downsmail.co.uk
News Heritage bid for village shops
RESIDENTS have failed to secure listing for the parade of shops near Bearsted village green. The Bearsted and Thurnham Soci-
ety, backed by dozens of concerned local people, protested loudly to save their shops, pictured, which have already been the subject of two planning proposals to demolish and rebuild, with flats above. Locals believe the Victorian canopy, in particular, ought to be preserved but they also fear the re- development will mean the loss of their treasured village butcher’s shop and delicatessen and the possi- ble replacement of the local newsagent and computer shop with a mini-market or fast food outlet. The Bearsted and Thurnham Soci-
ety, backed by Kent County Council leader Cllr Paul Carter and the three Maidstone borough members, ap- pealed to Historic England to list the shopping parade but, after careful consideration, the preservation char- ity says their plea has been unsuc- cessful. English Heritage describes the Parade as “an interesting one- off” and comments: “An assessment of the building’s historic interest is not entirely straightforward, as it does not fit neatly into a particular category of commercial building: it is a curious hybrid.
for compiling such a comprehensive document but in the end it seems the buildingwas just not of sufficient ar- chitectural and/or historical signifi- cance.” The society expects the landlords
to submit a further application in their bid to redevelop the site. Oneglimmer of hope is that Maid-
“Despite the good survival of the shopfronts and canopy, their com- paratively standard design, com- bined with the modesty of the rest of the building, the lack of survival elsewhere in the building, including the interior, and the fact that the par- ticular claim to historic interest of this building is not manifest in its physical fabric,mean that onbalance the architectural and historic interest of the building does not meet the cri- teria for listing.” English Heritage admits that, al- though not meriting listing, the building is of clear local interest, and makes a positive contribution to the
character of the conservation area as a local heritage asset. It concludes: “The name ‘The Pa-
rade’ is something of a misnomer as historically parades of shops were developed together as a single piece of urban, or suburban, planning, but sold or leased separately to individ- ual retailers. As operated, The Pa- rade had more in common with a department store – a business, sup- plying a wide range of goods in dis- crete departments.” Bearsted and Thurnham Society secretary Mary Richards said: “Enormous thanks are due to both RogerVidler and Chris Buckingham
Players pull in picnic crowd
THE inclement summer weather did not deter healthy audiences attending the LeedsAmateur Dra- matic Society (LADS) open-air Plays and Picnics event. Held at the Old Vicarage, owned by Alastair and Sarah Pol- lock, about 90 people enjoyed two performances on June 17 and 18. On Friday evening, it was time
for brollies at the ready but the weather stayed dry for the Satur- day performances. The first, Perilous Tales by Bar-
bara Hockley, gave Young LADS the chance to show off their acting skills. They comprised Maidstone Grammar pupil Angus Poulter, Sophie Aujard, of Leeds, and EmilyWallace and Joseph Irvine, both from Maidstone. They all had to fit in a schedule
of rehearsals and performances aroundAand A/S levels. Perilous Tales was directed by
Lesley Finlay, of Leeds,whoapol- ogised to their parents for inter- rupting their studies. The second playwas a comedy, Neighbourhood Watch by Liz Dobson, and starred Tina Chap- man and Jane Steele of Leeds, Adrian and Yvette Lovis, from Maidstone, Lesley Finlay and Lenham resident Mervyn Hughes.
It was directed by Bearsted’s
David Hoxey and prompted by Bernie Hughes. Liz Dobson, who has family in Dartford, travelled from Sheffield to watch her play being per- formed in Leeds. LADS are always looking for
Angus Poulter, Sophie Aujard, EmilyWallace and Joseph Irvine and left, Yvette Lovis, Adrian Lovis, Mervyn Hughes, Jane Steele, Lesley Finlay and Tina Chapman
new talent and volunteers to help out on and off stage for the an- nual village panto and Plays and Picnics. If you think you can help out,
visit the LADS facebook page or drop a line to macfinlay03@btin-
ternet.com.
stone Council considers the building to be a heritage asset, within a con- servation area, even without a listing by English Heritage. The Parade, first known as Chestnut Place, was built in 1882 by John Perrin, a grocer from Aylesford. It was a two-storey building, with a parade of shops on the ground floor and living accom- modation for Perrin and his family, and probably some of his staff, above.
Following a major fire in 1900, the building was reconstructed in its current form. Perrin was under-in- sured and therefore rebuilt only the ground floor of the premises. Reopening in 1901, the new pa-
rade comprised five self-contained shops, all under the ownership and management of Perrin, each selling different goods, from meat to crock- ery, gunpowder and coal.
Court cases face delays
ANYONE expecting to have their day in court might have to wait a very long time. The backlog of cases at Maid-
stone Crown Court means defen- dants might have to wait up to 10 months to stand trial before a judge and jury.
Following the death of Judge
David Caddick and the retirement of Judge Michael Carroll, the courts, in Barker Road, are two judges down. Preesently, the waiting list of
cases coming to trial is nearing 800. Canterbury’s presiding judge
AdeleWilliams is to move to Maid- stone, but not until September. She is entitled to hear the most serious of cases, including murder. However, while her fellow judges James O’Mahony and Heather Norton can hear at- tempted murder trials, no one else at Canterbury can preside over a murder case. This could mean all such cases
being taken in Maidstone which, it is feared, will further add to the backlog. The crown court has eight court-
rooms and seven judges, including resident judge Jeremy Carey.
Formore local news
www.downsmail.co.uk Maidstone East July 2016
25
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