search.noResults

search.searching

note.createNoteMessage

search.noResults

search.searching

orderForm.title

orderForm.productCode
orderForm.description
orderForm.quantity
orderForm.itemPrice
orderForm.price
orderForm.totalPrice
orderForm.deliveryDetails.billingAddress
orderForm.deliveryDetails.deliveryAddress
orderForm.noItems
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


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