downsmail.co.uk


question. This is another example of Government seemingly unaware of the consequences of its actions, or, being aware, not caring. Peter Baker, Bower Street Maidstone


Mind the teaching gap


WHILST I recognise the need for more housing to meet the needs of our expanding population, I fear for the health of our schools. More children means more schools are needed – but they have to be schools fit for purpose.Not every town is lucky enough to have a Valley Invicta Academies Trust overseeing the management of both primary and secondary schools. But there is a national shortage of good


teachers joining the profession these days – and that iswhere it might come unstuck. P Corry, via email.


Lanes not made for traffic


REFERENCE the ongoing debate about a link road, relief road or a by-pass to ease congestion throughWillington Street, Leeds village, and the Suon Road, the seemingly-relentless housebuilding fixation in the borough cannot help maers. As someonewho passes through many


Kent villages for work, the issue of congested B roads is nothing new. Think Hollingbourne, East andWest Farleigh, Lenham and Bearsted to name but a few. These village streets, no maer how you


try to widen them or configure their layouts, are still lanes whichwere designed for the horse and cart, not heavy goods vehicles, unwanted articulated lorries or thousands of car movements. Our councils – Maidstone is by nomeans


the worst, by any stretch of the imagination – persist in building programmeswithout any view as to the consequences for the other infrastructure elements. By theway, I believe this has nothing to


do with immigration. It has more to dowith the expanding population, people living longer and couples not staying together. PWarren, via email


Hotel plan will hit parking


THANK you for drawing aention to the hotel and spa plan for central Maidstone in your recent edition. Brewer Street is narrow and the car parks


are frequently crowded. It often involveswaiting for a space if one intends to shop inMaidstone. County Hall staff already have their extensive car parking facilities,which are closed to the public for most of the workingweek. The proposed scheme for Brewer Street should only be agreed if the plans include the building of parking spaces for all people resident in the hotel or using the spa facilities. It would be useful to have the construction work accessed from the County Hall road and this should be a condition of approval for the scheme. Brewer Street is narrow and unsuited to building lorries going up and down. Without these conditions being met, the council tax payers of Maidstonewill have a useful road and car park effectively closed to them. Josephine Gibbons,Maidstone


Hotel an asset to town


REGARDING the plan for a spa hotel referred to in the June edition of Downs Mail: Has the planning commieemet to discuss the tourism aspect of the proposed hotel? Surely it must be obvious it would be an asset to the town,which has so many unused and boarded properties. Ciaran O’Quigley is willing to build this


hotel and is being prevented doing so because of Mr Parkinson suggesting it would cause harm to a listed building, Grove House, of which I understand only the porch is the listed part. The Catholic school he refers to is literally an unusable and unstable building. Thewindows have been boarded up by the priests because of being vandalised so the onlyway in is through the roof, unless the door is unlocked. Last year Iwatched as two police cars


and a police van parked outside The Society Rooms to escort about eight squaers with their back packs to the cars. They had been living there and using toiletries etc placed inside for the forthcoming boot fair by the youth group to raise funds. It would be interesting to know ifMr


Parkinson has actually seen the property he wants to save,which is not listed, and is an eyesore. Mr O’Quigley, who has 24 years of experience running MuMu’s, is going to pay for the demolition of the building which is falling down anyway. That the council is not accepting with


open arms the proposition, in the words of Victor Meldrew I would say: “I can’t believe it!” Marie Shandley


Sad farewell to school


HAVING been a reception class teacher at Thurnham C of E Infant School for 25 years I have sadly decided to relinquish this treasured role. aving thoroughly enjoyed every moment (well almost), Iwill miss having my own class. I have worked with amazing and loving children with supportive parents and colleagues and considermyself extremely fortunate to have done so at this wonderful school for so many years. Thank you if you have been part of enriching my life. I amproud that recently I have been in the honoured position of teaching the children of “children” that I have taught. So fulfilling! I have so many happy memories to take with me into retirement. I look forward to spending timewith my grandchildren and hopefully travelling. If you remember me. I would love to hear


from you as I amalways keen to know what my pupils go on to do and to know howmuch they remember about their first year at school. Iwelcome good or bad memories, but hopefully good. To parents of my pupils, I would like to thank you for all your support and for allowing me to enjoy a “time share” of your child. I will be staying on at the school for one more year as a cover teacher, one day aweek. If you would like to get in touchwith me I would love to hear from you. My email address is EBeverley16@hotmail.com. Liz Beverley, by email


Jumble sale total


MANY thanks for the coverage youwere able to give us in support of our jumble sale on April 16.We raised £500 and would like to thank the local people of Maidstone for their support. Ann Tue,Maidstone Mencap Fundraising Commiee


Another great season


ASA local councillor, I would just like to congratulate everyone connected to Maidstone United for yet another very successful season. The club has done sowell since coming


back home to Maidstone and I feel the clubs success has put Maidstone itself back on the map. I amsure that I and the people of Maidstonewill be wishing the club even more success next season now that Maidstone United have won deserved promotion to the National League. COYS. Cllr David Naghi, Maidstone


Back Community Channel


THE Community Channel it is due to close on June 30 unless the public rallies behind it and saves it from extinction. Launched in 2000 by the Media Trust, the channel gives charities and community organisations the ability to mobilise and access millions of people. It tells great stories about the people that hold our communities together and often define whowe are. Its programmes feature people from all


the UK’s nations and regions. It is available free on Sky, Virgin and Freeview in 26 million British households. From small beginnings, more tha 10 million peoplewatched last year – up by four million in four years - whilst over a million said they were motivated to volunteer. Although it receives over £3m in kind annually from commercial broadcasters, the channel needs urgently to raise £300,000 to give it time to then increase its revenue from partnerships and advertising. Earlier this month, it launched a crowdfunded community share scheme to help achieve this (www.crowdfunder .co.uk/community-channel ). Support for the channel has come from a


wide range of current and former broadcasters, politicians and celebrities. Sir Lenny Henry has tweeted his support


to his 61,000 followers, calling for the public to back the channel as has actor Juliet Stevenson. Lord (Michael) Grade, former BBC chairman and chief executive of Channel Four, has said that “Britain would be a poorer place without Community Channel. It is unique in the world as a means of galvanizing support for so many communities and causes. “I urge people to get behind the community shares scheme and continue to hope that, even at this late stage, a funding solution can be secured to keep it going now and for the long-term.” Caroline Diehl, chief executive, Media Trust


Maidstone Town July 2016 37


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