Maidstone East Edition Maidstone South Edition October 2017 July 2019 Panto ahoy! County town elects its newmayor
MARIONRinghasbeenelected Mayor ofMaidstone. Cllr Ring, a Conservative
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.
Probe into violence atmental hospital
vestigationafter a “disproportionate”numberofpatientonpatient assaults. Despite theCCGreportdetailing
CALLS for the installation of CCTV cameras to prevent fly-tipping on a country road have been made by the local borough councillor.
“Safe-guarding alerts” at the
Cygnet Hospital near M20 J7, which opened last October, has prompted a multi-agency probe over concerns about incidents on themale psychiatric intensive care unit (PICU) inApril. A report from the NHS West
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
Kent Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) said a “voluntary cessation of admissions had been requested”during the inquiry. The hospital overlooks the site
proposed for two schools at Popes Fieldwhich has been approved by Maidstone Borough Council. The CCG report states: “The
(Cygnet) service opened on Octo- ber 8. In April, a disproportionate
core, windows and household fur- niture is left illegally – often strewn in the middle of the road. Cllr Gill Fort said: “Every month
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
number of safeguardingalertswere raised for themale PICU ward for patient-on-patient assaults. “The concerns have now esca-
latedto amulti-agency (inquiry)… led by (the) local authority.” It addsCygnetwill be “required
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
to submit an action plan to address the findings” of the investigation. AspokesmanforCygnet refused
to say how many or detail the na- ture of the assaults as these “are currently being reviewed case by case and we are unable to share this information as it is ongoing”. The spokesman added: “Cygnet
has been part of a safeguarding strategymeeting.We do not know the outcome of thismeeting.”
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
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
a “voluntary cessation of admis- sions”request,Cygnet said:“Cygnet haveatnopoint ceasedadmissions– theyhavecontinuedtoadmit service users throughout this period using the same referral and admissions procedures used on a daily basis, which is based on an assessment of theward.” Downs Mail revealed last April
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
that someof thepatients tobetreated at the 65-bed facility would have a “forensic history” which the NHS defines as linked to criminal behav- iouror referral fromthecriminal jus- tice system. Local Boxley parish councillor
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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.
WendyHindersaid:“Iamabsolutely
speechless.Thisbearsoutwhat Iand many residents have been saying – that these schools should not be going onto this site. Remember, it
wouldonlytakeoneincident.Maybe people will stop and listen to what wehave beensaying.” MBC councillor Denis Spooner
said: “If this is true, it is really rather worrying. I would want to know more details.”
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Home Alarms supplied and fitted A PRIVATE hospital for mentally ill criminals inMaidstone is under in-
CCTV call in a bid to stop fly-tipping
Maidstone & Malling’s No. 1 newspaper
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Kate, 107, dies News
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Stadiumland deal MP’s Local Plan bid
KATE Hart, a resident at an old people’s home in Bearsted, has died aged 107, her son David has disclosed.
HELEN Whately asked the government to halt the borough’s housing scheme.
AMAN who stabbed his wife to death on Christmas Day has been jailed for life.
Plans for Dr Nigel D-Day flypastJason Donovan date
THE former Neighbours star brings his show to the Hazlitt Theatre next May.
Hunt for attackers
POLICE are hunting teenage boy and girl attackers who tar- geted a homelessman and stole his alcohol.
Obituaries Obituaries
10 26
Parish Councils 34-35
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.
COUNCILLORS in Loose have said the cost of a zebra crossing at the Walnut Tree pub is extortionate, but the possibility of a crossing would be added to the neighbourhood plan; Loose Parish Council has received complaints about noise at The Chequers when regulars leave the pub at closing time.
Parish Councils 29 32
CROWDS look to the skies as a SecondWorldWar airborne Armada flies over Maidstone .
3
MAIDSTONE United looks set for a new seated stand after striking a land deal with the council.
44 Killer husband jailed
THE widow of GP Dr Nigel Minnet will walk the Grand Canyon for charity. 12
6 18
8
Crime Reports 29 Crime Reports 35
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 38-39
INTRUDERS got into a house using the owner’s lost keys in Hayle Road; a blue Apollo mountain bike was stolen from a secure cycle rack in Week Street; four men and a woman were seen cutting wires to a gate before breaking into storage units in Lower Stone Street; windows were smashed at a caravan site in Park Wood; a brick was thrown through a window at a house in Shepway.
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