News | Sponsored parish council Boxley ParishMail


CHAIRMAN: BobHinderCLERK: Pauline BowderyASSTCLERK:Melanie Fooks ParishOffice, BeechenHall,Wildfell Close,Walderslade,ME5 9RU


Tel: 01634 861237 email: clerk@boxleyparishcouncil.org.uk Website: www.boxleyparishcouncil.org.uk Contact details for parish councillors can be obtained fromthe parish office, the Useful Contact Details leaflet or the website School plans set for approval


THE parish council and Grove Green residents have suffered a major setback in their fight to stop two schools being built at Popes Field,Weavering.


Despite recognising the plans


would bring extra traffic to the area, Kent County Council High- ways has not objected to the pro- posals. Nowthe borough planning offi-


cer has recommended approval of two applications thatwould allow the schools to be built on land des- ignated as a LocalNature Reserve. KCC wrote to MBC Planning


Department saying it would not object to the plans if certain condi- tions were put in place, including road crossing points, build-outs andwidening footways. Borough councillors Bob and


Wendy Hinder have expressed their dismay. CllrWendy Hinder said: “I can-


not understand these decisions. The Highway Department even identifies probable insufficient car parking on the site and that par- ents will not choose to walk their


Li�er issues


COUNCILLORS Bob andWendy Hinder met Maidstone’s waste crime manager to discuss litter and fly-tipping. Just after the meeting, the offi-


cer approached a truck on Wild- fell Close and, when the driver could not produce a valid waste carrier licence, hewas issuedwith an on-the-spot fine.


Traffic fears


EIGHT hundred more properties are being proposed, on top of a further 450, for land to the north of the Boxley parish boundary in Lordswood andWalderslade. Chairman Bob Hinder said:


“We have been campaigning for years to get improvements at junction three and to the local highway infrastructure, and there is now a threat of more traffic on a systemthat is unable to cope.”


22 Maidstone East May 2019 Residents and councillors atWeavering


children to school, so will sit in idling cars on Gidds Pond Way, waiting for a vacant spot.” MBC officers have recommend


both planning applications due to the needfor school places inMaid- stone North. And the response from KCC Education Department suggests it expects the catchment areas of all localprimary schools to slip southwards, drawing in chil- dren from communities futher


away, thus opening up spaces in existing schoolsway to the southof GroveGreen and Bearsted. Cllr Hinder added: “KCC has


identified that its predictedmove- ment of the catchment areas will likely result in additional vehicle use to these schools, so basically all the schools and communities will suffermoreduringparentdrop-off and pick-up.” Access to the site would be via


theKIMs roundaboutwhich regu- larly exceeds recommended levels of pollution. Cllr Bob Hinder said: “KCC


identifies that air quality will suf- fer and says it is up toMBCto con- siderwhat to do about this.Well, if more vehicles areusedto get to the other schools too, then air quality will suffer outside every school, so you can thank KCC for that. “It will be interesting to see


what, if anything,KCCis planning to do to stop on-street car parking, or to cope with the problems that will potentially comewith the two schools, and those are questions theparish andborough councillors will be asking. “The fact children can only be


driven indicates this is not a sus- tainable site. EvenKCCHighways’ response castsdoubtonthe schools’ ability to manage traffic trying to get to the site. It ismadness.”


Road closuremakes chaosworse


THE forecast chaos at Grove Green, due to some finishing work for the crossing at New Cut, was doubled by KCC de- ciding to slip in an extra day closure on the Saturday, to do some work on the Maidstone Studio roundabout. Parish chairman Bob Hinder took the issue up with KCC as


official notification was only sent to the parish office at 17.05pm the previous Friday, after the office had shut, and there was inadequate local sig- nage put in place. To add insult to injury, Tar-


mac on the original work was not dry when drivers were fi- nally allowed through, and ad-


ditional work had to be sched- uled for later to repair the dam- age done. The parish council has also


raised concerns that the zebra crossing was being ignored by drivers. KCC has undertaken a safety audit, gone back to the developer, and confirmed that extra signagewill be added.


Yellowlines due to be painted at junctions


THE parish council expects yel- low lines to be installed at junc- tions on Provender Way and some onGrovewoodDrive South in late April, a month after they were previously promised. The council has campaigned for


the lines for over two years, due to problems in Provender Way


caused by parents parking dan- gerously at junctions when drop- ping off or picking up children. The parish council had asked


for more yellow lines and had identified over £20,000 of unused external funding for KCC to use, but this and possible restricted parking have nowbeen refused.


Chairman Bob Hinder said:


“The bad news just keeps on com- ing for Grove Green residents, and enough is enough. “Previous Maidstone Borough


Council and KCC decisions have created hell for residents, and both authorities need to do some- thing about it.”


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