is in addition to other events, such as Ramblin’ Man, which attracted 20,000 people to the park at the end of July and may return in 2016 – finances permitting. Understandably, this provides valuable income to the council, but a nice way to pay


back the many local park users would be to keep the existing open space largely intact at all other times. Response by Stephen


No to Woodcut Farm plan


CPRE Kent is dismayed and horrified by the report to the Strategic Planning, Sustainability and Transport Committee promoting Woodcut Farm as an employment site (agenda item 85 – appendix B), and more so as it appears to have been accepted by the committee. The report states: “There is a unique opportunity in the borough to provide a prestigious business park at junction 8 of M20…” CPRE Kent disagrees entirely. Woodcut Farm is just a field (although sub-divided) in an uninterrupted length of agricultural land south of the M20 running from Bearsted on past Junction 8 towards Harrietsham, a length of more than three kilometres. There is nothing unique about the field,


except perhaps that it is the most visible area from all viewpoints. As for a unique opportunity, does anybody seriously believe that no other development applications would be made along this length of agricultural land? This site was part of the Kig application refused at inquiry, as was the recent Waterside Park application, which was further from the AONB boundary. These inquiry results were not mentioned in the report. This field is adjacent to the AONB, and consequent policy restrictions should apply, but this is also barely noted in the report. As it is “undulating” considerable remodeling and degradation of the landscape will be required. The report ignores many requirements


of the National Planning Policy Framework. It is unsustainable, degrading the highly visible landscape (environmental loss), has no social benefit, and questionable economic benefit as a speculative development. The need for a prestigious business park should have been met by Eclipse Park. However that failed to attract suitable operations, and eventually a hotel and retail were allowed. This report is unbalanced, unprofessional and naïve, and also raises the question whether an officer should be promoting a commercial operation in this way. Gary Thomas, CPRE Maidstone branch


Council must save Kig site


Dear Sir – Maidstone Council recently made a very welcome and fully justified decision to designate the countryside to the east of Maidstone as “Landscape of Local Value”. This was done to protect the Len Valley


and the setting 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; is well 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 month was 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 attempt 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. It would also 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


Election correction


Dear Sir – May I please add a correction to your article “Lib Dems retain influence” in June’s edition of the Downs Mail. This suggests that Eddie Powell was


prevented from defending his seat in Harrietsham and Lenham in view of his success last year. Eddie, however, advised us that he preferred to devote all of his energies to contesting the parliamentary seat in Maidstone, which would take up all of his time. In view of this, MikeWilliams, who


stood alongside Eddie in last year’s local election, agreed to stand again this year in Harrietsham and Lenham. Like Eddie, Mike also lives in Harrietsham and has been active in local politics, is a member of Harrietsham against Reckless Development and a parish councillor. I’ve spoken to Eddie Powell and he advises me that he subsequently allowed our Maidstone branch to nominate him as the Ukip candidate for Allington ward in the absence of a better qualified candidate. MikeWardle, branch secretary Ukip Faversham and Mid Kent branch.


Maidstone Town November 2015 27


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