News
Two sites earmarked to ease Operation Stack
TWOsites have been put forward by Highways England as contenders to cope with lorries during Operation Stack. Both are on farmland which
could be linked to the M20 to the north and west of Junction 11, about 300m either side of Stanford. Unlike Manston Airport, the sites will service freight wishing to cross the Dover Straits from the port of Dover and Eurotunnel. Highways England suggests in
its consultation that the park should hold at least 3,600 lorries, although this number and theway it would be used is open to public opinion. It makes clear that the exact lo-
cation of the lorry park boundaries are still to be set, and its use could be for emergencies only or per- haps to provide a 24-hour serviced truck stop to alleviate fly-parking in Kent. The Government allocated up to
£250m for such a lorry park and a solution to Operation Stack in No- vember. It is understood a permanent
lorry park would mean Manston Airport would not be required, al- though it is expected that when in use, a temporary 40mph-50mph speed limit would need to be im-
posed on the coastbound carriage- way of the M20 for safety reasons. Electronic signs would be dis-
played for lorries and other driv- ers on gantries along the coastbound carriageway, most likely from junction 10 to junction 11a.
The public has until midnight on January 25 to comment by email to m20lorryarea@highwayseng-
land.co.uk. Highways England has said metal barriers will be installed at M20 Junction 8, near Holling- bourne, to stop illegal parking by HGVs.
Meanwhile, changes at Dover
Docks are expected to ease traffic flows into the port, which has seen the reconfiguration of transport lanes to accommodate 6km of freight traffic within what is Eu- rope’s biggest ferry terminal. New bays for border control in- spections and a new site entrance have also been introduced as part of the four-year £85m project, part- funded by the European Union.
downsmail.co.uk
Town looking for adventure
ANEWsurvey suggests that people from Maidstone have an adventur- ous streak. The highest number of views on day-trip website
www.intothe-
blue.co.uk from 2012 to 2015 were for spa breaks (52), while tank driv- ing came a close second with 47, fol- lowed by Segway riding (43), a visit to the Shard (35), skydiving at 23 and walking with wolves at 22. At fifth – prompting 24 searches
each – were driving days, gliding, photoshoots, wing-walking and a session on a zip wire, with more se- date choices, such as afternoon tea, prompting 12.
Charity swim raises £7,500
On average 10,800 freight vehi- cles (5,400 each way) cross the Dover Straits every day.
The Port of Dover/Eurotunnel predict freight traffic will double in the next 10 years.
In 2015 Operation Stack was im- plemented on a record 32 days – before that Operation Stack was only instigated an average 8.5 times per year.
KCC estimates Operation Stack costs the Kent economy about £1.45m per day.
Ride in style on the Orient Express
THE Belmond British Pullman, sister train to the Venice-Simplon Orient- Express, will be returning to Maid- stone in 2016, courtesy of Heart of Kent Hospice. The charity has chartered two ex- cursions aboard the iconic Belmond British Pullman, which include a gala lunch and aWindsor day trip. Guests boarding the train for the
lunch on Saturday, May 7 will be able to relax with champagne in the 1920s art deco surroundings and enjoy a four-course lunch with wine,
as they travel through the Kent countryside on a four-hour tour. On Saturday, August 27 there is a
day trip to Windsor, which includes a three-course Bellini breakfast, served by liveried stewards. Guests will have four hours to ex-
plore the town and Windsor Castle followed by Champagne and a four- course dinner with wine on the re- turn journey. Sarah Pugh, chief executive at
Heart of Kent Hospice, said: “We are delighted to offer this experience to
our community, while raising vital funds for the hospice.” Both trips depart from Maidstone
East station, with 220 places avail- able on each. Tickets for the gala lunch are
£325 per person while the Windsor day trip costs £450. Each ticket sold will help the hospice raise funds to help provide vital care formore than 1,000 patients every year. Visit
www.hokh.org/events or call
the fundraising team on 01622 790195 to book your tickets.
MAIDSTONE Riverside Rotary Club has thanked all the 24 teams and their supporters for making the very first Maidstone Swim Relay such a great success. More than £7,500 was raised for
local charities, with almost £4,500 of the total going to Children in Need. Plans are under way for the 2016 Maidstone Swim Relay. Maidstone Leisure Centre has agreed to loan the pool for the afternoon of Sun- day, November 6 and many of the teams who took part have ex- pressed an interest in doing so again. To register an interest email
info@swimrelay.co.uk.
Pram theft
ATHIEF who stole a pushchair has been given a suspended prison sen- tence by Medway magistrates. Matthew James Allen (27), from Bazalgette Rise, Maidstone, admit- ted taking the pram and other items from a vehicle in Roseholme, Maidstone. He was sentenced to 120 days in prison, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work. He must also pay a £180 court’s charge, £85 costs and a £60 victim surcharge.
Ex-police offer DIY service you can trust
RETIRED police officers with a pas- sion for home maintenance and gardening are taking up tools to give peace of mind to residents and businesses in Maidstone and the surrounding villages. The Blue Local Handymen scheme has been operating in parts of Kent for the past year and moves into the Maidstone area in Febru- ary. It is an attempt to combat the problems caused by cowboy builders and dodgy tradesmen, using the services of ex-policemen and women who have skills in DIY.
20
munities. All of the Blue handymen have to
prove themselves capable and ex- perienced in home maintenance be- fore joining the network and all are interviewed and DBS (CRB) checked. Blue project MD Nick Orde-
Most police officers retire after 30
years service and many are still eager to continue playing an active and productive role in their com-
Maidstone Town February 2016
Powlett, said: "Our vetting process is second to none. All of our handy- men are friendly retired police offi- cers with many years working in the community under their belt – and they understand people’s con- cerns better than anyone else."
Handyman Dave Hogg said: "I
was a police officer for 32 years and there was rarely a day when I did- n't deal with, or hear about, mem- bers of the local community being ripped off by rogue tradesmen. “Working with Blue gives me the opportunity to redress the balance and provide local people with a service they know they can trust.” For more details and and free
quotes go to
www.trustinblue.com. Bookings can be made by phone on 0800 2550255 or you can email
helpdesk@trustinblue.com.
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