News


downsmail.co.uk Steps to improve Social festival


THE organiser of The Social festival is to be reined in by Maidstone Council after a catalogue of complaints following this year’s event in September.


Reports of anti-social behaviour in


the streets around Mote Park were widespread, as youngsters availed themselves of “legal highs” being sold near the park gates, councillors were told. Drunks and drug dealers trespassed on residents’ drives, leav- ing litter and even more unsavoury calling cards as they spilled out un- supervised from the day-long music bash, the leisure committee heard. The Social festival has taken place


in the park for the past three years and the council gets a fee from the organiser and a share of ticket sales. Laura Dickson, the council’s mar-


keting and sales manager, said: “It brings economic benefits to the bor- ough and supports the evening economy of the town centre.” It was estimated that the 10,000


festival goers spent almost £1m in bars, restaurants and hotels this year. But such was the devastation caused by the crowd that the council


Birthday girl Elsie is 100


ELSIE Gurr from Maidstone has cel- ebrated her 100th birthday. The former housekeepermoved to


Kent from Middlesex when shewas just a few months old, following the death of her mother, and her father remarried. One of two girls, her family also in- cluded seven half- sisters. On leaving


school Elsie worked as a house- keeper for a couple who lived in Chatham, and then Loose, where she met her husband Bill.Heused to work in the grocery shop at the top of Cripple Street and would deliver to her workplace. The couple married in 1939 and


lived in Bower Lane, Maidstone. Their daughterPat lives in the town. Son Adrian died in his 60s and son Roger moved toAustralia. Elsie finally settled at Loose Court residential home in March last year. She has four grandchildren and


three great-grandchildren, who all wished her well on her big day on November 17.


Homes agreed PLANNING permission was granted for three detached bunga- lows and an access road in Ashford Drive, Kingswood.


Formore local news www.downsmail.co.uk 22


withheld £1,176 from the organiser’s deposit to cover reinstatement of the park and cleaningup after the event. Ms Dickson said: “Whilst the


event was regarded as well organ- ised within the park, it did create a series of serious problems for resi- dents in the surrounding streets.” The committee agreed that the


event should be allowed to take place again in 2016 – but not on the same weekend as another festival, such as the Maidstone Mela. The council will also insist on a much more stringent event management plan and appropriate licence – all to be paid for by the organiser. It will also insist on stricter secu-


rity and policing of the event, better signage and transport for visitors going to and from the railway sta- tions. The plan will also ensure that


steps are taken in the planning and direction of the stages to insulate


sound better and reduce external noise levels. The council received 53 complaints from residents around Mote Park following the September event – almost three times as many as the previous year. The complaints related to noise,


traffic management, litter and anti- social behaviour – including abusive behaviour and instances of people trespassing in gardens and defecat- ing in the streets. It took council staff three hours to


clear rubbish from Mote Avenue, and the Lower Road and Upper Road estates following the event. Residents complained about vehi-


cles trying to park or drop off in streets near the park, blocking drive- ways and parking on green spaces, in spite of parking provision in the park and at the leisure centre. The organisers admitted there should have been more temporary toilets and stewards at the park en-


trances. Cllr Clive English said: “In allmy


21 years on the council, I have never had the volume of complaints about a single event as I did about this one. The kind of activity taking place in broad daylight, in the cut- throughs, is the sort of thing you would expect in Amsterdam, not Maidstone.” Event organiser Luke Bendall had already met with council officers and agreed to meet the additional obligations – including extra stew- arding, a traffic management plan and a comprehensive clean-up pro- gramme. Cllr English said he would prefer


to see the festival moved to Detling Showground but Ms Dickson said: “Detling Showground can accom- modate such an event but is not well served by public transport and in all probability would see more people arriving by car, causing local


Donations support victims of crime


THEWest Farleigh-based charity Dandelion Time has received a £27,600 cheque fromthe office of Kent’s Police and Crime Commissioner. Commissioner Ann Barnes invited


groups to bid formoney fromher specialist victim services fund as part of her promise to put victims and witnesses at the heart of the criminal justice system. Dandelion Time, which offers


farm-based therapeutic programmes for children and families affected by trauma and abuse,was among eight recipients to be awarded a total of £280,000 at a presentation at Compass House, the county’s victim and witness care and advice centre in Ashford. Mrs Barnes said: “These


organisations make a very real difference to people in Kent who have been through terrible times in their lives. So, on behalf of all the people of Kent, Iamdelighted to be


Anne Barnes presents a cheque to representatives from Dandelion Time


able to entrust these eight projects with this public money to help them continue with their vital work.” Other recipientswere:


Rising Sun and Choices (joint bid): Support for children and young people who have experienced trauma through domestic abuse – £53,772; DeafHope : A county-wide service working with deaf people who are victims of domestic abuse – £40,000; MCCH: Support across Kent for people with learning disabilities and


Sex case suspect found dead


AMANcharged with 16 sex offences against young girls in Head- corn and Tenterden has been found dead near his home inWales. Victor Farley (62) was due to appear before Folkestone magis-


trates, charged with three offences of gross indecency with a girl under 14, two of unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under 13 and 11 of indecent assault on a girl under 14. The offences are alleged to have happened between 1984 and


1998.


Farley, of Ciliau Aeron, Dyfed, failed to appear in court and mag- istrates issued a warrant for his arrest. The same day, his bodywas found close to his home.An inquest was opened and adjourned the following day.


Maidstone South December 2015


autism who are subject to hate crime and victimisation - £40,000; Rubicon Cares: Specialist trauma counselling for adult, child and young victims of crime across Kent and Medway – £40,000; Juvenile Justice International: Specialist support for children and young people up to age 19 countywide who have been victims of crime – £33,350; Domestic Abuse Voluntary Support Services:Aprojectto support to male victims of domestic abuse – £10,013.


Royal apples HER Majesty the Queen has been sent award-winning apples from Staplehurst, following another suc- cessful National Fruit Show at the Kent County Showground, Detling.


Bardsley and Sons, from River


Farm, Staplehurst, swept the board at this year’s show with their prize- winning bramleys and coxes. The 2015 show saw the biggest-


ever line-up of trade exhibitors in the Kent Event Centre.


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