News


Runners ready THE YewTree Staplehurst 10k run will start at Surrenden Field at 10amon June 10. This popular event, now in its


10th year, usually attracts more than 400 people and takes runners around the village and through mainly flat, beautiful countryside. Refreshments, toilet facilities,


first aid and marshalling are all provided. Registration is on the day or via www.nice-work.org.uk.


Summer fete THE Staplehurst summer fete has been a popular and regular high- light of the village formore than 50 years and this year’s event takes place at Surrenden Field on June 30. It starts at noon and includes a


birds of prey demonstration, fun fair, live music, dance displays, beer tent andmore than 40 stalls.


Cricketmatch THE West Farleigh annual cricket match will take place on the village pitch, starting at 6pmon June 22. It will feature the President’s Xl against the Best of the Rest.


Business Focus


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£2,500 boost for village school fromdevelopers


NEW library books and Kindles are to be bought for pupils at the village school by Boughton Mal- herbe Parish Council. The £2,500 donation is the first to


bemade from£100,000 given to the community by Quinn Estates, the developer of the former garden centre at Grafty Green. Parish council clerk Chris Hume


said: “We have been consulting with villagers how they want to use themoney and they have come upwith some fantastic community ideas, some ofwhich are still being investigated, but the resources for the only primary school in the area was seen as a very positive recipi- ent for the first donation.” The money will be used to re-


plenish Platts Heath Primary School’s newly-refurbished library, themobile computers, and another £1,000 on a lick of paint for the tiny school. BoughtonMalherbe,which has a


population of just under 500 peo- ple, has an annual parish council budget of just £5,000.


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Village street party sends royal couple off in style


News


Waitrose pulls out of site plan


SEVENhundredpeople turnedout to celebrate the Royal Wedding with a street party in Yalding. TheHigh Streetwas closedfor the


gathering, with tables from the vil- lage hall set out down themiddle of the road, which was hung with lights and bunting. As 18million across theUK tuned


WAITROSEhas pulled out of plans to build a new store on a commer- cial park at J7 of the M20. The retailer indicated in recent


MrHume said: “Thismoney has


been a huge boost without the re- strictions of Section 106 money, meaning it can all be spent in our community. We are investigating other projects, including much- needed traffic calming measures through Grafty Green.” At the time the offer of the cash


was made to the parish, Mark Quinn, managing director of


Quinn Estates, said: “At Grafty Green we carried out extensive consultation, listening to what the community wants and using that to producewhatwill be a stunning and sensitively-designed rural de- velopment.” The site (pictured), to be re-


named Boughton Park, will com- prise amix of newhomes and 5,000 sq ft of offices.


in to the ceremony on the television, Yalding Parish Council chairman Geraldine Brown said councillors were keen to “go the whole hog” and make a date of the occasion to bring villagers together. She said: “This is Yalding and we


weeks that, in the current economic climate, it was likely to concentrate on improving its existing stores. That is good news for the popular


and successful Allington branch of Waitrose, which has 20 years left to run on its lease. There had been concerns it would


has been targeted by waste dumpers for years, but in recent months, the problem has become more acute withwaste often strewn across the middle of the road. Cllr Gill Fort, pictured right, said:


“Every month we are having toi- lets, sinks and construction waste dumped in the village, specifically in Burberry Lane. We are now thinking of installing cameras on private land to oversee the problem area.” A recent event in Burberry Lane


always come together to celebrate events like this as a community. “The parish council sets aside a


budget for such events, helped by ticket sales.” The topic of conversation among


be shut if the J7 outletwas built. Spokesman for developer Gal- lagher, Nick Yandle, said: "We have had four other retailers contact us whoare keen to progress matters on that site. “Waitrose management has indi-


cated that it is part of a strategy for the changing face of retail.” Ian Chittenden, Liberal Democrat county councillor for Maidstone north east , said: “This is a great pity. The proposal to build aWaitrose on EclipsePark led indirectly to the clo- sure of the Sittingbourne Road Park


those at the partywas obviously the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, with references to a very long sermon by anAmerican preacher, the happy couple and Meghan’s beautiful dress. But it was the captivating brides-


STAPLEHURST vineyard Hush Heath will send its sparkling wine to Canada after landing a deal with one of the world’s largest alcohol buyers. Hush Heath’s Balfour 1503 Clas-


saw a caravan burned out while a car remains on a footpath nearby,


sic Cuvée is the first English sparkling wine selected for the Liquor Contril Board (LCBO) of On- tario’s Vintages Classics Pro-


CALLS for the installation of CCTV cameras to prevent fly-tip- ping on a country road have been made by the local borough coun- cillor.


Burberry Lane, near Kingswood,


Illegal fly-tipping is costing local authorities hun- dreds of thou- sands of pounds, says Cllr Gill Fort


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and Ride. The majority of larger ap- plications locally usually raisemany objections due to concerns over traf- fic congestion and air pollution. “However, the Waitrose applica-


tion, which would have created 200 jobs locally, was extremely popular and well supported by councillors and especially by local residents, who will be disappointed”. In a recent interview with the


trade magazine, Property Week, Nigel Keen,Waitrose's property di- rector, confirmed company policy was to consolidate existing stores rather than invest in new ones. Hesaid:"We made a very positive decision not to build new stores and invest in our existing estate. “That will start to play at the end


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A CHARITY in Yalding is urging people to use their unwanted clothes to help others battling with alcohol and drug addiction. The Kenward Trust and South- eastern have set up Clothes Drop points at stations in Bearsted, at Maidstone East andWest, Charing, Lenham, Harrietsham, Snodland, Barming andWest Malling through- out September. The Kenward Trust use the items


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A45-YEAR-OLD Maidstoneman has been charged with arson and threats to kill following a car fire. Kent Policewere called at 1.30am


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more than a year after itwas


dumped and torched. The church car park has also seen illegal dump- ing.


But it is also a problem in many rural areas, including Langley,


maids and page boys who were talked aboutmost. The George pub put together


more than 250 lunches inUnion Jack boxes for youngsters for the tea party,whichwas followed by a hog roast, music and drinks for the adults. There was even a giant TV screen for those keen to catch the FA


gramme. The “significant deal” was announced as Prime Minister Theresa May was in Ottawa for talks with Canadian PM Justin Trudeau on how the UK and Canada can further strengthen their ties to build the closest, freest


of this year and into next year, when consumers see the investment we made and respond accordingly.” Waitrose, which is part of the John


Lewis partnership, has been ap- proached by Downs Mail for a com- ment.


News


News CCTV call to stop fly-tipping


Join the games WARGAMES will be the order of the day when a local group holds its annual open day in Linton. The Maidstone Wargames Soci-


etywill be inviting people to come to the village hall to see what they are all about on Saturday, June 23 from11amuntil 4pm. The group describes itself as a





Across Kent, local authorities are spending hundreds of thousands of pounds clearing up rubbish. According to one report £323,000


“small, friendly society covering a range of periods” of the genre, and the open day has received nation- wide acclaim from Miniature Wargamesmagazine. The society meets on the second


Headcorn and Chart Sutton. Last year, Maidstone Borough Council cleared 911 cases of fly-tipping and more than 163 have been recorded since April this year. The ap- proaching darker evenings will prompt a rise in illegal tipping.


Vineyard ‘bubbling’ over deal


Cup Final. Cllr Brown said: “By 8pm every-


one was dancing in the street. The weather was wonderful and cock- tails were served by a lad from the village who has just set himself up in businesswith a converted horse- box. “ Everyone had a fantastic time.”


trading relationship as the UK leaves the EU. Mrs May said: “It’s great to see


that English sparkling wine has been making a name for itself, not just in the UK but further afield too. “The news today that Hush


and fourth Saturday of the month at Linton Village Hall. Call secre- tary Brian Simons on 07803 009504.


was spent dealing with almost 14,000 incidents in 2016-17. This is a sharp increase on the previous 12 months when just over 10,000 in- stances cost £244,000. Cllr Fort welcomed a joint initia-


Folk at church CHILDE Rolande, an electric folk band, is performing at All Saints’ Church inWest Farleigh at 7.30pm on June 30. There is a wine bar and light re-


freshments. Tickets are £8 – email editor@thefarleighs.co.uk. Profits go to the tower repair fund.


Coffeemorning WEST Farleigh Parish Council is holding a coffee morning at the Good Intent on June 16 from10am until noon.


Heath Estate will be supplying to Canadian consumers is hugely wel- come and they will be flying the flag for the high-quality of wine being produced in Britain.” Hush Heath owner Richard Bal-


four-Lynn said: “Hush Heath is a family-owned winery…and we are very excited to see our wines avail- able in the Canadian market."


tive by the Environment Agency and the Driver and Vehicle Stan- dards Agency to clamp down on unlicensed waste carriers. But she believes the high cost to small firms of disposing of construction waste at a transfer station is costing coun- cils dearly. Cllr Fort made her re- marks as one of the borough’s closest transfer stations at North Farm, TunbridgeWells, announced it will be closed for 10weeks.


his own life when his local council made him move to accommodation that would not accept his beloved dogs. Shane said: “I hope the project highlights the importance of suit- able housing for vulnerable individ- uals when they re-integrate back into communities.” Lynn Hyder, from the trust, said: “While we receive some statutory funding for our residential recovery projects, this only covers a propor- tion of the cost of the services we provide.We are thrilled that South- eastern is helping us with this activ- ity and we thank them and the public who kindly donate for sup- porting our work.”


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Richard Parkin, of Allen Street, who has been charged with arson, making threats to kill and two in- cidents of criminal damage. On September 4, Parkin was brought before Maidstone Magis- trates’ Court, where he was re- manded in custody until his next court appearance.


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