FREE October 2017Malling Edition


Panto ahoy! October 2018


THEMalling School has a newhead teacher. John Vennart has succeeded Carl


Roberts,who has left after a decade in charge to take up a new role in Dubai. In his first interview, Mr Vennart


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


tells Downs Mail of his vision for school’s future, which involves im- proving behaviour in learning and focusing on the pupils’well- being.


6


CCTV call in a bid to stop fly-tipping


Firevictims stillwait togohome, ayearon


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


DownsMail has also discovered


core, windows and household fur- niture is left illegally – often strewn in the middle of the road. Cllr Gill Fort said: “Every month


some residents were forced to find their own temporary accommoda- tion because they could not be re- housed by landlords, Berkeley Homes, or the local council. The fire on September 16, 2017,


tore through 22 apartments, forcing the residents out of their homes. A well-placed source within the


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


organisation revealed: “Residents were put up in hotels to deal with the short-termaftermath. “But in the long-term, residents


saw a caravan burned out while a torched car remains on a footpath


had to find rental accommodation. Not all residents were given tem- porary housing from Berkeley Homes, as individuals had to find housing to fit their circumstances.”


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


is now being rebuilt, but the time- frame for the completion of the restoration work is currently esti- mated to be the summer of 2019. When asked if the victims of the fire were helped with temporary


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-


The buildingwas torn down and


tive by the Environment Agency and the Driver and Vehicle Stan- dards Agency to clamp down on


RESIDENTS left homeless after the fire atHolborough Lakes last year face the prospect of another ninemonthswithout a permanent place to live.


rehousing a spokesman for Ton- bridge andMalling BoroughCoun- cil (TMBC) said: “The council has no direct ongoing role regarding people’s accommodation. “The displaced residents have all


made their own arrangements for accommodation or have done so with assistance from Berkeley Homes.” Rebuilding of the apartments has


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


been delayed, according to TMBC, because Berkeley applied for plan- ning permission with insufficient information. A TMBC spokesman said: “We


ance prior to approval.” A Berkeley Homes spokesman


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said: “These processes take how- ever long they take. I amnot aware of any problems with the applica- tion that was unusual or caused any delays. “We are working to get the


maidstone@martinco.com 23 Pudding Lane • Maidstone • Kent


homes rebuilt as quickly as possi- ble.We are keeping residents up to datewith developments.”


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


have now received this supple- mentary information and are in the process of checking it for compli-


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


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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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.


downsmail.co.uk No. 246


Maidstone & Malling’s No. 1 newspaper


News FREE Newhead describes vision for school News


Kate, 107, dies No. 258


KATE Hart, a resident at an old people’s home in Bearsted, has died aged 107, her son David has disclosed.


Tackle shop for sale


A FISHING tackle shop in West Malling is set to shut because owner Jeff Davis wants to spend more time...fishing. 3


HELEN Whately asked the government to halt the borough’s housing scheme.


4 Farewell to Jayden Plans for Dr Nigel


THE funeral has taken place of Jayden Powell who lost his battle with a brain tumour.


THE widow of GP Dr Nigel Minnet will walk the Grand Canyon for charity. 12


4 Flood pump in sight Jason Donovan date


THE long-awaited flood pump on the A20 in Aylesford may be installed soon.


THE former Neighbours star brings his show to the Hazlitt Theatre next May.


18


Vicar moves to island 8


AYLESFORD’S Rev Jonathan Hall has moved on to a new post on the Isle of Wight.


Agency grateful


HIGHWAYS England thanked a parish council for its pa- tience over a land sale.


Obituaries Obituaries


30 2832


Parish Councils 32


Parish Councils 34-35 Crime Reports 32


A PICK up truck’s windscreen was damaged by pellets fired at it in Aylesford; graffiti was sprayed onto a wall in Snodland; a bicycle was stolen from the garden of a house in East Malling; a window was smashed with an object thrown at it in Larkfield; a black Ranger Rover was stolen in Kings Hill.


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.


Crime Reports 35 Comment 40-41


Town Talk


READ the special report on the celebrity opening of the much- awaited new Co-op store in Snod- land in Town Talk in this month’s edition of Downs Mail. The bi- monthly independent magazine is dedicated to Snodland and Halling residents.


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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.


Comment 46-47 5 3 MP’s Local Plan bid


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