News


downsmail.co.uk


Society set to bale it out over scheme at junction 8


RESIDENTS are hoping people power can move Maidstone Council to veto a planning application for land at Woodcut Farm, Hollingbourne.


Monty tracks down Leeds crime suspects


MONTY the police dog (pictured) helped officers investigating a bur- glary locate three suspects – one from Coxheath – within an hour of the report being made. Officers were called to a report


that three men had attempted to gain entry to a private property in Lower Street, Leeds, at 6.22pm on Wednesday, May 25. It is reported that the men were disturbed by a neighbour while the burglary was taking place, who was assaulted before the suspects fled the area. Neighbours of the householder


said the man was seen speaking to police officers with blood pouring down his face from what appeared to be a head wound. Police dog Monty was deployed


to the scene and he 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 two suspects, who are from Maidstone and Coxheath respec- tively, have been bailed until July 14 as investigations continue. PD Monty then picked up the


scent of a third man, an 18-year-old from Coxheath, who had been lo- cated by officers in Brownfield Road. He has also been bailed, pending further inquiries, until July 14.


Celebrating Bard’s birth at St Nicholas


BEARSTED Choral Society will hold its summer concert at St Nicholas Church, Leeds, on Satur- day, July 16. The concert, conducted by musi-


cal director Andrew Lowen, starts at 7.30pm and features Shearing’s ‘Songs and Sonnets’ to mark the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death, John Rutter’s ‘A Sprig of Thyme’ and ‘From the Bavarian Highlands’ by Elgar. Tickets are £10 (students £5) and


available on the door or email: tick- ets@bearstedchoral.org.uk


14 Maidstone East July 2016


As Downs Mailwent to press, the council’s planning committee was due to discuss an application by Roxhill Developments for a com- mercial operation close to J8 of the M20 – close to the Kent Downs’ area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB). The Bearsted and Thurnham So-


ciety, along with hundreds of local residents, fought long and hard to protect the site from industrial de- velopment six years ago and has steadfastly fought all other propos- als for commercial use of land on either sides of the A20. Society secretary Mary Richards


said: “The society is extremely con- cerned that, despite the local plan being under consideration by a planning inspector, with the exam- ination due in late September or early October, Maidstone Council officers appear to be rushing this application through.” The council is already awaiting


the outcome of an appeal into a similar plan for the opposite side of Ashford Road – Waterside Park – and residents fear they could ulti- mately find themselves with two industrial sites. They also argue the Aylesford Newsprint site could soon become available, offering a much more suitable location. Roxhill’s proposed development


covers almost 62 acres of land to the west of J8, south of the M20 but north of the A20. It provides for up to 514,000 sq ft


of floorspace for a mix of ware- housing, office and light industrial. The society believes this could be


the last chance to save the country- side at J8. Chairman Caroline Vanhecke


said: “The development proposed is entirely speculative. It relies on the arguments put forward by the council for a quantitative and qual- itative increase in land allocated for


commercial and industrial devel- opment along the motorway corri- dor.


“We believe that development on


this scale, whatever the mitigating effects, will have a major impact on the countryside.” She said that while the plan is not


on the same scale Kent Interna- tional Gateway (KIG), the argu- ments for refusing that scheme apply here, namely harm to the en- vironment. Other items on Thursday’s agenda were for further housing developments at Langley (850 houses, business and retail) and Langley/Otham (several hundred houses) effectively extending Maidstone even further eastwards from Park Wood. Society members were planning


to be well represented at the meet- ing and hoped to get the item with- drawn from the agenda by those MBC members attending.


Sky’s the limit for wannabe journalists


HAS your child ever wanted to see what it’s like to be a TV news re- porter? Well, now is the chance with a challenging two-day summer work- shop run by the Kent Children’s Uni- versity and Maidstone-based News for Schools. Open to all children aged eight to


14, youngsters will learn what it takes to be a journalist, then use those skills at Sky TV’s studios in Middlesex. Children will have a unique be- hind-the-scenes tour of the famous television studio and work with the latest technology to write and film their own TV report. There are two workshops planned


for the summer: August 4 and 5, when the youngsters will be report- ing on text speak while on August 11


Youngsters will have the opportunity to make news headlines at a two-day workshop


and 12, children will be making their report on how to save endangered animals. The first day of each work- shop takes place in Maidstone and the second day will be spent at the Sky TV Studios. Kent Children's University provides all children aged five to14 with the


opportunity to take part in exciting and creative learning activities out- side the normal school day, and any- one can take part. The price for two days including


coach travel, is £42. For more infor- mation or to book visit www.kentchil- drensuniversity.co.uk/Events


Canoeists rescued from River Medway


A COUPLE who were rescued from the riverMedway when their canoe overturned at Teston have thanked firefighters for saving their lives. The couple, who were experi-


enced canoeists, were plunged into the fast-flowing river near Teston bridge, when their canoe capsized. Kent Fire and Rescue Service attended the scene, using dry suits and safety lines to go into


the water and swam out to the couple, who were clinging onto a tree which was overhanging the river. The incident happened around 2.30pm on Friday, June 24. Crew manager Aaron Hughes


said: "A fisherman rang 999 and alerted the emergency services to the overturned canoe. With the help of our colleagues from Kent police we were able to bring the pair to safety."


The couple were given precau- tionary checks by ambulance crews at the scene. The man, who has not been named, thanked the firefighters for saving their lives. He said: "I'm an experienced ca-


noeist and have been on the river hundreds of times but we were caught by the current as we tried to take the canoe to the opposite side of the bank for a picnic."


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