News


downsmail.co.uk Concern over ‘rise’ in fly-tipping


APERCEIVED increase in fly-tip- ping has been blamed on Maid- stone’s withdrawal of the bulky freighter service. The service, which visited 99 sites


across the borough on a 10-week- end cycle, was gradually being withdrawn during April, with the final collection taking place on May 14, in a bid to save the council £40,000. But its phasing out coincided


with a sharp rise in reports to the media of fly-tipping – from sofas and beds in Bearsted and Barming, to TVs and timber nearVinter’sVal- ley Nature Reserve. Steve Songhurst, warden at Vin-


tersValley, managed to put some of the dumped timber to good use, building a new bird box. He said: “Waste not want not! I


hope the council managed to locate the fly-tipper and dump the stuff back on the fly-tipper’s own prop- erty.”


Maidstone Council admitted


there were a total of 56 fly-tipping incidents reported to its environ- mental health department in the space of just oneweek.


However, therewere 55 incidents reported in the same week last year, indicating that the with- drawal of the service was uncon- nected. A council spokesman said: “Al- though there was a high profile in- cident at Barming, the year-on-year figures for that week are virtually identical – 56 this year as against 55 for that same time last year. “The freighter service has not yet


ended and we are currently going through the last cycle.” A collection of sofas were dumped in a layby in Hockers


Homes bring flooding fear


RESIDENTS say the flood risk in Hollingbourne will increase if more homes are built but nothing is done about drainage. The parish council is considering


asking those due to move into the new homes in Eyhorne Street not to flush toilets or use theirwashing ma- chines until after midnight, for fear of overloading the mains. A tanker has pumped out the vil-


lage sewage system several times this year to remove surface water from the drains via a manhole in the garden of a home in Hasteds. Councillors say the concern sur- rounds new homes in the area, in- cluding 14 being built by Wealden Homes opposite Godfrey House, 10 houses proposed by Fernham Homesbetween Godfrey House and Claygate, and a possible 15 houses behind theWindmill pub. HollingbourneParish Council and


Kent County Council (KCC) ob- jected unsuccessfully to Wealden Homes’ plan for housing on the vil- lagewater meadow. Residents claim surface water in


Eyhorne Street has increased since construction started on the homes. KCC has asked Southern Water to investigate. The parish council last year agreed


to oppose all development in the vil- lage until Southern Water resolves the sewerage and drainage issues. Southern Water claims tankers


were used to remove waste water from the public sewer caused by flooding and high pressure water was being used to remove the build- up of fat, oil and grease. Southern Water’s customer care manager Jean-Paul Collet will visit residents with properties over the sewer onMay9 to answer questions. The company has also said repre- sentatives will attend the parish council meeting at 7.30pm on Mon- day, June 13. SouthernWater said:“We encour-


age planning authorities to consult us on applications that would have a significant impact on our infra- structure.We will respond to plan- ning applications on which we are consulted.”


Mary Ratcliffe, Jay Saunders and Phil Dickman Stones boost charities


MAIDSTONE United’s FA Cup run last season has benefited two good causes. Children’s charities ellenor and


NSPCC Maidstone, the Stones’ nominated charities, have been awarded £1,000 each from the Football Association Community Shield fund. The Stones were one of 124


teams that took part in the FA Cup after it reached the first round proper stage. In recognition of that, the club


were invited to nominate charities to receive a share of the fund.


Ellenor spokesman Phil Dickman


said: “We need to raise £6.7m each year to support families facing terminal illness – so this donation makes a real difference.” Club manager Jay Saunders


said: “That cup run was amazing for the club and 18 months on it’s still having a positive impact with the donation to these two charities.” NSPCC fundraiser Mary Ratcliffe


said: “Since we’ve taken over Childline, there’s extra need for funds to answer calls from children in Maidstone and further afield.”


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Read our archived editions FREE online at www.downsmail.co.uk Maidstone East May 2016


The dumped timber


(above) and right, the recycled birdbox


Lane, Bearsted – items which would previously have been put in the bulky freighter. A large amount of rubbish was dumped in East Hall Road, Boughton Monchelsea, and an as- sortment of household items, in- cluding a mattress and bedstead were dumped outside the playing


fields in Chart Sutton. Parish councillor Valerie Under-


down warned: “It is obvious that someone has been clearing out a house and rather than do the de- cent thing and go to the tip, they have taken the easy option to let someone else clear up after them.” She issued a word of warning to anyone considering hiring the serv- ices of a house clearance company too.


“House clearing is a legitimate business but, as with all businesses, there are good and bad. “Make sure you use a reputable company and you know where they are situated – don’t give your property away to just anyone who knocks at the door. “If your possessions are subse- quently dumped by a rogue trader and there is anything on them to denote where they have come from, it is you who will be prose- cuted, not the person who dumped them.”  Tell us your experiences of fly tipping in your area. Contact us at 01622 734735 or send an email to info@downsmail.co.uk


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