Maidstone East Edition Malling Edition
October 2017 April 2018
Maidstone & Malling’s No. 1 newspaper
FREE No. 246
Panto ahoy!
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.
Residents in Leybourne are protesting about plans for an outdoor gym on the green in Castle Way, saying the grass is becoming eroded and traffic would be a problem
CCTV call in a bid to stop fly-tipping
CALLS for the installation of CCTV cameras to prevent fly-tipping on a country road have been made by the local borough councillor.
Campaigners Mike and Juliette
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
Tamplin have been joined by 130 neighbours and residents who signed a petition asking for the fa- cility to be put somewhere other than Castle Way, saying the green near their home is being eroded. They say the adult gymwould be
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
too close to the children’s play area and would become a “hang-out” for adolescents. They have also insisted an inves-
tigation is carried out, as the site is within a designated no-develop- ment zone to protect an under- ground fuel line to Gatwick that runs through the village. Mr Tamplin said: “The parish council has ignored the concerns of
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
residents and is persisting with putting the gym here, in spite of a petition signed by villagers, and in spite of the application having been turned down by Tonbridge andMalling Council. “The whole idea has only got to
where it has because the parish council took it to appeal.” He says the gym will also create
parking issues and noise problems. The parish council has now re-
applied for permission to Ton- bridge and Malling Borough Council after a site visit fromCLH Pipeline System, which advised moving the gymslightly to accom- modate its underground pipeline system.
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
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
Outdoor gym ‘will be a teen hang-out’
APLANto put an outdoor gymin Leybourne has been criticised by some villagerswho say the initiative “won’t be good for everyone’s health”.
Parish council clerk Maria Mc-
Farlane said: “This idea was born out of the UK Olympics in 2012 and the drive to getmore people to exercise. “The whole project is being
Obituaries Obituaries
funded by Sport England and Tay- lorWimpey, thanks to approaches made by our chairman,with about £2,000 fromcouncil funds. “A lot of people will be glad to
see it, andwe feel residents of Ley- bournewillmake use of it.” She said a previous location at
The Chase had been investigated, but it was felt positioning it near the play area would mean parents could enjoy the gymwhile keeping an eye on their children.
01622 690290 YOUR LOCAL PROPERTY EXPERT
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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.
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A VILLAGE football club is planning to celebrate its 50th anniversary in style with a big day for the whole of the com- munity. Read howthe club has risen from humble beginnings.
4 News
FREE No. 252
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.
Charity football date 3
MP’s Local Plan bid 20 RBLI job cuts
Plans for Dr Nigel 5 Drug farm arrest
ALMOST 20 people have been made redundant at the RBLI in Aylesford.
4
THE widow of GP Dr Nigel Minnet will walk the Grand Canyon for charity. 12
THE former Neighbours star brings his show to the Hazlitt Theatre next May.
Jason Donovan date 10 Date at the palace18
A MAN was arrested in Leybourne in connection with an al- leged drug farm.
A MALLING charity chairman beat the snow to rub shoulders with royalty.
Campaigners’ push
VILLAGERS hoping to save their local pub are set to launch a share offer.
16 28
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.
Club celebrates damge to crops; an attempted vehicle was vandalised in Bearsted
f Town Taclk VEHICLES have been driven over
TRIBUTES have been paid to br Snodland’s Town Council
armland in Lenham, eavering stolen om an Lenham ausing
eak-in was reported in Detling; a chairman Peter Misy, who has
Rd, d Wied at 59 a;fter a battl pumpkinse werith can- cer – fr see Town Talk in thi allotments
mon.th’s Downs Mail. The bi-monthly independent
e in Comment 46-47
magazine is dedicated to Snod- land and Halling residents.
Parish Councils 30-32 Crime Reports 32
32
GOLF clubs were stolen from a shed in Aylesford; a tractor was taken from Mereworth; two hanging baskets were removed from a green space in Kings Hill; a dumper truck was stolen from East Malling and thieves took a doorbell from a home in Larkfield.
Comment 33-34 Crime Reports 35
11
A FORMER England star will be on hand when Snodland Town FC plays host to a fundraising match for Olivia Taylor. 3
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