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Split in shared planning service
ASHAREDservice between three councils – including Maidstone – designed to save costs and im- prove efficiency has hit the buffers. The Mid Kent Planning Support Service, a joint venture between Maidstone, Tunbridge Wells and Swale,was set up in the summer of 2014. The shared service was sup-
posed to improve efficiency but it immediately ran into trouble, with many planning applications taking longer than the statutory eight weeks to determine, with a huge backlog of work building up. A disgruntled Tunbridge Wells council has now decided to pull
out of the partnership, leaving the remaining two boroughs to share the costs of the service. Officers at Tunbridge Wells claimed 87% of its applications were registered within five days prior to the merger, but only 34% of themwere registered within that time afterwards. Maidstone’s applications consti-
tuted 37% of the shared workload, but it only contributed 27% of the cost.
Maidstone officers believe the service has now “bedded in” and works in the way it was originally planned. The council’s share of the cost will now rise by £56,000 to £283,239 a year.
Barclays branch to close
THE Sutton Road branch of Barclays in Maidstone is to close. Mid Kent MP Helen Whately is among those to have expressed concern about the closure, which will take place on February 26, 2016. Customers will have to travel to Fremlin Walk to use the bank’s in-branch services.
Pupils running for success
A CROSS-country club started by a Shepway primary school teacher has proved a runaway success. SinceWendy Ball started the after class club and lunchtime training sessions were started at Greenfields Community Primary School in September, her running recruits have taken first place in the Maidstone schools’ cross country races and joint second place at county level. Wendy said: “I’ve been
overwhelmed by the interest the running club has generated. I run with the children to encourage them and they think it’s great fun beating their teacher. “We had more than 40
children competing in the Maidstone races and more children are asking to join.” Their results in the Maidstone Schools’ cross country championships
were: Year 4 Boys – 1st; Year 4 Girls – 1st; individual races: Ethan Smith – 1st; Ollie Collins – 3rd; Violet Smith – 1st ; Ruby Cunliffe – 4th; Ruby Wilson – 5th. And in Ashford Schools’ cross country championships, the Year 4 Girls’ team earned second place and Year 4 boys’ third. In the Kent County Championships, the Year 4 girls’ team took joint second place.
Choir planning city concert
FOR its final concert of 2015, Bearsted Choral Society performed a se- lection of carols and readings for Christmas. Back in its familiar venue of Holy Cross Church, Bearsted, the choir,
under conductor Andrew Lowen, sang many old favourites, joined by an enthusiastic audience. Organist George Inscoe performed two solos. The choir’s next concert will be at 7.30pm on Saturday, May 14, in the
Colyer-Fergusson Hall, Canterbury where they will be singing Haydn’s Creation with the Canterbury Orchestra and Sittingbourne Orpheus Choir.
OFFERS INVITED IN THE REGION OF £250,000
Stable Yard, Brick Built Loose Boxes, Tack Room, Hay and Feed Storage Plus Grazing Paddocks and Hay Field
Curtilage of 12 Acres Maidstone East January 2016 5
EQUESTRIAN FACILITY, HOCKERS LANE, DETLING, KENT
FOR SALE
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