News


downsmail.co.uk MP’s bid to halt Local Plan


MAIDSTONEMPHelen Whately has called on the communities secretary Sajid Javid to halt the Local Plan because she fears Leeds Castle and villages may be adversely affected.


The Local Plan, which proposes


17,000 new homes and has been pronounced “sound” by a govern- ment inspector, is soon to be put before the planning committee for approval. Mrs Whately (pictured) is con-


cerned the plan – which sets out de- velopment policy for the next 15 years – will harm attractions like Leeds Castle and leave villages such as Lenham, Harrietsham and Headcorn unable to cope with the extra homes. As Downs Mail went to press, Maidstone Borough Council an- nounced that the full council vote on the adoption of the Local Plan was to be postponed until Mr Javid makes his determination. The lead- ership remains “confident” to Local Plan will go through, according to a statement. In her letter to Mr Javid, Mrs Whately wrote: “The specific issue is the inclusion in the plan of an in- dustrial employment site at Wood- cut Farm, a rural location near to junction 8 of the M20, and on the approach to the castle…Develop- ing this site would have far-reach- ing ramifications for the countryside and heritage assets.”


Treasure trail


around town THEWaypoint Project – a collabo- rative church organisation – is holding a harvest basket treasure trail in Maidstone on September 30.


Each basket has been made by children and filled with food grown or made in the county. Families are invited to pick up a


map from FremlinWalk or the Ask Me point in the Mall shopping cen- tre and use it to find the various baskets hidden around the county town.


Children will be able to gather


up pieces of a scarecrow and build their own at the end of the trail. The fun starts at 10am and goes


on until 3pm. Those who complete the trail will receive a fable written by local vicar, Rev Andrew Sewell.  Church news, page 14


Harvest date


OTHAM with Langley hosts its harvest supper at St Nicholas Church in Otham on October 6. A four-course cold supper will


be served and there will be some entertainment. Tickets are £8. To book or for more details, call Anne Ovenden


4 Maidstone East October 2017 Mrs Whately is worried the Local


Plan does not include sufficient in- vestment in roads. She said: “Many thousands of houses are being built in this area, without meaningful development of roads (or any alter- native to car transport) – when con- gestion is already affecting the ability of residents to travel to and from work or access services in and around Maidstone. “I strongly question whether


these locations can be deemed sus- tainable for this level of housing.” Maidstone borough councillor


The Woodcut Farm industrial


warehousing development – needed to satisfy the plan’s em- ployment creation – has inched closer to reality after the borough council’s Strategic Planning, Sus- tainability and Transport Commit- tee voted to recommend the Local Plan.


However, the council’s own planning team – which whole- heartedly supported Woodcut Farm – must now fight an appeal by the developers to the borough’s planning committee’s decision to reject it.


Bearsted borough councillor


Denis Spooner said: “I and many other local people and organisa- tions are disappointed that, despite so many objections from so many people, the Local Plan Inspector was persuaded to conclude that Woodcut Farm would provide a unique opportunity to provide a business park. “His conclusion flies in the face


of previous decisions by planning inspectors, the secretary of state and the High Court to consistently reject all applications for develop- ment around junction 8.”


Clive English, chairman of the planning committee, warned Mrs Whately her appeal to Mr Javid was "high risk". He added: "Calling in the Local


Plan will not necessarily mean there will be a reduction in housing numbers – it could go the other way. The delays caused by calling it in mean that developers would slip any number of applications through as we would no longer have the powers to refuse them as we wouldn’t have an emerging Local Plan. It would be good if the secretary of state did reduce the numbers, but this rarely happens. It's a bit of a high risk strategy."


Artists bring work to market Books on sale


THE Art Market is making its third annual visit to Maidstone, from 9am to 4pm on Saturday, September 30. The affordable art event, hosted at the Agricultural Hall in Barker Road, Lockmeadow, brings together some of the best in contemporary art across the South East, including Rod Mac- intosh, Fleur Alston, Esther Brown, Rosie Mcginn and Samuel Capell. Visitors can see, buy and par- ticipate as The Art Market is a great opportunity to buy art di- rectly from the artist and to try


your hand at something new in one of many mini workshops on offer. The day includes an extensive


live performance programme, including music, dance, and po- etry performances. The headline event is a charity art auction sup- porting the Foundling Museum, London, hosted by TV personal- ity and antiques expert Raj Ris- ram.


The museum has previously referred to the event as “won- derful… very much in line with our own philosophy of philan- thropy within the arts”.


THE Great Leeds Book Sale takes place at St Nicholas Church in the village from 10am until 2.30pm on October 20. More than 14,000 books are on


sale at very low prices. Call Brian Hardy on 01622 842915.


Geing a kick


THE Kent Football Association is offering women the opportunity to take up the sport. Supported by Fusion Maidstone, sessions run on Tuesdays from 7- 8pm at New Line Learning Acad- emy at a cost of £2 a session. For details, call 07872 933097.


Traders fined £2k for selling beer to boy


TWObrothers from Maidstone have been fined £1,000 and landed with a £2,000 court bill for selling beer to an under-aged boy. Ferhat Ok told the 15-year-old to


put the can of Fosters under his coat as he left the CapitolExpress store in SnowdonAvenue, Vinters Park. His brother Bulent – the director of the store’s parent company, Kensho Ex- press Ltd – was also convicted by Medway magistrates as part of the case, brought byKCCTrading Stan- dards. Both pleaded guilty.


Magistrates heard that Trading Standards visited the premises after reports of antisocial behaviour around the premises. A test pur- chasewas made when the age of the purchaser was questioned, so offi- cers returned to carry out a formal test in March. Magistrates watched video footage of the sale and saw Ferhat Ok instructing the young person to ‘purchase’ a noodle dish and the al- cohol would be passed to him away from the store’s CCTV camera.


Magistrates took into considera-


tion the remorse shown by the de- fendants but also took into account similar previous convictions. It was acknowledged that Ferhat Ok had asked the young person his age, but had not completed this and failed to seek proof of age. The magistrates decided not to suspend personal licences because Bulent Ok said the business was being sold. The two brothers and the company were each fined £500 and ordered to pay costs totalling £2,130.


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