News 78% of pupils


hiing targets MORE than three-quarters of pri- mary school children in the Maid- stone area are meeting government key targets in reading, English and maths. The annual standard assessment


test results (SATs) reveal that 78% of children in the borough achieved the targets in all three subjects, up 8% on last year. The Government expects all pri-


mary schools to make sure at least 65% of pupils attain level four. In Maidstone, 87% of children


made the grade in reading and writ- ing. The figurewas 83% for maths. At Mereworth Primary School


100% of pupils attained level four in all three areas, with 73% of them reaching level five in reading. At St John’s School, Grove Green,


97% attained level four across the board and 75% of pupils were at level five in reading. Several schools notched up more than 90% across the three core subjects, in- cluding Kingswood Primary School, Oaks Academy in Man- gravet, Palace Wood at Allington, Loose and Roseacre, Bearsted. KCC’s cabinet member for educa-


tion, Roger Gough, said: “These are extremely good figures, especially as Key Stage 2 is an area where we have been relatively weak. There are clear signs that we are moving in the right direction, thanks to the hard work of heads, teachers and the children themselves. There are still schools where further improve- ments are needed andwe are work- ing hard to ensure this happens.”


Charity barn dance


THE Maidstone branch of the RNLI is holding a fundraising barn dance at Fant Community Hall in Fant Lane, Barming on Saturday, March 5, starting at 7.30pm. Calling and music will be by John


and Karen Sweeney. Tickets cost £10 and include sup-


per. Guests are invited to bring their own drinks and snacks. To book call John Ashbolt on


01622 725435 or Alan Cocks on 01622 761004.


Dance partners Lydia and Harvey


downsmail.co.uk


Council aims to block rugby club relocation


MAIDSTONE Council has fired a shot across the bows of a landowner hoping to develop two sites in Tovil for 452 homes.


Farmland stretching from Dean


Street to Stockett Lane – with room for 452 homes, new headquarters for Maidstone Rugby Club and a GPs’ surgery – was placed on a list of potential housing sites aswell as two fields near Bydews Place, which could contain 50 houses. Following protests from local res- idents, Tovil Parish Council and Lib Dem councillors Clive English and Derek Mortimer, the borough’s strategic planning committee re- moved the land, which included a former tip, from its draft local plan. The committee felt the sites


would cause traffic problems, un- dermine the protection of the coun- tryside, would not deliver the community facilities needed in


Tovil and had not been the subject of proper consultation with the local community. Cllr Mortimer said: “Ifwe had ac- cepted the recommendation, this would have allowed the sites to by- pass the regulation 18 public con- sultation process, and move straight to the next stage (regula- tion 19). “These proposed sites are very controversial locally and I could not accept that these should pass directly to regulation 19 without any input from Tovil Parish Coun- cil or local residents when other local sites have. I am very pleased that the committee endorsed my call for removal.” Alan Firmin Ltd wants to de-


Lydia taps herway to the top


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 in Maidstone since she was three, and her dance partner Harvey Shulver, took the first place in the children’s duo tap class. 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.”


velop 28.4 hectares of land that would include a sports field for the rugby club, whose lease at The Mote Cricket Club comes up for re- newal in May 2016. Company director Paul Firmin is vice-president of the rugby club – his late father Alan played rugby for Kent. Although based at The Mote for


more than 50 years, the club believe the new site will secure their long- term future. The cricket club have been work-


ing with Maidstone Council on a proposal for an “enabling residen- tial development” on the upper rugby pitch at Mote Park to find the £4m needed to improve its ground.


Candle sparks


bedroom blaze FIREFIGHTERS are reminding residents to take extra care with candles after a fire destroyed the first floor of a house in Maidstone. Crewswere called to Loose Road


to deal with a well-developed fire in a rear bedroom of the property. The fire caused extensive damage to the first floor and the ground floor sustained smoke and water damage. It is thought that the fire was caused by a candle on the window sill, which had set light to a curtain and spread to the rest of the room. A smoke alarm alerted the occu- pants of the property, who were able to get out of the house safely. Maidstone crew manager Andy Griffiths urged residents not to leave candles or tea lights unat- tended and to ensure they are placed well away from ignitable materials and fully out after use.


Plan to boost town centre traffic flow


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


28


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


Maidstone Town February 2016


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 was 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.


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