No. 1 newspaper Maidstone Weald Edition October 2017 March 2019 Panto ahoy!


Village medical centre ‘still two years away’


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


A NEW medical centre designed to relieve pressure on hard-pressed


CCTV call in a bid to stop fly-tipping


Coxheath surgeries will not be completed for at least another two years. because the NHS argued it could be completed in a shorter time frame, say councillors. Parish councillor Richard Webb


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.


Parish councillors heard work


had yet to start on the complex south of Heath Road, Linton, de- spite planning permission being granted in September. Plans laid before Maidstone Bor- ough Council said the facility


would employ 30 doctors, nurses and administrative staff, with 10 consulting rooms, five nurse treat- ment rooms, a pharmacy and a minor operations room. Crucially, the proposal trumped rival plans at Clock House Farm


said there had been considerable disquiet in the village when the new centre was mooted because, unlike the existing Greensands and Orchard surgeries it is designed to replace, it would be away from the centre of Coxheath and inside a neighbouring parish’s boundary. “However, with existing practices


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


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


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


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


Flowers herald the spring


SPRING arrived early in February as the borough basked in unseasonal temperatures. The last week of the month saw the mercury hit a day- time high of 18 degrees – twice the average for the time of year. Sky- larks were heard over theWeald and spring flowers, like these daffodils captured by a reader at Sutton ValenceWarMemorial, startedmaking an appearance.


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


close to capacity for patient num- bers, the proposal seemed like the quickest of the two to get up and running,” he said. “Planning permission was


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


granted towards the end of last year and there had been meetings to fi- nalise details like tree planting and landscaping. We expected work to be well underway by now, so this has come as a surprise.” The timescale for completion


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.


came to light when Cllr Webb con- tacted the scheme’s architects, DHA Planning, at the behest of the parish council. He was told the project would take about two years – pos- sibly longer if there were “build- out” issues. DHA Planning’s Chris Hawkins,


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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.


who wrote the letter, told Downs Mail that building the centre, com- bined with the merger of the two existing practices was a complex process. “It may be quicker,” he said. “But the doctors will need time to get their ducks in a row, and allowing 18 months for a build of this size is not unusual.” Coxheath Parish Council was due


to debate the issue on February26 as Downs Mail went to press.


visit www.amiga.co.uk or call 08000 199622


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Home Alarms supplied and fitted Cllr Fort, who also serves as a


downsmail.co.uk No. 246 News


FREE


Maidstone & Malling’s No. 1 newspaper


Kate, 107, dies News


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


FREE No. 263


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Legion back in force THE RBL’sMarden branch makes a comeback with bumper recruitment drive.


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


GP servicesmerge Plans for Dr Nigel


A GP crisis forces amerger of services in Langley and Sutton Valence.


MP’s Local Plan bid 34


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


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HOMEOWNERS could face an empty homes penalty if they cannot sell their properties .


Rat-run frustration


VILLAGE anger as frustrated motorists turn narrow country lanes into congested rat-runs


Obituaries


KENT Fire and Rescue Service had inspected 70%of Headcorn’s fire hydrants; East Farleigh Parish Council considered reports of horses using public footpaths; Speedwatch was to be consulted about high-powered cars racing in Chart Sutton;Kent Police invited to hold surgery on anti-social behav- iour in Marden; calls for a defibril- lator in Coxheath village centre.


Obituaries


A FORD Transit was stolen in Chart Sutton; the body of an ex- cavator was stolen in Coxheath; Plants were taken from a com- mercial building in Loose; the bonnet, front and radiator of a Vivaro van were stolen in Staplehurst; a wood chipper was taken from a barn in Sutton Valence, a ragstone wall was damaged in Loose.


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Parish Councils32-37 32


Parish Councils 34-35


Crime Reports 37 Crime Reports 35


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.


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 Comment 46-47


Tax on empty homes Jason Donovan date


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


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