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Thurnham ParishNews


Council ‘saddened’ byWoodcut result


THURNHAM councillors unani- mously agreed to donate £750 to the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) after hearing of its failed attempt to challenge the Woodcut Farmdevelopment. Members expressed sadness that


Meetings normally held on the third Monday of eachmonth at theMarriott Tudor Park Hotel. Public welcome.


CHAIRMAN:Daniel Skinner CLERK: Sherrie Babington 01634 867173


CPRE’s request had been rejected at judicial review by Mrs Justice Laing and its officials felt therewas little chance of a successful appeal. Cllr John Horne said he “ad-


mired the guts of CPRE” in chal- lenging the Local Plan and was saddened by Justice Laing’s ruling,


MEMBERS were interested to learn that fresh talks were being held to address the shortage of bus serv- ices in rural areas. County councillor Shelina Prendergast reported that


discussions on an “uber-style“ bus service being held at county hallwould cut KCC’s subsidy bill andmeet the needs of isolated communities. She said: “We are looking towards some sort of intelligent community servicemaking use ofminibuses.” Cllr PeterWaite said this was along the lines of the


post bus service that had operated and would, in- evitably, rely on a “good group of volunteers”.


adding: “The inspector dealing with the Local Plan simply selected witnesses to listen to and de-se- lected those he didn’t want to hear, to draw the conclusions he wanted. “I do not concur with the in-


spector’s reasoning that the points raised by CPRE, including those on pollution and traffic, were dealt with ‘adequately’.” He noted that CPRE was facing


a legal bill, including £11,000 from Roxhill andMaidstone Council in defending their positions.


Poor bus service talks Roadmarking concerns


THE poor quality of road markings along the A20 from Leeds Castle to Harrietsham will be reported to highways. CllrMichael Stark said: “At night it is impossible


to see the sides of the road, and I know this road like the back ofmy hand.” County councillor Shelina Prendergast agreed,


adding: “I travelled along here this evening and it was horrendous. The white lines are probably due for refreshment.” The clerk agreed to report the matter to Kent


Highways.


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Parking danger MEMBERS felt the risk to pedestri- ans on Ware Street had worsened withmoremotorists parking in the road. Cllr Ted Denham said: “Since


some residents felt it convenient to park in the road, others have now followed suit.” Cllr Daniel Skinner, who met


with Bearsted Parish Council over concerns for walkers forced to cross the busy road at several points because of the lack of a con- tinuous pavement, said he had re- ceived no further contact on the matter and said he would follow up the issue again.He added: “Dri- vers are forced to pull out to get around the parked cars and only then can they see oncoming vehi- cles because of the bend in the road.”


Survey report


A SPEED check survey had been carried out on Caring Lane. A re- port will be produced, a copy of which will be sent to the resident who asked for themonitoring to be carried out.


THE parish council next meets at The Marriott Hotel, Bearsted, on March 19, from 7.30pm. All are welcome.


Your business is our business


LOCAL businesses are as important an element to community life as a parish council, cricket club or the Women’s Institute. Here at the Downs Mail we have always recognised the pivotal role commerce plays in a vibrant, thriving economy. Be they small, medium or large enterprises, we have tried to celebrate the great things they bring – jobs, career paths, training, entrepreneurship, industry awards, in- novation and prestige.


That is why we have been promoting our recently-enhanced Business Notice Board (BNB) at downsmail.co.uk in recent months.


And it is paying off. Our BNB is rap- idly becoming a place where the busi- ness world can communicate with one another, share ideas, offer advice, drum up business or simply promote them- selves. And it is completely FREE to use.


You can use it as many times as you like without having to pay a penny. Perhaps you have news you’d like to share, seek tenders for an important contract, trum- pet a new product or put feelers out for specialist expertise. Feel free. Use it, it’s yours!


20 Maidstone East March 2018 Taking notice


ORGANISATIONS are able to make as many entries and use as many categories as they wish on our Business Notice Board.


They can upload an image, headline, detailed text, contact details and links to their own and associated websites. The service is quick and easy to use – go to the business no- tice board page on our website and just click on the red post your free listing here button or submit your business news link to get started.


Directory advert


THE Downs Mail Business Directory is a searchable database of local businesses, suppliers and tradespeople where companies can advertise for a year for just £48 plus VAT.


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