Nov/Dec 2016


Serving local people, businesses & events in Addington, Birling, East Malling, Kings Hill, Larkfield, Leybourne, Mereworth, Offham, Ryarsh, Trottiscliffe, West Malling


Help Us to Stop Vandals


DURING October the gate to the ballpark off the Norman Road Cricket Meadow was lifted off its hinges and left propped up in an unsafe position .


A young child arrived to play in the ballpark the following morning, tried to open the gate and it fell on him.


Luckily he only suffered scrapes and bruising but it could have been so much worse.


It took two men to lift the gate back into position and lock it into place. It will remain locked for the present The parish has suffered vandalism costing the local council taxpayer thousands of pounds, to the Village Hall, the Cricket Pavilion and now the ballpark.


We have a number of photographs of a group of people commonly in the area where the damage occurs, and photographs of one of them damaging a CCTV camera.


Kent Police are pursuing their inquiries.


But now we have had two much more serious incidents. One incident


involved throwing incendiary devices amongst eight-year-old children playing cricket.


The second involved the ballpark gate. The gate was deliberately lifted and left in a position where it could fall, in a place where primary school children play.


It is not only criminal damage to the property, but action likely to cause serious injury to anyone.


West Malling parish council has been advised to consider a process under the County of Kent Act 1981 or a Community Protection Notice


Named individuals would be banned from named recreation areas of the parish. Returning to the site would be a criminal offence.


Any breaking of these orders is punished by a fine of £500 or criminal conviction in County Court with fines up to £2,500


For either of these processes to succeed we need residents to report the incidents and the individuals involved to the Parish Council so that we can show


Shaping the future


ABOUT 200 people attended the West Malling Parish Council meeting to discuss the sites put forward by the borough council for building houses up to 2031. Six parish councillors helped explain the proposals, and visitors were asked to complete a questionnaire to help the parish council write its response. In the parish only Manor Farm property between Churchfields and Offham Road was suggested by the borough for around 80 houses. Larger sites at Broadwater Farm to the north of Kings Hill, and on East Malling Research


Station were suggested for around 1,000 and 2000 houses respectively.


Chairman Trudy Dean said:


"We were delighted that so many people came, and completed the questionnaire. There were clear majorities in favour of extending the Green Belt as far to the east as could be achieved, and opposing building on Manor Farm except perhaps for the strip along Offham Road itself. Residents were not opposed to a small


housing development but preferred the previously amber-rated site accessed from London Road. Residents also opposed building at Broadwater Farm, extending Kings Hill beyond the Airfield boundary, and, to a lesser degree at East Malling Research Station.”


A Malling Action Partnership publication


that the conduct of the individuals is having “ a harmful effect on the quality of life of those in the locality.”


Photographs would also be very helpful.


We cannot as a community stand by and see this behaviour continue which might result in the injury or death of a child.


When these incidents occur, please ALWAYS ring 101 so that there is an official record, but contact the parish council too.


Please contact the clerk Claire Christmas on clerk@westmallingpc.org or chairman Trudy Dean on 01732 843119 or email trudy.dean@kent.gov.uk.


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