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Maidstone East Edition Maidstone East Edition October 2017 January 2020


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 See page 6 for full story.


Panto ahoy! Good report


THE Lenham School has achieved a “good” rating by the education watchdog Ofsted. The secondary, once the fail-


ing Swadelands, is part of the Valley Invicta Academies Trust (VIAT) under head teacher Chris Foreman.


Protest rally planned to say no to housing


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.


A MASS rally is being planned to highlight the growing “people's protest” against the council’s plans for 28,000-plus homes in the borough.


CCTV call in a bid to stop fly-tipping


venue to hold about 1,500 people, where representatives hope to send a message to Liberal Democrat-led Maidstone Borough Council that enough is enough. The MBC Local Plan, adopted


two years ago, commits it (under Government direction) to build 17,600 houses. But the Local Plan review could


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


Organisers are looking for a


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


allow, according to an MBC docu- ment, for an additional 10,500. The senior management and Lib


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


Dem leadership have now become the “master developers” of the hush-hush plan to build 5,000 houses at Lenham Heath. Residents are becoming increas-


ingly worried that the roads and services are unable to cope with the


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


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


present level of development. Only 6,500 homes from the Local Plan have so far been delivered. Now the Save Our Heath Lands (SOHL) pressure group wants to join forces with other housing op- position outfits to galvanise support for a rally to persuade local and cen- tral government to halt future de- velopment plans. A SOHL spokesman said com- munities must take back control of their destinies. Anyone interested can contact SOHL by emailing saveourheathlands@gmail.com. Schemes for tens of thousands of houses were contained in the re- cently-published “call for sites” list, among them the MBC-led scheme for Lenham Heath. Independent Maidstone council-


ONLINE OPINION POLL


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


DOWNS Mail has launched an online poll to test public opinion on Maidstone Borough Council’s massive housing plans. We are asking our readers:


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


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.


l Given mounting concerns among residents about house- building, traffic on the roads and the squeeze on public services, should Liberal Democrat-con- trolled Maidstone Borough Coun- cil consider the suspension of any further development? To respond, go to www.downs- mail.co.uk/views/14.


lor Eddie Powell accused MBC of “effectively pre-determining its own site. It stinks”. MBC claims: “No decisions have


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.


See more on page 19 Home Alarms supplied and fitted


visit www.amiga.co.uk or call 08000 199622 PLEASE SEE OUR WEBSITE OR CALL NOW FOR THE VERY BEST OFFERS!


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been taken on the submitted sites. Many will be deemed unsuitable. We’re keen to work with the com- munity, especially with landowners and developers, to map out poten- tial sites and be clear about what de- velopments could take place in the future.”


Cllr Fort, who also serves as a


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. 273


KATE Hart, a resident at an old people’s home in Bearsted, has died aged 107, her son David has disclosed.


Izzy’s call-up MP’s Local Plan bid


HELEN Whately asked the government to halt the borough’s housing scheme.


Bishop Rose speaks Plans for Dr Nigel


TEENAGER Izzy Shelley, an In- victa Grammar pupil, has been called up to represent her country at hockey.


THE widow of GP Dr Nigel Minnet will walk the Grand Canyon for charity. 12


THE new Bishop of Dover has spoken for the first time about the role.


Mental hospital woe Jason Donovan date


THE former Neighbours star brings his show to the Hazlitt Theatre next May.


Postal service


POST Office staff did not allow a ramraid of the branch in Bearsted to stop it re- opening for Christmas.


Obituaries Obituaries


THE borough council has apolo- gised for its “unreliable” bin col- lection service in recent months.


à10 Bin collection ‘sorry’


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.


Parish Councils 34-35 Parishes à34-36


32à23 à32


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


Crime Reports 35 Crime Reports à36


A MUCH-loved newsagents’ shop, latterly run by Keith Var- ney, has shut in Lenham after 70 years; Malcolm Gallihawk has taken over the running of the Lorry Watch scheme in Leeds from mid-January; a lack of pub- lic presence at Harrietsham parish meetings was noted.


A VEHICLE was keyed in Bearsted; diesel was drained from a car parked in Sittingbourne Road, Detling; a house in Boxley was broken into and valuables taken; a trailer was stolen from a premises in Church Road, Otham.


Comment à46-47


WE STUDY the decline of the Cygnet Hospital which led to the death of a father by his son.


18 à8 4 à3 à5 3


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