Maidstone East Edition Maidstone North Edition
October 2017 August 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.
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.
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
CllrMattBoughton,picturednear
the site of the flats, is angry that the development, next to Maidstone West rail station, flies in the face of the council’s own planning rules. A previous application for the
core, windows and household fur- niture is left illegally – often strewn in the middle of the road. Cllr Gill Fort said: “Every month
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
same site in 2016 had 20 one- and two-bedroom apartments with 20 parking spaces, but the latest plan submitted by Go Planning Ltd on behalf of Colin Stroud has 43 one- bed flatswith no parking provision. Cllr Boughton claims this consti-
tutes a quadrupling of the recom- mended number of units – 10 per hectare – set down as the guide in the now-adopted Local Plan. He said: “This is a crazy decision. Will the council be applying this
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
logic to other sites as well? That’s why I am annoyed, because this could end up happening elsewhere. “The planning officers and some
othermembers of theplanning com- mittee just brushed these concerns aside.” He added: “If you can afford to
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
buy a one-bedroomflat in the centre ofMaidstone at themarket rate, the chances are you’ll have a car or need one forwork. I literally have no idea where anyonewould park them.” The application went through by
a single vote, with members voting largely along party lines. The Lib Dems, supported by a single Tory, got the plan through. Liberal Democrat planning com-
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
Flats scheme ‘flouts council’s Local Plan’
News Kate, 107, dies
KATE Hart, a resident at an old people’s home in Bearsted, has died aged 107, her son David has disclosed.
FREE No. 256 News
MP’s Local Plan bid 4 County show shines4
HELEN Whately asked the government to halt the borough’s housing scheme.
Modal shift indoubt THE newLibDemleader of the council admits he is “not 100%” sure its transportmitigation conceptwillwork.
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Plans for Dr Nigel 8 Van ram arrests
TENS of thousands of people flocked to the Kent County Show at Detling this year.
THE widow of GP Dr Nigel Minnet will walk the Grand Canyon for charity. 12
Jason Donovan date10 18
THE former Neighbours star brings his show to the Hazlitt Theatre next May.
FIVE people were on suspicion of burglary after a van was used in a tool theft.
M20 lorry park plans
HIGHWAYS England is eyeing up a site for an M20 lorry park, nearMaidstone.
ANapartmentdevelopment in the centre ofMaidstone has four timesmore units than the borough’s Local Plan allows for, a councillor has claimed.
mittee chairman Clive English said: “It is an increase in the number of units but Cllr Boughton is incorrect in his calculation, because he is using thewrong base line.” The 2016proposalhada total of 30
bedrooms while the latest applica- tion has 43. CllrEnglish added: “Theplanning
INVICTA Grammar School is the best school in Kent and in the top 10 in Britain.
Obituaries Obituaries
Parish Councils 37 Parish Councils 34-35
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committee has to use the extant planning consent on that site,which equates to a rise from 30 to 43. So while it is an increase, it is not a dra- matic increase.” Whilst Cllr English disputed any
accusationof thedevelopment being “enforced modal shift”, he said it does encourage home-buyers to considermore sustainable transport. Modal shift isMaidstoneBorough
01622 690290 YOUR LOCAL PROPERTY EXPERT
maidstone@martinco.com 23 Pudding Lane • Maidstone • Kent
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.
visit
www.amiga.co.uk or call 08000 199622
WWW.HAZLITTTHEATRE.COM
Home Alarms supplied and fitted 01622 758611
BOOK NOW FOR ALADDIN Sat 1 - Mon 31 Dec 2018
The Hazlitt Theatre, Earl street, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 1PL Box Office Open 10am - 4pm (Monday - Saturday)
Council’s answer to the house- building explosion planned in the coming years, andthe large increase in traffic it will bring, by encourag- ingmore people to take buses,walk or ride a bicycle. Cllr English added: “There is
nowhere more sustainable than a home in the centre of Maidstone with a railway station next door.“
See our advert on page 15
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.
A QUOTE has been accepted for the installation of new litter bins in Tovil; there are issues with the upkeep of the parish field in Barming, particu- larly with foxes ripping open bags of litter; two councillors have con- ducted a walking tour of Tovil to as- certain the extent of fly-tipping in the area; tilting boulders in Church Lane, Barming, continue to be a worry.
VEHICLES have been driven over farmland in Lenham, causing damge to crops; an attempted break-in was reported in Detling; a vehicle was vandalised in Bearsted Rd, Weavering; pumpkins were stolen from an allotment in Lenham.
Crime Reports 35 Crime Reports 37
Comment 46-47 Comment 46-47
NUMBER plates were removed from a car in Bower Street; a house was burgled in Buckland Hill; a door was damaged at a house in Old Tovil Road; a bicycle was stolen in Clifford Way; youths were seen vandalising the old library in James Whatman Way.
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Invicta Grammar top 18
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