News


downsmail.co.uk CCTVcall to catch flytippers


ALEADINGcampaigner for tougher action on fly-tippers has once again called for the borough council to install CCTV cameras in rural hotspots for the crime. CllrGill Fort, of Leeds, says she


welcomed a recent “day of ac- tion” by Maidstone Borough Council’s enforcement squad and police but it is “still not enough” to stem the menace. The Leeds


parish and b o r o u g h counc i l lor has fought for years to


have cameras mounted in Burberry Lane, linking Leeds and Langley, a regular target for ille- gal dumpers. No convictions have been ob-


tained against offenders operat- ing in that area. They have tipped building rub-


ble, garden waste, tyres, house- hold goods, furntiure, plastic glazing and caravans over the years. Cars are burnt out and left for months before being re- moved. Cllr Fort said: “Iwelcome the action taken recently but clearly it is not enough. We still have no cameras in Burberry Lane and fellow councillors say they are having the same issues. MBC has no interest in taking


Storage plan


THE parish council at Holling- bourne has backedobjections from villagers and neighbours to amas- sive cold store at nearby Bicknor. The parish council agreed it


likely that the proposal for a 75x 69sqm cold store – three quarters of the size of a football pitch – and accommodation for workers, would generate significant traffic throughHollingbourne. The planning application refer- ence is 18/501312/FULL.


Talk on bats


MEMBERS of Kent Bat Group were due to pore over 35 years of hibernation records asDownsMail went to press. In a presentation at Lenham


Community Centre, called Kent Bats in Winter, on Thursday, March 28, Hazel Ryan and John Puckett were to discuss the struc- tures bats hibernate inand how theymonitor and protect the sites.


4 Maidstone East April 2019


these people to court because it is costly and time-consuming but you’ll never create a deterrent if they are not seen to be prosecuted and punished accordingly.” On March 15, MBC and Kent


Police issued fines worth £600 after stopping nine vehicles, al- though it is not clear from the council statement what offences had been committed. A van was seized for not having a waste car- rier’s licence. MBC has a four-person team to


tackle littering, commercialwaste, abandoned vehicles aswell as fly- tipping but refused to disclose how much time is spent tackling illegal dumping. The council also refused to de-


clare how many actions had been taken against offenders


in


Burberry Lane in the past five years, althoughwe understand no one has been convicted. A spokesman confirmed the


team had dispensed 467 fixed penalty notices to residents for “littering”. Cllr Fort added: “You go along


some of the lanes around here and they are just disgusting.We must target this menace with cameras, not the odd day out here and therewith the police.”


Cllr Fabienne Hughes at the site where a load of tyres was dumped Tyres dumped inwoods


BEARSTED parish councillor Fabi- enne Hughes said: “Companies disposing large items dump them on the side of rural roads because they don’t want to pay the dis- posal charge at local tips. “I have lived in this area for 30


years and I walk down near the Woodland Trust site all the time because it shows the lovely viewof Maidstone and a lot of people bring their dogs here for walks. “I recently reported a huge stack of tyres on the side of the road


Lenhamcouple fell victimto cash scam


A GRAND-DAUGHTER has ap- pealed for information after her grandparentswere “scammed out of their life savings” in Lenham. Kent Police is investigating the


incident, believing twomen claim- ing to be from the local authority were reported to have been knock- ing onpeople’sdoors onMarch 13. Chantelle Burns wrote on Face-


book: “My 90-year-old grandpar- ents naively let a man in to their home who claimed he was from the council and was there to do some repairs to damp issues. “He saidtheyhadtopay some of


the costs and manipulated their bank card from them. He then cleared the bank account of their savings. A spokesman for Kent Police


said: “Kent Police is investigating an incident in Lenham after two


men claiming to be from the local authority are reported to have stolen a quantity of cash from a pensioner. “The householder, who is in his


90s, saidhewaspersuadedto hand over his bank card and PIN in order to pay a deposit for the re- pairs, afterwhich themen left. The cashwas subsequently taken from his account. “One of the men was wearing


black trousers, an anorak anda red peaked cap. The other had grey hair and wore a brown and grey jumper.” Anyone with information that


may helpthe investigationis asked to contact the appeal line on 01622 604100 quoting crime reference 13- 1422. You can also call the inde- pendent charity Crimestoppers in Kent anonymously on0800 555111.


and to their credit,Maidstone Bor- ough Council did remove it after about 10 days. “To prevent this from happen-


ing, we need to make full use of the CCTV available to see exactly which vehicles are going down cer- tain country lanes. “I think Maidstone Borough


Council dowhat they can, but ulti- mately only the police can enforce … and if the punishment was heavier it would be much more of a deterrent.”


Native reptiles


to be relocated SIX species of native reptile will have to be removed from a build- ing site inHarriestsham. Construction firms have been


forced to relocate snakes and lizards on land offAshford Road. There is planning consent to rip


down three agricultural buildings and clear vegetation fromthe one- acre site,providedthe rescuework isdone.Nine homes are to be built. A report published in February


by environment specialistsAspect Ecology revealed common lizards, slow-worms and grass snakes are living on the site. The experts have submitteda 60-


day capture and removal pro- gramme to the council. Reptile haunts on the land, like


wood or rubble piles, will be dis- mantled by hand and trapswill be laid to capture the creatures. The whole process will start early this summer, says the report.


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