Maidstone East Edition Maidstone North Edition
October 2017 October 2018
Maidstone & Malling’s No. 1 newspaper
downsmail.co.uk
FREE No. 246
Crowds throng to say thanks
Panto ahoy!
to humble hop LARGE crowds turned out for the Hops’n’Harvest Beer Festival at Kent Life on September 8 and 9. Local ales, live music and many
other attractions drew people from far and wide to the annual event. Pictured here sorting hop bines are
Frances Maddison-Roberts and Brenda Peal, who are friends of Kent Life.
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.
Sinkhole delays put back road reopening
THE massive sinkhole in the Tonbridge Road has had its planned re- opening delayed due to continued construction.
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.
May 28, forced Kent County Coun- cil (KCC) to close the highway to allow major work to stabilise and rebuild it. After months of work – and dis-
ruption to local traffic and residents – KCC has given a clear timeframe suggesting the road will finally re- open onOctober 20. A KCC spokesman said that sig-
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
core, windows and household fur- niture is left illegally – often strewn in the middle of the road. Cllr Gill Fort said: “Every month
nificantmilestones remain and that the completion datewas dependent on a number of factors. He said: “The intention at this
stage is to provide somemeasure of assurance onwhen the roadwill re- open and community life returned to normal.
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
The void, which appeared on
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
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
“The vast majority of the works
will be completedin a four-weekpe- riod following the reinstatement of the sewer, which is the final hurdle prior to reconstructing the road. “We will make every effort to
shorten this period, but we are de- pendent on others to complete their activities as quickly as possible.
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
The site programme for the Ton- bridge Road sinkhole requires: • Reinstatement of the sewer • Reinstatement of road ground layers & installation of three layers of ground strengthening • Reinstatement of remaining util- ity services – such as water and electricity • Reinstatement of road surface • Reconstruction and surfacing of the pavement • Road reopens – October 20
“Should the sewer replacement
andreinstatement happen sooner, it will allow the road to be reopened sooner than stated.” A massive road collapse which
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.
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News
Maidstone & Malling’s No. 1 newspaper
FREE No. 258
Kate, 107, diesNews
KATE Hart, a resident at an old people’s home in Bearsted, has died aged 107, her son David has disclosed.
HELEN Whately asked the government to halt the borough’s housing scheme.
MP’s Local Plan bid Gymnasts’ tough life4
THE widow of GP Dr Nigel Minnet will walk the Grand Canyon for charity. 12
Saunders’ fantribute FORMER Maidstone United man- ager Jay Saunders has thanked his supporters after he left the club after seven years. 3
3
Plans for Dr Nigel 6 Medway mink secrets Jason Donovan date
COURTNEY Tulloch and James Hall reveal the harsh reali- ties behind their success.
NATURE lovers have been spot- ting mink along the banks of the Medway.
10
THE former Neighbours star brings his show to the Hazlitt Theatre next May.
Rail station make-over 18
A £2.5m make-over of Maidstone East rail station is to begin soon.
14
M20 bridge work delay 20
Obituaries
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.
Obituaries
Parish Councils 34-35 WWII bomb in river
A RECENTLY retired vicar has criti- cised the borough coun- cil’s house-building plans.
Vicar criticises council 32
22
A WORLD War Two bomb has been found in the Medway by “magnet” fishermen.
22 36
Crime Reports 37 Crime Reports 35
happened in Leeds village in No- vember 2013 took more than seven months to repair. Each time engineers thought they
had solved the issue, they discov- ered the voidwas deeper than orig- inally believed. Another, smaller sinkhole emerged
Home Alarms supplied and fitted visit
www.amiga.co.uk or call 08000 199622
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.
inthepavementofAllingtonWayon September 1.
Comment 46-47 Comment 46-47
Find us on
Maidstone YMCA, Melrose Close, Loose, Maidstone ME15 6BD 01622 749404
www.maidstoneymca.org.uk Charity Number: 1110087
AVEHICLE parked in Buckland Road was broken into and a computer game stolen; intruders fled empty- handed when confront in Vicary Way; pink paint was thrown over the door of a house in Lower Stone Street; a bicycle was stolen from the communal area of a block of flats in Holland Road; a water feature was stolen from Cades Place.
THE M20 footbridge destroyed two years ago will not be replaced until 2019.
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