News


downsmail.co.uk Village plan ‘needs a rethink’


HEADCORNresidentswere thisweek left reeling after learning that they must “think again” about their vision for the development of their village. In the latest turn of events, Head-


corn Parish Council has been told by an external examiner its Neigh- bourhood Plan – which has taken four years to produce – cannot be recommended as ready for a vote. Cllr Dave Andrews, the parish council’s head of planning, has been heavily involved in drawing up the village’s vision for the fu- ture, which was expected to be the subject of a local referendum in May. Cllr Andrews said: “The parish council is extremely disappointed and is now actively looking at how we progress this. “A lot of work has been put in to produce a plan that reflects a vision


Thief Stych sent to jail


A SERIAL shoplifter who broke a suspended sentence and committed more crimes has been sent to jail for eight months. Lee Arron Stych (43) was sen-


tenced at Medway Magistrates’ Court, where he admitted five counts of shoplifting. The court was told that on No-


vember 27, 2016, Stych, of Knightrider Street, Maidstone, stole meat worth £30 from a supermarket in Loose Road, Maidstone. On December 4, 2016, he stole


meat worth £36 from the same store and on January 22, 2017, he stole meat worth £40 from a supermarket in Farleigh Hill, Maidstone. In February, Stych stole groceries


worth £18.28 from a shop in Park- wood Parade, Maidstone, and chocolates worth £108.98 from a store inWeek Street, Maidstone. Magistrates sentenced Stych to 120


McCulloch ban Easter disruption as trains cancelled


days in prison. Because the offences were committed during the opera- tional period of a suspended sen- tence, the overall length of his sentence is 240 days. He must also pay a £115 victim surcharge.


A DRUNK who drove her Fiat 500 while almost twice the legal limit for alcohol has been banned from the roads for 18 months. Vicky McCulloch, 25, was sen-


tenced at Mid Kent Magistrates’ Court where she admitted drink- driving.


McCulloch, of Upper Fant Road, Maidstone, gave a blood test of 156mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood. The legal limit is 80mg. She was banned from driving for 18 months. She must also pay a fine and costs.


8 Maidstone Weald March 2017


MAJOR disruption to Southeastern train services over Easter has been announced. Network Rail says cancellations


will be unavoidable across the holi- day, during work on the redevelop- ment of London Bridge station. There will be no Southeastern


trains to or from Charing Cross,Wa- terloo East and London Bridge on Friday, April 14, and Saturday 15, and no trains to or from Cannon Street from April 14-17 (inclusive). Other affected services will in-


clude Greenwich, with passengers heading for the Tall Ships event ad- vised to make other arrangements. Network Rail says the disruption


will continue inAugust, when work will take place over the bank holiday and the four days following, which willmeanno Southeastern service at London Bridge,Waterloo East, and Charing Cross for all eight days. These trains will be diverted to other stations, but Network Rail warns these will be very busy. There will be further disruption


at Christmas, with no trains avail- able for a number of stations from December 23 to January 2. Ellie Burrows, train services direc-


tor at Southeastern, said: “The work at London Bridge has been, and con- tinues to be hard on our passengers, but it will be worth it. “We thank everyone for their con-


tinued patience and urge them to make alternative arrangements dur- ing the work at Easter, theMaybank holidays and duringAugust and De- cember.”


Lions give to riders


A RIDING school in Staplehurst has been presented with a new saddle for disabled riders. Maidstone Lions Club handed the £400 piece of tack to Pauline


Roestenburg, from the Chalkdown Riding Centre for the Disabled, following another successful fund-raising event in Tovil. The Lions quiz on Saturday, February 25, at Archbishop Courtenay School, raised £650. The winners were Monchelsea Albion. A delighted Pauline is pictured receiving the saddle from Lions presidentMalcolm Luxton.


that Headcorn is a rural settlement and should evolve organically. “Nevertheless,we have remained


for Headcorn, with areas independ- ently assessed for appropriate de- velopment. We have consulted villagers extensively to ask what they want to see happen and to get their buy-in; andwe have been clear


aware thatwe need to comply with the expectations of the borough council’s emerging Local Plan and cannot view ourselves in isolation, and felt that we had taken account of the bigger picture.” He says the parish council will be looking to address the concerns of the inspector and will be looking to provide further evidence to support its findings before the end of March. He expects the latest delay for Headcorn’s Neighbourhood Plan will add at least another six weeks to the process, but still hopes an ap- proved document can be produced


by the end of the year. He added: “Neighbourhood


Plans are a great idea, but there are a lot of hoops to leap through.” According to the Department of Communities and Local Govern- metn (DCLG), the neighbourhood plan “gives communities direct power to develop a shared vision for their neighbourhood and shape the development and growth of their local area”. The DCLG claims communities


can determine, for instance, where they want new homes, shops and offices should be built. Villages like Headcorn can also


have a say on what supporting in- frastructure it should have.


Headcorn pub


in £200k refit THE White Horse pub at Headcorn has re-opened after a £200,000 re- furbishment. The North Street venue now has


a smart new look inside and out- side, including a new side entrance away from the busy A274 road. Business partners Richard Foy


and Steven Manyweathers, who took over in November, thanked residents for their patience during the seven-week closure. The pair said villagers were con- cerned about the pub’s future and had been very supportive during the building work. They aim to make the hostelry into a commu- nity venue, serving fresh local food and a choice of three cask ales. The makeover has retained the


Victorian building’s traditional quarry tiles and sash windows, while uncovering and restoring two original fireplaces. Owned by Star Pubs and Bars,


part of the Heineken chain, the pub will hold music nights, quizzes and darts matches.


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