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News


Driving ban A DRIVER stopped in Lenham with more than twice the legal amount of alcohol in his body has been banned from driving for three years. Ion Vrabic (30), from Faversham,


was sentenced on June 14 by Mid Kent magistrates after he admitted drink driving on the A20 on Janu- ary 23. Hewas in anAudiA5 on the Lon-


don Road when hewas stopped by police. He gave a breath test of 81mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35mg. Vrabic must also pay a £323 fine,


£85 costs and a £32 victim sur- charge.


Tile thieves A MAN from Maidstone and an- other from Chart Sutton are due to appear in court following the theft of tiles from a roof in Lenham. Lee Davenport (23) is charged


with criminal damage, theft, and possessing cannabis and Joe Lee (22) with criminal damage and theft following the incident at a de- serted building in Lenham Heath Road, Sandway on July 19. Lee, of Ivans Field, Chart Sutton,


has been bailed to appear at Maid- stone Magistrates’ Court onAugust 2 and Davenport, from St Michael’s Road in Maidstone, onAugust 19.


downsmail.co.uk


Warehousing scheme on the A20 is refused


PLANS for a massive complex of warehouses off the A20 near junc- tion eight of the M20 has been re- jected. Development of a large tract of


land at Woodcut Farm – more than 46,000sqm –was supported by Maid- stone Borough Council (MBC) offi- cers but elected members refused it. There had been anger that the de-


velopment – which is part of the local plan – had been put before the plan- ning committee before the govern- ment inspector had a chance to ratify or comment on it when his inquiry starts in October. MP Helen Whately had said she


was “outraged” the councilwas try- ing to rush through four major pro- posals in one evening in the “turbulent” aftermath of the Brexit vote. The otherswere large scale de- velopments for housing on or near the Sutton Road close to the Langley Park homes (see page 10). Council officers argued theWood-


cut Farm scheme – comprising 15 units of varying sizes - would bring economic and employment benefits to Maidstone, especially with its


close infrastructure links. Borough councillor Eddie Powell argued that the nearby Waterside Park proposal had been unsuccessful because of its proximity to an area of outstanding natural beauty. Wood- cut Farmwas even closer. Hewarned there would have to be “serious civil engineering” on the A20all thewayto Grove Green to ac- commodate the “juggernauts com- ing off this piece of land”. Cllr Gill Fort, for Leeds Parish Council, said the development would create extra traffic in the vil- lage, disruption during construction and damage the environment. Borough councillor Val Springett


said: “ The harm...to the countryside in this location will be enormous and


warehouse-type development is to- tally inappropriate in this rural set- ting.” Cllr Paulina Stockell was con-


cerned the applicationwas taken out of the local plan before the inspector had made his observations. Cllr TonyHarwoodsupported the scheme as housing developments were “springing up all over Maid- stone” but not the employment spaces to match them. MBCofficers argued itwould have


been “unreasonable for the council to refuse to determine this application on the basis of waiting for the local plan to be examined”. Councillors narrowly rejected the Roxhill Devel- opments scheme by seven votes to six.


AUNT SALLY’S KITCHEN


Mid Kent Shopping Centre - Allington Family Run Cafe


Come and visit our friendly family run cafe. Serving good quality home cooked food in comfortable surroundings.


We pride ourselves on using locally sourced food including Rickwoods of Bearsted.


We offer a full range of breakfasts, light lunches, home cooked hot meals, homemade cakes, snacks and much more.


To top it all our customer service is second to none.


• Free Wifi • Free Parking • Take Away


Opening Times


Monday to Saturday 8.00am til 4.00pm Sunday


9.00am til 1.00pm 14 Maidstone Town August 2016


Find us on Facebook 01622 297271


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