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Positive meeting after concerned residents hand over GP surgery petition


BY the end of February the GP High Street surgery petition had attracted 1,442 signatures. Pat Lander, resident of Parsonage Court, distributed paper petition sheets to several shops in the town, collecting 571 signatures.


“I thought my militant days were over,” she said. “But it is so vital that a surgery stays open in West Malling.


“Like many other people the decision to move here with my husband was strongly influenced by the nearness of a surgery. It will be a disaster to the town if it closes.” Petition signatures reflected the wide number of local villages which this surgery serves, including Birling, Addington, Ryarsh, Trottiscliffe, Leybourne, East Malling, Kings Hill, Offham and Mereworth. Pat presented the petition with parish councillors Trudy Dean and Nick Stapleton


at the surgery on March 6th at a meeting with Vicki Plummer Practice Manager and Bob MacDonald interim chairman of the Patients Participation Group. After the meeting, Cllr Dean said: “This was a friendly, positive meeting. The practice have put the surgery, including the car park and the annexe, up for sale. They say the surgery cannot afford the upkeep of a listed residential property needing major repairs. “The practice is committed to making no changes to medical services in 2018. During the year, a series of open meetings will take place where residents will be asked what services they would like to see at any new surgery building. “Vicki said that the practice do not want to change their catchment area and want to plan one or more surgeries in the best place to meet patients’ needs. The NHS


are pressing practices to move to modern, cheaper buildings where better patient care can be delivered, but the surgery will make their own decision. Any changes are likely to be phased, possibly with a com- pany who will build the surgery and rent it back to the practice. “A cluster has been formed of practices


at West Malling, Snodland, Martin Square, Wateringbury, and Chaucer Way Larkfield to work together and make savings, for example by bulk purchasing supplies. “The surgery was putting information into the community via its Facebook, email lists and website. We agreed to use Downs Mail to keep residents regularly informed. The Parish Council will work with the sur- gery to help identify a new site or building suitable for their needs.


It is vital we keep this important service in West Malling”.


(l-r) Pat Lander resident, Nick Stapleton Parish Councillor, Vicki Plummer Practice Business Manager and Bob MacDonald interim Chair of the Patients Participation Group.


Tonbridge & Malling may be spared extra housing provision after Government Local Plan announcement


THE Secretary of State launched a consultation on a new way of calculating housing needs which would have increased the Bor- ough’s annual house building figures from the 696 already agreed to a new higher figure of 859 per year. As a result Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council delayed its timetable for preparing its Local Plan to review the situation. Officers advised that the 23% higher target was greater than any building rate in the Borough ever achieved.


On March 6th Government announced that Councils who can get their Local Plan in before December will be allowed to stick to the original lower housing figures.


The parish council is supporting an extension of the Green Belt to give protection to all land between East and West Malling either


side of the bypass. It is therefore opposing a new development of up to 1,000 houses by expansion of Kings Hill towards West and East Malling, on Broadwater Farm land.


The council is opposing up to 80 houses on the field between Churchfields and Offham Road to the rear of St Mary’s Court, except for a small development for affordable housing along the road frontage.


A proposal for a new car park reserved for workers in the town


is being supported, to free up residents parking in residential streets and the town centre for more shoppers. A possible site for the car park is to the rear of properties on London Road which was recently the subject of an unsuccessful application for a retirement village.


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