South June 2016

News

downsmail.co.uk £5m spa hotel plan at risk

PLANS to plough £6m into a spa hotel in Maidstone could be scuppered by a fire-ravaged former schoolhouse and the town’s conservation officer.

Entrepreneur and actor Ciaran O’Quigley, owner of Mu Mu’s in Week Street and a director of Mu Mu Experience Ltd, wants to build Kent’s finest five-star spa hotel on waste land at the lower end of Brewer Street, behind St Francis’ RC Church. The 36-bedroomed hotel, com-

plete with a luxury Roman swim- ming pool, 10 treatment rooms, a “livingwall” entrance and a Japan- ese garden, would have the finest Italian marble bathrooms and hand-made furniture and provide 20 jobs. The ambitious ideas for Hotel

Mu Mu incorporate a 1930s piano bar, a 100-cover restaurant, two li- brary-style lounge areas and a retro cinema. The project also includes the renovation of St Francis’ derelict church hall for community use.

The 48-year-old businessman has

been working on the concept with design consultants for almost three years and has the support of the church, his neighbours and several local councillors, as well as the town centre partnership One Maid- stone. However, Maidstone’s conserva-

tion officer Mike Parkinson is against the demolition of the for- mer St Francis’ Church School even though many say it has become an eyesore, having suffered neglect, vandalism, fire, damp and dry rot. Jason Howard at Trash or Treas- ure, which backs onto the site, has

Maidstone, said: “One Maidstone feels that this development would deliver some much-needed en- hancement to the area and that the proposal makes good use of cur- rently disused and derelict proper- ties.” Parish priest Canon Luke Smith

An artist’s impression of the Mu Mu Hotel, planned for Brewer Street, and Ciaran O’Quigley, right

welcomed the scheme. He says the derelict buildings are a constant worry to him, attracting drug-users and vandals. Mr Parkinson has lodged his ob-

jection with the council, saying he fears the development, which would encompass the site of a dis- used dance studio, would harm the heritage of the county town. He considers the old school,

which was badly damaged by fire in September, to be a “non-desig- nated heritage asset”. He says not only should the application require listed building consent, but also ap- proval from English Heritage. Mr O’Quigley says demolition of

the schoolhouse is key to the proj- ect. “The site is landlocked without the removal of this building,” he said. “Tourism plays a massive part in the plans for Maidstone, yet there is currently no high-end ac- commodation in the town centre.

AWHEELIE binwas taken from outside a property in Forge Lane, Headcorn. A generator and building equipment

were stolen from a building site in Goud- hurst Road, Marden. A building site in Lenham Road, Head-

corn, was broken into and items of plant were damaged. Guttering was damaged at the memorial

hall in Goudhurst Road, Marden. A property in Worsley Cottages, Collier

Street, was broken into and items were stolen.

Security barrierswere damaged at the vil-

lage hall in North Street, Sutton Valence. Diesel was syphoned from a vehicle in Maidstone Road, Headcorn. Agrey Toyota Hilux pick-up, registration

J4 ***, was stolen from South Lane, Sutton Valence. Awheelbarrowwas stolen from a shed on

an allotment in Sutton Valence Hill, Sutton Valence. A white BMW 320m was stolen from ChestnutAvenue, Staplehurst. A green Land Rover Defender, M178 ***,

was stolen from a driveway in Sutton Road, Langley. A parked vehicle had its window dam-

32 Maidstone South June 2016

This would plug that gap and bring clien- tele who would then spend money in the town – not in the villages on the periphery.” The proposed hotel would sit

next to listed Grove House, the first permanent base for Catholic wor- ship in Maidstone. However, the schoolhouse was added later and carries no listing. Mr Parkinson said: “The loss of

the original school building would, in my opinion, cause harm to the significance of the Grade II* listed building of Grove House by re- moving an important feature of the overall interest of the site as a com- plex of Roman Catholic Church, presbytery and school, the earliest example of such in Maidstone.” Andy Davy, chairman of One

says he believes the hotel would be an asset to the town and that the agreement being drawn up be- tween Mr O’Quigley and the dio- cese would be beneficial to all concerned. Planning committee chairman

Cllr Clive English and Cllr David Naghi are among members who want to see the application dis- cussed in full committee, so that the tourism and regeneration impact can be considered. Cllr Naghi said: "The scheme fits

in perfectly with the regeneration of that end of Week street and Maidstone East station. It will give a ‘wow’ factor and a much needed point of interest to visitors who will be stepping off the train to walk in to town. " Mr O’Quigley added: “It’s sim-

ple. We want to take dilapidated buildings that are a complete eye- sore and embarrassment to the county town and turn them in to this luxurious hotel and spa, which will help draw in people from all over Europe. “It will be five star luxury at three

star prices. We are hoping to have a bit of London chic here in Maid- stone.”

NeighbourhoodWatch Working to reduce crime. Call Crimestoppers 0800 555 111 or local police

aged in Bell Lane, Staplehurst. A Seat Leon parked on a driveway in

High Street, Yalding, was scratched. Fencing was damaged at a home in Ju-

bilee Corner, Staplehurst. Four conifer trees were cut down in a church yard in Vicarage Road, Yalding. A garage of a property in Friday Street,

East Sutton, was entered. Nothing ap- peared to have been taken. A building in Boughton Lane, Boughton Monchelsea, was broken into. Two men were disturbed fishing on pri-

vate land in Chart Hill Road, Chart Sutton. Carp were later reported missing. A white Ford Transit van index C8 D**

was stolen from Amsbury Road, Coxheath. A garden table and four chairs were

stolen from a drive in Charlton Lane,West Farleigh. A Clarke welder and a Makita grinder were stolen from a workshop at a home in

Heath Road, East Farleigh. Items were stolen from a property in The Green, Boughton Monchelsea. Solar lights were stolen from a garden in Station Hill, East Farleigh. An orange Bosuer motorbike, registration GK16***, was stolen from the back garden of a home in Huntington Road, Coxheath. A locked gate and fencing were damaged. A Kia Sportage was scratched in Oak Lane, Headcorn.

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