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downsmail.co.uk Inspector agrees Local Plan


MAIDSTONE’SLocalPlan “is sound and capable of adoption”, according to planning inspector Robert Mellor’s final report.


MrMellor’s 71-page summary of-


fers little different to his interim findings of a few months ago. A small reduction in housing by 800-900 homes in Maidstone Bor- ough Council’s plan for 18,000 new houses by 2031 is the main change. A letter from MBC’s strategic planning department states: “The report concludes that subject to main modifications, the Local Plan is sound and is capable of adop- tion.” The report takes in the council’s responses toMrMellor’s indications after evidence heard at the public in- quiry last year. Mr Mellor said the council had


asked him to recommend main modifications necessary to allow the plan to be adopted. Following the hearings, the council prepared


Couple flee burning home


RESIDENTS were praised for their help by fire crews who dealt with a house blaze in Butchers Close, Sta- plehurst. Kent Fire and Rescue Service was alerted to the fire by the occupants shortly after 5am. The couple man- aged to get out of their home and neighbours alerted the rest of the road, evacuating nearby properties. When crews arrived the fire had


taken hold of the bedroom and roof void. Four fire engines and about 17 firefighters battled the blaze. Maidstone Watch Manager Do-


minic Moore said: “The couple did exactly the right thing in getting out of their home, and the neighbours were also a huge help in evacuating other properties. The fire is believed to have started accidentally due to a suspected fault with the timing switch in an airing cupboard. It caused severe fire dam- age to the top floor of the house.


Knife offence


A MAIDSTONE man has been placed under curfew for possessing a knife. Paul James Palmer (53) was sen-


tenced on July 7 at Mid Kent Magis- trates’ Court where he pleaded guilty to the offence. On June 16, Palmer, of St Philip’s


Avenue, had a lockable knife in Maidstone High Street. He was sentenced to 60 days in prison, suspended for 12 months, with a 90-day curfew to remain at home between 8pm and 6am daily. He must also pay £85 costs and a £115 victim surcharge.


8 Maidstone Weald August 2017 Ramblin’ Man rocks Mote Park


MORE than 20,000 rock fans faced heavy showers with a smile to watch bands including Saxon, Extreme and ZZ Top at this year’s Ramblin’ Man Fair in Mote Park. This was the first year the event


has been held over three days (Friday-Sunday), with four stages offering back-to-back bands to suit all tastes from rock to rising talent, and international offerings including Finnish country band Steve 'n' Seagulls. While this year’s event – the third


in Maidstone –may prompt some complaints, one resident from Grove Green, who was kept awake by the festival last year, said this year’s noise levels were less invasive – a credit to the organisers who had tried to respond to a torrent of complaints last year. The young mum, from Barncroft


Road, said: “Last year we were forced to keep the windows shut


Festival-goers came from all over the world to Mote Park in Maidstone for the Ramblin’ Man Fair, with many dressing for the occasion. Pictures: Andy Archer


because it was so loud. This time, I could hear it, but not every word like last year.” The DownsMail was on site


throughout the festival and heard from fans who had travelled to the event fromas far afield as Freemantle in Australia, the Orkney Islands and one woman who travelled from Glasgow specifically


to see Saturday night country headliner KennyWayne Shepherd. Traders in Maidstone and those offering hotel and Airbnb rooms to concert-goers were also among those to benefit. Organisers say they will return to Maidstone slightly earlier in 2018, from June 30-July 1, with early bird tickets already on sale.


schedules of the proposed modifi- cations and carried out sustainabil- ity appraisal of them. Under the sections for “housing


need and supply”, he says “the ob- jectively-assessed housing need is reduced and the backlog is to be ad- dressed over 10 years in order to smooth the trajectory with a further review of housing needs to form part of the intended review of the Local Plan as set out in the submit- ted plan but with a target adoption date brought forward to April 2021”.


Housing allocation at New Line Learning and Boughton Lane are deleted because of traffic worries; Lenham’s house-building is to be determined by the Neighbourhood Plan or in the Local Plan Review and there will be a reduction in housing


at the Invicta Barracks site in Maid- stone. On Woodcut Farm, Mr Mellor


states: “Modifying the policy for the strategic employment site at Wood- cut Farm to reduce its impact on the landscape and on heritage assets whilst safeguarding office provi- sion. Modifying policy for employ- ment development in economic development areas in the country- side and for development involving the expansion of existing rural busi- nesses.” ForYalding, he says: “Remove the residential and employment alloca- tion at the former Syngenta Works in Yalding for reasons of flood risk whilst retaining a policy to allow for other uses that can be shown to be compatible with that location.” Resident and long-time critic of


the council, Keith Young said: “Valuable lessons must be learned from the sad mistakes they have ploughed on with, right up to the final version. “All in all, a disgraceful waste of


public effort and ratepayers’ money that will wreak havoc on Maidstone for the next 20 years and will be re- gretted far longer as we sink under a blanket of unsustainable new housing, largely where it is not needed at prices the vast majority of homeless ornewly working families cannot possibly afford to buy or rent.”


County Cllr Gary Cooke said: “It’s


a missed opportunity in the sense that it doesn’t have at its heart an in- tegrated transport strategy for a re- lief road (for south Maidstone) at the soonest opportunity.”


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