downsmail.co.uk


Common sense key to living with virus


IN THE face of huge challenges presented by COVID-19, the resilience of our communities in Maidstone and The Weald has been inspiring. I am sure that same community spirit will help control the resurgence of the virus we are experiencing across the UK and, indeed, much of Europe.


In Maidstone, the current rate of infection is 35.5 per 100,000 people, compared with 17 in the last week of September. Alongside the national average of 117 we are low, but clearly there is no room for complacency. Fortunately, this increase has not translated into a rise in COVID-19 related admissions at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells hospitals, who are receiving one or two cases per day. At the end of last week, they were caring for four people with COVID-19 in total. This week the Government has announced a new three-tier approach to Coronavirus restrictions. Maidstone and The Weald is currently in Tier 1 (the least restrictive), requiring us to abide by rules on social distancing, adhering to the rule of six and the 10pm curfew on hospitality venues. These restrictions represent an appropriate balance between controlling the virus and allowing as much of our economy as possible to continue to function. We must learn to live alongside this virus because, even with the prospect of a vaccine and further therapeutic drugs on the horizon,


By Helen Grant MP for


Maidstone & the Weald


it is likely to be with us for some time to come. A further crucial element of our health protection is maintaining continued access to NHS treatments, such as cancer diagnostics and treatments.


I congratulate Maidstone and Tunbridge


Wells NHS Trust for their efforts in returning towards last year’s levels for this area of healthcare as well as elective operations. This has required the scheduling of extra outpatient appointments in the evenings and at weekends. At Pembury hospital, a separate Critical Care Unit for COVID-19 patients has been created. This ensures clinicians can care for Coronavirus patients safely, but still maintain as much outpatient activity as possible. The months ahead are likely to remain challenging for many of us, but our community spirit and common sense will help us to control the virus and allow our NHS and our economy to remain open for business.


A testing time for parents


THE Kent Test, once the 11+, is upon us once more. What happens if your child fails? What happens if your first-choice secondary is over- subscribed? It can be a stressful time for parents. Between May and July every year, around


3,000 school appeal hearings take place in Kent, as families seek to change the schools to which their children were allocated. By way of illustration, 10 secondary schools in the Maidstone area held appeals, as follows. Appeals 79


Invicta GS


Maidstone GS 64 MGGS


Oakwood Park The Malling Sch


5


81 80 13


Maplesden Noakes 42 St Augustine


St Simon Stock 12 Sch Science & Tech 8 Valley Park


4


Upheld 22 18 61 46 7 0 0 0 0 4


By Peter Read Kent’s leading


education commentator


% Upheld 28% 28% 69% 58% 54% 0% 0% 0% 0%


100%


(At Valley Park, a further 66 children who appealed were offered places in advance.) Coronavirus has affected appeals in two dif-


ferent ways. Previously, all cases were held face to face; in 2020 none were. All the schools in


Maidstone used a remote paper-based approach where panels looked at written evidence. Some non-selective schools argued to appeal


panels against admitting extra children, fore- seeing difficulties with social distancing. As a result, the success rate across Kent fell


from 24% to 15%. Valley Park, Kent’s most over- subscribed non-selective school for the second consecutive year, usually offers additional places after the additional allocations. Most grammar school appellants have to


argue the child is of grammar school ability, the success rate falling from 29% to 27%, but some schools were reluctant to expand to meet de- mand with, for example, the Oakwood Park Panel placing some appellants on a waiting list. You will find the history of appeal outcomes


for every Kent secondary school only at www.kentadvice.co.uk.


Opinion


official who, during a recent live virtual public meeting, forgot he was sharing his screen and typed a rather telling email to a developer. It read: “If you are watching, the deferral is a positive, in that they didn’t refuse on the issues. So, if we come back with clear details and sort the overlooking matter, then they have what they asked for.” Readers, for clarity, “they” appears to mean the elected representatives and “we” being the planning official and the applicant. An MBC spokesman said: “The email was displayed in error and did not form part of official information provided to the committee as part of the application. Regardless, the council is aware of the incident and is looking into it.” Oops.


I G


UITAR-strumming vicar Rev Mark Pavey is a man of God unafraid of thorny issues. Writing in the Leeds and Broomeld parish newsletter, he grasps the knotty conundrum of whether it is meet and right to add milk to tea before or after the infusion is poured. It caused a “bit of a stir” online, he condes, before disclosing that his decorous wife Tansye prefers milk rst while he is of the opposite persuasion.


IKE many devotees, the rst Twitter account I head for is that of Roger Gough, the Tory leader of Kent County Council, for his contribution to heady online debate. Among the eclectic mix of characters he follows are the telly chef Rosemary Shrager, classicist Mary Beard and Bill Clinton’s former squeeze, Monica Lewinsky.


L


HE charming Shellina Prendergast will be the Tory county council candidate in the rural east ward next May – but only just. I hear that attempts to deselect her succeeded but, after appeal, she went head to head with borough member Patrik Garten and narrowly won the nomination vote.


T T


M


UCH excitement in the home of Valerie Underdown, editor of the


Chart Sutton News, when she settled down with the crossword and a coffee. Without warning, through open double doors whooshed a sparrow pursued a toute vitesse by a sparrowhawk. After much commotion inside, the raptor was released and the hunted eventually persuaded to leave and ght another day.


Chin chin! 55


O some, time stands still in Bearsted and it is where I pick up the parish council’s latest outstanding newsletter – dated, er, August.


WILL not embarrass by naming the Maidstone Borough Council planning


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