Maidstone North Edition Maidstone East Edition
Malling Edition
October 2017 October 2017
November 2017
Speeding drivers risk pupils’ lives
TRAFFIC on a road close toMalling School is travelling down the street “like a bat out of hell” – and residents are at a loss howto slowit down. A year nine pupil at the school
was knocked off his bike and only saved because he was wearing a cycle helmet as he crossed trouble- some New Road on his way to les- sons onOctober 12.. Accidents are commonplace on
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.
CCTV call in a bid to review local plan
MP urges minister stop fly-tipping
the road, which has a 40mph speed limit inplace, although one local res- ident insists that it is simply ignored by drivers. Eileen Fissenden (82), pictured,
has livedon the street since 1960 and sees far too many incidents on the road. “The speed of cars using this road
CALLS for the installation of CCTV cameras to prevent fly-tipping on a country road have been made by the local borough councillor.
MAIDSTONE MP Helen Whately has called on the local government secretary of state Sajid Javid to halt the Local Plan.
has got worse and worse over the
years.Drivers justdon’t seemto care - it’s terrible,” she said. “They raceupanddownthis road,
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
smoking, talking on the phone and they just have no respect. “They keep bumping into each
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
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
other. I’ve seen somany prangs out there I don’t even pay attention any more. I get people knocking on the door asking me if I’ve seen who’s driven into who and I just ignore them.” The school pupil injured in the in-
The Local Plan, which proposes
cidentwas taken to hospital.His in- juries were not serious but head teacher Carl Roberts confirmed it had prompted himto reissue safety advice to the school’s 800 pupils. “The paramedics and police sug-
gested that his cycle helmet pre- vented quite serious injuries,” Mr Roberts said after the incident. “So he was really saved by the fact he was wearing a cycle helmet.We’ve
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
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
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
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
spoken to all pupils about road safety and about the importance of wearing a cycle helmet; we’ve also given all pupils emotional support because a number of them saw it andwere veryworried. “I also contactedparents just to fill
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
theminwith the nature of it all and to remind them for the second or third time to make sure their chil- drenwearhelmetswhenthey are cy- cling to school.”
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
Parish Councils 29-32 Crime Reports 32
Obituaries
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
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-
Mr Roberts believes that crossing
man of the planning committee, warned Mrs Whately her appeal to Mr Javidwas "high risk". He added: "Calling in the Local
01622 690290 YOUR LOCAL PROPERTY EXPERT
01622 690290 YOUR LOCAL PROPERTY EXPERT
maidstone@martinco.com 23 Pudding Lane • Maidstone • Kent
maidstone@martinco.com 23 Pudding Lane • Maidstone • Kent
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.
webexpand.co.uk
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
patrols would not necessarily solve any issues – but does want more signs to remind drivers that his pupilsmay be crossing. “It’s a busymain roadwhere cars
will travel faster than the limit,” he added. It concernsme that our chil- drenmay be unsafe as they cross the road. I don’t think patrols would necessarily solve the problem; I’ve certainly never asked for that, but
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 Parish Councils 34-35
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.
Obituaries
perhaps more signs to show that there is a school nearby would help.” Mrs Fissenden agrees that patrols
Parish Councils 37
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.
A JET washer was stolen from a property in Larkfield; a boy, aged about 10, was seen damaging a play area in Leybourne; a moped was vandalised in Ditton; two tyres on a caravan were slashed in Snodland.
32 34 34 Crime Reports 37 Crime Reports 35 Inside this edition: Comment 42-43
would not be the way forward, adding: “I’m sure the kids will just carry on as they always do. You could reduce the speed limit, but who would enforce it? I really have no idea what they can do to make the road safer.”
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.
Comment 46-47
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.
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
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
downsmail.co.uk downsmail.co.uk
Maidstone & Malling’s No. 1 newspaper
FREE No. 246
‘£1m win will help care for Charloe’ News Panto ahoy!
KC the cat miracle M2 works planned
News Kate, 107, dies
KATE Hart, a resident at an old people’s home in Bearsted, has died aged 107, her son David has disclosed.
HELEN Whately asked the government to halt the borough’s housing scheme.
FREE No. 247
No. 246 News
MAJOR works to the M2 at J5 have been welcomed but will bring disruption locally. 4 Litter picker awards3
Jason at the Hazlitt MP’s Local Plan bid Plans for Dr Nigel Jason Donovan date Shop closure
THE former Neighbours star brings his show to the Hazlitt Theatre next May.
JASON Donovan is to appear at the Hazlitt Theatre next year in a special one-off show celebrating his career.
From sofa to saddle8 4
THE widow of GP Dr Nigel Minnet will walk the Grand Canyon for charity. 12
CLEAN-UP campaigners scoop deserved recognition for their work.
6
MP lashes far right Crooked agent jailed
THE popular designer clothes shop, Zee & Co, in Maidstone has closed.
18 11
FIND out how two guys are help- ing folk to get off the couch and on a bike. 14
MAIDSTONE MP Helen Grant has attacked far right group Britain First. 10
A LETTING agent is sent to prison for stealing from his ten- ants.
A CAT shot eight times with an airgun survives attack. 3
downsmail.co.uk
Maidstone & Malling’s No. 1 newspaper
Maidstone & Malling’s No. 1 newspaper
26
Comment 46-47 web design google promotion ecommerce••visit
www.amiga.co.uk or call 08000 199622 01622 880840
THERE is growing disquiet about plans to build at least 250 homes on 18 hectares in East Malling known locally as Forty Acre Fields. The four-page supplement inside by Malling Action Partnership supports people and events in Malling.
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
