News


downsmail.co.uk New life for cemetery chapel


PLANSa cha


mea re in pla pel,which ha ce to expa ge, Culture


nd Leisure Committee could £2 2 2 ,0 0 0 dona


services next yea The Sutton Roa


is gra pel ha


use for over adeca frustra the cha


MBC a


closure of the berea depa ha


s fallen intoasta cha


repla a


de II listed, ha tion a


Proposals from Maidstone Bor- music system a ough Council’s Herita a


ture. MBC ha


rds funeral t the deteriora dmitted tha


d building,which s not been in de. But public tion of


s promptedarethink.


rtment in 2 0 0 6 , the building te of despair.


The funding will go towa rds the


pel’s new electrical works, the cement of the ca


st iron girdle


round the steeple, removing the floor tiles, the installa


Being shops mbling esta


against trend THE number of ga


s remained stea st eight yea concerns in other pa


try. There a


mea


s been closed for over 1 2 yea nd upda


n the building will receive a system, aca rk expa tion towa r.


two-pa


t, due to the ala vement service


cemeterya nsion a the demolition of the ga


nd theMaidstone cemeterya rs.


ted furni- Ma a


nd pla


house due to the presence of a runninga then tha


tekeeper’s s-


bestos. The entire refurbishment is a rt project to expa nd recover the cha


nd the pel.


Concerns ha ck of gra


ve spa


ve been raised over ce in the bor-


ough. The process will be majority- funded by £2 1 3 ,0 0 0 seta council’s ca


side in the velopment of the berea tion ofanew Shepwa


pital budget for the de- vement


service. Maidstone borough councillor of y northa


nd deputyMa yor, nd re-open the


rion Ring (pictured), said: “It is bsolutely brillia


nt news. I come


s pledged anew CCTV from agenera r pa


ce for thewhole fa


tion where it wa mily tomeet,


so itwill be so nice to see it upa gain.


“If it is only going to ta really looking forwa


would definitely be ba “Someone ha


on this project beca unfortuna ona


nd on.”


Bosses will now request further funding from the Policy a


sources Committee to allow the cha


councillors una the proposals.


pel to be refurbished a nimouslya


pproved


School award rning difficulties ha


b-


lishments in the centre of Maid- stone ha pa


dy in the


rs, despite growing rts of the coun-


shops in the county town,which is the sa


fice for Na


cerns, pa a s, tha


rea tional Sta


reportsa4 % dropa There ha


rticula


tistics (ONS) cross the UK.


d been growing con- t betting premises ha


ve been the only growth a ra chines a


high streets. Ifavote gets through Pa next yea nd fixed odds ga ma


mum bet of £2 , ra some compa


niesma rlia ment


re restricted to ama ther tha


y pull out.


Spook y sights POPULAR Maidstone a


ttra cula r”. y, October 2 3 . ction


Kent Life is holding aHalloween “Spookta


will include evening entertain- ment, “Kent Life After Da Tuesda


The event fromOctober 2 0 to 2 8 , rk”, on


There will be fa


Halloween events from 1 0a 5 pm, such a spooky fa


s pumpkin ca dress competitions a m to rm rides, daily fa


rving, ncy


nd acreepy


cuddle corner. There will also be shows in the Big Top. The “Kent Life After Da


ndaghost train. rk”


evening sessions include exploring the spooky sights, aguided tour a


4 Maidstone November 2018


mbling xi-


n £1 0 0 ,


rly in deprived New direction for troubled Pilot reaon the


A PUBwhichwas badly damaged in a fire is set to reopen. The Pilot in Upper Stone Street,


Maidstone has had a turbulent year, starting back inMarchwhen the pub had to close its doors following the departure of the licensee. Later, the windows were boarded up. In mid-July, the former 2 0 0 8


CAMRA Pub of the Year was in the news again when firefighters had to tackle a blaze at the rear of the building. It was feared the pub would be


closed for good, but nowa newman- agement team has come in and started a renovation project with a new bar, kitchen and cellar. Downs Mail has learned an esti-


mated £ 5 0 ,0 0 0 has been put into the restoration project, and the Pilot will be returning as a traditional pub that aims to serve good beers and ales. Hopes were that the Pilot would


be back serving pints in early Octo- ber, but the scheduled reopening date has had to be pushed back.


re currently 1 5 bookies’ s 2 0 1 1 ,although the Of-


recognised a ductive lea


rk (IQM). s a“ha ppy a rning environment”. Bower Grove School ha The IQM is a


nd Re- fter


keayea s got toma


t’s really good going. Ia rd to it. I cking this. keasta


m rt use ifwe don’t, tely the process will go


s a nd r,


A SPECIAL school for children with lea


s been


nd pro- s been


given the Centre of Excellence Awa Ma


viewing body which a plica a


presents a tive lea


ppy a ssesses a nts on their positive tea


rd from the Inclusion Quality n independent re- ching


nd work with students. Assessors wrote: “The school s aha


children interested in their lea inga


“Sta re pa


ndma ff a


king good progress. te a


work they do a pupils, who ma good sta where, ca their lea


rt in their educa tch upa


ve ha


p- nd produc-


rning environment with rn-


ssiona bout the nd ensuring tha y not ha


t d a tion else- nd begin to enjoy rning inaschool setting.”


Seamemories THE Sailors’ Society cha


ritywa to hea


ries of the sea. The 2 0 0 -yea nisa


fa


THE Bishop ofDover, Rt Rev TrevorWillmott, ha nnounced hewill be retiring inMa fter nine yea


sa ya flowingwith tha


this diocese.” Local churchgoerswill bea Evensong in Ca Ma


nterbury Ca rs in the role.


The bishop (6 8 ), whose diocese covers Maidstone, said: “When I do come to sa


y goodbye to the diocese, it will be withahea nksgiving –a


nd tha y 1 1 . Further details will relea


ble to sa thedral a


sed nea t’s due to the peoplewhoa fterwa t rds on


rt over- re in


the hea ve, ma Maidstonewill ha bea


rers. CEOStua twa


“Whether you spent childhood holida t the bea


ch to crea ys a


y goodbye to Bishop Trevora a nd areception a rer the time.


details.


ries.” Go towww.thesea


t sea, we’d love to hea a


mily friendly Maid stone’s bishop retiring support to the world’s 1 .6 m sea -


ga tionworks interna provide pra


ctical a


rt Rivers said: “During ny people from ve hea


ded to the tememories.


ch, or working r your sto-


ndme.org for nts


rMaidstone people’smemo- r-old ma


ritime or- tionally to


nd emotional


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