Incinerator scheme backed


PLANS to burn an extra 350,000 tonnes at an incinerator in Allington have been welcomed by a local councillor.


Liberal Democrat member Dan


Daley says he “can’t see what all the fuss is about”, because the ex- isting plant is efficient and has easy links to junction five of the M20. Local resident Neil Hammond,


who lives at the Orchards develop- ment in London Road, has started a petition against the expansion of the Allington Integrated Waste Management Facility. He claims there will be issues with noise, smell and extra traffic movements. The plant already deals with


some 500,000 tones of waste to be turned into electricity. But Cllr Dan Daley said: “I don’t


see what the fuss is about. I was one of the loudest voices when this was first proposed about 20 years ago. “I live about 750 yards away as the crow flies from this monster,


Art on show


ART fans are invited to an exhibi- tion in Maidstone. The Perpetuity exhibition at


Maidstone Museum runs from November 13 to Saturday, De- cember 7 and brings


modern abstract; landscape; and socio/political comment. The work of recent fine arts graduates from Canterbury University for Creative Arts is open from 10am to 5pm, Tuesday to Saturday. The museum is closed on Sunday and Monday. Admission to the Perpe- tuity exhibition is free.


Pizza and jazz Violent car thief lands in jail


CLASSICALLY-trained pianists Stephanie Trick and Paolo Alderighi will play in Maidstone before appearing at the London Jazz Festival. The outstanding stride, boogie


and blues pianists from the USA will perform at Pizza Express in Earl Street on Thursday, Novem- ber 21. Doors open at 7pm, with the show starting at 8.30pm. Tick- ets are £11.


Soul concert


SINGER Aid Lewis will give an- other of his passionate and soul- ful performances in Maidstone on Thursday, November 14. The Kent singer/songwriter is at


Pizza Express in Earl Street. Doors open at 7pm. Tickets are £11.


8 Maidstone December 2019


VIOLENT criminal Joel Morgan pushed a man from his own car in Maidstone and then fled from po- lice during a high-speed pursuit on the M25 has been jailed. A court heard how Morgan stole


a BMW which had been offered for sale on social media. Morgan (29) of Dickens Road,


Maidstone, contacted the seller and offered a straight swap with his own VW Golf. On May 18, 2018, the pair met in


Tintern Road, Maidstone, and in- spected each other’s cars. The vic- tim declined the swap, but instead agreed to sell the BMW for cash. Morgan asked to take it for a test


drive, but as the victim was getting into the car, and with the passen-


ger door still open, he reversed. The victim tried to pull up the


handbrake and remove keys from the ignition, but was punched in the face by Morgan and then pushed out of the open door. Morgan then drove from the scene in the stolen BMW.


He was found the following day


driving the vehicle in the Surrey area and was pursued by officers who recorded him driving on the M25 at speeds of up to 130mph. He was arrested in Wiltshire. At one point, the car collided


with cones at roadworks, catapult- ing them into the air and, due to dangers posed to other road users, the pursuit was ended. Morgan admitted dangerous driv-


ing, driving whilst disqualified and driving without insurance. He de- nied robbery and aggravated vehicle taking. He was convicted following a trial and on Thursday 26 Septem- ber was sentenced to three years and four months in prison.


together


but I have to say that I don’t notice it. The Government is making extra demands on recycling. Allington has proved that it is very efficient in burning the waste to make the steam that drives the turbines and creates electricity to satisfy the needs of Maidstone. Anything that cannot be destroyed is taken away and dealt with elsewhere.” Mr Hammond said: “The envi-


ronmental impact goes much fur- ther than our


(Orchards)


development. It will potentially harm the nature reserve that sur- rounds the incinerator site which was created as a condition of grant- ing the original planning permis- sion.” Cllr Daley said that the nature re-


serve has not thrived because it is sited on an old quarry where the


soil is “very poor”. The site is run by FCC Environment, based in Northampton, and is classing it as a nationally significant infrastructure project, meaning it will go to the planning inspectorate for a deci- sion, not Liberal Democrat-led Maidstone


Borough Council


(MBC). The proposals would see the


plant producing enough energy for 50,000 homes which would help to mitigate against


the needs of a


rapidly expanding population. MBC has committed itself to up


to 17,600 new homes in its Local Plan but it may be required to take 10,500 more by central govern- ment. MBC has rejected calls for a moratorium on house-building.


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