News
downsmail.co.uk House prices facing uncertainty
BREXIT uncertainty has caused rollercoaster house prices for theMaidstone propertymarket. And, say experts,homes are now
spending longerwith a “For Sale” board outside.
Theproperty industry fears buy- ers and sellers have been strug- gling
to cut through endless
national and international political horse trading, to gauge the real im- pact leaving the European Union might have on them.
The result has seen the average value of a Maidstone home drop by just over £8,000 or 2.40% ac- cording to Zoopla.
However, the figures have ral- lied in the last three months, with values recovering by £3,861 on av- erage or 1.17%to £333,740.
Consumer watchdog Which? says house prices nationally had a sharper fall thanusual at the endof last summer. But, like Maidstone, the
countrywide market has
started to bounce back in the last fewmonths.
Store re-opens DEICHMANN has re-opened its
doors inMaidstone after a £399,000 refurbishment.
TheWeek Street store hasunder- gone a transformation to launch newbrands in store.
The shoe retailer re-opened on October 12 and 13.
Shona Davies, store manager in Maidstone, said: “We’re really ex- cited to be re-opening our doors in Maidstone, and we can’t wait to showoff the transformation.”
Have a coffee MAKEfriends over a free cuppa at
MaidstoneMuseum.
That’s the invitation to those over 65 looking to meet
like-
minded people andmake friends. Cafe Culture is amonthly drop- in session on the last Friday of the month from 10.30-11.30am. No booking is required, just turn up at themuseumcafé on the day. For details call 01622 602853.
Opera date
GILBERT & Sullivan’s Iolanthe takes centre stage at Maidstone leisure centre on Saturday, No- vember 2.
The popular charity event will include professional soloists and a chorus by the combined choirs fromthe area.
For tickets to The Hospice Con- cert call 01732 885749.
8 Maidstone November 2019
A spokesman said: “It’s taken people longer to sell homes re- cently than in previous years.
“In January, the average time for a property to go under offer shot up to 77 days,
the highest on
record. It has since fallen,dropping to 62 days in June and remaining level in July andAugust, but that’s stillmuch slower than in previous
years.Many commentators believe this is due to nervousness around buying a home in the run-up to Brexit.”
Accountancy firm KPMG pre- dicts that a no-deal Brexit could knock between 6% and 20% off house prices. And the Office for BudgetResponsibility anticipates a fall inprices of almost 10%by 2021.
Carney has
Bank of England governorMark consistently main-
tained thatUKgrowth is “guaran- teed” to fall if theUKquits Europe without a deal.
ButMaidstoneproperty auction- eer Clive Emson, pictured, has re- jectedclaims thatBrexit is to blame for fluctuations in themarket. He has previously cited a hike in stamp duty, tough mortgage ap- plication processes, new restric- tions on landlords, and the local surge in housebuilding as being major factors.
“With all these other pressures, it’s far too simplistic just to blame Brexit,” he said.
Even if the worst Brexit forecast does come to pass, thosewho have owned their property for more than a decade will still be quids- in…the value of an averageMaid- stone house has risen by £96,470 or 40.66%in the last 10 years.
£7minvestment keeps jobs safe
JOBS on the 20/20 industrial estate atAllington have been securedwith an investment by Hanson of more than £7m in its Maidstone opera- tion.
The company says itsnewasphalt plant on its St Lawrence Avenue es- tate will improve its service to cus- tomers, reduce noise for neighbours and secures the long-termfuture of the site and its 14 staff.
The upgraded production line is now one of the most advanced in Europe,
featuring environmental and technological benefits.
Sitemanager Krishnan Patel said: “This investment is the biggest in our asphalt division in recent years. It increases our production capacity
Itwill also giveHanson the option to increase the amount of recycled
by 250% while allowing us to re- material it uses in the asphalt it duce ourCO2 emissions and our en- makes to improve its green creden- ergy consumption by a fifth.”
tials. The Allington site is already
supplied by its own railhead, which reduces transport by road.
Hanson also has an aggregates and concreteworks on the20/20es- tate, employing a further 26 people.
TVs and designer bags found in raid
A MAN and woman have been charged after luxury items worth £30,000were seized fromaMaid- stone property.
Detectives investigating the al- leged distribution of drugmoney executed awarrant under the Pro- ceeds of Crime Act at the Ton- bridge Road address on June 19. Items seized included designer handbags and large televisions. Asearch of a car parked nearby
is also reported to have uncov- ered a quantity of
suspected cannabis buds in a tub of protein
appear at Medway Magistrates’ Court on Saturday, September 21. At the hearing hewas further re-
powder and a package thought to manded in custody and will next contain cocaine.
On Friday, September 20, de- Court on Friday,October 25. tectives charged Ashley Nation (35), of Tonbridge Road, with concealing criminal property and offering to supply cocaine and cannabis.
Hewas remanded in custody to October 25.
appear at Maidstone Magistrates’ Laura Hughes (37), of Syden-
ham, was also charged with con- cealing criminal property.
She has been bailed to attend MaidstoneMagistrates’ Court on
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48
