News Golding post


CHRIS Cheeseman has been ap- pointed chairman of Golding Homes. He takes up the post with the


Kent-based housing association this month after more than 30 years in housing, moving from his cur- rent job as head of new business at Clarion Housing Group. He said: “I’m looking forward to


working with the board to help shape the future direction of the or- ganisation.” Mr Cheeseman worked previ-


ously with specialist housing provider ikon Consultancy Ltd, and spent 17 years at Moat Hous- ing Group. He also worked previ- ously for the Housing Corporation. He will work alongside Roger


Ford who retires as chairman in December.


Julie’s new role


JULIE Wickens is Maidstone Lions new fund-raising chairman. She steps into the role as Mal-


colm Luxton, a former president of the group, takes a well-earned rest aftermany years as a lead member of the group. He will, however, continue as an active member of the Lions. In July, Bryan Vizzard takes over


as president.


downsmail.co.uk


Is tiny deer making a home in Maidstone?


THE small, secretivemuntjac deer is being reported in areas across theMaidstone borough. The animal once associated with


India and China have been spotted inMote Park, Leeds and Langley. The deer’s distinct screaming


and barking, which is sometimes mistaken for foxes, are now being heard at night in some areas of Maidstone. Local naturalist Theo McCaus-


land reported sightings in Mote Park and anecdotal evidence from across the borough and the wider Weald, where he works as a tree surgeon. He said: “The muntjac is active


all day long but it will move into the open at night under the cover of darkness. “That is when people hear the


screaming, which some think is a fox, but it is, in fact,muntjac when alarmed. Unusual clicking sounds are also evidence of themuntjac. “They have been very successful


escapees since they were first brought here a hundred years ago


because of their ability to adapt to the relativelymild climates of cen- tral and southern Britain. “They also breed all year round


and have no rut, which makes themmore likely to be successful in wild environments unfamiliar to their native habitats. It was only a matter of time before they would get into Kent.” Themuntjacwere imported from


China to Bedfordshire’s Woburn Abbey early in the last century but soon broke out fromthe estate and


have spread slowly and gradually across into small pockets in the south east. Deliberate releases elsewhere in


Northamptonshire and Warwick- shire caused a feral population to grow throughout central England and Wales, as well as parts of the south east, according to the British Deer Society. Leeds resident Monica Wratten


heard reliable reports of amuntjac being seen in the grounds of St Nicholas’ Church by an allotment holder. Downs Mail has anecdotal evidence of the tiny deer – which are rarely bigger than a Labrador – being seen or heard near SuttonVa- lence, Boughton Monchelsea and Ulcombe. There are an estimated 40,000 in


Britain, increasing 10%cent yearly, according to one report. They are attracted to a habitat of coppiced trees and plenty of woodland cover. Have you seen or heard a munt- jac? Contact us at 01622 734735 or simon.finlay@downsmail.co.uk


Water company called to account


SOUTH East Water has been or- dered to publish an action plan in the wake of its reaction to water supply issues during March’s bad weather. The company has until Septem-


ber 28 to produce what regulator Ofwat says needs to be “an exter- nally assured action plan setting out how they are addressing the issues identified” following a report into how UK water companies dealt with the “Beast from the East”. No other water company saw a


higher percentage of its users suffer disruption to its water service than South East Water, which has 2.2 million customers in Kent, Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire.


CORNWALLIS Academy sixth form student Bartosz Szpytzma (pictured) has earned himself a place on the STEM (science, technology, engi- neering and maths) programme at the University of Kent. Polish-born Bartosz, who lives in


Langley, will undertake a research project through the Nuffield Re- search Placement scheme during the


30 Maidstone Weald July 2018 But the report from Ofwat criti-


cised the company’s provision for alternative water supplies and its communication, citing an “over-re- liance” on social media during the incident. The report adds: “South East


Water did not contact customers with enough vigour – customers were not contacted in advance, and, in some cases, not at all. “South East Water were unable


to handle the volume of customer contact they received – customers reported the phone system being unavailable due to demand.” A need to improve forecasting


was also noted, but the company was praised for the way it compen-


summer holidays, working with some of the university’s top professors. There is fierce for


competition


places on the scheme, with a de- tailed application


process to complete. Science teacher


sated affected users. Responding to the report, South


East Water’s operations director, Dr Simon Earl, said: “We will care- fully review the report published by Ofwat and use this, together with our own thorough internal re- view, which we conducted soon after the freeze/thaw event, to im- prove our emergency plans for the future.” He said the scale of the event


over such a wide area and an un- precedented number of customer plumbing issues – accounting for about 70% of the water lost – had not been experienced before, and he apologised that South East Water had not been prepared.


Andy Scott said: “We are hugely proud of Bartosz and his achieve- ment.” The project will enable Bartosz,


who joined Cornwallis in 2012 and is studying chemistry, biology and maths at A-level, to gain a valuable insight into his chosen areas of study and help him decide whether to go on and study to become a doctor, or


The company is now urging cus-


tomers to provide feedback for the report requested by the regulator. However, Dr Earl hit back at the


report’s negative aspects. He said: “Throughout the incident, our cus- tomer care team delivered bottled water to all vulnerable customers listed on our priority services reg- ister in the areas affected by supply interruptions. We also worked to get alternative water supplies to isolated rural locations, including to farmers who needed water for their livestock. Customers can give feedback at:


https://corporate.southeastwater.co .uk/ about -us / engine e r ing- works/marchfeedback.


Bartosz hopes a bright future will ‘stem’ from his university placement


to take the path of medicine re- search. Mr Scott added: "This is a fantas-


tic opportunity for Bartosz, who is a very talented and hardworking mathematician and scientist. “I hope this will develop his al-


ready outstanding skills and allow him to take on further progression in the career of his choice.”


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