News
downsmail.co.uk Riverside flats plan opposed
APLANformore than 1,000 homes in the centre ofMaidstone hasmetwith a cross-party backlash. Maidstone Borough Council
(MBC) paid agents Savills to pro- duce adocumentdetailingdevelop- ment of fiveprivately-ownedsites in the heart of the county town. Len House in Mill Street, the
Granada cinema and Gala Bingo sites, Maidstone West, the Broad- way, Baltic Wharf (Medway river- side) and Mote Road have all been earmarkedaspotentialhousingsites. But councillors representing
wards affected by the proposals are unhappy about the strain the extra homes will have on local services, traffic levels and parking. Chairman of the planning com-
mittee, LiberalDemocratClive Eng- lish, was one of a number of members from the Lib Dems, Labour and Conservative parties whomet to voice concerns. Cllr English said: “We are not in agreement with the thrust of many
Archiveswin nationalmark
KENT County Council’s archives service in Maidstone has received national recognition for the way it stores the county’s heritage and his- tory. The service at the Kent History
and Library Centre has been awardedArchive ServiceAccredita- tionafter inspection by apanel from theNationalArchives, at Kew. The centre holds the largest col-
lection of historicalmaterial relating to Kent. Its oldest document is a charter from the then King of Kent granting relief fromtax to churches and monasteries, which dates back to 699AD.
ming inmore andmore flats. “There are 1,100 flats earmarked
in one area of my ward alone, but there is no real consideration of things like school places or GP sur- gery capacity. “There appears to be no analysis
of traffic impact: there doesn’t even seemto be enoughparkingplanned. “The corner outside the building
of the proposals andwill be prepar- ing our own intervention.” The riverside area could see 922
apartments in three and five storey tower blocks (with about 700 park- ing spaces) while Maidstone west might see 325 flats on up to seven floors. Bridge ward councillor, Conser-
vative Jonathan Purle, who is pic- tured on the riverside, said: “This isn’tmaster planning. It’s just cram-
[St Peter Street /BucklandHill] is al- ready apotentialdeath trapin terms of lack of pavement or pedestrian crossing.” Savills’ statement of purpose in
the document hopes for a “deliver- able vision for five key opportunity siteswithin the town centre” as part of a regeneration process. Cllr English said Savills had pro-
vided useful economic data but added: “It’s questionable whether the centre ofMaidstone needs a lot of densely-packed housing.”
Cllr Purle added: “People want
something nice on the riverside ... like a family pub, a decent coffee shop or restaurant. “We already have young families
crammed into flats along Buckland Hill andStPeter Street, andthisway of living really needs much better amenities.” Len House, the Art Deco style
building overlooking the River Len before it enters the Medway could have 100 homes as well as some re- tail. The Granada cinema and Gala
Bingo sitewould havemore than 67 homes between themwith 23 park- ing spaces. MBC chairman of strategic, plan-
ning, sustainability and transport, CllrDavid Burton said: “These sites don’t belong to us, so it’s us putting an early shape on themto get them right.”
Foamfun raises cash for hospice
MORE than 1,000 adults and chil- dren enjoyed a foamy fun-filled family day out when Demelza Hos- pice Care for Children held an event atMote Park,Maidstone. Bubble Rush involved “bubblers”
of all ages making their way through 4ft walls of foambubbles. There was an warm-up with Kent
Fitness 4U, with the event started by the mayor of Maidstone Cllr David Naghi (pictured). Demelza events co-ordinator
Emma Cox said: “As well as those taking part there were also many spectators, which resulted in more than 1,000 people at the event.”
Tulloch tells of Europeanmedal success
MAIDSTONE Gymnasts Court- ney Tulloch and James Hall have returned home fromthe European Gymnastics Championships in Glasgow with three Team GB medals. Tulloch (22),who trains at Pega-
sus Gymnastics in Tovil, won sil- ver in the British Men’s Team Final and a bronze in the men’s single rings In an exclusive interview with
theDownsMail, he said: “I joined Pegasuswhen Iwas 12. It’s one of the best for gymnastics in the country. “I train six days a week for about four or five hours a day.
36 Courtney Tulloch (second left) and JamesHall (second right)with teammates
Training for the European cham- pionshipswas tough. It’s tough to get selected let alone to go on and get a bronze for myself and silver with the team. “I will be back to work soon for
the London Open in four weeks, always trying to improve. “In the final my team allowed
Maidstone Weald September 2018
me to make a change on the day, so I’mlucky to have them.We de- cided that we should switch up my routine as it allowed me to bring outmy newskill. “I have two skills that I invented
– the Tulloch and Tulloch 2, somy namewill go down in gymnastics history.
“I feel strongly about getting the
next generation into sports and I speak at local schools about gym- nastics and sports in general. “Boys may not think about
going into gymnastics and hope- fully they can now see what they can do in the sport.” His team mate James Hall (22),
who went to Oakwood Park Grammar School, also trains at Pe- gasus. Ovi Rugina, coach of the mens gymnastics at PegasusGym- nastics, said: “They now have to get into training for the London Open in four weeks to qualify for theWorld Championships. “We are very proud of them.”
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