News


downsmail.co.uk Sink-holes finally repaired


IT HAS taken fourmonths to fix the second of twomajor sink-holes inMaidstone. While diversions have remained


in place since May on the Ton- bridge Road, Kent Highways’ con- tractors are now completing the last of the road reinstatementwork in BroomshawRoad. An incredible 120 tonnes of stone


has been needed to reinstate the area outside the homes of 78-year- old Nolly Clarke and 71-year-old Lee Nickel after the ground gave way onApril 1, leaving a 15ft sheer drop at the end of their drives. The pair, whose homes were be-


hind a safety fence for six weeks, say they can’t wait to look out on something other than “men at work” and have spoken of their frustration at the wrangling that has delayed the repairs. Lee said: “There has been a com-


plete lack of effective communica- tion with the victims of this since the sink-hole appeared. The ongo- ing discussions between South East Water and the county council about who was going to pick up the bill have, unfortunately, been at our ex- pense and inconvenience.” She has just had a hip operation,


whichmeant she had to ask neigh- bours to carry her shopping from her car, which she had to park down the road. Mrs Clarke’s car


Activity day for disabled


A FREE activity day bringing to- gether peoplewith disabilities, their carers, families and friends is being heldinMaidstone on Saturday, Sep- tember 1. The sixth annual Access for All


eventwill be in Jubilee Square,High Street from10amto 1pm. Activitieswill include amagician,


face painting, live music from the Old School Samba Band and foam poppy-making as part of the 5000 PoppiesMaidstone project. Also present will be representa-


tives and demonstrations from Charlton Athletic FC, Maidstone Utd FC Raiders, Cobtree Manor Park Golf, HealthMOT Roadshow, Maidstone Children’s Centre and Space 2 BeMe, among others. Organised byGolding Vision, the


community armofGoldingHomes, Access forAll helpspeoplewithdis- abilities to find out about local or- ganisations, clubs and activities in the area and the support they offer. Formore details search Facebook


for @GoldingHomesLtd or call the community development team on 0300 777 2600.


4 Maidstone September 2018


stand itwas a geological issue.” South EastWater’s JimMacIntyre


said: “We are pleased that repairs to the pipework have been com- pleted and we have now handed the site over toKCCto reinstate the road and complete the repairs to the residents’ property. He added: “It was clear fromthe


outset that, due to the geology of the area, it would be a very com- plex and possibly long task. “We have worked with Kent


Nolly Clarke (centre) and Lee Nickel with a worker during the repairs


was stranded on her drive for weeks, cut off fromthe road. Mrs Clarke said: “South East


Water has paid for taxis for me to get out,which I’mvery grateful for, and the county council has now agreed to reinstate my drive, but only after askingme if I had insur- ance, which made my son very cross. “Now, it seems the county coun-


cil and South East Water will each pay their part, butwe’ve had no of- ficial confirmation, followingwhat


oneKCCstaffmember described as ‘acrymonious dialogue’ between the two parties.” She continued: “I am very prag-


matic, but I am pleased things are nowmoving on.” MrsClarke appeared onChannel


5’s recent broadcast about the phe- nomenon of sink-holes, describing howthe hole in the ground opened up overnight, leaving her paved drive like a broken jigsaw. She said: “We are still none the wiser as to the cause, but under-


Tulloch’smedal success


MAIDSTONE Gymnasts Courtney TullochandJamesHallhave returned home from the European Gymnas- tics Championships in Glasgow with three TeamGBmedals. Tulloch (22),who trains at Pegasus


Gymnastics in Tovil, won silver in the British Men’s Team Final and a bronze in themen’s single rings In an exclusive interview with the


DownsMail, he said: “I joined Pega- sus when I was 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. Training for the European championships was tough. It’s tough to get selected let alone to go on and get a bronze for myself and silverwith the team. “Iwill be back towork soon for the


London Open in four weeks, always trying to learn and improve. “In the finalmy teamallowedme


tomake a change on the day, so I’m lucky to have them.We decided that we should switch upmy routine as it allowedme to bring outmy newskill. “I have two skills that I invented –


the Tulloch and Tulloch 2, so my namewill go downingymnasticshis- tory.


“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 hopefully they can nowseewhat they can do in the sport.” His team mate James Hall (22),


who went to Oakwood Park school, also trains at Pegasus. Ovi Rugina, coach of the mens


gymnastics at Pegasus Gymnastics, said: “They both work very hard. They are strictwith their trainingand diets, can’t put on too many kilo- grams or enjoy toomany holidays. “They now have to get into train-


ing for the London Open in four weeks to qualify for theWorldCham- pionships. We are all very proud of them.”


County Council to complete the task as quickly as possible,with en- gineers from both organisations working in partnership. “Our customers have been very


patient andwe’d like to thank them for their understanding, and for the kindness they have shown to the workforce throughout this inci- dent.” A spokesman for KCC said the


road andMrsClarke’s drivewould be reinstated by August 17. He would not be drawn onwhowould be picking up the bill, simply adding: “At this stage, we are car- rying out the reinstatement work. Whether there will be a legal case over the cost at a later stage has to be seen.”


Riverside flats


plan opposed Continued frompage one


hadprovidedsomeuseful economic data but added: “It’s questionable whether the centre of Maidstone needs a lot of densely-packed hous- ing.” 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.”


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