News
downsmail.co.uk Royal honours announced
LOCAL people have been celebrating being named in the Queen’s New Year’s honours list. Of this year’s 1,196 recipients,
76% have undertaken “outstanding work in their communities”. In the Maidstone area they are: Joan Buller, who receives a BEM
for services to the community in Staplehurst.Aparish councillor for more than 30 years, Joan has headed the Speed Watch road safety campaign, been a treasurer of the Neighbourhood Watch scheme and worked on the vil- lage’s neighbourhood plan. George Batts (90), from Barming,
will be made an MBE for his vol- untary service to war veterans. A veteran of the Normandy Land- ings, George became the national secretary and treasurer of the now- disbanded Normandy Veterans’ Association and spent many years organising pilgrimages to France to remember The Fallen in the D-Day conflict. His voluntary work has also in- cluded compiling an archive of eye- witness accounts from the battlefields and assisting with civic visits, for which he received an award from Prime Minister David
Rowing bale
SEA Scouts from Yalding will be competing against the village’s Ex- plorer Scouts when they take on the challenge to “row across the Chan- nel” to raise funds for Sport Relief. The attempt will be land-based,
and will take place during the monthly farmers’ market in Yald- ing High Street, but it should guar- antee a good crowd of spectators. The gruelling 22-mile (35.4 km) challenge is expected take the whole morning on Saturday, March 19, with teams working in relays to cover the distance. The crews – and spectators – will
be fuelled by the popular bacon and sausage sandwiches from the tea stall. The event starts at 10am and will finish at about 1pm. Yalding Sea Scouts comprises
two troops with a total of 36 mem- bers. The Explorer Scouts, aged 14 to 18, have 25 members.
Recycle gifts
WONDERING what to do with those unwanted Christmas gifts? The Heart of Kent Hospice
would be grateful for any dona- tions that can be used as raffle prizes or sold in its shops. Donations should be marked “Re-gifted” and dropped off at a hospice shop or reception at Pre- ston Hall,Aylesford, between 10am and 4pm, Monday to Saturday. For details of locations go to
www.hokh.org.
Joan Buller, Craig Vidler, George Batts and Venessa Willms have all been honoured
Cameron in 2014. Venessa Willms, from Maid-
stone, will be awarded an OBE for services to education. The director of primary education for Ark Schools said: “Over the past nine years at Ark, including seven as the founding principal at King Solomon Academy, I have worked with talented teachers and senior leaders to provide every child with the tools they need to go to univer- sity or pursue a career of their choice.”
Craig Vidler receives a BEM for services to charity. The 69-year-old, who lived near Mote Park in Maid- stone throughout his early years, has raised money for charities such as the Royal Marsden and more than £500,000 for the Retail Trust with an annual fly-fishing event over the last 28 years. The former Maidstone Grammar schoolboy, who built a hugely suc- cessful career in retailing and re- cruitment, said: “I’m delighted to have been able to give something
back and help some of its people who have fallen on hard times.” Craig, who met and married his
wife of 46 years while working in South Africa, returned with Mar- jorie and their daughter Claire to Maidstone in 1971 and lived in Loose and for a short time in Leeds village. The couple now live near Ash-
ford but are regular visitors to the area, particularly Bearsted. Craig remains a founding partner of a mentoring service for the over-55s.
Revised gypsy site plan agreed
A PROPOSED gypsy site in Chart Sutton has been given the go-ahead – less than a year after a similar schemewas refused. In March 2015, Maidstone Council turned down a planning application for one static and one touring caravan at Peas Place in Green Lane because it felt it would have a detrimental effect on the appearance of the coun- tryside; the applicant had given no exceptional circumstances that would override rural protec- tion policies; and insufficient landscaping details had been provided.
But in the latest scheme a sta-
ble block has been removed and a mobile home relocated; there is evidence of the applicant’s gypsy status and their children attend- ing a local school; and additional landscaping is proposed on all three boundaries of the applica- tion site.
Objectionswere raised by four individuals as well as Chart Sut- ton Parish Council, for whom Cllr Robin Jull told the planning committee: “A mobile home would detract from the rural na- ture of the area. This would mean there would be a total of 11
mobile homes in this same half- kilometre. Gypsy sites have started to dominate the area.” But the committee granted con-
sent because it felt the previous reasons for refusal had been overcome. Cllr Tony Harwood said: “If this is done right we could rehabilitate the field pat- tern that has subjugated to wood- land.” However, he raised concern
about the size of a fence on the site. “I imagine you can see that
from the International Space Sta- tion,” he said.
Borough facing cuts as grant is slashed
SWINGEING Government cuts have left Maidstone Council facing a financial dilemma. Chancellor George Osborne an- nounced in his Autumn Statement that he would be phasing out the revenue support grant (RSG). The aim is for local authorities to be self- financing by the end of the decade rather than relying on central gov- ernment grants. However, it was recently an- nounced that the grantwas to be cut this year and axed in 2016/17.
Cllr Richard Ash said: “We were
told the grant would be phased out. My understanding of ‘phased’ is gradual – not a reduction this year, then nothing at all the next. “We were left with just three months to make another £628,000 of savings. By 20/21,we will need to be saving £1,319,000.” Cllr Ash said the council would,
for the first time inmanyyears, have to consider borrowing. Council leader FranWilson said: “This announcement has put un-
precedented pressure on our budget for at least four years.” The council is challenging the gov- ernment ruling but in the meantime it is looking at otherways of making savings and increasing income. It has already introduced parking charges at Mote Park. The creation and leasing of its business terrace at the Maidstone Gateway is another newway of raising revenue. The policy and resources commit-
tee will look more closely at where savings can be made.
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www.downsmail.co.uk Maidstone South February 2016
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