News Club closure


cuts income PARENTS and the parish council at Hollingbourne have been dis- mayed by the closure of the vil- lage’s popular After School Club at the Cardwell Pavilion. Apart from the loss to the village


of a key service to families, coun- cillors say they will need to review the financial implications for the hall of the loss of a key tenant. The only other regular users are Hollingbourne FC and the pre- school group, which meets week- day mornings during term time. Michelle Archer, a registered childminder in Detling – who re- ceived an outstanding Ofsted rat- ing in 2015 – had run the satellite service at the hall for a year, but has now decided because of her in- creased workload to base the club solely at her family home. Hollingbourne Parish Council is


keen to hear from anyone inter- ested in hiring the Cardwell Pavil- ion. For details, call the parish clerk Vicki Smith on 01622 880526.


Team on move


A NEW netball group at Park Wood has proved so popular it has already outgrown its home. The Tuesday evening club,which started out at Heather House, has now moved to Cornwallis Acad- emy, beginning at 7.30pm. The new term begins in January


and the cost remains £1 a week. Ladies of all ages and abilities are welcome. The sessions are funded by Kent


Sport, Maidstone Council and the Fusion Healthy Living Centre. Qualified coach Stephanie Ed-


wards takes the sessions. Info – Aimee Bartlett on 07872 933097.


Speed trap


POLICE have punished speeding drivers in Ashford Road, Bearsted. Following several complaints


from about early morning com- muters, Kent Police set up a speed trap which caught six vehicles trav- elling along the road at about 6am.


downsmail.co.uk


Listing inspector visits green’s threatened shops


HISTORIC England has sent an inspector to check out Bearsted Parade on The Green.


The Bearsted and Thurnham So-


ciety stepped up its efforts to get the shops listed after the owners submitted a new application to have it demolished and rebuilt to Maidstone Council . Members believe that as well as


losing a building of historic and ar- chitectural interest, demolition of the shops will lead to loss of vital businesses, as W.J. Crouch (“Rick- woods”) would have to relocate and might not return. After a redevelopment proposal


waswithdrawn a year ago, Historic England said it could not consider listing as a priority when therewas no active planning application, but now the revised plan has been sub- mitted, it is investigating. Historic England’s fast-track process can cost between £3,000 and £8,000, which the society felt it could not afford. However, it was delighted to learn that Historic England had moved swiftly. Although the parish council is among the plethora of people op- posed to the plans and hopes plan- ning consent will be refused by Maidstone Council, it is to consider a contingency plan for the provi- sion of a newsagent. Re-construction of the shops


Protestors outside the threatened shops on Bearsted Green


would take up to 18 months and Cllr John Hughes was concerned that the newsagent’s shop would be sorely missed by local people. The parish council is to consider


the feasibility of providing a “pop- up” community shop, similar to those at Chart Sutton and Boughton Monchelsea, which could be placed close to or on The Green, or near the station or library. The parish council believes the application should be refused be- cause the shops are an iconic part of Bearsted Green and the develop- ment will harm the conservation area. Councillors also believe the proposed replacement is poorly de- signed and has inadequate car parking.


Maidstone MP Helen Grant has


been in contact with parliamentary under-secretary for heritage, MP


Tracey Crouch, who said Historic England would make a recommen- dation to her department following their visit. Mrs Grant said: “I know Tracey


will take great care in reviewing the recommendation she receives from Historic England on its listing. I will keep in contact with her, as well as with the Bearsted and Thurnham Society in the coming months, to make sure we get the right decision and save the parade for future generations. “Any new building would likely


spoil the charm of the area. The shopkeepers are worried that a new building would mean higher rents in future, making it unafford- able for them. It would be sad to see local businesses replaced by a Tesco Metro or some other national chain.”


Driverswarned of thefts from cars


POLICE are warning motorists not to leave valuables in their cars after nine vehicles were broken into in Maidstone – seven of them on the same night. Items taken included laptops, mobile phones, sat navs and power tools, with windows smashed on some cars to get in, but advantage taken of others left unlocked.


Three of the reported thefts oc-


curred on Boxley Road, while two were in Coltsfoot Drive. The others were reported in Wordsworth Road, Sandling Lane, Byron Road, Eyhorne Green and Dover Street on December 9 and 10.


Inspector Jody Gagan-Cook,


from the Maidstone community safety unit, said: “It is very rare to


have as many as nine such inci- dents committed in such a short space of time and we are not rul- ing out the possibility that some of these may be linked.” She reminded residents of measures to reduce the chances of becoming a victim of crime, in- cluding parking in well-lit areas, locking doors and removing valu- ables.


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 womenwho have skills in DIY.


16


munities. All of the Blue handymen have to


prove themselves capable and ex- perienced in homemaintenance 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 East 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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