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Maidstone South Edition Maidstone North Edition
Maidstone East Edition November 2017 October 2017 Panto ahoy!
THE cast of Cinderella, which is to be staged at the Hazlitt Theatre in Maid- stone, took to the River Medway to launch this year's panto. On board The Kentish Lady were national treasure Rustie Lee (Fairy Godmother), former EastEnder Ste- fan Booth (Prince Charming), Eliza- beth Bright (Cinderella), Craig Anderson (Buttons) and, pictured, Stephen Richards and Adam Bor- zone (Ugly Sisters) . They were greeted by pupils from
South Borough Primary School and members of the media. The panto runs from December 1-31. For tick- ets go to
www.hazlitttheatre.co.uk.
‘£1m win will help care for Charloe’
A MAIDSTONE couple whose baby daugh- ter suffers from a “life-changing but not life- threatening” condition have scooped £1
million on the National Lottery. Adam and Amy Pryor’s numbers came up
just when the family ‘s future started to look a bit grim as Charlotte, who is eight months, needs constant one-to-one care and frequent hospital visits. Adam said: "I don’t believe in fate but on
this occasion I think I might, the timing of our win really couldn’t have been better. “Charlotte needs almost constant one-to-
one care and has frequent hospital appoint- ments so we had decided that Amy would not return to work at the end of the month as originally planned.” 3
Parish Cllr Tony Harwood and ward Cllr Wendy Hinder worry this roundabout will become a traffic blackspot
‘Gridlock’ claims as work starts on homes
Maidstone TV Studios, residents and councillors say gridlock on the busy link between the M20 and A20 will become a regular feature, even before the construction of a new secondary school next door. Ward councillor Wendy Hinder
said: “New Cut Road is incredibly busy, even before any homes are built. With commuter parking problems, health service develop- ments atNewnhamPark, and now this new estate, the road will be horrendous.” Persimmon, builders of the 61
Burberry Lane, near Leeds and Broomfield, has been targeted by waste dumpers for years, but in re- cent months, the problem has be- come more acute. Constructionwaste, rubble, hard
As work starts on 77 homes at
CALLS for the installation of CCTV cameras to prevent fly-tipping on a country road have been made by the local borough councillor. The Local Plan, which proposes
core, windows and household fur- niture is left illegally – often strewn in the middle of the road. Cllr Gill Fort said: “Every month
17,000newhomes and has been pro- nounced "sound" by a government inspector, is set to be put before the planning committee for approval on September 27. Mrs Whately is concerned the plan
family homes and 16 affordable apartments, said the estate would share an access with the studios.
we are having toilets, sinks and construction waste dumped in the village, specifically in Burberry Lane, where we are now thinking of installing cameras on private land, to oversee the problem area.” A recent event in Burberry Lane
saw a caravan burned out while a torched car remains on a footpath
– which sets out development policy for the next 15 years – will harm at- tractions like Leeds Castle and leave villages such as Lenham, Harriet- sham and Headcorn unable to cope with the extra numbers. But the Tory MP for Faversham
and Mid Kent was warned she is playing a "high risk" game as the communities and local government secretary Mr Javid could easily in- crease the housing allocation or
The new homes will push a pre- dicted 150 extra cars on to the Grovewood Drive North round- about and on to New Cut Road everymorning and night. CllrHinder added: “Traffic from
Ashford, Medway, Bearsted and Sutton Road filters through here to get across town. It is an incredibly busy road already.” But while Kent County Council
nearby, more than a year after it was dumped and set on fire. The church car park has also seen
many instances of illegal dumping. But it is a problem in many rural
and the borough council have de- manded wildlife provision and a contribution of nearly £80,000 to the NHS, no road improvements have been deemed necessary. Bor- ough and Boxley parish councillor Tony Harwood voted against the estate on traffic grounds, pedes-
areas including Langley, Otham and Kingswood. Water Lane in Bearsted and Pilgrims Way have also been targeted recently. Last year, Maidstone Borough Council cleared 911 cases of fly-tip- ping and this year more than 163 have been recorded since April. The approaching darker evenings will prompt a rise in illegal tipping. Cllr Fort welcomed a joint initia-
tive by the Environment Agency and the Driver and Vehicle Stan- dards Agency to clamp down on
leave the borough at the mercy of speculative applications. On Leeds Castle, Mrs Whately
wrote: “The specific issue is the in- clusion in the plan of an industrial employment site at Woodcut Farm, a rural location near to junction 8 of the M20, and on the approach to the castle…Developing this site would have far-reaching ramifications for the countryside and heritage assets.” 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 alternative to car trans- port) – when congestion is already
CCTV call in a bid review local plan
MP urges minister to stop fly-tipping
FEARS are growing that another traffic blackspot is being created on a vital route through town.
MAIDSTONE MP Helen Whately has called on the local government secretary of state Sajid Javid to halt the Local Plan.
trian safety and the loss of trees. He said: “This was a country
lane; it is restricted inmany places and runs alongside a residential area. Itwas nevermeant to become the unofficialMaidstone ring road it is today. “When the utilities were put in
unlicensed waste carriers, but be- lieves the cost to small firms of dis- posing of construction waste at a transfer station is proving a deter- rent that is costing councils more. Cllr Fort made her remarks as
for this development it was taking parents an hour to get their chil- dren to St John’s school.” Persimmon says the only high-
way improvements required by KCC is a zebra crossing and up- grading an existing bus stop. A KCC spokesman said: “This
site has a long planning history going back to 2006, when 142 homes were originally approved. “The recent applications have
one of the borough’s closest trans- fer stations at North Farm, Tun- bridge Wells, announced it will be closed for 10weeks. She added: “If you go along the
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 sustainable for this level of housing.” Mrs Whately added: “I wish we
line of increasing fines, they have to be enforced. A reduction in the charge or offering it free may have the desired similar effect.” Athree-monthly litter pick on the mile-long stretch of road through Leeds village produces an average 32 black sacks of rubbish.
Cllr Fort, who also serves as a YOUR LOCAL PROPERTY EXPERT 01622 690290 23 Pudding Lane • Maidstone • Kent23 Pudding Lane • Maidstone • Kent
maidstone@martinco.com
brought this down to 77 and other applications in the area have taken into account development atMaid- stone Studios, negating any re- quirements formajor road changes relating to this proposal.”
Row over new VIAT school boils over, see full details on page 6
webexpand.co.uk
could have solved this locally, but we’re running out of time. That’s why I have asked the secretary of state to personally intervene." MBC's Cllr Clive English, chair-
man of the planning committee, warned Mrs Whately her appeal to Mr Javidwas "high risk". He added: "Calling in the Local
parish councillor, says teaching children about social responsibility and the issue of litter in schools will help take the issue off the streets. She believes with every household receiving a weekly refuse collection service, there is no excuse for litter being thrown from vehicles or dumped in the road.
Plan will not necessarily mean there will be a reduction in housing num- bers - it could go the otherway. "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 would- n’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."
Home Alarms supplied and fitted Obituaries Obituaries 3432 Parish Councils 37 Crime Reports 32
EGGS were thrown at two vehicles in Allington; two tyres were slashed and a wing mirror damaged in a car park in London Road; a bus in the bus tation in Armstrong Roadwas damaged when a rock was thrown through the windscreen; fuel was stolen from a car in a lay-by in Sittingbourne Road; a man stole items from flats after claiming he was checking drains in Union Street.
Obituaries
IT HAS been agreed that a CCTV camera owned by the parish council in Tovil should not have been removed from its location in Wharf Road/Church Road.
Parish Councils 34-35
EIGHTEEN laurel bushes were stolen from gardens in Allington; a bicycle was taken from outside a property in Upper Fant Road; the clutch cable on a motorbike was cut in Hart Street; a rear tyre was damaged on a people carrier in Hastings Road; a car was broken into in Union Street but nothing was stolen; two council bins were stolen in Allen Street; sunglasses and a mobile telephone in Consort Close.
ASH dieback has been discovered in Monks Meadow in Detling; Hollingbourne village fete stall- holder co-ordinator Jean Duffy has resigned; yellow lines are needed for Buffkyn Way, Otham, to allow buses through Imperial Park; rub- bish bins in the sports field in Kingswoodare to be moved over to the picnic area and rear exit.
Crime Reports 35
VEHICLES have been driven over farmland in Lenham, causing damge to crops; an attempted break-in was reported in Detling; a vehicle was vandalised in Bearsted Rd, Weavering; pumpkins were stolen from an allotment in Lenham.
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Maidstone & Malling’s No. 1 newspaper
FREE No. 246 News
News News Queen Anne re-opens
A GAY-friendly pub in Maidstone has re-opened after a £100,000 refurbishment. 3
M2 works planned Kate, 107, dies
MAJOR works to the M2 at J5 have been welcomed but will bring disruption locally. 4
KATE Hart, a resident at an old people’s home in Bearsted, has died aged 107, her son David has disclosed.
Local Plan vote
HELEN Whately asked the government to halt the borough’s housing scheme.
BOROUGH councillors will vote on Maidstone’s massive housing building programme later this month.
Jason at the Hazlitt MP’s Local Plan bid
JASON Donovan is to appear at the Hazlitt Theatre next year in a special one-off show celebrating his career.
Christian calendar
KEY Christian events are to be taken onto the streets – full details.
Clamp truckers call
UKIP wants a scheme to clamp rogue truckers to be rolled out in Maidstone.
Relief road rally
SEE details of the rally in support of a relief road for south Maidstone.
17 MP lashes far right Plans for Dr Nigel
MAIDSTONE MP Helen Grant has attacked far right group Britain First. 10
8
Shop closureJason Donovan date 1418
THE popular designer clothes shop, Zee & Co, in Maidstone has closed.
THE former Neighbours star brings his show to the Hazlitt Theatre next May.
11
THE widow of GP Dr Nigel Minnet will walk the Grand Canyon for charity. 12
844 3
FREE No. 247
Maidstone & Malling’s No. 1 newspaper
Crime Reports 37
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