News
downsmail.co.uk Search forAylesford’s new vicar
THE search for a new vicar in Aylesford is “moving along very well” with a number of candidates asked in for interview. The previous incumbent, the pop-
ular Rev Chris van Straaten – who moved to a new parish in the north of England – was in the parish for eight years. According to the parish maga-
zine, the church wardens reported: “The process of finding a new vicar is moving along very well to date, with a good number of applications being received. “The candidates will (be) shown around the parish by some mem- bers of the Parochial Church Coun- cil (PCC) and others over the course of a day, with interviews being con- ducted the following day.” The candidateswere to be shown
St Peter and St Paul Church, the vic- arage – which is due to have some
Straaten. He and his wife Kathy are moving to a parish near Hull in east Yorkshire where he has taken up a new role as vicar of two parishes, Sutton Park andWawne. The vicar said his family could
Rev Chris van Straaten with church warden Brenda Sladden
minor repairs ahead of the new in- cumbent’s arrival – The Brassey Centre and church office, The British Legion Village, school and local housing developments. The wardens added: “We now have to hope that the interviews
will have been successful and a suit- able candidate selected.” It is hoped the new vicar will be
in position by the autumn. In March, parishioners packed St
Peter’s and St Paul’s Church to say thanks and farewell to Rev van
not have been happier inAylesford, adding: “People have been amaz- ingly kind and generous to us. It’s been wonderful to be part of a smallish community, in the church and more widely in Eccles and Aylesford. Even those who aren’t churchgoers have welcomed us openly.”
Churchwarden Brenda Sladden
said: “We have been so fortunate in having Chris and Kathy with us for the past eight years and they have worked tirelessly throughout their stay. “It goes without saying that they
will be greatly missed but we all wish themwell for their future.”
Parking fees Road safety campaign wins award
introduced MOTORISTS in West Malling are now having to pay to park in the town’s High Street car park, despite a huge campaign against the charges. Machines which used to pro-
vide tickets for free parking have been converted to charge fees, which were approved by Tonbridge and Malling Coun- cil’s cabinet in March, when banner waving residents and traders packed the public gallery. Free three-hour parking has
been axed at the site behind Tesco in favour of fees of 30p for half an hour and 60p per hour. There is a maximum stay of three hours between 8am and 5.30pm. Having raised a petition with
3,000 signatures, the parish council asked for the matter to be suspended for six months to explore alternatives, but the borough council insisted the charges were reasonable and necessary to pay for the upkeep of the car park. West Malling Parish Cllr Richard Selkirk pledged that the parish council and traders would continue to fight the fees. Therewere reports of parking machines inWest Malling being attacked by vandals who super- glued coin slots within 48 hours of the new charges’ introduc- tion.
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34 Malling May 2016
THE Road Safety Team at Kent County Council has won a national award for its campaign against drivers under the influence of drugs. Its crackdown – Don’t Let Drugs
Take The Driving Seat –won gold in this year’s Road Safety Support young driver campaign of the year category. The team won the same category in 2015 for Speak Up, which encouraged youngsters to speak up if they felt unsafe in someone else’s car. Judges said the 2016 campaign
“addressed a vitally important area, with very clear aims and objectives”. Describing the campaign as “very
well researched”, one of the panel added: “It made great use of media, demonstrating an in-depth
understanding of the target audience” KCC road safety team leader Vicky
Watkins said “The team is thrilled to have had its work nationally acknowledged.”
New crime chief tackles cost of Operation Stack
KENT’S newly-elected Police and Crime Commissioner has held ur- gent talks with the Home Secretary TheresaMayabout clawing back the costs of Operation Stack. Conservative PCC Matthew Scott
– who replaced Ann Barnes as Kent’s police chief – met Mrs May last week and was able to carry out some “groundwork”. Mrs Barnes had previously asked
for nearly £600,000 from the govern- ment butwas refused. Operation Stack has been imple- mented for more than 20 years as a means of parking large volumes of freight on the M20 when the Port of Dover’s services are suspended, there is industrial action at Calais or the Channel Tunnel is closed. Stackwas used 32 times last sum-
mer during strikes by French ferry workers, migrant activity and dis- ruption to rail operations. It causes misery for people trying to use the motorway and surrounding roads. Mrs Barnes argued that Stackwas unfairly burdening Kent for a prob- lem with national implications. Mr Scott said: “I've already raised
the issues of Operation Stack with the Home Secretary.” TheHomeOffice said: “TheHome Secretary has agreed to work with the Kent Police and Crime Commis- sioner's office to discuss the costs of Operation Stack. Any request for special grant funding will be consid- ered on its individual merits.” A new lorry park is being consid-
ered just outside Folkestone to hold traffic build-ups.
KCC’s road safety officer Carol Collen collects the award from Meredydd Hughes (centre) and James Evans, founder of First Car.
KCC transport member Matthew
Balfour said: “The teamis always setting challenging but achievable objectives and follows each campaign up with evaluation of the impact and reach.”
Call to pupils
PUPILS ofWest Malling Church of England Primary School are invited to help celebrate its 60th birthday. A reunion is being planned on
June 29, with a tea party and a “walk of fame” with former staff and pupils past and present making a cast of their hands in concrete, Hol- lywood-style. Any past pupil wishing to join the celebration should call the school on 01732 842061.
Stamp fair
EAST Malling’s Grand Stamp Fair takes place at the village hall inNew Road, East Malling. Dealers will be selling stamps, postcards and post history from 9.30am to 3.30pm on June 25. There is also a meeting of the Kent
Postal History Group at 1pm on the subject of Kent registered mail. For details call Michael Thompson on 01474 325507.
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