Maidstone East Edition Maidstone Weald Edition
October 2017 March 2018
Panto ahoy! Hero of the skies
A MEMORIAL plaque has been erected to the memory of Flying Of- ficer Peter Pease, who died during the Battle of Britain in 1940. FO Pease, who was just 22,
steered his stricken Spitfire away from houses at Kingswood and crashed onto farmland nearby. Created by Gordon Newton,
right, of the Stone Shop in East Far- leigh, the memorial was unveiled by borough councillor Gill Fort. See page 8 for full report
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.
Vicarwarns of cuts in church shake-up
FOUR churches look set for cuts in services in the comingmonths as part of a radical shake-up.
CCTV call in a bid to stop fly-tipping
back services is the only way to make the time needed to reach out to growattendances in the benefice of Coxheath, East Farleigh, Hunton, Linton andWest Farleigh. He toldDowns
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
core, windows and household fur- niture is left illegally – often strewn in the middle of the road. Cllr Gill Fort said: “Every month
CALLS for the installation of CCTV cameras to prevent fly-tipping on a country road have been made by the local borough councillor.
Rector PeterCallway says paring He sayswith just 175 regularwor-
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
cline. We want to release the en- ergy to reach out to more people rather than this being a reaction when it is too late.”
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
Mail: “We are in a rural setting and have to recognise the na- tional decline in church
atten-
dance ifwe are to do anything to influence this de-
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
shippers across the five churches in thebenefice, theongoingconsultation proposes the biggest structural change to services since he joined the benefice in 2013. The proposed changes would see
services halved atHunton to twice a month, with one service lost each month atWest Farleigh and two at East Farleigh. There will also be changes at Linton. The rector says with support from the various Parochial Church Councils the changes couldcome into force in the next few months. As the only paid member of the ministerial team in the benefice, he believes by reduc- ing the number of services, more time can be spent engaging with
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
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
the community “outside the tradi- tional Sunday service” in areas that are growing, such as Coxheath,. Hewrote in the parish newsletter:
“We cannot depend on having three ordained and two lay ministers in the
future...this requires a struc- tural change to release the incum- bent’s energy and be workable with one ordainedminister.” Service times will also be more
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
simple under the proposals, with those at 11am held at the “hub” church of Coxheath, and those at 8amand 9.30amat other churches in the benefice. He said: “While there are no im-
01622 690290 YOUR LOCAL PROPERTY EXPERT
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.
mediate plans for any of our minis- ters to depart,we can’t rely on these volunteers forever and for sustain- ability’s sakewe need to look at how we would cope with a single or- dainedminister
infuture.Thesepro- posals begin to facilitate these changes.” He said home visits, keeping
churches open and community events will ensure existing church members are looked after,while al- lowing the church to grow. MailMarks, page 46
visit
www.amiga.co.uk or call 08000 199622 Home Alarms supplied and fitted
Home Alarms supplied and fitted visit
www.amiga.co.uk or call 08000 199622
Maidstone & Malling’s No. 1 newspaper
downsmail.co.uk
FREE No. 246
News
Maidstone & Malling’s No. 1 newspaper
FREE No. 251
Kate, 107, diesNews
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.
MP’s Local Plan bid
Kindness of strangers AMARDENfamilywhowere sub- ject to a terrifying robbery ordeal have taken comfort froman act of kindness. 3
3 Car park charges up4
Plans for Dr Nigel4&5 Lib Dem suspended
THE widow of GP Dr Nigel Minnet will walk the Grand Canyon for charity. 12
Jason Donovan date
THE former Neighbours star brings his show to the Hazlitt Theatre next May.
LIBERAL Democrat councillor Richard Webb has been suspended by his party.
OFF street car parking charge in- creases in Maidstone have come under fire.
13 Health centre failing 18
STAPLEHURST Health Centre has been placed in spe- cial measures.
Boar in the woods?
EVIDENCE appears to be growing there are wild boar in local woods.
31 Obituaries Obituaries 32
Parish Councils 34-37 Parish Councils 34-35
32
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.
THE parish council has been given a defibrillator for use in Sutton Va- lence; CCTV in Chart Suttonwill not be monitored as the PCSO hasbeen moved to another role; the green at Langley was tidied and the notice- board taken away for refurbishment; donations to two local charities were agreed by councillors at Net- tlestead; there are plans for hang- ing baskets in East Farleigh.
Crime Reports 35 Crime Reports 37
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 Comment 46-47
FENCING and other items were stolen from a residential property in Ulcombe; youths were seen dam- aging a fence in Marden; a car in Yalding was keyed and had a tyre slashed; a vehicle was taken with- out consent in Collier Street; tyres on a car in Coxheathwere slashed.
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