Maidstone East Edition Maidstone South Edition


October 2017 December 2019 Panto ahoy!


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


People’s protest grows over ‘call for sites’ list


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.


THE publication of a list of over 300 potential land sites for develop- ment in the borough has finally been published to a chorus of criticism. MBC attracted overwhelmingly


outer parishes, virtually no area emerges without some form of housing in the “call for sites” list. Some 40,000 proposed units


have been submitted, as well as three hotels and four gypsy and traveller plots. As the people’s protest starts to


CALLS for the installation of CCTV cameras to prevent fly-tipping on a country road have been made by the local borough councillor.


From the town centre to the


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


gather momentum, Liberal Democrat-run Maidstone Bor- ough Council (MBC) has come in for a hail of condemnation. The authority, now styling itself


core, windows and household fur- niture is left illegally – often strewn in the middle of the road. Cllr Gill Fort said: “Every month


as a “master developer”, is be- hind two of the biggest schemes on the list – including 5,000 homes at Lenham Heath and 1,000 units in the town centre.


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


negative reaction to its plan to re- move the War Memorial at The Broadway to make way for a 14- storey block of flats. Those plans were rejected on


nearby, more than a year after it was dumped and set on fire. The church car park has also seen


November 5 by a council commit- tee after a “Think Before You Build” campaign, although four other sites went through. Shepway borough councillor


Eddie Powell accused the MBC leadership of “effectively pre- determining” its own schemes with tax-payers’ money, ahead of those in the call for sites process. Now we understand the con-


struction industry has “gone berserk” at the manner in which


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


CCTV call in a bid to stop fly-tipping


the process was handled. Whether there are further conse- quences is yet to be seen. Shepway Labour councillor


Malcolm McKay said: “We need protection from speculative de- velopers, but I would also say that we need protection from our own planning department.” MBC said: “No decisions have


been taken on the submitted sites. Not all sites will be needed for the Local Plan review and many will be deemed unsuitable. “We’re keen to work with the


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


community, especially with landowners and developers, to map out potential sites and be clear about what development could take place in the future.” Leader of the Tory opposition Cllr Fort, who also serves as a


01622 690290 YOUR LOCAL PROPERTY EXPERT


group, John Perry, said: “It is dis- appointing that five months have passed since the call for sites ... a lot of people will suffer anxiety as a result.” See pages 16, 17 and 22 for


maidstone@martinco.com 23 Pudding Lane • Maidstone • Kent


the full list Dennis Fowle, page 46 Letters, pages 46-47


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.


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.


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Maidstone & Malling’s No. 1 newspaper


FREE No. 246


News downsmail.co.uk


Maidstone & Malling’s No. 1 newspaper


Kate, 107, dies


FREE No. 272


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 MP’s Local Plan bid 4 Plans for Dr Nigel


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.


18


Obituaries


32 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.


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


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