News


downsmail.co.uk Plan to boost traffic flow in town


THE latest details of roadworks to “improve the Maidstone experi- ence” have been revealed to retail- ers and businesses. Representatives from the Town Centre Management group heard that the £5.74m project to create the Maidstone bridges gyratory system – creating a better flow of traffic to all parts of town around the river – will start in May. Work to upgrade the busy traffic


hub, serving 5,800 vehicles every morning and 5,700 in the evening rush hour – should be finished by


Social evening


VISITORS are invited to join Kings Hill WI members at their meeting on January 27. The group meets at 7.45pm on


the fourthWednesday of the month at Kings Hill Community Centre. For more details, contact Tina Patterson on 01732 844721.


Poppy proceeds


ATOTALof £2,300was collected in Wateringbury for the Royal British Legion poppy appeal through house to house and business collec- tions. This included £614 collected at the annual act of remembrance.


Dad’s skydive challenge


A DAD from East Malling is fac- ing a 12,000ft fall after failing to listen to his wife! Bill Arnold says his agreement


to do a charity skydivewas given in “an off-guard moment”, but his wife Saman- tha claims it’s the price he’ll have to pay for not listening to what she was saying. But the good- natured wran- gling is all in a good cause, with the jump set to offer a big thank-you to staff at Evelina Children’s Hos- pital – part of St Thomas’ in London – for the life- saving surgery received by their son Teddy James when he was just hours old. A second operation at just 13


days’ old to remedy a twisted blood supply to his heart now means he is fighting fit. Samantha (29), from Ruskin


Close, said: “A scan found the problem at 14 weeks. I held Teddy for just seconds before he began turning blue and he was whisked away. They were wor- rying times, but everythingwent


20 Malling January 2016


better thanwe could have hoped for and now, apart from annual check-ups, he’s like any normal little boy of his age. “No amount of money will


ever be enough for saving his life but just a way of say- ing thanks for what they do.” Bill (27), a


Bill with wife Samantha and son Teddy


car sales- man, will be jumping with his friend Michael Campbell, from Lark- field, in the spring – hopefully


on the first anniversary of Teddy’s operation on May 26. They hope to raise a minimum


of £1,500 and if they make £2,000, Samantha, who now has seven children, has agreed to do it too. She said: “It would be great to


raise such a large amount, al- though I’m terrified that it will top 2,000 and I have to jump, be- cause I’m petrified of heights.” If you want to donate, visit www.justgiving.com/samantha- arnold5.


Christmas and will reduce queues across the whole junction by about 15% and 20% at each end of the day.


The reportwas presented by Rus-


sell Boorman, KCC’s project man- ager; Maidstone Council’s economic development officer Abi Lewis and James Pallett, from civil engineering firm Amey. Retailers heard that contractors


would work extended hours and seven days a week, where appro- priate. Road closures would be made overnight and access to the


High Street unaffected where pos- sible, to limit disruption. However, town centre manage-


ment members were concerned about the benefits in light of ongo- ing development in the area. The project team assured them that a 15% increase in traffic had been taken into account. The team also addressed concerns about pedes- trian access to the riverside and the closure of some subways on the High Street side. Theywere also assured that vari- able and fixed message signs


would be used on the M20 and across Maidstone from March to di- rect traffic. The work is being paid for by


South East Local Enterprise Part- nership (£4.6m) and Maidstone Council (£1.14m). The public were due to get a chance to view the designs and ask questions at a gazebo in Fremlin Walk on January 19. A dedicated website is also to be


set up to receive any enquiries about the work at www.maid- stone.gyratory@kent.gov.uk.


Lydia isworld champion


LYDIA Kelley (11), from East Farleigh has brought a gold medal back from Germany where she represented England in theWorld Tap Championships. Lydia, who has been dancing at Hilton Hall Dance


Academy inMaidstone since she was three, and her dance partner Harvey Shulver, took the first place in the children’s duo tap class. The pair are pictured left. The Maidstone Girls’ Grammar School pupil was selected


for the England team in September and has been practising with Harvey since then. Her mum Bev said: “Lydia and Harvey raised their game


and performed out of their skins in the finals. To stand on the central podium, watch the English flag being raised and participate in our national anthem was an enormous experience. It has been an incredible few days for us all.”


Pupils win accolades


NICK Alford returned to Holmes- dale Technology College in Snod- land for the second time in a year for the certificate presentation evening. Together with Cllr Owen Bal-


dock, Mayor of Tonbridge and Malling, he presented GCSE, A- level and Sixth Form certificates and subject awards. Nick, who lives in Ditton, swam


the English Channel as part of a relay team in 2010 and 2011. In 2014 hewas the first solo swimmer to complete the crossing and raised more than £5,000 for chil- dren's charities. He was the guest speaker at the College's awards evening in July. He spent almost 20 years working including physical training, public order and self-defence. He spe-


cialised in risk management and training for operations in high risk environments. Nick urged students to plan


their futures, have ambitions and strive to accomplish ambitions. Award and shield winnerswere: Vice-Principal award for effort


– Samantha Sparkes. Vice-Principal Award for


achievement – Sophie Sweet; Plummer Shield for effort –


Kelsea Parris. Collins Shield for high achieve-


ment in Key Stage 4 – Anjola Adeagbo. Charlie Grayhurst Shield for


the most improved student – Emma O'Neill. Brian File Award for achieve-


ment and effort in Art – Rachael Holyhead.


Robbery appeal e-fit


KENT Police has issued an e-fit image after a taxi driverwas robbed in Larkfield. The victim collected three passengers – two men


and a woman – from Dickens Road, Ringlestone and drove them to MallardWalk in Larkfield. When the group got out of his vehicle they refused


to pay. When the victim got out of his vehicle, one of the men punched him in the face. The other man is then said to have also punched the vic- tim in the head, before all three ran in the direction of Lunsford Lane. The men are described as being in their ‘20s and ‘30s and were wear-


ing black. One was slim, the other of heavy build. An e-fit image has now been issued of the older man, who was de- scribed aswearing a hoodie with ginger coloured fur around the edge.


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