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downsmail.co.uk Action to stop traveller invasion


LEYBOURNE Parish Council has been given permission to protect open land in the area in a bid to make it less vulnerable to invasion by travellers.


Details of the plan to fence off


Castle Way will be unveiled at a public meeting in the village hall, from 8pm on Friday, December 9. The measures, which will cost


the parish council about £20,000, will come from its reserve funds, even though it does not own the land, which is the responsibility of the county and borough council. It follows a history of traveller in-


vasions in the village and comes after 10 days of disruption from il- legal encampments off CastleWay in May and October. A further at- tempt by travellers to gain access in June was only thwarted by the in- tervention of parish councillors. Robert Ulph, chairman of the


parish council, said: “Leybourne is particularly vulnerable to illegal encampments because it has open land, secluded by trees and is served by a stream. “We have made approaches to


Kings Hill’s celebrations


CHRISTMASfestivities at Kings Hill will include a community carol serv- ice, tree lights switch-on, fair and charity gift collection. Celebrations will start at 5pm on Saturday, December 10, with carols around the Christmas tree, next to the ControlTower in Liberty Square. Children from the three schools will be singing. The service will be conducted by


Rev Mark Montgomery, Leader of St Gabriel’s Church of England Church, Kings Hill and Matt Ross, Minister for the Kings Hill Christian Fellowship. Guests will include Tonbridge and Malling MP Tom Tugendhat, and the Mayor of Tonbridge and Malling, Cllr Mark Rhodes. The community is being asked if


they could donate new single-fitted sheets, pillow cases and duvet cov- ers for the Pilsdon Community in West Malling which offers refuge to people in crisis and hospitality to the homeless. Donations of new toys are also


welcome for the Salvation Army Christmas Present Appeal. Other events include a Christingle Service on Sunday, December 18, at 4pmin the CommunityCentre and a Scratch Nativity Service, with Christmas crafts suitable for all the family, at the Discovery School on Christmas Eve at 4pm. For more information, and details


of Christmas services, visit www.kings-hill.com


www.kingshillchurch.org.uk. 4 Malling December 2016 and Walkers’ bid to save historic space


CAMPAIGNERS took to the streets to stop more land along the road serving Maidstone Hospital falling victim to the bulldozer. Residents braved the bad


weather to walk the length of Her- mitage Lane to raise awareness of the historic land at risk of further development. The march, attended by Maidstone borough councillors Dan Daley and James Willis, coin- cided with a final chance for resi- dents to oppose another 3,000 properties outlined off Hermitage Lane in Tonbridge and Malling Council’s local plan. Campaigners say the lane is al- ready being over-developed, is too


congested to safely serve the town’s hospital and its historic merit must be protected. Those who gathered pooled their research on the history of the Her- mitage; something that has prompted Kent County Council to call for a more detailed archaeolog- ical survey of the area. Campaigner and local resident


Keith Young said he wants protec- tion for the area’s heritage and an end to congestion in the area. He added: “It is good news that KCC’s archaeology department has writ- ten to Maidstone Council and the developer asking for more urgent archaeology works to be done at


part of the site in general and also near a suspected 13th century Her- mitage and its later, but original, ecclesiastical Longsole chapel site, known as St Lawrence Chapel, which it is believed may be tied his- torically to Aylesford Priory.” He added: “We need to unite to reduce horrendous traffic and, in a sustainable way, to preserve the heritage of the Hermitage, with a treasured oasis and green space and a true nature reserve.” He said both Maidstone and Malling’s “hunger to build, build, build in an area congested by both houses and vehicles” cannot con- tinue.


Service aims to get patients back home


TONBRIDGE and Malling has joined with two councils in Kent to introduce a hospital-based housing service in a bid to help patients re- turn home more quickly. The borough worked with


Sevenoaks District Council and Tunbridge Wells Borough Council on the scheme to give patients ac-


cess to services that will help them live in their own homes. Based at Pembury Hospital, Tun-


bridgeWells, a housing and health co-ordinator and handyperson will work with patients to identify and overcome obstacles preventing im- mediate hospital discharge. Tonbridge and Malling Council


said the handyperson can react quickly to carry out small but es- sential home repairs to ensure pa- tients can be discharged home as soon as possible. They can also carry out small re-


pairs to prevent falls in and around the home, reducing the need to be re-admitted into hospital.


Kent County Council and Ton- bridge and Malling Council, which own this land, to be told that they have no money for measures to stop these invasions and are un- willing to set a precedent. “As a result, we have worked


with them to get their agreement and will pay for the work our- selves, because enough is enough. We just hope it will help.”


The parish council will tell con- cerned villagers that it will take im- mediate action to:  Erect a rolled-top metal fence around open land on CastleWay - at either end – and the donkey field; Re-seat boulders donated by Gal- lagher’s on the area next to the stream and Old Barn and cement in place, and likewise on the area to


the right in Lillieburn. Kent County Council, which


jointly owns the land in CastleWay with Tonbridge and Malling Coun- cil, has agreed to give £1,000 to- wards the cost of the fence. Open land at Willowmead, owned by Tonbridge and Malling Council, will remain under review after the borough council ex- pressed its keenness for it to remain an open space. Cllr Ulph said: “We understand


the constraints on council budgets, but are disappointed that they have left it to us to pick up the costs without giving full consideration to the disruption caused to residents and the actual cost of taking court action and cleaning up the mess af- terwards, which falls to them. “We will keep a watching brief


onWillowmead, but at this timewe don’t have the funding for such a large fence either.”


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