News
downsmail.co.uk Energy plant complaints ‘rubbish’
COMPLAINTS about noise and smoke coming from thewaste-to-energy plant atAllington have been described as “codswallop”.
Residents complaining on the borough council’s Streetwise site took Kent Enviropower to task with claims of increased noise, smell, smoke and failing to provide energy discounts to the councils that use it to dispose of domestic waste. One contributor stated: “I had
been in all day catching up with paperwork but just had to have a walk – it was not a nice walk en- during the smell.” Another said the noise was “pretty loud” one night. But Allington borough councillor
Dan Daley, who lives 500 yards from the site – near the 20-20 busi- ness park – says he has heard no
Willwe lose our M&S in firm’s cull?
MARKS and Spencer in Maidstone faces an uncertain future after man- agement announced the iconic British chain will have 60 fewer clothing and home stores, 30 of which will shut. It is not yet known if either or
both the town centre stores will survive the cull, which will take place over the next five years and is set against falling profits on its clothing side. Some of the stores will be con-
verted into food stores. Chief exec- utive SteveRowe also plans to open 200 Simply Food shops. M&S reported falling sales and
profits in the six months to the end of September. Mr Rowe told the BBC: "This is
about building a sustainable, more profitable business that's relevant for our customers in a digital shop- ping age." Half-year results show the prob-
lems facing Mr Rowe, who took over in April, as clothing sales fell 5.9%, while its stronger performing food sales also fell 0.9%. Pre-tax profit dropped 88% to £25.1m, partly due to higher pen- sion costs. The retailer has over 300 full-
range sites, which sell clothing, homeware and food, and nearly 600 Simply Food shops in the UK. M&Swill shut 53 stores in China, France, Belgium, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. The retailer said it would start a consultation with about 2,100 em- ployees about those proposals. No one in the Maidstone branch was prepared to comment.
4 Maidstone December 2016
increased noise from the site and neither he nor his wife – “who’s got a nose like a fox” – have smelled anything. He said: “I wouldn’t say Kent Enviropower are blameless, but at this time of year we do have farm-
ers spreading manure on the fields creating smells. There is also no smoke; it’s condensing steam that is more visible when temperatures fall at this time of year. “There was a problem with flies about five years ago and the plant
Dealer threw drugs in river after police stop
A DEALER described as a prolific offender, who supplied hard drugs in Maidstone, has been jailed for more than five and a half years. Maidstone Crown Court heard
that Abdul Jalloh tried to escape ar- rest by throwing his phone and drugs into the river when he was stopped by plain clothes officers near Lockmeadow on September 23. However, quick-thinking offi- cers were able to retrieve his six wraps of heroin and one of crack cocaine, and his phone. The court heard that Jalloh’s
phone contained messages consis- tent with his role in supplying ClassA drugs. Jalloh –who admitted possessing
heroin and cocaine with intent to supply – was sentenced to five years and eight months in prison
on October 24. Sergeant Roy Haffenden said:
“The quick thinking of our officers ensured we were able to retrieve the drugs that Jalloh sought to dis- card. Because of this we have been able to provide the courts with con- clusive evidence of his guilt. “Jallohwas a prolific offender, in-
volved in the supply of heroin and cocaine in Maidstone and beyond This sentence means another dan- gerous criminal has been removed from our streets. “We are working to target those
involved in the supply of drugs in Maidstone and have both visible and plain clothes officers patrolling the streets. Criminals who come to this town with the intention of sell- ing drugs will be arrested and put before the courts.”
Sports bar a joint venture
IT SEEMS an unlikely leap from a plant hire boss to sports bar owner – but that is what Jordan Park plans to do with childhood friend John Gilham. They have just opened the Century Club in Lower Stone Street, Maidstone, in the prem- ises which once housed Rileys Sports Bar. For Mr Park (27) and Mr Gra-
ham (28), it is the culmination of a dream they nurtured growing up together in Plains Avenue in Shepway. The Century Club will have 14
HD television screens and will also serve food, drinks and have
DJs hosting evenings. Mr Park, who runs a plant hire company, said: “We always said wewanted to open a business to- gether and whenwe saw that the premises was vacant we decided to give a go.” There will be five lounge areas
and wherever the customers sit, they will be able to see the action being relayed on screen. He added: “We have gone for
the screens which give the best possible picture and wherever you sit you’ll be able to see a screen. But there are also areas where you can have a drink with- out watching them.”
was affected too, but these were found to be breeding in the chicken manure spread on nearby fields. It seems everyone likes to blame the plant for all sorts of ills.” The plant, which produces enough electricity for a town one- and-a-half times the size of Maid- stone, supplies power to the grid, but councils pay to dispose of their waste here. Maidstone Borough Council con- firmed it had received no com- plaints about any of the issues, nor had the Environment Agency, which urged anyone concerned about noise, smells or other envi- ronmental issues to call its incident hotline on 0800 807060.
Menu success
A MAIDSTONE pub’s gluten-free menuhas attracted attention in a na- tional competition. The Duke of Edinburgh in Barm-
ing launched a totally wheatless menu in March, earning support from celebrity chef Phil Vickery. Now the Heath Road pub’s tapas
menu and flatbreads have made it onto the shortlist as best pub restau- rant in the “FreeFrom” Eating Out Awards. Adam Phillips, licensee at the Shepherd Neame pub, said: “When we launched the menu, we had no idea of the impact it would have. Customers have been thanking us before they have even eaten any- thing. There is a real demand for gluten-free food, and it is rewarding to be able to provide that service.” The winners will be announced at
the Food Matters Event at London’s Excel on November 22.
Church quiz
CHARGE your brain and your glasses for a quiz in Maidstone on December 3. The fund-raiser for All Saints’ Church in Mill Street, starts at the church, at 7pm. Entry costs £7 and people are invited to join as a team or on their own. Those taking part are invited to
bring their own alcoholic drinks. Hot drinks, nibbles and mince pies will be provided. Call Mary Shaw on 01622 631368
to book by November 27 or email
shaw@theweir.fsworld.co.uk.
Being plan
THE former Santander bank in Week Street could become a betting shop. Coral Racing Ltd is asking the council if it can convert the Week Street building and change its open- ing times to 7am-10pm.
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