News Murdernight


BOXLEY Church is hosting a mur- dermystery event onNovember 17. Friends are invited to St John’s


CEP School in Weavering, Maid- stone, at 7pm to “Murder at the Mote.” Children over nine years old are


welcome and visitors are advised to bring their own drinks. Tickets are £10 which includes a


ploughman’s supper and a raffle. Call 01622 695678 or email SueWill- mott on sue@susanwillmott.co.uk


Black comedy


THEMaidstone FilmSociety screens Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri at the Hazlitt Theatre at 8pmonNovember 19 . Described as a “bitter black com-


edy”, the two-hour (cert 15) film is about amother’s fight for justice for hermurdered daughter. Formoredetails call 01622 746078.


Clocks go back


THEclocks go back one hour onOc- tober 28, bringing British summer- time to an end. The changing of clocks isdesigned


to give extra daylight on the dark wintermornings and brighter sum- mer evenings.


downsmail.co.uk


Science school agreed despite traffic concern


A SCHEME to build a science and technology college alongside In- victa Grammar and Valley Park schools has been given the green light. Government inspectors saidplans


for the 1,200-pupil school, to be run by the Valley Invicta Academies’ Trust (VIAT) can go ahead with an opening date of September 2019. An announcement was made by


the Ministry for Communities, Housing and Local Government (MCHLG) after a stand-off between VIAT andMBC’s planning commit- tee members, who were worried about bus routes, traffic congestion and the loss of trees. Membersdidnotdispute the need


for theMaidstone School for Science and Technology (MSST). MP Helen Whately said: “I am


delighted VIAT has the go- ahead…(but) stepsmust be taken to ensure that the majority of pupils walk, cycle or use buses. “The roads surrounding the site


are already congested during rush hour, so everythingpossiblemust be


done tominimise impact on people living nearby.” AMCHLGreports said: “The sec-


retary of state (James Brokenshire) considers that the loss of treeswould harm the area’s character, and that this harm attracts moderate weight against the proposal. “He nevertheless considers that


the need for the school attracts sig- nificantweight in favour.” Co-CEO of VIAT and principal of


Valley Park School, Vic Ashdown, said: “We have worked tirelessly to develop a school that will provide genuine excitement to those parents in our community who are rightly concerned about the lack of second- ary school places available.


An artist’s impression of the new science and technology school


“Our only sadness is the time


taken to get to this point. The origi- nal announcement that our bid had been successful was made shortly before the 2015 general election. “We were left with no choice but


to request a public enquiry asMaid- stone Borough Council had repeat- edly failed to make a decision and were imposing conditions that we viewed as unreasonable.” Councillor Clive English, chair-


man of Maidstone Borough Coun- cil's planning committee, said: “It was most unfortunate that the ap- plicant chose to file an appeal against non-determination rather than wait for a decision from the planning committee.”


Now recruiting for Care Workers. Call for details. 16 Maidstone East November 2018


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