News
downsmail.co.uk Fruit plant brings lorry fears
DEVELOPERS have sought to allay fears that large lorries could be set to converge on an already- congested village, if plans for a newfruit treatment plant are approved.
Residents in Hollingbourne are
already faced with large numbers of vehicles coming through the tight street at rush hour. Now AC Goatham & Son have
submitted plans for a development at Swanton Farm in Bicknor, which, it is feared, could lead to 44- tonne lorries using the village as access. But the company has insisted that
the vehicles – about sixHGVs a day –will not come through the village. “It is anticipated that the move-
ment of fruit will not exceed six HGV arrivals and departures per day to collect fruit grown on the farm, when it is needed,” a spokesman said. “It is also proposed that the en-
trance for vehicles is relocated fur- ther away from the hamlet of Bicknor, where vehicles would then head north towards Sitting- bourne and theA2. “There are no plans for any vehi-
cle movements to go through Hollingbourne.” When asked how the company
Tidy-up plan
A PARISH council is planning to spruce up roundabouts in its area, with the help of three local firms. Cllr John Constable has worked
with the businesses to secure fund- ing to “beautify” a roundabout. Councillors decided to enhance
Weavering roundabout at the top of New Cut Road, close to KIMS Hospital.
Market finalist
LENHAM’S country market has narrowly missed out on a presti- gious award. Themonthlymarket was finalist
in the FarmShop andDeliAwards, finishing behind M Markets in WestMalling. The next event is from 9am to 1pmonMay 13 .
Show plants
A PLANT sale is being held in Leeds onMay 28 to raise funds for the NSPCC. Plants at “Chelsea Flower Show
Comes to Kent” will have been showcased at the RHS event in the Morgan Stanley Garden designed by Chris Beardshaw. It takes place at Arnold Yoke,
Back Street, Leeds, from2-6pm. En- trance is £3.
12 Maidstone East May 2018
Players set sights onWembley The under-11s football teamfromRoseacre Junior School, Bearsted
SIX would-be soccer stars from a junior school in Bearsted are in training again – this time with the teamfromMaidstoneUtd – in a bid tomake it toWembley. The Under-11s
side from
Roseacre Junior School, in The Landway,were given top tips at the town’sGallagher Stadiumahead of the latest leg of their journey. The year five and six boys have
successfully challenged teams from 19 schools inMaidstone to take the town title in the National League Trust Under-11 Schools Tourna- ment. They thenwalked away from the regional quarter final, in Sutton, without conceding a goal. Now, they face five league-based matches in the southern semi-finals
at Boreham Wood in their bid to play for the national Under-11 title atWembley StadiumonMay 12. Mike Cogger, head of community
development at Maidstone Utd, said: “The team from Roseacre has been a worthy winner, with a num- ber of promising players. The boys have done exceptionally well and we wish them continued success in their bid to play atWembley.” Roseacre’s deputy head, Duncan
Garrett, said the school was really proud of the team’s success and its behaviour on and off the pitch. He added: “The boys have played
not only very well but in the right spirit and are the first team from this school to get this close to play- ing atWembley.”
A lorry drivermakes his way through Hollingbourne and inset, parish councillor Alan Bennett
would ensure that the village would not be affected,
the
spokesman said the lorries would be heading towardsHoo, sowould not need to head southbound on the road. He added: “We employ all our
own drivers and they will be briefed on the most effective route
to take. “It is im- to
portant
note that vehicle movements are not being increased – they are hap- pening anyway, and the new pro- posal will spread them out across the year instead of them all hap- pening in the summer.”
Parish councillor Alan Bennett
attended what he described as a “fiery” public meeting in the vil- lage. “People are very concerned in
Bicknor,” he said. “I would say more than half of
the residents of the village were there and the developers got a hos- tile reaction. “The roads up there are not suit-
able for those sorts of vehicles, and of course for us, the concern is how theywill access Bicknor. “That’s why I and a representa-
tive from Bredgar Parish Council were there, because there are only two ways to access the village so it would either be us or them.” The application has been lodged
with Maidstone Borough Council, which, Cllr Bennett fears, does not bodewell for the process. He told the meeting: “Several
housing applications in the area were forced through against the wishes of local people, who have been treated like a bunch of nump- ties.”
Shouting out
for town crier A VILLAGE competition is to be held to replace Lenham’s town crier. Gez Clark has served as the crier
since 1991, but he is now standing down as he prepares to move out of the area forwork reasons. Lenham Parish Council thanked
him for his strong, vocal support for the area, and there was a pres- entation to him at the Annual Parish Assembly meeting on April 26.
Gez will organise a Town Crier
competition at the Family FunDay on June 9 to find his replacement.
Death of vicar
A RESPECTED local vicar has died, aged 91. Donald Bish, rector atWater-
ingbury, Teston andWest Far- leigh and latterly chaplain to the Heart of Kent Hospice, passed away onApril 9. A funeral service will be
held at Vinters Park Cremato- riumonMay 1 at 11.45am. A thanksgiving service will
be held at StNicholas’Church, Poplar Grove, Allington, on May 23 at 1.30pm.
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