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Woodland project ends fear of huge lorry park
TWO years ago, residents in Platts Heath feared their green enclave off the M20 was to be concreted over to make way for a post-Brexit lorry park. Now they have learned the site
will, in fact, be given over to a 300- acre woodland, having been bought by Forestry England. The sword of Damocles was
lifted by a recent Department for Transport (DfT) deal to buy a large site near Ashford for a freight and customs facility. Residents were aghast when
they discovered Highways Eng- land was looking to carry out ex- ploratory ecological work on land in the area. They feared the land would be
used as an Operation Stack over- flow, a means of stopping illegal parking but, more seriously, a 24- hour customs clearance house. Forestry England now plans a
diverse “wild land” and wood- land, to include the creation of
walking trails and cycle routes. Resident Kathy Hales said: “Peo-
ple in Platts Heath are thrilled. Forestry England were due to start planting this spring, but, sadly, coronavirus delayed all those plans.” Lesley Feakes, of the Lenham Ar-
chaeological Society, was another celebrating the “great news”. She said the area is rich in pre-
historic interest and has yielded significant Bronze Age finds. She has written to Forestry England with a view to further archaeology. County councillor and vocal
Resident Sally Alexander, left, and Cllr Shellina Prendergast at a protest meeting two years ago
critic of the lorry park idea, Shel- lina Prendergast, said: “I am de- lighted for the residents, who have had this thing hanging over them for two years. It is great news.” The Ashford site will not have to
clear the usual planning hurdles as the secretary of state has by-passed the local authority process using a “special development order”. Locals have expressed anger at
potential noise and air pollution. The site will, however, ease the
problems feared on the roads around Maidstone, had the Ash- ford solution not been found.
News Club boost
MAIDSTONE Lawn Tennis Club has been given the go-ahead to pull down its ageing, rotting club- house and build a larger one. The £45,000 project includes a
patio area for match teas for the 35-year-old club in Poplar Grove. Maidstone Borough Council’s planning committee approved the plan on July 2. The club has 200 adult and ju-
nior members and was named Kent Tennis Club of the Year 2019 by the county's lawn tennis asso- ciation.
MBC buy-up
MAIDSTONE Borough Council (MBC) has agreed to buy the lease- hold of 16 units at Park Wood in- dustrial estate in Maidstone for £1.9m. MBC, the freeholder, held an
emergency meeting on Monday (July 20) of the policy and re- sources committee who voted 12-2 in favour of securing the eight small and eight large units before they went to auction the next day. Tory members, Cllrs Patrik Garten and David Burton voted against. One member abstained.
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