News


VOLUNTEERS from a building soci- ety took part in a number of activi- ties to help boost the Kenward Trust. The team from the Nationwide ,


downsmail.co.uk


Upcycling boost to trust funds Rob Geall, from Nationwide, said:


“We enjoyed the day andweremade to feel really welcome. Social enterprisemanager for Ken-


pictured, spent a day at the trust, in Yalding, where they helped to upcy- cle furniture, paint porcelain to cre- ate items for sale in the trust’s charity shop, Charitique. The Kenward Trust is a drug and


alcohol residential rehabilitation centre and is celebrating its 50th an- niversary this year.


RNLI charity’s


dancing night A FUNDRAISING dance is being held for the lifeboat charity RNLI. Dancing to the calling andmusic


of John and Karen Sweeney, the evening, on Friday, June 29, is in Fant Community Hall, Fant Lane, Barming, at 7.30pm. Tickets, £10, includes a plough-


man’s supper, but bring your own drinks and nibbles. To book call JohnAshbolt - 01622 725435 orAlanCocks 01622 761004.


Woman found AN Allington woman whose dis- appearance sparked a police hunt turned up safe andwell. Margaret Stradling (80) went


missing on May 1 in the London Road area at around 8pm. Bymid-morning shewas located in good health.


Taxi questions HAS Maidstone too many or too fewtaxis? That is the question being asked


of the public byMaidstone council, which currently licenses 48. The Taxi andHackney Carriages


in Maidstone consultation closes onMay 27. Taxi users can give their com-


ment in a survey, which takes about 10 minutes to complete, at www.maidstone.gov.uk/home/ primary-services/council-and- democracy/additional-areas/have- your-say/tier-3-primary-areas-/cur rent-consultations.


ward Trust, Peter Jones, thought the trust would be able to raise about £500 from the work completed. He said: “This is a nice result to see something tangible fromthe day.” If you would like to find out more


about volunteering for Kenward Trust, visit kenwardtrust.org.uk for more information.


Double edge toM&S retail park store plan


BRITISH high street favourite Marks & Spencer has submitted its application to join the growing Eclipse Park retail centre near junction seven of theM20. It is hoped the scheme, lodged


with Maidstone Borough Council in late April, will create up to 300 newfull and part-time jobs. An M&S planning statement


reads: “M&S currently operate fromtwo stores in the town centre on Week Street. One store is free- hold and the other a leaseholdwith the lease expiring in 2022. “The intention is that the lease-


hold store will close either at the end of the lease or, ideally, to allow staff to transfer to the new store at


Eclipse Park.Operationally, having two stores within a town centre is far fromideal. “There have been six closures an-


nounced in the M&S portfolio al- readywhere satellite stores operate in the same town. “The intention would be to sig-


nificantly improve the freehold store opposite FremlinWalk and it would continue to sell clothing and food, aswell as having a cafe.” A spokesman for MBC con-


firmed a planning application has been received. Work should begin in earnest by


Christmas with opening expected in October 2019, said developer Gallagher.


Whilst the announcement of one


Britain’s favourite shops expand- ing its offering in Maidstone has been broadly welcomed, there have been worries that it will fur- ther damage the town centre. Maidstone council has been crit-


icised for driving shoppers away from the town centre by changing the park and ride scheme and hik- ing the cost of off-street parking. Both form part of the council’s


policy for “modal shift”, which aims to ease the traffic pressure cre- ated by Maidstone’s 17,600 new homes by encouraging people to walk, ride bikes or take buses. A recent survey conducted by


theDailyDownsMailwebsite con- cluded that the borough council was wrong to impose increased parking charges. The poll saw91%disagreedwith


the charge increases, 7% agreed, while the restwere unsure. John Barned, spokesman for In-


dependentMaidstone, said: “There is little doubt that the new M&S will be very popular – popular be- cause it is accessible in a way that the centre of Maidstone no longer is and because the parking is free.” Gallagher spokesman Nick Yan-


Computer image of the proposedMarks & Spencer store at Eclipse Park


dle said: “M&S see the importance of free parking because it encour- ages dwell time in the store.”


Thief is jailed for series of burglaries across town


A MAN has been jailed after ad- mitting a string of burglaries, in- cluding acrossMaidstone. Atkinjoe Izuebe (26) was jailed


for three years and four months at Woolwich Crown Court after pleading guilty to 11 counts of bur- glary and a further count of at- tempted burglary. Izuebe’s offences took place in December 2017 and January 2018,


8 Maidstone June 2018


but came to an endwhen hewas ar- rested in Shepway on January 29. The arrest came after reports of a


suspicious man running close to the scene of a burglary in Park Way. Patrols located and stopped Izuebe, who was carrying gloves and a face mask and had items of jewellery stashed in his pockets, as well as £420 in cash and a stolen watch on hiswrist.


Inquiries led to the discovery of a


pillowcase stuffed with stolen items under a parked car in nearby Heather Drive, and a search of an address linked to Izuebe in Sussex Road uncoveredmore stolen items. In Maidstone alone, Izuebe was


charged with burglaries in Sussex Road, Bell Meadow, Willow Way, Plains Avenue, Linton Road, Cop- per Tree Court and ParkWay.


DC Raj Dusanjh led the investi-


gation and said: “Izuebe deliber- ately chose properties he thought would be empty, often targeting addresses during school runs. “Many of his victims arrived


home to find possessions strewn all over the floor and their homes in a terriblemess.“ Izuebe also burgled properties in Chathamand Orpington.


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