News


Castle rated highly for


accessibility LEEDS Castle figures highly as being user-friendly in the latest guide for disabled visitors to the UK, The Rough Guide to Accessi- ble Britain. Some 17 attractions from the


South East figure in the 2016 guide, which has been developed with Motability Operations Ltd. The castle is applauded for its


free wheelchairs, disabled lifts, rest seats and audio guide with Braille keypads, but visitors are advised to book online to avoid lengthy queues at peak times and to book in advance for wheelchairs. Emma Bowler, reviewer and foreword author of the guide, said:“Gone are the days when peo- ple thought a rampwas all it took. “Attractions around the UK have


really upped their game since the first edition of the Rough Guide to Accessible Britain, and are being in- creasingly creative as they recog- nise the diverse needs of disabled visitors.” The sixth edition of the guide is


now available online at accessi- bleguide.co.uk The website also has additional practical information for a great day out such as visitor reviews, special offers and a Days Out blog.


Monty helps nab suspects


MONTY the police dog helped of- ficers find three burglary suspects – one from Coxheath – within an hour of the report being made. Officers were after


called


three men tried to get in to a private prop- erty in Lower Street, Leeds. Howev er,


they were dis- turbed by a neighbour, who


was assaulted before the suspects fled the area. A person was later seen speak-


ing to police officers with blood pouring from an apparent head wound. Police dog Monty tracked and searched through fields for 40 min- utes before finding a 20-year-old man and a 17-year-old boy in Burberry Lane. Both were arrested on suspicion of burglary. The suspects, from Maidstone


and Coxheath respectively, have been bailed until July 14 as investi- gations continue. Monty then picked up the scent


of a third man, an 18-year-old from Coxheath, who had been located in Brownfield Road. He has also been bailed until July 14.


10 Maidstone South June 2016


downsmail.co.uk


Estate agents’ price deal ‘feeding frenzy’ claims


ESTATE agents in Maidstone have been accused of creating a “feed- ing frenzy” and pushing house prices up to unrealistic levels. Agents have started to offer 0% commission on sales, leaving the buyer to pick up the tab for their service instead of the vendor. The trend started with Ward &


Partners who introduced sale by tender two years ago. The company has now refined its package, offer- ing a 0% commission deal – Best Offers Plus – where interested buy- ers submit sealed bids with their offer on price and ability to pro- ceed.


Maidstone agency Page & Wells


is understood to be about to re- spond with its own 0% commission deal, but director David Page de- clined to comment. Bearsted independent agent Tim


Ferris, who fears he may have started the pricewar four years ago with his company’s low 1% com- mission, said: “Other agents feel they cannot afford to sell at this low price, so are just looking at other ways of skinning the cat.


“I have real reservations about all


the small print contained in these so-called 0% offers. There are so many caveats.” With property prices rocketing


and competition getting increas- ingly fierce from online estate agen- cies, high street agents are looking for newways to win business. Mr Ferris said: “We feel 1% is a


fair rate for the job, particularly when you realisewe are getting in- flation built into our fees while property prices are rising. “The agent is instructed by the


vendor, not the purchaser, who should not have to pay the fee. These tactics are creating a feeding frenzy.”


He added: “The market is buoy-


ant at the moment. This kind of tac- tic will not be as popular if the market slows down.” Ward & Partners claim their sale


by tender package last year meant vendors in 66% of transactions ob- tained more than their asking price. Lee Crane, regional managing di-


rector, said: “Sellers can be reluc- tant to test their properties on the market for a variety of reasons. “If they have concerns over sell-


ing fees, we can overcome this by offering a 0% commission option. This can lead to new instructions that otherwise might not have come onto the market – and a greater selection of properties for our buyers to choose from.” Mark Hayward, managing direc-


tor of the National Association of Estate Agents said: “This practice was prevalent a few years ago and seems to be making a return. In ef- fect, the buyer pays the fee that the seller would normally pay. Due to the current shortage of property, the prospective purchaser has little choice.”


Natalie takes over at park


KENT Life Heritage Farm Park’s op- erations chief has been promoted to general manager of the award-win- ning attraction. Natalie Kirk (28), joined Kent Life,


in Sandling, near Maidstone, in June 2011 as an administrator providing maternity cover, and was promoted within a year. Last July, Natalie, left, who was nominated for a Tourism South East Unsung Hero Award 2015, became operations manager, with overall re- sponsibility for health and safety across Kent Life’s 28-acre site aswell as managing the attraction’s team. The former Malling School pupil,


who lives in Maidstone, said: “I thor- oughly enjoy being at Kent Life. Ex- cellent customer service is extremely important tome, as well as continu- ing to improve our offer. “Having worked in different areas


of the business, I have a real under- standing of what our customers want. We have lots of fantastic de- velopments in the pipeline and I’m very excited about taking Kent Life forward.” Set in 28 acres of countryside,


Kent Life is also a real working farm with the chance to get up close with pigs, sheep, ducks, goats and al- pacas.


Pub hosts celebrity birthday bash


CELEBRITY artist Ralph Steadman marked his 80th birthday with a bash at the Chequers Inn in Loose. The legendary cartoonist, who


shot to fame in the ‘70s in collabo- ration with American author Hunter S Thompson, moved to Loose Court, Maidstone, in 1980, from where he has continued to produce his distinctive works. Guests at his pub party included columnist and broadcaster Will Self, Radio 4’s Laurie Taylor and film director Charlie Paul, who di- rected the biography of Mr Stead-


man’s life, No Good Reason, which was narrated by Johnny Depp. Friends, family and villagers packed the pub for the party, which was also attended by the chief ex- ecutive of the Flying Dog brewery, Jim Caruso. Mr Steadman, who hosted an ex- hibition at Maidstone Museum last year, designed the brewery’s dis- tinctive labels. Fellow Kent artist Graham Clarkewas also among the party-goers. A raffle at the party raised £3,000 for the Heart of Kent Hospice.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48