News


Hundreds‘face uni joblosses’


HUNDREDS of university staff face redundancy or a cut in pay in a £3.5m efficiency drive by man- agement, unions claim. The University and College


Union (UCU) says 205 staff will have their specialist teaching posts scrapped or downgraded. NowUniversity for theCreative


Arts (UCA)workers are consider- ing strike action. Theuniversity claims theunion’s


accusations are inaccurate and blamed Brexit, “unprecedented uncertainty”, staff costs and pen- sion contributions. TheUCA,with teaching facilities


in Canterbury, Epsom, Farnham, Hampton Court, the Maidstone Studios and Rochester, claims management is planning to make £3.5million in savings. The UCU claims 108 posts will


be “disestablished” and 134 will undergo “major change”, includ- ing reduced hours and lower pay. “Of these 242 posts, 37 are cur-


rently vacant – thus 205 staff are at risk.UCAsays it plans to create 50 newposts. The university staged a ‘mutually agreed redundancy scheme’. As a result, 36 staff have had redundancy applications ac- cepted. The remaining cuts will come through compulsory redun- dancies,” a statement said. The university replied: “The as-


sertion that 205 staff are ‘at risk’ is incorrect.As it stands, 99 staff are at risk of redundancy, but there are 139 vacantposts they canapply for. “The higher education sector is


facing unprecedented uncertainty, with the outcomes of Brexit. “We are also facing challenging


home recruitment conditions, in- creased staffing and other costs.”


Road closed


GROVEWOOD Drive South is scheduled for closure from July 1 for up to nineweeks. The road will be closed at the


junction ofNewCut Road. The al- ternative route is via Provender Way, Grovewood Drive North, NewCut Road and vice versa. The closure is to enable the con- struction of a roundabout.


Scrape delay


TRAFFIC through Leeds village was disrupted on June 14 after a collision. Ithappenedat around7.45amon


a sharp bend in the 20mph zone near the primary school. The collision- betweena vanand


car travelling inoppositedirections - caused long rush hour queues.


4 Maidstone East July 2019 ‘Village’ work starts


BUILDING giant Gallagher has started work on the main access road through the new retirement village, Ledian Gardens, at Leeds. The work is expected to take


threemonths and comes ahead of the major construction of 115 one- and two-bedroom homes for the over 65s. The first phase of the develop-


ment, which is expected to open next November, will include 66 apartments and a shop that vil- lagerswill be able to use, aswell as health and leisure facilities that will be available to locals over 55. Inspired Villages,which is devel-


oping the retirement homes and will operate the village on the site of the former Ledian Farm, says construction of the buildings is ex- pected to begin in September. Final preparations are underway to appoint themain contractor. Jamie Bunce, CEO of Inspired


Villages, says the village will help to address “a chronic shortage of age-appropriate housing in the UK”. The village will also create new jobs. All the homes at LedianGardens


come with the option of assisted living,with property prices starting at £275,000.


downsmail.co.uk


Locals honoured in the Queen’s birthday list


THREE people from the area have had their service to the community recognised by the Queen in her BirthdayHonours List. Jim Findlay, from Holling-


bourne, receives an OBE; Molly Poulter, from Ulcombe, a British Empire Medal; and Maidstone auctioneer Clive Emson becomes anMBE. Former stockbroker JimFindlay,


from Pilgrims Way, Holling- bourne, receives his award for his work for the area, aftermoving to the village 34 years ago. He was church warden for 10


years and, following his retirement in 2001, hasusedhis financial skills to the benefit of others including MaidstoneGirls’Grammar School and as a finance committee mem- ber for the CanterburyDiocese. The 75-year-old was also one of


the founders of the Meadows Trust, which has brought land to protect it from development, for the public’s use. He said: “I hope it is a reflection


that some of thework I have done has been useful.”


Molly Poulter, of Ulcombe, re- ceives the BEM for her commu- nity work


Maidstone based auctioneer


Clive Emson (72) earned his MBE for his charity work, particularly for the Young Lives Foundation, which is based in College Road, Maidstone.As the charity’s found- ing chairman and now president, the foundation provides a be- friending service to young people. Clive’s contribution to the


county of Kent was recognised by Kent County Council in 2017with the Kent InvictaAward. Naturally, Molly Poulter (86)


was helping at Ulcombe Church summer fayre when the news


came through. She said: “It’s very exciting. I’ve had so many people congratulate me and the vicar an- nounced it in church.” She plans to wear a £20 cream


dress she bought from a charity shop to pick up her award. Molly and her husband moved


from Chislehurst in 1956 to Ul- combe. She has set up a newplay- group, lunch club, friends’ group for the elderly andthe history soci- ety. She also led the fund-raising campaign to build Ulcombe Vil- lage Hall and the Heart of Kent Hospice at Aylesford.


Plan for three


more caravans AN application to allow three more gipsy caravans on a site fronting the busy A249 at Stock- bury has been received by the borough council. The site at LongtonManor is al-


ready home to four caravans, permitted on appeal. The newap- plication seeks to provide a per- manent place for three more caravans and associated services further back into the woods, served by a long tarmac drive. A spokesman for the applicant


says in the planning submission: “We are aware of the new NPPF advice on development in or around ancientwoodland and be- lievewe canmitigate any issues. “Squirrels Wood is designated


woodlandwhich iswhy the bund and buffer zone has been in place for over three years. We have no intention of destroying or exp- landing into the woodland and have met with the Forestry Com- mission who confirm there is no concern.”


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