October 2017
Maidstone Weald Edition
Panto ahoy! June 2019
MARIONRinghasbeenelected Mayor ofMaidstone. Cllr Ring, a Conservative
County town elects its newmayor
member for Shepway north, has lived in the county town all her life and, with husband Richard, pictured here, has two children and two grandchildren. Marion was elected to Maid- stone Borough Council in 2003.
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
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.
Plans submied for 1,000 village homes
A BUSINESSMAN has revealed plans for almost 1,000 homes on three separate sites in a rural corner of Maidstone. Rob Schroeder has submitted
CALLS for the installation of CCTV cameras to prevent fly-tipping on a country road have been made by the local borough councillor.
proposals to Maidstone Borough Council in its “call for sites” ahead of the review of the Local Plan. Mr Schroeder has already an-
nounced his Broomfield Park idea for a 900-home “eco village” on his land in Kingswood. He and busi- ness partner Keith Cook say the development could fund a Leeds- Langley relief road. A 4.8-acre agricultural site in
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
Green Lane, Langley Heath, could be turned into a plot for 20-30 homes, if the plans are approved. A six-acre caravan site in Chartway Street, The Finches, could be turned into another 20 to 30 homes. Mr Schroeder has engaged the
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
services of local planning consult- ants DHA, a sign his schemes are meant to be taken seriously by MBC. He said: “Broomfield Park would be aimed at those who would want to live in an eco-vil- lage setting but also give affordable properties for local workers. “The Finches is already a brown
field site.” Downs Mail understands MBC
has put forward a plan for a “gar- den village” development on or near Lenham Heath. This would comprise 2,500 to 5,000 houses. Local independent councillor
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
Tom Sams was moved to tears as he spoke about the possibility at a closed session meeting.
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
for 1,100 homes in the St Peter’s Street and riverside area of Maid- stone is also a strong contender. A 2,000-home scheme in Marden
is “not finding the same amount of favour”, according to one source. MBC is committed to 17,600
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
We understand that another plan
houses in the Local Plan and an- other 8,000 in the review. A draft statement seen by Downs Mail ap- peared to confirm the Lenham Heath site was on the table before the call for sites deadline of May 24. It states: “This ‘call for sites’ ex- ercise includes a prospectus for ‘garden communities’. We can con- firm that MBC itself intends to put forward a proposal.”
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THE Brexit Party secured more than45%of the vote inMaidstone boroughat theEuropeanelection. The Conservative Party, which
has two MPs in the district, se- cured just a 10% share, sending alarm bells through the constituencies.
21 Indian Express
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
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.
Cllr Fort, who also serves as a
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.
CCTV call in a bid to stop fly-tipping
FREE No. 246
News
downsmail.co.uk Kate, 107, dies
KATE Hart, a resident at an old people’s home in Bearsted, has died aged 107, her son David has disclosed.
FREE No. 266
News
WARMwords have been expressed following the death of former Lib Demborough councillor BrianMortimer.
HELEN Whately asked the government to halt the borough’s housing scheme.
A SCIENCE teacher smashed into a lamppost after downing a bottle of wine, magistrates heard.
THE former Neighbours star brings his show to the Hazlitt Theatre next May.
ANINDIANrestaurant has revealed plans to convert to retirement flats.
Sanctuary theft
THIEVES have taken a Landrover fromasanctuary to the anger of patron and formerMP AnnWiddecombe.
Obituaries Obituaries
12 34
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.
THE parish council at Broomfield and Kingswood elected Tina Clark as chairman; Bill Bird will carry on in his role as river bailiff in Yalding; a pond has been installed at Staplehurst by the Medway Valley Countryside Partnership’s contractor; cattle were set to be introduced onto grazing pasture at The Fen in Yalding; a medical centre in Coxheathwill take about two years to get up and running, ac- cording to a borough councillor. Crime Reports 35
Parish Councils36-3732 Parish Councils 34-35
Maidstone & Malling’s No. 1 newspaper
3
MP’s Local Plan bid Tributes to Brian
4
Plans for Dr Nigel3 Teacherwas drunk
Jason Donovan date Spice Lounge plan
18 8
THE widow of GP Dr Nigel Minnet will walk the Grand Canyon for charity. 12
5
A BUILDING site was burgled and a jet wash machine stolen in Yalding; vehicle parts were taken from a car parked at an industrial unit in Boughton Monchelsea; an intruder jumped from a first floor of a house in Langley after being disturbed by the homeowner. Comment 46-47 Comment 46-47
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.
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Crime Reports 37
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