News


downsmail.co.uk Two-year threat to barracks


THE Maidstone barracks could be shut by as early as 2019, Downs Mail has learned. Although the Ministry of Defence


(MoD) announced last year it will shut the Royal Engineers Road site by 2027, we understand it has the ability to pull the plug at any time. The MoD has to give two years’


notice of closure of InvictaPark, end- ing a two centuries-long military as- sociation with the county town. News of the closure caused anger


and dismay and our revelation will further disappoint campaigners des- perate to keep the barracks open. The Ministry of Defence has al-


ready disposed of vast tracts of land no longer in use by its personnel. Much of the estate is viewed as at-


tractive for housing or commercial development, particularly if plots are near town centres, road net- works or rail links to the capital. The 41-hectare barracks site is


home to the Royal Engineers 36 En- gineer Regiment, including two Gurkha squadrons. The news will be a blow toMPfor Maidstone and the Weald Helen Grant, who has met a number of MPs whose constituencies are simi- larly affected by closures. She added: “This decision is not


fair on those who give so much to our country and deserve to be treated with a great deal more com-


MP Helen Grant joins campaigners hoping to keep the barracks open


passion and understanding. “This rings particularly true for


our Gurkhas, to whom Maidstone has become their long-term home and forwhomthe closure of the base would cause the greatest wrench. “I look forward to continuing to


work with this group ofMPsto con- vince the MoD to reverse the deci- sion to close Invicta Park barracks.” Mrs Grant said before Christmas


that the Maidstone closure would “rip the heart out” of the town. She has written to the Secretary of


State for Defence, Sir Michael Fallon, and has met with the defence minis-


KCC major player in house hurdles


KENT County Council (KCC) is a key player in a new government- backed pilot scheme designed to remove some of the hurdles seen as blocking new house building. It follows a report from The Housing and Finance Institute that highlighted how failingwater com- panies are hampering private house builders by not providing adequate infrastructure. Poor performers highlighted in


the report include SouthernWater. The pilot scheme – supported by


major organisations including Kent County Council, the South East Local Enterprise Partnership and the Home Builders’ Federation –


24 Maidstone February 2017


aims to identify and “unblock in- frastructure problems” to speed up house building. It will pay particu- lar attention to developments de- layed by lack of water and sewage systems, as well as electricity, gas or roads.The pilot will run until May. Its first findings expected to go before housing and planning minister Gavin Barwell and MP Stephen Hammond, chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on In- frastructure, by the end of the month. Natalie Elphicke, chief ex- ecutive of The Housing & Finance Institute, said: “Our hope is that this pilot will provide us with a blueprint for fixing these issues.”


ter Mark Lancaster to express her concerns at theMoDdecision. Mrs Grant said: “I have been liais-


ing with senior military personnel and the Maidstone Nepalese com- munity leaders. They are unani- mously opposed to closure for a range of reasons and will be work- ing closely with me on this issue. “I agree that theMoDhas to mod-


ernise the UK’s military estate, but there is amuchwider case to answer in Maidstone.We’ve had a barracks here for almost 220 years and a mil- itary presence for much longer. “In fact, I understand that no other


Officer in charge


THE new commanding officer of 36 Engineer Regiment and Com- mandant of the Queen’s Ghurkha Engineers, Maid- stone, is very much a Kentish Man. Lt Col Jim Hawkins was born and grewup in Big- gin Hill and was commissioned into


the Corps of Royal Engineers in 1998. Between world-wide post- ings he has served in Chatham on three occasions . Married with two young children,


his interests include skiing, eating, reading, gardening and sport.


estate closure with close ties to their local town in the recent MoD an- nouncement has a longer history than ours.” In his Better Defence statement, Sir Michael said the MoD estate is “vast” and makes up2%of the UK’s entire land mass. The borough council has identi-


fied the site as having potential for 1,300 homes, although the LocalPlan inspector sees it suitable for just 500.


Call for a new M20 junction


TWO councillors have urged residents to sign a petition demanding a new junction for the M20 to serve the "unacceptable" growth in housing. The call comes after a scheme was announced for 450 homes and a 30-


acre commercial develop- ment at the former site of Aylesford Newsprint. Cllr Mike Parry-Waller


and Cllr Ben Walker (pic- tured),whoare behind the petition, claim roads are already at breaking point. The borough councillors,


who represent Larkfield and Ditton, say an extra junction on the M20 be- tween junctions four and five, might help to ease congestion. In a joint statement,


they said: "Roads in Aylesford, Ditton and Larkfield exceed their capacity, blighting the lives of residents. "This is unacceptable.Any development of the formerAylesford Newsprint


sitewithout sufficient highways improvements will exacerbate this traffic dis- ruption, leading to an unprecedented increase in traffic flows. "The development of the former Aylesford Newsprint Site is inevitable, re-


sulting inanincreasednumberof trafficmovements.We believe thatby High- ways England developing an additional junction, an optimal transport network with efficient movement of traffic will be established, minimising congestion." But Highways England has ruled out another junction for the area in the


past. It would cost millions to construct and cause disruption while it was being built. Maidstone Borough Council is likely to consider the application soon. Three hundred jobs were lost when the newsprint site shut and the devel-


opers hope the new commercial element to the site will help mitigate lost jobs by creating new ones.


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  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56