Maidstone East Edition Maidstone Weald Edition
October 2017 September 2019 Panto ahoy!
Farmer’s action helps crews fight rural fires
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
A STAPLEHURST farmer is at the forefront of a firefighting revolution that is changing the way Kent’s emergency crews battle rural blazes. Guy Eckley’s work with Kent
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.
CCTV call in a bid to stop fly-tipping
Fire and Rescue has resulted in the service’s entire fleet of fire engines being equipped with adaptors that allow them to tap into agricultural bulk water supplies in remote country locations. Now the National Farmers’
CALLS for the installation of CCTV cameras to prevent fly-tipping on a country road have been made by the local borough councillor.
Union is compiling a county-wide database, which will help 999 con- trollers route emergency crews to the nearest on-farm water source. Kent NFU chairman Toby
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
Williams said: “This initiative could save valuable time in the ini- tial phase of fighting rural fires by ensuring that enough water is im- mediately available to extinguish a fire before it spreads out of control. “This fantastic idea is now being
core, windows and household fur- niture is left illegally – often strewn in the middle of the road. Cllr Gill Fort said: “Every month
implemented across Kent.” Mr Eckley, of Five Oak Lane,
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
was spurred into action last sum- mer when 550 bales of straw from a 45-hectare cut of wheat went up in flames on his land. He praised the crews who
fought the blaze through the night, but wanted to do more. He discov- ered a friend in East Anglia had used an adaptor to help a Cam- bridgeshire fire engine connect to his water supply, and Mr Eckley
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
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
Husband and wife farmers Claire and Guy Eckley in Staplehurst
contacted KFRS to see if it could be replicated. Along with Kent farmer Alan
Clifton-Holt, Mr Eckley went on to establish that “the vast majority of bulk water supplies on farms across Kent had the same cou- pling”. On the strength of their findings,
Kent Fire and Rescue’s operational support manager Craig Lloyd- Cowtan was able to secure official approval for the county’s fire en- gines to be equipped with the adaptors.
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
And, in May, crews arrived on
Mr Eckley’s farm to put the new equipment through its paces. Mr Eckley said: “Kent Fire and
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.
01622 690290 YOUR LOCAL PROPERTY EXPERT
maidstone@martinco.com 23 Pudding Lane • Maidstone • Kent
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.
rector of operational response, said: “We’re pleased to have worked with the NFU to introduce special adaptor fittings as a stan- dard part on our fire engines. Using this adaptor, we will be able to access water supplied on farms, enhancing our response at rural in- cidents.”
Cllr Fort, who also serves as a Home Alarms supplied and fitted visit
www.amiga.co.uk or call 08000 199622
Rescue came to the farm to test their adaptor. Now every tender in Kent will carry one, and farmers can help by registering every source of water that can be ac- cessed with a two-inch cam lock coupler.” In 2018, the county’s fire crews
responded to almost 700 grass and rural fires. By summer this year, they had already been called to 400. Chris Colgan, KFRS assistant di-
Maidstone & Malling’s No. 1 newspaper
FREE No. 246
News
downsmail.co.uk
Maidstone & Malling’s No. 1 newspaper
Kate, 107, dies News
FREE No. 269
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.
3
Mink seen in river MP’s Local Plan bid
Plans for Dr Nigel Spitting assault
A COXHEATH photographer has captured themoment he spotted mink in the River Beultwhile looking for kingfishers.
4 Praise for rehab trust
THE widow of GP Dr Nigel Minnet will walk the Grand Canyon for charity. 12
Jason Donovan date
THE former Neighbours star brings his show to the Hazlitt Theatre next May.
Brexit cash claim
MAIDSTONE Borough Council has been accused of “playing politics” after criticising Brexit funding.
Obituaries Obituaries
20 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.
THE speed warning sign outside Sutton Valence village hall is to be upgraded to an enforcement camera; councillors in Boughton Monchelsea are donating £460 to the goat sanctuary after its Land Rover was stolen; a defibril- lator is to be fitted outside the Londis store in Coxheath; land at Spires Ash, Headcorn, has been granted village green sta- tus; debris from a site in Loose has been washed down the street into a resident’s pond.
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
A CHICKEN and a duck were stolen from East Farleigh; quad bikers drove over crops in Boughton Malherbe; jewellery was stolen in a Coxheath house break-in; a driver shouted abuse and kicked a car in Headcorn; a vegetable harvester was stolen from a nursery in Marden.
Parish Councils28-29 32
A DRUNKENHeadcornwoman spat in the face of an officer trying to help her.
18 6
A YALDING rehab centre is praised by the health watchdog after acting on its improvement advice.
5 4
Crime Reports 29
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