News | GP services


THE bells ofAll SaintsChurch, Snodland, rang out on February 11 for the first time in more than a year for a special service of rededication and to celebrate the completion of urgent re- pairs to the building. The church was packed with well-wishers


who had supported the fundraising drive, ei- ther as individuals or as members of local groups or charities. Also present were the ar- chitect, site manager of contractors Sally Stra- chey Historic Conservation, and some of the stonemasonswho had carried out thework.


Clerk trial date A DATE has been set to conclude the case against a former clerk at Leybourne Parish Council. Neil Curtis was accused of se-


curing unauthorised access to computer material while working for the council. A subsequent po- lice investigation sawhimcharged with three counts ofmaking unau- thorised access, contrary to the ComputerMisuseAct of 1990. MrCurtis, fromCuxton, pleaded


not guilty to all counts on May 9 last year and a trial is set to be heard at Maidstone Crown Court onAugust 6. The clerk no longer works for the parish council.


Plans to rescue


toads on roads TOAD crossings could be intro- duced in West Malling in a bid to protect these endangered amphib- ians as theymake theirway back to watercourses to breed. TheKent Reptile andAmphibian


Group says an increase in building and traffic has made this journey particularly hazardous, further feeding the drastic decline in toad populations across Europe. Cali Tardivel, from Kent Toads


on Roads, says toad patrols are be- coming more common in the county, assisting thousands of am- phibians back to breeding grounds aftermonths in hibernation. She said: “We don’t have any of-


ficial patrols in West Malling or Maidstone, althoughwe are inves- tigating potential toad crossings in WestMalling.” Visit www.kentarg.org/project/ kent-toad-patrol/ formore details.


Bells herald service to celebrate repairs The service was conducted by the Rector of


Snodland, the Rev Hugh Broadbent, and the address was given by theArchdeacon of Ton- bridge, the Ven Julie Conalty. Photographs and artefacts illustrating the re-


pair work and parts of the accompanying ac- tivity plan were on display, as were two new guide books . Rev Broadbent said: “There is still more to


be done but this is an important landmark along the way and we havemuch to celebrate and be thankful for.”


Rev Hugh Broadbent and the Ven Julie Conalty at the All Saints celebration service


Plans in pipeline for water treatment works


SOUTH East Water has launched a consultation into plans thatwill see part of the former Aylesford Newsprint site turned into a treat- ment plant. The consultation began in Febru-


ary, but none of the local council- lors


and parish councils


approached by Downs Mail were aware such plans are in place. They are to be exhibited inAyles-


ford onMarch 20 and form part of the company’s vision to ensure the area has enoughwater up to 2080. Plans include a new water treat-


ment works being put on the site by 2023, with a water re-use scheme to be developed in the 15 years after that. However, no agreement has yet been reached with administrators KPMG over the acquisition of the site and the news of the consultation came as a surprise tomany. “I think there is currently too lit-


tle information for me to have a clear view on this,” Cllr Tom Can-


non, who represents Ditton on Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council said. “But this should def- initely be monitored closely, as with all proposals for the site. “I would have concerns if it was


another sewage facility, considering the site nearby, but I believe there is already an oldwater site atANP for the operation of the former works and it seems like this is similar to that current facility. “More generally,my goal for the


site is to see a return to employment use, offering amixed range of jobs.” The parish council in Ditton was


unaware of the consultation,while the knowledge of its counterparts in Aylesford stretched only as far as having received a poster for the exhibition. But clerk Neil Harris welcomed


the proposals in principle. “We’re happy to see the develop-


ment on the site andwe appreciate that they need to find enough water for the future,” he said.


Samurai stars ready to face randomattackers


A NUMBER of ju-jitsu stars who train in Larkfield will be heading to Holland next month for the European Ran- domAttacks Championships. Members of Kent Samurai, ranging fromage 11 up to


masters level,will be competinginthe event fromApril16. Coach Rula Metaxas, herself a two-time medallist at


the championships, is thrilled with the progress being made. She said: “We’ve got 16 going to Holland. For some of them it’s their third European Championships and we’ve got high hopes of bringingmedals home. “The random attacks element is exactly what you


might expect – competitors stand on a mat with their back to an attacker, and they then have to react and get that attacker to the floor. The judges then decide who is the best.” Kent Samurai, which celebrates its 10th anniversary


Picture: Wendy Smith 4 Malling March 2018


this year, is the brainchild of Rula who herself took up the sport for an unorthodox reason.


“I’mfroma small village in theNorth,” she explained.


“I went to university in London and I was scared, so I spoke to someone who suggested I take it up as a method of self-defence. “Ju-jitsu is the sort of martial arts that police, army


and prison officers use, so it’s a vital thing. “With our women’s classes that’s especially impor-


tant becausewhen theywould need to use their self-de- fence it’s because something they really don’t want to happenmay be about to occur.”


“Something definitely needs to


be done on the site and I would definitely prefer it to be used for in- dustrial reasons.” Announcing the plans, Lee


Dance, head of water resources at South East Water, said it was vital to consider a number of factors. “We are looking far into the fu-


ture, right to 2080, tomake surewe have a secure and resilient water supply for homes and businesses, while also balancing the needs of the environment and keeping cus- tomers’ bills down. “The draft plan represents a £1bn


investment in water supply infra- structure and has been developed with input from customers, com- munities, other water suppliers and our stakeholders. “It takes into account forecasts of


future population and housing growth as well as the uncertainty of climate change.” The consultation closes on Tues-


day,May 21.


downsmail.co.uk


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  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48