Celebrating 20 years serving Maidstone and Malling s serving Maidstone andMall
Graphic Design - GeoMedia
Ke
Kent Int
ent International Gatewa Also in 2007, several years after it was first Gateway (KIG) plan was floated once more.
ew y
mooted, the enormous Kent International ) plan was floated onc
everal years after itw normous Kent Internat
A rail/lorry interchange was proposed on farmland stretching from the M20 at junction 8 to Bearsted.
rail/lorry int
om the M20 at opos
The Downs Mail headline, “We Won’t Be Railroaded”, set out the paper’s stance and more than 2,000 backed the call to gather on Bearsted Green before a cross-county march through the fields where the development would be sited.
ail headline, “W WoWe eW
0 backed the call to ga ’s stan on
oss-county e the develop
After a lengthy consultation, the scheme went to a public inquiry, which ended iny,, which ende 2009, and was thrown out by the government in 2010.
y consultation, the sch ic inquiry
Downs Mail continues to champion causes for its readers, reflect their fears, celebrate their successes and share their losses.
ontinues to champion eflect their fears, cele e their losses
For something so rooted in the old-fashioned values upon which journalism is founded, it is still a
relatively new product, newspaper-wise. -w
Downs Mail Today… Today, virtually everyy,, virtually every home in
To
the Maidstone and Malling area is cover ed by our distribution model – delivering information tible form
also helped businesses grow attract new clients and pr ovide value-for-money services to those who use them.
w,,
Like our commercial partners, the Downs Mail is a business, a local family-run one at that, proud and sometimes
understated in its achievements. As Dennis once wrote: “And the
business must be run transparently and honestly
because readers, advertisers and staff always know .”
Christmas 2008:
Dennis Fowle retires and Claire Procter takes over as
company chairman September 2009:
Downs Mail launches Malling edition, increasing overall
distribution to 85,000 December 2009:
A lengthy and detailed public inquiry into KIG ends, the government throwing out the scheme the following year
rtisers and
: “And the evements
downsmail.co.uk Maidstone East Edition Maidstone East Edition
Maidstone & Malling’s No. 1 newspaper
March 2017
in a straight and digestible form. Through its advertising, it has
Primary school plan for medical site
The Education Funding Agency Bearsted, Downs Mail has learnt. Medical Campus (KMC) near centre could be based at the Kent school or special needs education A MUCH-needed new primary
(EFA) A) has earmarked the site for
Invicta Academies Trust AT Academies Trust and the V alley W e understand that the Leigh one or other establishment.
(VI T)A
has called for both types of school But the local MPHelen Whately have submitted bids to the EF A.
would fall short of the facility de- Although a primary school to be built as each is needed.
sired in the Bearsted parish, it would provide easy access and ample parking for parents.
Mrs Whately said: “I want to make sure we hav e more primary school and special school places to ensure children can attend local schools.
FA to mov e quickly, as we must hav e a new primary school open in September 2018 at the latest. “The EF A tells me they hav e identified a potential site for a
Medical Campus, and new school on the Kent
“I’v e been working with Kent County Council, and pressing the EFA
FREE No. 239
News
Laun ette changes ROSEACRE Laundrette in
dr re Marino’s fish & chip shop. 3
Bearsted has been taken on by the business family running
Shop closure delare epriev fe rom clo-
s e until September. ur re Woodcut Fa Wo 14 MP Helen Whately
All change as Arriva unveils bus review
BUS passengers in Maidstone face major upheaval in a shake-up of routes throughout the borough by Arriv a.
backs, with some services with- on April 2 will see a number of cut- Changes which come into effect
drawn completely.
However, there will be improve- ments in some areas, including a newdedicated service every 20 min- utes from the town to Maidstone
congested town centre, were un- lays by avoiding routes through the whichArriva says should reducede- Details of the new timetable, Hospital.
day, February 18, at the Hazlitt veiled at a public meeting on Satur-
ve
half of Arriva, highlighted “exciting Maxim whose press release, on be- ing of leading PR consultancy The review coincides with the hir- Theatre, Maidstone.
KCCbosses, according to an officer’s the timing of them,” was raised by some of the changes proposed and But concern over the “impact of
private briefing note to members, who will be going to the polls on
changes to Maidstone services”. Craig Ta
The briefing, obtained by Downs May 4.
Taylor of Arriva Southern
Counties, said the bus firm had wanted “to see how we can further improve the reliability and punctu- ality of our services.”
He added: “Congestion in the town centre makes it difficult for our buses to keep to the timetable. By splitting routes and ensuring good connections, we will be able to pro- vide a far more reliable service.”
likely to result in a negative reaction passengers and the changes are remains a negative impact for some been mitigated. Despite this, there andmanyof the most sensitive have justments to their intended changes proach, Arriva have made some ad- “As a result of our ap-
Mail, says: “A
Arriva says that key improve-ve from the general public.”
ments include service 7 be- tween
Maidstone and 4
Business focus L OCAL businesshas alway
part o Downs Mail c ver gerao f YO YOUR LOC OUR LOCAL PROPERTY EXPER TY EXPERT RT 01622 6901622 690290 23 Pudding Lane • Maidstone • K ent maidstone@martinco
tinco.com .
ay s beenav alit a and we
hav e made our online Business Notice Boar d as aplace for tee erprisesnt nic
to com-
mu at ,e har s e ideas and rp omote themselv es It is FREE to u –se details inside.
20
fo re
y
has won r HOLLINGBOURNE’S village shop
arm fearsfe
AN NFLI UENTIAL body is con- cerned development of Woodcut Fa
arm is looming. 6
Signs for Lenham ANEW“tree” of fingerposts have
in village upgr e ed in Lenham
been er ct ade. 10
GPs work together GPs in Maidstone and beyond e ar
Bring back dog bins ers.
gether in clust in easingly working to-
cr 22
A COUNC OR has ca do aste bins to be brought back.
ILL g w
Obituaries C omment
WINDOWS at a house in The Morlin Bearste , er ro wd inan apparent glary attempt; fencing was damaged in Caring Road,o
Crime Reports gs,
bur e
were stolen f Lee ; two blue horse rugs
ds rom a field in Chart-
way Street, Kingswood; a Nissan a as stolen in Lenham .
N var wraa
arish Councils 46-47 A RESIDENT has aske
Parish C ed or anf
outdoor gym at the pla ying field in
be left along the v Lee ; flytipping continues to
ds
worthRoad Ulcombe re has agreed to clear a culvert in The Street Bredhurst
Ro re
, ,
councillor has been co-opt ; a new
ed
onto the parish council in Harri- etsham.
erges in Cheg- ; a resident
e o enkbr alled for 24 32
34-35 47
47 5
October 2016:
A fifth Downs Mail edition, serving Maidstone, is launched
Thank you To all our readers, customers,
o all our readers, customers, advertisers and friends past and present, heartfelt thanks for your support
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