Supermarket idea for M20 park and ride site

Transcription

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Supermarket idea for
M20 park and ride site
A PLAN to build a Waitrose supermarket on Maidstone’s doomed park
and ride site at Eclipse Park has been unveiled.
The £14m proposal would see a
29,000sqft store developed close to
the new Next shop near M20 Junction 7, bringing an anticipated 200
new jobs. The store would be more
than twice the size of the existing
13,000sqft Waitrose in Allington
Park, which the retailer says it is
committed to retaining.
Nick Yandle, chief executive of
Gallagher Group, the developer behind the proposal, said Maidstone
remains a key target for Waitrose,
who would have built a store in
nearby Newnham Court but for
Maidstone Council refusing Land
Securities’ application in June 2014.
He said: “The investment in a
Waitrose store is a sign of confidence in the borough. It will reinforce Junction 7’s importance as a
gateway to the Maidstone economy
and will attract further investment
and employment at Eclipse Park.”
News
TV show request
MORE than 20,000 people have
signed an online petition calling
for a Maidstone footballer
3
to host BBC’s Top Gear.
Shopping boost
WORK is to start on a major revamp of the historic Royal
5
Star Arcade, Maidstone.
Open space vision
A NEW cafe and visitors centre is
the key part of a project to
8
boost Mote Park.
Mr Yandle outlined the vision,
pictured, to Boxley parish councillors and residents ahead of a planning application due to be
submitted to Maidstone Council in
late February. He said the singlestorey building, next to the Towergate office block, would have a
simple and contemporary design,
in keeping with the surrounding retail and commercial units and
would feature Kentish ragstone.
The car park would provide 300
spaces, with two hours free parking
for customers. Replying to concerns
RSPCA centre manager retires
CHRISTINE Dooley has retired as
manager of the RSPCA’s Leybourne
Animal Centre in West Malling.
Christine (56), who opened the
Castle Way centre in 1996, has
helped to rescue, rehabilitate and
rehome about 35,000 animals in
that time.
She was previously deputy
manager of the charity’s
Southridge Centre in Potters Bar in
a career with the RSPCA spanning
30 years.
RSPCA spokesperson
Darren Parrish said: “The 6
YOUR LOCAL PROPERTY EXPERT
maidstone@martinco.com
01622 690290
February 2016 No. 226
23 Pudding Lane • Maidstone • Kent
about traffic problems, Mr Yandle
said that vehicles visiting the store
would be spread throughout the
day, whereas the park and ride traffic was condensed at peak times.
No new highways work would
be required, with shoppers using
the existing access by the Chiltern
Hundreds pub or the new junction
near the Next store.
The existing park and ride facility
closed on Saturday, February 6.
If the plan is approved, building
is expected to start in late 2016 with
the store opening early in 2018.
Age UK faces
budget cut
CORE services for the elderly are
under threat, Age UK Maidstone
has warned.
It follows a request to the organisation from KCC to cut its costs in
West Kent by £10,000 next year.
Age UK says it has not received a
real-term increase from KCC in six
years for the core services it provides Kent’s elderly residents and
already receives less per pensioner
than anywhere else in the country.
Age UK’s chief executive in
Maidstone, Paul Coles said: “We
have a good relationship with
KCC’s adult services and understand it has difficult decisions to
make to balance its budget, but we
are already the poor relation to
other voluntary service providers.
“We are a lean organisation, so
this request to trim our
funding needs further will 5
translate into the closure of
Kent’s Most Awarded Optician
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www.optometrists.co.uk
Youngsters concern
LOCAL playschemes could be
axed as the borough
council looks to cut costs. 10
Obituaries
22
POP icon David Bowie had an
interesting link to Maidstone.
Comment
Crime Reports
46-47
23
24
A BURGLAR alarm frightened off
raiders in Wateringbury.
Parish Councils 32-33
LORRIES were said to be leaving
fast-food litter in Birling; urgent
electrical work costing £1,600
was authorised for a clock in Eccles; a Ford television advert was
featuring Kings Hill; a councillor
in Mereworth called for the
parish precept to rise by 25%;
dog fouling was a nuisance in
Wateringbury; deer shooting
was causing concern in West
Peckham.
Town Talk
A LOTTERY grant of up to
£25,100 was awarded for All
Saints’ Church in Snodland.
For more details see Town Talk
in the central pages of this
month’s Downs Mail. The bimonthly independent magazine is dedicated to Snodland
and Halling residents.
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Malling February 2016
News
downsmail.co.uk
New hope for
cancer patients
GROUND-breaking technology to
diagnose lung cancer earlier is
being used by Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust – one of
only two acute trusts to offer the
service.
Doctors believe the electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy
(ENB) procedure will have a positive impact on survival rates and
patients’ quality of life.
The ENB equipment, which has
been funded by the Peggy Wood
Foundation, uses X-ray, CT or PET
scan images to create a three-dimensional roadmap that allows
doctors to guide catheters through
airways to diagnose and prepare
treatments for lung cancer.
The procedure requires patients
to be sedated, but explores deep
into the lungs, where nearly two
thirds of lesions are found, and
takes a biopsy. The process is far
less invasive than surgery and
means most patients can go home
the same day.
Consultant respiratory physician
Dr Syed Arshad Husain, the trust’s
lead on the new ENB service, said:
“Our trust is totally committed to
improving lung cancer outcomes.
This system aims to improve detection times and will have a positive
impact on survival rates and quality of life.”
Advertisement feature
Call for ‘Undateable’
Alex to host Top Gear
MORE than 20,000 people have
signed an online petition to have
Top Gear presenter Chris Evans
deposed by Maidstone footballer
Alex Martin.
Alex (22), who plays for Maidstone United’s disability football
team The Raiders, shot to fame last
year as one of the stars of Channel
4’s The Undateables.
But in a recent episode, he revealed his first love is for fast cars
– although he only drives a Vauxhall Corsa.
Alex, who is autistic, had never
had a date when he first appeared
on The Undateables in January
2015. He has since fallen for 21year-old Eloise from Surrey, and
both were featured last month enjoying a romantic break at his family’s holiday home in the Loire
Valley.
The petition was set up on
change.org by Jake Tasker, who
believes Alex would make a great
presenter for Top Gear. The show
returns to our screens in May, with
Radio 2 breakfast show broadcaster Evans at the helm.
There is speculation online that
Evans has been struggling with the
mantle he has inherited from the
show’s founder Jeremy Clarkson
with one commenter suggesting he
“can’t talk and drive at the same
time”.
However, this month the BBC
played its trump card by revealing
that former Friends star Matt
LeBlanc will co-host the show, in a
bid to appeal to a wider, transatlantic audience.
In the meantime, the online peti-
tion continues to gather momentum. One fan wrote: "Alex has a
natural talent and such charisma.
I'd love to watch him every week."
Another said: "Alex is a ledge."
Alex, a student at Hadlow College, says his dream car would be
the "Bugatti Veyron Supersport,
top speed 268 miles per hour,
nought to sixty in two point five
seconds".
Alex says his autism makes him
nervous around new people, particularly girls.
He said: “I start blushing, my
cheeks go red like a Ferrari then,
when it comes to doing the talking,
the words just don't want to come
out.”
Alex, from Halling, took Eloise
to Brands Hatch for their first date
and they have since been featured
out and about in West Malling.
He said the five years spent with
Maidstone United Raiders had
played a large part in boosting his
confidence. and the show even
more so.
The online petition is addressed
to bosses at the BBC, who have declined to comment.
downsmail.co.uk
01732 617557
3
News
downsmail.co.uk
Waterside Park
appeal rejected
THE High Court has thrown out
proposals to build an industrial
estate on land south of the M20
near Junction 8.
After last year’s public inquiry, in
which planning inspector Katie
Peerless upheld Maidstone Council’s decisions to reject Gallagher
Properties’ two Waterside Park applications, the company appealed.
However, High Court Judge Justice Collins upheld the council’s decisions. Craig Howell-Williams,
representng Gallagher, said being
near the motorway made the site
suitable for warehouses, despite
one of the prospective occupants,
ADL, finding alternative premises
for its relocation from Marden.
Bearsted and Thurnham Society’s Mary Richards said: “It is particularly heartening to see that
when MBC councillors have the
courage to reject planning applications that their officers wish them
to grant, and when that decision is
appealed, the planning inspectorate supports it.
“When that decision is subject to
judicial review and the High Court
upholds it, it shows that courageous decisions can win the day.”
In his summing up, the judge
mentioned the large amount of opposition to the applications.
Mrs Richards said: “The inspector hearing the Kent International
Gateway appeal several years ago
also commented on the volume of
public opposition, so it is clearly
worthwhile for the community to
make its views known in large
numbers in situations of this kind.”
The judge ordered Gallaghers to
pay £9,290 costs. The company had
21 days to decide if it wished to
issue a further appeal.
Mid Kent MP Helen Whately
said: “I have opposed this development since I was elected [in May
2015] – speaking against it was my
first official engagement.
“We need successful businesses
and jobs in Kent, but Junction 8 – so
close to Leeds Castle and the Kent
Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty – is not the right place.
“Development around Junction 8
will affect the landscape and particularly the AONB.”
Spade raider sent to jail
A BURGLAR who left his DNA on
spades used to break into his victims’ homes has been jailed for two
years and three months.
Nathan Norman (30), formerly of
Ewell Avenue, West Malling stole
thousands of pounds of jewellery
and electrical items after using the
tool to force his way in through the
patio doors of a property.
He pleaded guilty to two counts
of burglary at Maidstone Crown
Court.
The court heard how the house
containing the jewellery and electrical items, in the Police Station Road
area of West Malling, was broken
into by Norman on February 25, 2015.
The victim returned to find the property ransacked, with drawers pulled
out and items strewn across the floor in many of the rooms.
Norman had also attempted to break into a house in the Barming area
of Maidstone in October 2014 but had been unable to force his way in
through the back door.
On both occasions stolen spades had been left discarded in the back
gardens of the affected properties, providing forensic evidence linking Norman to the offences.
Speaking of the victims, Detective Constable Neil Buckle said: “Nathan
Norman demonstrated scant regard for their welfare when he selfishly targeted their homes and on one occasion rifled through valuables he had no
right to be anywhere near.
“The DNA found on the spades he used proved he was involved in both
offences, and I am pleased he is off the streets and behind bars where he
can cause no further harm to law-abiding members of the public.”
For more local news
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Arcade to get
major revamp
MAIDSTONE is about to undergo
some serious retail therapy.
Work is to start on a major revamp
of the Royal Star Arcade, which it is
hoped will breathe new life into the
High Street.
The arcade, which stands on the
site of the old Royal Star Hotel, has
had mixed fortunes, despite attracting top designer names because of its
prestigious location.
Created as a shopping mall in
1989, it retains much of the architectural splendour of the 16th-century
coaching inn. Manager Daniel Le
Beau said: “The arcade will be transformed into a beautiful, classicallystyled
shopping
experience
unmatched in the area, with the
atrium, given its undoubted beauty,
its crowning glory. We plan to focus
on a high quality blend of independent and niche retailers and complementary businesses for those who
enjoy a little bit of luxury.”
The arcade has two levels, providing 28 retail units including a cafe,
health food shop and other niche
outlets. The refurbishment includes
the removal of the bandstand stair-
case and redevelopment of the central rotunda.
Mr Le Beau said: “In its place we
will have a large covered area that
will provide ample dining space, as
well as the opportunity for seasonal
events that are simply not possible
anywhere else in Maidstone at the
moment.”
The original Star Hotel was a popular overnight stop for those travelling
between
London
and
Folkestone. The 19th century saw the
hotel get the royal seal of approval,
and the ‘royal’ prefix, after a visit by
a young Queen Victoria.
It is home to the Disraeli Balcony,
where Benjamin Disraeli made his
parliamentary acceptance speech
after being elected MP for Maidstone
in 1837. Mr Le Beau said the scheme
would draw on inspiration from the
Burlington Arcade in London and
the Royal Arcade in Norwich.
An announcement is expected
soon on plans for land at Maidstone
East railway station. Maidstone
Council has long been keen to see a
supermarket and housing on the site
but there have so far been no takers.
Age UK set for cut
Continued from page one
some services or more costs
being passed to our clients –
neither of which we want.”
Mr Coles said negotiations are
continuing with KCC, with a decision expected in the coming
weeks.
However, it is clear that there
will be no funding after July 2016
to continue Age UK’s befriending service that was started in
West Kent with Maidstone Mind.
Mr Coles said: “This attracted a
couple of hundred volunteers to
befriend or accompany elderly
people and those with mental
health issues in their home or on
day trips. Unfortunately, the success of this pilot is not the issue
here, but the county council’s resources to continue funding it.”
He said efforts were continuing
to fund the project from outside
sources. Mr Coles added: “Age
UK fills a large number of gaps in
the service provision for the elderly in West Kent and these talks
will need to look at what KCC
wants and what we can offer.
“If there is no flexibility in the
budget we will not be able to provide the same level of service.”
He said the organisation was
being forced to absorb the cost of
setting up staff pensions and the
implications of the living wage.
KCC part funds voluntary
groups to help in areas such as
adult social care services, which
has a £9.5m budget. A spokesman
said: “Due to well-publicised
cuts to local authority budgets,
we have had to look again at how
much we fund voluntary organisations and as a result have written to all 98, including Age UK.
“We have asked if they could
reduce the amount of funding
they require, and many have
agreed to do this.”
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RSPCA boss
stands down
Continued from page 1
RSPCA is incredibly grateful
for all the hard work
Christine has put in for the
charity. She will be sorely
missed.
“Few people in life can
truly retire knowing they
have made a difference, but
Christine should be proud to
say that her working life was
devoted to making a
difference to the hundreds of
animals she has helped
during her career.
“She has been a great
mentor to many staff
members, including me. I and
two others now manage our
own centres after having
worked with Christine, and in
this way she will continue to
contribute to animal welfare
for a long time to come.”
Mrs Dooley, who has lived
on site, worked alongside her
husband Mike – the centre’s
official photographer. She is
now looking forward to
spending some quality time
with her family.
The charity hopes to
appoint a replacement
manager in the coming weeks.
Developer to stand down
as bridge work progresses
DEVELOPER Trenport has confirmed that it will step back later
this year from construction at Peters Village, Wouldham on the
bank of the River Medway.
The scheduled move reflects the
good progress that has been made
on the new road bridge.
The project means the return of a
river crossing near Snodland – the
banks were temporarily linked at
that point by a Bailey bridge during
World War II.
Trenport director Chris Hall said:
“Major infrastructure works on Peters Village by ourselves and our
onsite contractor BAM Nuttall will
have been completed by late summer this year and have gone
smoothly and to schedule.”
However, the remaining work
does include some of the biggest elements in the creation of the 1,000home community. The largest of
these is the new road bridge which
is due to open to traffic in late August and will link with the Snodland-Halling roundabout.
A second bridge, spanning the
north-south rail line between the
The bridge
over the River
Medway,
linking the
proposed
Peters Village
and
Snodland
river and the A228, is one of the last
elements to be put in place.
Trenport’s project manager Paul
Morris said: “There is an ageing
brick and steel bridge over the railway, built simply for access when
the old cement industry was active,
but inadequate for a modern day
road link carrying the sort of volumes needed here.
“However, with the train
timetable taking priority, windows
of opportunity for building a replacement were few, but BAM Nuttall now has an agreed programme
with Network Rail and has started
building embankments and boring
01622 902005
6
holes for piled foundations needed
to bear the new rail bridge. Work
should then be completed at about
the same time as the Medway
crossing and allow demolition of
the old bridge over the railway.
Both new bridges will include footways and cycleways.”
The first housebuilder Bellway
came on site in January and has
begun construction. Other housebuilders who will be taking up further phases are expected to be
announced shortly.
Building of Peters Village is expected to be completed in about
2024.
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New cafe boost to Mote Park
AN “iconic” cafe and visitors centre is set to be built as part of a
£3.96m bid to improve Maidstone’s Mote Park.
Maidstone Council’s policy and
resources committee agreed to the
capital investment, which would
see the new £2.5m cafe managed
in-house and repositioned for
views of the lake. The existing cafe,
which, as well as the public toilets,
was most criticised by a recent residents’ survey, would be removed.
A design competition will be
held, with the council confident
that notable architects will be keen
to create a high-quality building
Skate park is set to be removed
containing four times more floorspace than the existing cafe.
Cllr Annabelle Blackmore, leader
of the Conservative group, said:
“To have a brand new iconic building for a cafe really will help to put
Maidstone on the map, especially
Bid for flag
MAIDSTONE is hoping to raise the
Purple flag for another year.
The accreditation for the quality
of the twilight and night-time economy was awarded to the town two
years ago. Five major pubs and
clubs have since closed, but there
are more restaurants.
Maidstone town centre change
co-ordinator Ilsa Butler said:
“There has been a growth in the
night-time economy but it reflects
the change in tastes and demand.”
The town was due to submit its
application by the end of January.
for future events.”
Also included in the plan is a
£790,000 adventure zone, new
maintenance area, new paths and
formalised overspill parking areas
to accommodate up to 350 more vehicles. There will be at least two
separate toilet blocks.
However, the scheme will see the
permanent removal of the skate
park, though officers are to investigate an alternative site in the park.
Cllr John Perry said: “Skate parks
exist very happily in rural areas
and are very popular. I would like
to keep a skate park somewhere because it is a well-used facility.”
One option could be to install a
skate park near the leisure centre.
Officers believe the research
behind the plan – entitled “A sustainable future for Mote Park” –
will “maximise operational and
commercial opportunities” at the
park.
Councillors heard that progress
had been made by bringing the
management of the cafe back inhouse and through the impending
introduction of parking charges.
A consultant has been appointed
to prepare and submit a planning
application for the adventure zone
on the council’s behalf.
plan
Firewalk to boost hospice fund Library
KCC PLANS to save £150,000 by
THE Heart of Kent Hospice is inviting people to walk across hot
coals to raise money for the charity.
The hospice has 100 places for budding firewalkers to take the 5m
stroll across coals that can reach up to 650C.
The fire walk takes place in Jubilee Square, Maidstone at 7pm on
Friday March 4, and is managed by a highly experienced team for
whom the safety of the walkers is the top priority.
Entry is limited to those aged over 18 and the entry fee is £25, with
a minimum sponsorship requirement of £100.
To book a place, call fundraising on 01622 790195 or go to
www.hokh.org.
For more local news www.downsmail.co.uk
reducing mobile library stops.
The county council wants to cut
the least-used of the 651 stops
made by the 11 mobile libraries to
reduce its £367,000 annual outlay.
Analysis showed that 368 stops
had an average of two visitors or
fewer. The proposed routes will see
more than half the stops increasing
their stopping time and the service
moving to a Tuesday-Saturday
schedule.
See how stops could affect you at
www.kent.gov.uk/consultations.
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Playschemes at
risk due to cuts
CHILDREN’s playschemes in
Tonbridge and Malling could be
axed as the borough council looks
for savings of £60,000 in the activities it runs for youngsters during
the school holidays.
Cutbacks were proposed by the
council’s overview and scrutiny
committee following a review of the
authority’s three main holiday programmes – Activate, Y2 Crew and
the Summer Playscheme.
Last summer, Activate provided
about 200 youngsters with activities, and there were 1,416 attendances at the borough’s 12 Summer
Playscheme centres.
The council currently operates
both schemes but would withdraw
from directly providing them, saving £15,000 from the Activate
budget and £47,000 from the
playschemes, which cost £120,000.
Other groups or companies would
be sought to take over the running
of the schemes, with the council
providing £3,000 to support Activate and £18,000 for the Summer
Playscheme.
Concessions could be kept for less
fortunate families to use the priva-
tised schemes and the council could
continue to provide play sessions in
East Malling, Snodland and Trench
ward, Tonbridge in 2016 if no one
comes forward to run them.
The council would maintain its
support of £1,700 a year for the Y2
Crew programme, subject to other
partners continuing financial contributions. The project provides activities for young people with more
challenging behaviours.
The council needs to make savings of £1.4million in its 2016/17
budget with additional potential
cuts of £700,000 now having to be
identified.
Higher admission charges for
each child were considered but it
was felt that the activities would be
too expensive.
Cllr Allan Sullivan, chairman of
the overview and scrutiny committee, said the council faced difficult
decisions through no fault of its
own and could leave no stone unturned when it came to making savings.
The proposals were due to go before the council’s cabinet after the
Downs Mail went to press.
Pupils’ boost for wildlife
PUPILS from Kings Hill helped to create wildlife havens in the nature
conservation area on the development.
The youngsters, who attend the new Valley Invicta Primary School,
heaped woodland debris into mounds for hedghogs to hibernate in
and made stone-lined hollows where lizards and slow worms can find
insects as
food and
bask on
warmer days.
They also
had an
opportunity
to explore the
World War II
pillbox in the
conservation
area which
provides a
home for
animals and
insects.
Susan
Davies, Kings
Hill estate manager, said: “Many of the children are fairly new to
Kings Hill and so it was lovely to be able to show them parts of the
development they may not have seen before and for them to learn
more about the habitats on their doorstep. They worked really hard
and the habitats they have created will be so important for the
wildlife. They enjoyed seeing the fruits of their labour and I hope
they will continue to visit the site to see how things are going.”
Headteacher Sarah Bone said: “Our aim is to enrich the curriculum
by learning outside the classroom. It has been a wonderful
opportunity for the children to learn more about nature and
appreciate the environment they live in as well as seeing how they
can help animals and insects.”
BEANEYS
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11
News
downsmail.co.uk
More time to
save surgery
A VILLAGE GP surgery under
threat of closure has been given a
six-month reprieve.
Residents in East Peckham have
been fighting to save the branch
surgery in Old Road after consultation on its future began in December. The service is run as a satellite
by Paddock Wood-based Woodlands Health Centre where patients
from East Peckham would have to
visit for appointments if it closed.
The campaign was backed by
Tonbridge and Malling MP Tom
Tugendhat and East Peckham
Parish Council. More than 600 supporters signed an online petition to
save the surgery.
The NHS has now sent a letter to
the practice, agreeing to postpone
the process for six months to give
the parish council time to find
money to bring the premises up to
its required standard so that the
lease can be renewed.
NHS England (South East) senior
contracts manager David Selling
wrote: “It is with reluctance we
find ourselves in the position, as it
formally stands today, that we
would have little option to accept
the application to close as I understand there are no alternative sites
the practice can identify. However,
we note East Peckham Parish
Council is potentially offering to
support the practice with the funding of improvements to get the
premises into a condition whereby
a new lease could be offered. Thus,
NHS England would like to delay
the process of closure for up to six
months.”
He emphasised the NHS did not
have any funding for the work but
hoped the doctors could come to an
arrangement with the parish council and the landlord.
The parish council and GP practice are negotiating the extension of
the lease with the landlord. Consideration was being given to
whether modifying the building
was possible, perhaps with parish
council money, anonymous donations, crowdfunding and fundraising. The parish council would also
look at alternatives such as the conversion of changing rooms at the
Jubilee Hall or use of its land.
Leap in memory of sister
STEPHEN Brown is planning an adrenaline-fuelled tribute to the sister he
never knew.
The 20-year-old from Leybourne will be making a 10,000ft parachute
jump for the charity that supported his parents after the death of his
sister Helena, who would have been 25 this year.
Stephen says: “I
want to raise money
for charity and
achieve a life goal
before the scary age
of 21 and decided to
do this for Soft UK.
“Soft UK was a new
charity at the time of
Helena’s birth, and
provided support and
guidance for my
parents. It’s Soft
UK’s 25th anniversary in May, so I aim to raise as much as possible in
Helena’s memory.”
Helena was born in 1991 with the rare genetic disorder Edward’s
Syndrome. She was less than six months old when she died.
Speaking ahead of his challenge, on March 26, Stephen. who is
pictured with his family, said: “I will be very excited to get up there.
People have been very kind and I would like to thank anyone who has
donated. It's something that I won’t forget and something that I am
proud to achieve.”
He also has the full backing of his proud parents, Sue and David, and
Soft UK. The charity’s development manager Kirsty Bassett said: “We
are so grateful to Stephen for taking on such a brave personal challenge.
We know that support for siblings is an important part of Soft’s work
and with Stephen’s help we will be able to reach even more children
across the UK – children who have to cope with the death of their
brother or sister.”
Back Stephen at mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/stephenbrownskydive.
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12
13
News
downsmail.co.uk
Council to find
£1.9m savings
TONBRIDGE and Malling Council
has identified the need to make
savings of £1.9million in the next
five years.
Controversial proposals to the
council’s cabinet include cutting
more than £60,000 from summer
play schemes and a review of parking charges in West Malling.
Council leader Nicolas Heslop
said the council had always taken
measured steps in how it delivered
services but had thought that the
revenue support grant from the
Government would not be taken
away until 2019. The council had
now learned that it would be removed a year earlier. Combined
with the reform of the business
rates, Tonbridge and Malling will
get 65% less in Government support, equating to £2.4million.
West Malling Parish Council has
called for the proposed introduction of parking charges in the High
Street car park to be delayed for six
months to allow time to work on alternative options. An online petition against the scheme had more
than 3,300 signatures and another
300 were collected at the farmers’
market.
The proposals were due to go before the cabinet after the Downs
Mail went to press.
Takeover set to rescue
crop research company
EAST Malling Research has been
saved from potential administration after a takeover by another
leading crop research institute.
The company, which made losses
of more than £1.5m last year, has
become part of the National Institute of Agricultural Botany (NIAB),
based in Cambridge.
Despite its high scientific reputation, there had been concerns for
the survival of East Malling Research (EMR) for several years after
the loss of government support.
Its rescue, for an undisclosed
sum, means the new organisation
can create a major centre for applied
crop science and innovation.
Founded in 1913, fruit research
specialist EMR employs 85 people.
The huge site was recently included
in Tonbridge and Malling Council’s
call for development sites, raising
fears that the prime agricultural
land and laboratories would be replaced by housing.
Giving a cautious welcome to the
merger, KCC and borough Cllr
Trudy Dean said: “Hopefully, this
is good news for EMR if it safe-
Dr Tina Barsby and David Neill, chief operating officer of EMR (right)
guards the future of this 500-acre
site of prime agricultural land for
continuing with its internationally
admired and valued research.
“Many people locally have
worked on the fields, greenhouses
and labs at ‘the Research’ and will
be hoping that this announcement
means its proud reputation of employing the top scientists and practitioners will be continued. We need
to hear quickly from NIAB about its
plans for the site.”
The NIAB group said the combined organisation, employing
more than 300 staff and with a
turnover of £22 million, would pro-
vide long-term stability, scale and
capacity for investment in crop science.
A spokesman said: “NIAB EMR
will be established as a whollyowned subsidiary of NIAB and will
continue to operate from the existing site at East Malling.”
Chief executive of the combined
organisation, Dr Tina Barsby said:
“The move creates a potent new
force in independent applied research, bringing together the scientific expertise required to support
progressive crop production at all
levels, and represents a major step
forward in NIAB’s plans.”
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downsmail.co.uk
Decision on picnic site delayed
PROTESTORS have won a reprieve for Blue Bell Hill picnic site after a plan to dispose of the
popular viewpoint caused a huge backlash.
Kent County Council wanted to
outsource the running of the site to
save money, as part of a wider proposal involving five of the smaller
country parks in its ownership, including The Larches in Pilgrims
Way, Detling.
However, after a storm of protest
including an online petition with
more than 6,800 signatures, and
complaints about the lack of consultation, the county council
agreed to suspend the process. It
will now review the proposal in
the coming months.
Support for the campaign came
from the families, friends and former colleagues of the crew who
lost their lives in the Kent Air Ambulance crash on the nearby hillside in 1998. It emerged that the
memorial stone (pictured) at the
site also marks the place where the
three men were buried.
Rachel Darby, whose father
Mark died in the accident, said:
Lier target
for volunteers
LITTER pickers in Allington
expect to clear their 1,000th bag
of rubbish as part of a special
drive ahead of the Queen’s
birthday.
The Allington Alligators
have lined up Clean for the
Queen litter picks on March 5
and 6, and is hoping the community will join in.
The litter-picking volunteers
organised by April Lambourne
began their clean-up crusade
in 2000 and meet monthly on a
Sunday morning.
The group, which uses litter
bags that are emptied by Maidstone Council, also works in
conjunction with the Medway
Valley Partnership.
The Clean for the Queen litter picks will last about 90
minutes. The March 5 picks
will meet at Giddyhorn Lane
Rec, off Poplar Grove, at 10am
and the top of Castle Road,
near the traffic-lights, at 2pm.
On March 6 pickers will meet
at the Topnotch Gym at the retail park, London Road, at
10am and Allington Community Centre in Castle Road at
2pm.
Equipment and a safety talk
will be provided.
For details, email April or
Mike Lambourne at mike.lambourne@btinternet.com and
april.lambourne@btinternet.co
m or call 01622 763553.
“It’s not public knowledge that
they were placed under that stone,
but I think now it needs to be made
aware that this isn’t just a stone but
their grave. It’s a place for us as
family and friends to mourn and
celebrate their heroic actions. I really don’t think this has been
thought through.”
Her mother Susan, called the
plan “outrageous and without consultation; unforgiveable”, and
called for support to “protect this
beautiful site”.
Aylesford MP Tracey Crouch,
also expressed concern, saying
there was “little notice or no consultation on this with interested
parties including myself.”
The park is within the Kent
Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and is managed by Kent
Wildlife Trust.
A spokesman for KCC said: “We
fully appreciate the environmental
significance of these sites and that
they are highly valued by local
communities and those who are involved with them.
“Our over-riding intention is to
see all these sites retained as open
spaces with existing public access
maintained, and it is within this
context that we will be looking to
explore with stakeholders what
opportunities there may be to ensure that these sites continue to be
enjoyed by members of the public
in a more cost-effective way.
“We look forward to discussing
this further with local stakeholders
and groups such as the Kent
Wildlife Trust in due course to explore what may be possible.”
Former leader of Tonbridge and
Malling
Council,
David
Thornewell said: “I am glad the
process of disposing of this wellloved site on the Downs has been
suspended. I was a borough councillor at the time when KCC acquired it so this downland site
could be open to the public and
provide a viewpoint from the top
of the Downs.
“At that time they were proud of
their achievement. Most of the
North Downs are wooded or
farmed so unlike the South Downs,
there are few places where there is
public open space grassland where
people can enjoy the view.
“I know KCC says it is a ‘small’
site, but the volume of objections
show how much people value this
unique site. It should be kept as a
public space.”
Village’s last pub calls time on drinkers
DITTON has lost its last remaining
pub after the Kentish Quarryman in
New Road closed its doors for good.
Owner Shepherd Neame said it
had no plans to reopen the public
house which has had a chequered
history.
The property was formerly the
village working men’s club which
was turned into a pub in 2008 with
a £200,000 refurbishment by the
brewery. This development and a
bid to extend licensing hours caused
controversy with residents raising
concerns about potential anti-social
behaviour. The pub suffered a
further setback when it was
targeted by arsonists.
Although Cobdown Sports and
Social Club in Station Road and
Ditton Community Centre in Kiln
Barn Road have bars, the
Quarryman was the village’s last
pub.
Call for assault witnesses
POLICE are appealing for witnesses after a woman suffered injuries to
her face and arm during an alleged assault in Aylesford.
Officers want to hear from anyone who saw the mother – who was with
her three children – in an altercation with a man driving a Land Rover in
Hall Road at 5.39pm on Saturday, January 30.
It is understood that the woman got out of the 4x4, which subsequently
hit her, before she was forced to get back inside. The family were then
driven off towards the junction with the A20 London Road and the
Quarry Wood Industrial Estate. It is understood that the driver is known
to the family. He is about 6ft 1in tall, white and of stocky build. He has
short, dark brown spiked hair and hazel eyes.
DC Leanne Carter, the investigating officer, said: “There were a number of people in the area at the time and I am keen to hear from them.
“Any piece of information, no matter how small you may consider it to
be, could help us investigate this case.”
Anyone with information is urged to call 01622 604100, quoting reference YY/2245/16, or Kent Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.
A Shepherd Neame spokesman
said that once it was established
that a pub could not work
financially, the owner was legally
required to stop leasing it out. He
said: “The decision to close the pub
was not taken lightly, but it had not
been economically viable for some
time.”
Tonbridge and Malling Cllr Ben
Walker said the site had real
potential to be an asset to the
community, so it was hoped that
positive inquiries would be made in
the future. Meanwhile he would
keep a close eye on the site to
ensure that it did not become an
area of neglect.
Time for lunch
A SENIOR lunch club meets at The
Dorcas Centre, Swallow Road,
Larkfield from 11am to 1.30pm
every Thursday.
Light activities and food are on
offer for a minimum donation of
£4. Free door-to-door transport
may be available within Larkfield,
Leybourne, East and West Malling
and Kings Hill areas.
This is a Dynamic Future Together project in partnership with
Churches Together in Malling.
To book a place and transport,
call 07434150922. Volunteers and
drivers are needed – please call to
apply.
15
News | Health
downsmail.co.uk
Hospital sue threat over death
THE family of a young mother who died following an emergency caesarean operation are expected
to sue Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust.
Offham Primary School teacher
Frances Cappuccini (30) died of a
heart attack within hours of giving
birth to her second son, Giacomo,
in October 2012.
Criminal charges against the
trust and against its consultant
anaesthetist Dr Errol Cornish were
dismissed by a crown court in London in January.
However, the family is now free
to take civil action for damages
against the trust, which they believe is responsible for her death.
had been admitted by the MaidA pre-inquest review, held in No- stone and Tunbridge Wells NHS
vember 2013 heard that liability Trust.
Another look
at cancer fight
THE CCG is considering setting up a
specialist committee to improve the
local battle against cancer after a report of a gap in outcomes compared
with other EU countries.
Some key needs already identified include more endoscopy and
imaging provision and better GP
education.
One concern is late diagnosis due
to patients presenting late with
symptoms.
One change under consideration
is that nurse practitioners should
be authorised to request patient radiology tests in addition to GPs.
Cancer waiting times in the
area now exceed the standard 62day waits.
KCC concern
THE GP-led NHS West Kent
Clinical Commissioning Group
(CCG) is seeking closer consultation with the county council
after KCC proposals for
changes in funding health services such as health visitors and
nicotine replacement.
The CCG is concerned that
the new health visitor specification is “much narrower in
scope, with some omissions.”
The CCG is seeking clarification
from KCC about the specification and says “it should not be
assumed the CCG would be
able to fund elements omitted
from the specification.”
Nurse shortage
LATEST figures show a worsening
picture of nurse vacancies across
the Maidstone and Tunbridge
Wells hospital trust, up from 7.6%
to 10.7%, equating to 482 fulltimers. There is still a reliance on
agency and locum staff. Staff
turnover runs at more than 10%.
16
However, Mr Justice Peter Coulson QC ruled that, while the trust
had admitted its care fell short of
expected standards, mistakes did
not constitute crime.
The trust made legal history
when it became the first NHS Trust
to face a charge of corporate
manslaughter. But Mr Justice Coulson dismissed the trial at the Inner
London Crown Court and also the
charges against Dr Cornish.
Dr Nadeem Azeez, another doctor involved in the case, was not on
trial as he was no longer in the
country. Now Mrs Cappuccini’s
family are expected to seek a civil
settlement, accusing the trust of
being liable for her death.
A spokesman for London-based
lawyers Kingsley Napley, which is
representing the Cappuccini family, said: "The family has no further
comment to make at this sensitive
time.”
Mrs Cappuccini, pictured, suffered severe bleeding and never regained consciousness after the
operation to deliver her son.
The trust was accused of failing
to check that the doctors were
properly qualified.
New scheme to tackle diabetes
MAJOR changes in diabetes care
are planned by the CCG – a ‘key
priority’ due to the predicted rise in
prevalence.
It says the current pathway for
care is fragmented with services
provided by different organisations
– hospitals, GP practices and in the
community with no over-arching
care planning.
“Successful management of patients requires a whole-system ap-
proach with support for self-care
and care in the community as key
elements.”
It proposes a new model be provided by both current local secondary and primary care providers to
maximise local knowledge; ensure
access to complete patient records
and minimise delays; reduction in
prescribed drugs; and to reduce
duplication of time, tests and information.
When things go wrong...
MAIDSTONE and Tunbridge Wells hospital trust reported a specimen collection bag had been left inside a patient undergoing surgery – and later
removed back in the theatre.
A BABY admitted with non-accidental injuries was sent home from hospital prior to receipt of results of an expert opinion. This revealed multiple
fractures that could only have been sustained through excessive force. The
baby and twin sibling are now in foster care and the parents were arrested.
The CCG would like to see a
comprehensive obesity strategy,
improved early detection and
greater capacity and capability in
primary care. The aims include reduction in average years of life lost
due to type two diabetes from six
to four within 10 years and from 15
to 12 years in type one diabetes.
Diabetes patients are more
likely to have a heart attack or
stroke.
Stroke fears
THE CCG is to meet the local NHS
trust to discuss under-achievement
in its stroke service, which “has
made significant improvements recently but, in common with many
similar services across the country,
still struggles to meet all the recognised quality standards”.
G4S transport Radiotherapy staff awards
NON-emergency NHS transport
will be provided in Kent and Medway by a different operator – G4S –
from July 1. It was given the contract
after “consistently showing a great
understanding for the needs of the
customer.” It will take over from
NSL, which had difficulties in the
early stages of the current contract.
New surgery?
THE CCG is considering the case to
move the Stockett Lane surgery in
Coxheath to a purpose-built GP
premises. The practice has outgrown the current building and
problems are expected to escalate
with the rise in population.
The have nots
RESIDENTS of West Kent live
longer than in the rest of Kent. But
those in deprived areas – mainly in
Maidstone – can live about 13 years
less than in more affluent areas.
RADIOTHERAPY staff in the Kent Oncology Centre, divided between the
hospitals in Maidstone and Canterbury, have won two awards.
Christine Richards, head of radiotherapy services for Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust, was named South East Radiographer of the Year
by the Society of Radiographers (SoR) and the radiotherapy treatment department as a whole won South East Radiography Team of the Year.
Christine’s award noted her tireless fight to promote the therapeutic radiographer profession both at a local level and nationally, as well as her enthusiasm and innovative approach.
One comment from a patient was included in the team’s award citation. It read: “The reception staff were friendly, helpful and professional.
Radiographers – professional, extremely helpful and liaised with doctors to
present a seamless service. Excellent.”
downsmail.co.uk
News
Leing train
take the strain
FIGURES show a significant rise
in the number of people using
trains across the region.
Latest statistics from the Office of
Rail and Road show sharp increases in journeys to and from all
of the area’s stations for the year to
March 2015, with only Yalding
showing a dip in rail passengers.
The data offers no suggestions
for the rise in rail use in our region,
indicating only “local event traffic”
as the possible reason for reversing
the previous year’s decline at Beltring station – still the least used
station in the area, with an average
37 commuters a day.
In spite of the combined increases across Maidstone’s three
town centre stations and at West
Malling, the number of rail users
still falls nearly a million short of
Tonbridge station, which remains
the busiest in the region, with more
than four million users a year.
The Estimates of Station Usage,
for all stations in Great Britain, is
available on the ORR website at
www.orr.gov.uk/statistics/published-stats/station-usage-
estimates.
Figures for other stations in our
region (with the previous year’s
figure in brackets) include:
Aylesford 115,906 (112,666)
Barming 129,926 (127,656)
Bearsted 396,840 (391,478)
Beltring 13,502 (11,890)
Headcorn 612,206 (607,386)
Hollingbourne 46,554 (42,854)
Lenham 108,194 (103,782)
Maidstone East 1,358,356
(1,339,752)
Maidstone West 843,268 (831,718)
Maidstone Barracks 270,645
(266,938)
Marden 480,498 (459,402)
Staplehurst 888,016 (848,158)
West Malling 782,090 (760,292)
Yalding 21,604 (22,542)
The estimates of station usage
consist of the total number of people travelling to or from the station
(entries and exits); and interchanging at the station.
The figures are based on ticket
sales. Single and return tickets
translate into one and two journeys
respectively.
M20 cameras catch drivers
DRIVERS need to take their feet
off the gas when travelling on
the M20 outside Maidstone.
Speed cameras clicked a total
of 3,367 motorists exceeding the
70mph limit coastbound between J4 near Leybourne and J7
near Bearsted in 2014, which
helped make the borough the
second most ticketed in Kent.
With 1,160 tickets issued as a result of camera action southbound
on
the
A249
Sittingbourne Road (Detling
Hill), 933 southbound on Sutton
Road towards Langley and 375
from cameras on the A20 London Road, the total number of
tickets issued in Maidstone during the year was 5,800 – 1,200
more than in the previous year.
The figures are inflated for
Detling Hill as the southbound
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for 2014 represent a full year of
operation and are not directly
comparable with the previous
year. Similarly, during 2013
cameras on part of the Maidstone section of the M20 were
not fully operational. Kent and
Medway Safety Camera Partnership revealed the figures.
Kent’s busiest speed camera
was at the Dartford Tunnel approach, which clocked 7,637 vehicles. The M20 cameras were
second busiest.
Easter debut for choral work
MAIDSTONE Choral Union is setting the scene for Easter with a
special performance of Stainer’s
“The Crucifixion”.
The performance, on Saturday
March 12, at All Saints’ Church,
Maidstone will be followed by a
new work by composer David Pennant, Stainer’s great-grandson.
“The Resurrection” sits comfortably in the same format as The
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choir, soloists’ passages (for the
risen Christ and for Mary Magdalen) and hymns for the audience.
It will be the first public performance of this interesting composition, which is 35 minutes long.
The evening begins at 7.30pm
and tickets can be purchased at
the door.
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17
News
downsmail.co.uk
New care home will
house ex-servicemen
A PLAN to demolish a 38-bed care home in Larkfield and redevelop the
site with a new three-storey block of apartments has been approved.
Abbeyfield Kent Society has won
permission from Tonbridge and
Malling Council for the scheme at
Martin’s Square. The housing complex will replace the existing
Abbeyfield residential care home.
All 41 residents have moved to new
accommodation, the last leaving in
December, and some of the 44 staff
were found new positions at other
Abbeyfield homes. The rest have
lost their jobs, but 100 new roles are
expected to be created with the development.
The new scheme will provide 74
extra care units, of which 20 will be
for ex-servicemen. There will be 52
one-bedroom units and 22 two-bedroom units for shared ownership or
affordable rent. The apartments will
be available only to over-55s who
have a care need.
Communal facilities will include
24/7 staffing presence, a nurse-call
system, restaurant, sun room, activ-
ity and training room, therapy and
hairdressing, assisted bathrooms
and two landscaped gardens. There
will be 35 parking bays and eight
spaces for cycle storage.
The charity said it had been
forced to close the home as it was
no longer viable due to cuts in KCC
funding; also, the facilities, including shared bathrooms and toilets,
were outdated and upgrading
would not be feasible. There was
now a demand for homes where
people could be independent with
support from carers.
Leon Steer, chief executive of the
Abbeyfield Kent Society, said: “The
charity has been providing accommodation and care for older people
in Kent for nearly 50 years and
Larkfield, like all communities in
Kent, will be experiencing a substantial increase in the numbers of
older people needing long-term
permanent care in the coming
years.
“This project will create two years
of development work and over 100
new jobs, relieving the suffering of
many very vulnerable people.”
Building is to start this summer
and be completed by March 2018.
Fringe benefits for six days
BANDS are in rehearsals for the
sixth Maidstone Fringe Festival,
set to run for six days across the
May bank holiday weekend.
Celebrating the diversity of new
and original music in Kent and the
South East, the festival will feature
live performances at venues including The Style & Winch, Earls,
The Druids Arms, The Flowerpot,
The Source Bar, Drakes, The White
Horse, The Art Lounge, Pizza Express, The Royal Albion and The
Pilot. Incorporated within the festival are a number of all-day
events and dance all-nighters, as
well as family-friendly entertainment at many of the town centre’s
cafes and coffee shops. Much of
the music will be free.
Among the businesses supporting this year’s Fringe Festival,
from April 27 to May 2, is Clive
Emson Auctioneers, which has
come on board as the major
sponsor.
Artists confirmed so far include
Coco And The Butterfields, Nick
Harper and Gentlemen Of Few,
new blues acts Salvation Jayne and
Flawless Carbon, alongside established favourites such as David
Migden & The Twisted Roots,
Funke & The 2 Tone Baby and
indie/alternative artists Theatre
Royal, We Are Bandicoot, Jody’s
Flat, Aux and Upcdownc. Flying
the flag for folk and acoustic music
will be The Dredgermen, Tobys
Starks & Friends and Vaughan
Batchelor, along with a huge ska
and reggae event at The Source
Bar, featuring Winston Francis,
Dennis Bovell, and Carl St Clair.
Visit www.maidstonefringe.com.
Water staff lauded for 25 years’ service
TWO employees of Snodland-based
South East Water have received
awards after 25 years working for
the company.
Mick Bryant and Mike Masters
were among 17 staff presented with
certificates and gifts for their long
service.
After starting work as an apprentice garage mechanic, before moving to a farm in East Farleigh, Mick
needed job security and applied for
a labourer’s post at Mid Kent Water.
He has since worked in several departments including on the first
household free water mains.
Now a distribution technician,
Mick said: “Things are much more
customer focused than they used to
18
Paul Butler (centre) presents the
awards to Mike Masters (left) and
Mick Bryant
be, with new technology converting
our vans into mobile offices.”
Mike’s career with Mid Kent Water
started 32 years ago when he joined
from school as an apprentice
plumber. He left in 1989 to become
self-employed, but returned to the
company as an area inspector. Now
a leakage technician, he recalls seeing some spectacular burst water
pipe fountains, including one in
1991, during KCC roadworks near
Roydon Hall at Seven Mile Lane,
near East Peckham.
He said: “I remember, when driving to the site, seeing a cartoon-like
scene of a column of water 100 foot
tall feathering out at the top and
flooding the entire site.”
South East Water managing director Paul Butler said: “The water industry has seen many changes in
the last 25 years but they both have
taken it all in their stride.”
MP demands
rail action
PASSENGER train services in Kent
are going off the rails, according to
local MP Helen Whately.
After Southeastern scored the
country’s second-worst passenger
satisfaction rating, the Mid Kent
MP called on transport minister
Patrick McLoughlin to take action.
More than 15,000 people have
signed a petition demanding the removal of the franchise from Southeastern and the MP wants to know
if the rail operator is in breach of its
franchise agreement.
Speaking in a debate in the
House of Commons, Mrs Whately
said: “My constituents use the
Southeastern network. Day after
day their trains are being delayed,
particularly at peak times.
“This morning all trains between
Maidstone East and London between 6.30 am and 7.30 am were
cancelled. These are unacceptable
levels of service.”
In the Transport Focus survey,
67% of passengers were satisfied
with the punctuality of Southeastern trains, a fall from 72% in 2014.
Overall satisfaction stayed at 75%.
More passengers were happy
with ticket-buying facilities after
Southeastern got new machines.
Finance firm
moves in
SPECIALIST mortgage broker
Mortgages for Business is moving
its headquarters to Kings Hill.
The company is relocating 38
staff from its Sevenoaks office to its
new premises in an entire wing
(8,572 sq ft) of 17 Kings Hill Avenue. It plans to expand by more
than 50% during the next three to
five years and also has an office in
Wilmslow, Cheshire.
The independent broker advises
on all aspects of property finance
including buy-to-let, residential
and commercial mortgages.
Managing director David Whittaker said: “Relocating to Kings Hill
is an exciting move for us because
we are bursting at the seams in our
current office. We chose the business park because it has services,
space and the parking we need
today and in the future.
“It is will also mean a shorter
commute for staff who live in Maidstone and Medway.”
Starring role
KINGS Hill has a starring role in a
new TV commercial for Ford cars.
A sequence showing a pack of
dogs, of various shapes and sizes,
running across a green space in the
development was filmed in December for Ford UK’s “unlearn campaign” which urges people to let go
of preconceived conceptions.
Town Talk
Local news for Snodland and Halling
A Downs Mail supplement produced in conjunction
with the Snodland Chamber of Commerce.
Grant to restore church
and spread its message
ALL Saints’ Church in Snodland
has received a first-round development grant of up to £25,100 from
the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).
The money is for the development of a restoration project which
will include repairing stonework in
the tower, windows and entrance,
and strengthening the floor of the
ringing chamber.
The aim is also to make the building’s historical features and spiritual resources more open to the
wider community. The engagement and support of the community will be essential to the success
of the project.
Development funding has been
awarded to help the church
progress plans to apply for a full
grant. This initial funding will permit
Slim chance
SLIMMING classes have become
so popular in Snodland that a
third session has been opened at
Ham Hill Working Mens Club,
Malling Road.
Slimming World consultant
Tracey Open of Hollow Lane,
Snodland started her slimming
club on Wednesdays at 5.30pm.
She then started a 9.30am session on Thursdays and last month
launched an 11.30am club.
She said: “I decided to open a
daytime session as the morning
session became very popular with
over 70 members attending. Daytime groups suit part-time workers, parents, shift workers and
retired people.”
Men are particularly welcome.
Tracey said: "The trouble is men
think that if they join a slimming
club they can’t have a pint of beer,
but of course they can.”
a detailed study of the work
needed and associated costs.
All Saints’ is an important historical building and a “local treasure”,
strategically located at the point at
which the Pilgrims Way crosses the
River Medway. A church has stood
on this site for over 1,000 years and
is mentioned in the Domesday
Book. It was placed on the English
Heritage “at risk” register in 2014.
Rector Hugh Broadbent said:
“Our wish is not only to preserve
this outstanding building for future
generations but to enhance its use,
and we are very grateful to the Heritage Lottery Fund for giving us this
support.”
Grant applications are assessed
in two rounds. A first-round pass is
given when HLF has endorsed outline proposals and earmarked
funding. This first-round pass may
also include an immediate award to
fund the development of the project. Detailed proposals are considered by HLF for the second-round
and, as long as plans have progressed satisfactorily and according to the original proposal, an
award for the project is confirmed.
HOLMESDALE Technology College's Year 13 Sport Studies
class organised a highly successful event called Innovation
to raise funds for the Slide Away
charity.
Slide Away works in partnership with schools and offers bereavement support to children
and young people in West Kent.
The evening was a good opportunity to raise awareness of the
charity.
Acts included singers such as
Finlay Frost (left), dancers,
cheerleaders and gymnasts.
Slide Away's vision is for all
children in Kent to have access
to a bereavement support service which acknowledges their
grief and experience of loss following the death of a close relative or friend.
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THE Snodland Town Active Retirement Association (STARA) has had
another incredibly busy year.
Members have been on holidays
to Ireland, Malta, Scotland, incorporating the Edinburgh Tattoo, and
Weymouth.
Kathy Maynard said: "We had visits to Kew Gardens, the Venetian
Regatta at Hythe, and a river trip
from Runnymede to Windsor.
“Our charity donations included
£1,110 for the Leybourne Riding
Stables for the disabled."
A dance to mark the Queen's
birthday and St George's Day has
been booked for April 23 and the
club is hosting a thanksgiving service at Rochester Cathedral for active retirement associations.
The club has 180 members and
meets once a month at Snodland
Community Centre. Anybody interested in joining can contact membership secretary Pam Ayto on
01634 241522.
Pupils’ talents help charity Photo call
SW.DWKHULQH·V6FKRRO Educational
Another busy
year for retired
Nursery
SNODLAND Historical Society is
trying to obtain pictures of residents named on the 1911 census.
Chairman Andrew Ashbee said
the society had a good many pictures but there were 4,700 residents on the census, including
Ham Hill.
"An exhibition of pages from this
1911 project is on show in Snodland Museum and it is hoped that
the pictures and pages will be put
on the society's website. Many
local families will have pictures
and the society would be grateful
for the opportunity to scan these.
"Earlier or later pictures will be
gratefully accepted, including
men who served in WWI. Scanning can be done at the museum
or email pictures to me at
aa0060962@blueyonder.co.uk.
"Group photos of school, sport
etc are particularly useful."
Town Talk
No response to bus
‘hit and run’ claim
A SNODLAND couple who claim
their parked car was hit by a bus,
say their complaint to Arriva has
been ignored by the company.
Peter Jefferies of Queens Avenue, said he was drawing the
curtains at the front of his house
at 7.30am on January 19 when an
Arriva bus hit his car.
He said the No 575 did not stop
and was turning right into Holborough Road. His car had been
knocked into another car, damaging his tailgate and bumper.
The incident was reported to the
police on the 101 number.
Peter's wife Sara said she called
Arriva customer services who said
they would contact the depot on
her behalf.
She has also written to Tracey
Crouch, Chatham and Aylesford
MP; KCC Cllr Sarah Hohler, Kent
County Council, Kent Police Traffic Summons Unit and Snodland
Town Council.
In her letter she said: “Extensive
damage was apparent on the rear
of our car (pictured), and blue Arriva bus paint was visible on both
the vehicle and road, where there
was a large skid mark also with
blue paint.
“A neighbour came out and told
my husband she had heard the
bus coming round the corner and
then the sound of the impact.
"That the driver of a public service
vehicle
should fail to
stop at the
scene of an
accident I find
shocking and
distressing. It
has
been
suggested by
Arriva
customer services that he
was possibly
unaware of the impact.”
Ms Crouch said she had written
to Arriva and was looking into the
case.
Karen Sowten, chief executive
of the town council, said the council was trying to contact Arriva to
discuss a "number of concerns"
residents had raised with the bus
service.
At the time Town Talk went to
press a response had not been received from Arriva.
Cafe helps with dementia
A DEMENTIA cafe to support sufferers and their carers is held on
the second and fourth Wednesdays of every month in the hall at
Christ Church, Malling Road, Snodland.
The
Rev
Sue
Brooks, associate rector of Snodland, Ann
Palmer and June
Wright, who both have
experience of people
with dementia, organise the group which offers individuals with memory loss and their
carers a chance to meet for mutual support and fellowship.
Sue a retired teacher and dyslexia specialist, said the cafe started
four years ago. She said: “The programme includes activities designed to stimulate memory. Carers can talk to each other or any
professionals. We also have a shared lunch at £2.50 a head.”
The cafe has the support of the Snodland Medical Practice.
Basketball team’s strong finish
ST Katherine's Primary School, Snodland represented Sevenoaks and
Malling in the Kent School Games Basketball final at Medway Park.
The 10-strong team finished sixth overall.
The team, which qualified last year, was invited to train at Aylesford
Sports College, receiving coaching from the head coach of Maidstone
Warriors.
CLARKES FUNERAL
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(R.G. KINSBURY M.M.S.Dip)
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31 High Street, Snodland Tel: 01634 240458
Town Talk
Ups and downs for chess club
SNODLAND Chess Club is experiencing mixed fortunes this
season.
The club has entered four tournaments in the Mid Kent zone.
Secretary, Neil Miners, said: “We
are the defending champions of
the En Passant Cup, which is the
highest competition we are in. At
the moment we are top of the
qualifying group with four wins
and a draw from five matches.
The highlight was a convincing
5-1 win against Maidstone.
“In the Harvey Cup we are also
doing well – in first place of a large
qualifying group that includes
eight teams. Our best results were
4-2 wins against Tunbridge Wells
and Medway.”
The club has a mixed record of
two wins, two defeats and a draw
in the Tom Fuller Cup, and is second behind Medway. In the Intro
competition it has lost one and
drawn one game, putting it in bottom place.
“Maidstone actually beat us 4-0
which is quite unusual in chess
matches to get a whitewash win or
defeat, so that was a rather disap- Above: Andrew Ashbee and the
pointing evening,” Neil continued.
post box Right: Fred and Betty
“In summary, we are on course
for two semi-finals and have our outside Ham Hill Stores
work cut out to progress in the remaining competitions.”
The club meets at 7.30pm every
Thursday at the cricket club pavilion. Contact: http://snodlandchessclub.com/.
Co-op’s Bull conversion delayed
WORK on converting the former
Bull public house at Holborough
Road, Snodland into a branch of
the Co-op will not start until later
this year.
The Co-operative Group took
out a 20-year lease on the building in September 2014. It received
planning permission for an extension and alterations to the premises and site from Tonbridge &
Malling Borough Council.
The branch at 46-48 High
Street, which includes the post
office, was due to close and the
new Co-op was expected to be
opened last autumn.
A spokesperson for the borough council said the company
received planning permission but
is still to provide details of landscaping and boundary treatment.
A spokesman for the Co-op
said: “We are looking at around
September/October time before
we start work on the Bull.”
The post office staff will be
transferred to the Bull premises
while the Co-op store at 11 High
Street is not affected.
Museum given
Ham Hill post box
DEMOLITION is under way of
Dene Hall, 269 Malling Road,
Snodland – previously the Ham
Hill Stores – and building eight
flats on the corner site in Brook
Lane, opposite the Freemasons
Arms public house.
Andrew Ashbee, curator of
Snodland Museum, said the contractors had kindly donated the
building’s George V post box to
the museum.
“The early history of the building
is difficult to ascertain,” he explained. “It was erected by 1891
and by 1901 it seems to have in-
cluded the Coffee House, with the
builder, Robert Langbridge, living
in the main part.
“By 1911 The Old Coffee Tavern
was occupied by a fishmonger
and general dealer, with Henry
Newman, ‘late farmer, grocer,
draper and postmaster’ running
the enterprise. The post box dates
from George V’s time, so Newman
was probably the first postmaster.”
He added that older parishioners will remember Ham Hill
Stores owned by Fred Kent and
his niece, Betty.
MORNING
RUSH
16 High Street, Snodland
01634 242588
AlexandersBarbershop.co.uk
OPENING TIMES
MONDAY
* CLOSED
TUESDAY
*12:00 - 6:00
WEDNESDAY 9:30 - 7:30
THURSDAY
9:30 - 6:00
FRIDAY
9:30 - 6:00
SATURDAY
8:30 - 5:00
SUNDAY
CLOSED
* Opening Times will be extended in due course.
50% OFF
WITH THIS VOUCHER
Expires 1 May 2016
Fresh Coffee
Breakfast
Sandwiches
Paninis - Hot Pastries
Jacket Potatoes
Homemade cakes
7.30am – 2.30pm
Local Delivery
Available
3B Hoborough Road
Snodland ME6 5NL
Telephone orders welcome
01634 780420
Town Talk
Ready for the morning rush
TWO friends put their heads together and have introduced
“something a bit different for
Snodland” by running a cafe
called Morning Rush.
Lucy Arnold (left), of Church
Field and Sarah Mockridge (right)
of Saltings Road met as their children are in the same class at
St Katherine's Primary School,
Snodland.
They both went to work at
Doorstep, a sandwich bar that
opened up in a small unit in Holborough Road next to Trios hair
studio and the Specialised Angling Centre.
Sarah said: “It didn’t work out
for the previous owner and he
asked Lucy if she would like to
take it over. We put our heads together and introduced something
a bit different for Snodland.
“We did a lot of research on
local produce and decided to use
Court Farm, Upper Halling and
City Bakeries, Rochester.”
Lucy, who has been involved in
catering for 10 years, said they
have bought a fresh coffee bean
machine called Bean to Cup.
Sarah set up a company with
her mum Sue, called Kent Cake
Ladies, seven years ago, so will
be providing the cakes for Morning Rush.
The cafe is open from Monday
to Saturday and recently invited
residents to sample the varied
breakfast and lunch menus.
Mystery buyer for former NatWest bank
THE former NatWest Bank at 21
High Street, Snodland was sold at
auction for £360,000 in January
but at the time Town Talk went to
press it was not known who had
bought the building.
A spokesperson for the auctioneers, Lambert Smith Hampton,
said: “We don’t disclose who
bought a property. We can pass
on your details to the buyer if you
wish.”
Town Talk asked for the information from the buyer but did not
receive a reply.
The property comprises a twostorey building of brick construction beneath a pitched and flat
roof of about 2,639sqft (245sqm).
The ATM cash machine produces
a rent of £3,000 a year and must
remain for five years after completion.
The bank closed in January
Head appointed
for St Katherine’s
RUTH Powell (pictured), head
teacher of Offham Primary
School, takes over as head of St
Katherine’s Primary School,
Snodland, from next September.
Announcing the appointment,
John Edgar, chairman of the
school governors, said: “This is
great news for the future of St
Katherine’s but it is also appropriate to reflect on the past few years
and recognise the hard work and
commitment of the staff.
“With this in mind I and all my
colleagues on the Governing
Body would like to put on record
our thanks to them and particularly Mr Cadwallader for the wonderful job he has done leading St
Katherine’s during the time that
the school has been without a
substantive head.
“We will be working hard between now and the end of the academic year to ensure a smooth
transition and I am sure there will
be opportunities for Mrs Powell to
come into the school before her
official start date.”
Mr Edgar said Mrs Powell was
an experienced head teacher who
led her school to be judged outstanding in 2015.
The previous head, Sharon
Alexander, was suspended in May
2013 before leaving “to concentrate on her family”. She succeeded Allan Adams, head for 25
years until he retired in 2012.
Gerald Cadwallader, acting
h e a d ,
and assoc i a t e
h e a d ,
Barbara
Scott,
h a v e
b e e n
holding
the fort
since.
M r s
Powell,
who lives
in Maidstone, has been head teacher at
Offham since September 2011
and had previously worked at Ditton Junior School.
Her hobbies are gardening and
walking and she teaches in every
year group and thinks it is important to keep her hand in in
teaching.
“I am really excited at being appointed and I am really looking
forward to working with the staff at
St Katherine’s,” she said.
2015. There was uproar in April
2014 when Royal Bank of Scotland, NatWest owner, threatened
to close the branch on two days a
week and the decision was reversed.
When the complete closure was
announced Chatham & Aylesford
MP, Tracey Crouch, joined borough and town councillors, the
chamber of commerce and local
businesses in objecting.
Farewell to town’s
oldest lady, Grace
GRACE Spencer, Snodland’s oldest lady, died on Christmas Day,
aged 102.
She lived and worked all round
the country and was married for
20 years to Joseph, who died in
1969. She had lived in Ostlers
Court since 1987 and when Town
Talk reported her 101st birthday
we quoted her saying:
“I was only married for 20 years
but had the best man going. I
have been from Hull to Torquay
and various places in between —
different people, different places
but it has been a sparkling good
life.”
She did not have children and
has been looked after in recent
years by her niece, Barbara
Spencer, and her husband, Keith,
who live in Halling.
MP visits Paddlesworth church
Tracey Crouch, Chatham and
Aylesford MP, has visited St Benedict’s Church at Paddlesworth
Road, Snodland to support the
Churches Conservation Trust
(CCT) Champing scheme.
The church is 900 years old and
was, for centuries, a passing point
for pilgrims travelling over the
River Medway to Burham. In 1678
it was abandoned for 250 years
but came back into use in the
early 20th century.
St Benedict’s is one of
many churches supported
by CCT. Under Champing
breaks people can learn
about the history of the
churches and can stay
overnight in the buildings.
For more information
about Champing visit www.
visitchurches.org.uk/
champing/
or
email
champing@cct.org.uk.
Tracey said: “The CCT
does fantastic work protecting
many of our important historic
churches and making them accessible to the public.
“The Trust’s Champing scheme
has proved a hugely popular and
inventive way to encourage people to explore church buildings.
As Minister for both Heritage and
Tourism, this scheme is truly an
encouraging way to ensure the
rich history in churches are not
lost.”
Care home to host an Easter bazaar
The Mortimer Society, a residential care home at Birling House,
High Street, Snodland – next to
the railway station – is holding an
Easter bazaar on Saturday, 26
March.
The home is for adults with
learning and/or physical disabilities and specialises in the care of
people with Huntington’s Disease.
The bazaar will be held from
11am to 1pm at the Devonshire
Rooms, Waghorn Road, Snodland.
Julie Luker, one of the organisers, said there will be an Easter
Bonnet competition, plus stalls, a
raffle and refreshments. For more
information she can be contacted
on 01634 244689.
Charity Balloon Launch and Raffle!
In aid of the
Heart of Kent Hospice
Lots of prizes to give away! Free Buffet
100% of the proceeds go to the charity
Discounts for any houses listed that day
5th March 2016 at 10:00am
For more information drop into the shop at
48 Holborough Road or check our facebook page
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And have an agent working for you that really cares?
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48 Holborough Road,
Snodland ME6 5PB
Town Talk
Alex’s barbers shop offers a taste of the 50s
YOU may be forgiven for thinking you are living in the 1950s if you call into Alexanders The
Barbershop in Snodland High Street for a haircut.
Walking past the red telephone box, you
can sit on one of the wooden cinema chairs
and admire the Brylcreem and dinky toy adverts, the wallpaper cut from old football
books or read one of the Snodland history
books.
But if you have to wait there is free use of
Ipads, wifi or you might fancy a game of bar
billiards.
Alex Mackintosh, who trained at West Kent
College, managed Retro Blue Barbers in Tonbridge before deciding to work for himself and
found an empty unit in Snodland.
He said: “I did 22 haircuts on the opening
day and it has been growing ever since. When
the time came to open my own shop I was
never going to be a standard boring barbers,
with chairs and mirrors and messy worktops.
“I wanted Alexanders to be different and
unique – somewhere comfortable, relaxing,
sophisticated, but most of all I wanted to open
a barbershop that was quirky and fun.
“While I want Alexanders to be one of a kind,
the most important thing is, of course, that you
always get a good quality haircut and good
customer service, whether you have clippers
all over or a scissor cut.”
Alex lives in Tonbridge, but is buying a
house in Wouldham. He hopes his business
will benefit from the new bridge over the River
Medway, which will be completed in the autumn.
He added: “The bridge is actually one of the
reasons I chose Snodland to open a barbers.
It's an expanding and up and coming area.
There are a lot of new houses going up all
around Snodland and once they finish the
bridge, I think a lot of people will come over
from that side of the river because it will be
very convenient for them.”
Alex is pictured cutting Luke Roffey’s hair.
Rugby squad make UK
top 12 at first attempt
Injury blow for
boxer George
GEORGE Hennon, the Snodland
welterweight boxer who is unbeaten in his first two professional
fights, has had to withdraw from
his forthcoming bout against Fonz
Alexander at Grays Civic Hall,
Essex on March 4.
George (21), from Malling Road,
said he had to pull out because of
a recurrence of a back injury
which it was feared could keep
him out of the ring until May. However, he was looking forward to
getting back into the gym within
the next week and returning to full
training by the end of the month.
George, who was born in Snodland and attended Holmesdale
Technology College, started kickboxing when he was six. He became the International Kick
Boxing Federation English lightwelterweight champion at 19.
He started boxing when he was
19. His two previous professional
fights were in June and October
last year. He is pictured in his pro
debut against Matt Seawright.
Party in Park
PRIORITY tickets are now available for Snodland Town Football
Club's Party in the Park at Potyns
Sports Ground on July 9 and 10.
Members of the club and parents and carers of the Nomads
football teams can buy the tickets
from the Medway Room at Devonshire Rooms, Waghorn Road
between 10am and 2pm on Saturday, January 16 and between
7pm and 8pm on Friday, January
22. They are available to the public from the box office at Hicks Estate Agency, 30 High Street from
Saturday, January 23.
DESPITE losing its last two rugby
games, Holmesdale Technology
College Year 9 club is within the
top 12 Rugby League schools in
the UK.
Town Talk reported in its last
issue that the squad had reached
the final of the London and South
East Year 9 Boys Champion
Schools tournament after winning
the Kent championship earlier in
the year.
Holmesdale faced All Saints’
Catholic Church School from Dagenham, Essex at the Allianz Stadium, home of Saracens Rugby
Club. Holmesdale played an exceptional game which was only
decided in the dying minutes.
Holmesdale took a half-time lead
of 12-4 after tries by Bradley Harris
and team captain James Button,
with conversions by Zac Harris.
Harry Gearing scored two tries with
a conversion by Zac leading to a
22-14 lead.
However, All Saints managed a
last-minute win of 24-22.
Lee Downey, director of applied
learning at Holmesdale, said: "I
could not be prouder of the team.
They were so unlucky after controlling the game and each one of
them gave 110% from start to the
final whistle.”
He praised James Button, Harry
Gearing and Bradley Harris as outstanding, and added: “The support
from parents, staff and pupils was
out of this world. I have never experienced anything like it at a
school game. Everybody in the
stadium said how loud and enthusiastic they were, so a huge thank
you from me and the team. They
really did make a difference.”
Holmesdale competed in the first
round of the National RFL Schools
Competition against last year's
quarter finalists, Chosen Hill from
Gloucester at Maidenhead RFC.
The opponents began the game
strongly and took the lead after
some silly mistakes and missed
tackles by Holmesdale.
Mr Downey said: “The boys regrouped, kept their heads up and
began to play the flowing rugby
that got them to the national stage.
In the closing stages of the first half
Bill Miners powered over the line
and Zac Harris converted.”
Holmesdale fought hard in the
second half, but lost by 38-26
points.
Mr Downey added: “Holmesdale
were the first team to enter the
competition for the first time and
make it all the way to the national
competition. This is an outstanding
achievement and puts them within
the top 12 rugby league schools in
the UK.
“The boys will prepare for their
Disneyland Paris rugby tour in April
and look forward to entering the
local rugby league competition
later in the year.”
Community party a success Paralympian
THE first community event at Holborough
Lakes,
Snodland,
proved to be a great success.
Father Christmas arrived on a
sleigh with a real reindeer and
gave out presents in his grotto.
The event was organised by
Holborough Lakes Residents Association (HLRA). Chairman Janet
Naylor said: “It was sponsored by
develope, Berkeley Homes, management company RMG, Southern Housing Group and Tarmac.
Prizes and donations were also
received from local businesses.”
Snodland Scouts provided the
catering and entertainment was
provided by Malling School band
and choir, Ditton Air Cadets, the
Silhouette Dance and Theatre
inspires pupils
School and Valley Invicta Primary
school.
Police and the fire service were
also available with vehicles.
Janet concluded: “It was a fantastic turnout. For a very first event
this was a fantastic show and we
are grateful for all the input and resilience from both participants
and residents and everyone had
an enjoyable and successful day.
PARALYMPIAN Tim Prendergast
visited the Church of England Primary School, Snodland .
Tim, who won a
gold medal for New
Zealand in the
800m at Athens in
2004, started the
day with an assembly about stepping
out of your comfort
zone, and spent the rest of the
day discussing the theme with
small groups of children.
The day ended with him leading
a staff meeting discussing the
project “Inspired ways to Rio”.
The following day he visited St
Katherine's Primary School.
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News
downsmail.co.uk
Firm tracks your phone
to analyse how you shop
Gail Isted (left) and Vanessa Brown
created KidzCoins
Screen time
trading
scheme
TWO mums from Wateringbury
have come up with a novel way of
raising awareness among children
about the time they spend in front
of television and computer screens.
Gail Isted and Vanessa Brown’s
“screen time trading scheme” is
already earning top flight support
from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health in London.
KidzCoins – aimed at helping
families to manage children’s
screen time at home – encourages
parents to negotiate a time limit
with children, who then “buy”
screen time trading tokens in 15, 30
and 60 minute denominations.
The mums say the launch of their
scheme comes at a time of increasing concern among parents about
the impact too much screen time is
having on children’s mental and
physical health and social skills.
Mum of two Gail said: “After
chatting to lots of parents on the
school run it became clear that
many shared our frustration about
the growing impact of gadgets on
family life. We sat round a kitchen
table and, over a few cups of coffee,
created a simple and positive way
to help parents with managing
screen time while motivating children to take some responsibility.
It’s about trying to establish good
habits early on which should mean
our children will have a healthier
lifestyle balance in the long run. All
the feedback we’ve had so far has
been extremely positive.”
Vanessa, a mum to two boys, explained how KidzCoins works:
“Families agree a screen time limit
each day or week with their child
and when they run out of screen
time they quickly learn to manage
their time.”
Speaking about KidzCoins, Professor Russell Viner, officer for
health promotion for the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child
Health, said: “KidzCoins is a fantastic idea which will allow parents
to hand over some responsibility to
children themselves, teaching them
the importance of time management as well as the need to live a
balanced lifestyle.”
For details and coins visit
www.kidzcoins.co.uk.
20
BUSINESSES in Maidstone town centre are being urged to embrace
mobile phone tracking to keep pace with online shopping.
Tracking software is now available which can monitor shoppers’
movements and habits.
The data gathered can be used
by retailers to counter shoppers’
drift away from town centre stores
to the comfort of their computer.
The system was trialled in Maidstone on Black Friday in November
– supposedly the busiest day for
bargains prior to Christmas – on
behalf of Maidstone Council and
Maidstone Town Centre Management.
By tracking shoppers’ mobile
phones, Scout Solutions Ltd was
able to discover that 3,135 people
visited the area between McDonalds in Week Street, the bottom of
Gabriel’s Hill, the High Street and
King Street between November 25
and December 8. The busiest days
for unique visitors were November
28, December 2, 6 and 8.
The busiest times were at about
noon and between 4pm and 7pm.
The highest footfall was in the area
around The Mall and Gabriels Hill.
A series of six nodes positioned
in the town was able to capture
mobile phone activity and also de-
tect how many shoppers logged
into Google, Facebook, Amazon
and Twitter to potentially compare
prices of goods for sale in shops.
Town centre retailers could soon
take up the service to retain their
market share.
Scout Solutions director
Pete Hotchkiss
(pictured) said:
“Increasing
numbers
of
people
are
making their
purchases online. If high
street shops are
to retain their share of the market,
we need to encourage people to
buy in the high street.”
The company can track shoppers
whose mobile phones are switched
on. However, they cannot identify
individuals nor any of the content
on their phones – just their location
and usage. Analysing the data enHow do you feel about your mobile phone being tracked? Email
stephen@downsmail.co.uk
Kent faces police bill
for Operation Stack
KENT taxpayers are likely to
have to foot the bill for the policing of Operation Stack.
Home Secretary Theresa May
was asked to use her discretionary powers to reimburse
Kent Police for the additional
costs incurred in 2015 – more
than £570,000 – but the answer
was a definite no.
The county’s independent Police and Crime Commissioner,
Ann Barnes, has spoken of her
surprise and dismay at the decision. She said: “‘Operation Stack
is acknowledged as a national
problem, and yet policing services in Kent have been put under
strain to deal with it. Local taxpayers should not have to pick
up the bill for the inability of
others to solve the problem.”
The request for the “reasonable, additional costs” of
£576,925.59 was sent to Mike
Penning MP, Minister for Polic-
ing, Fire, Criminal Justice and
Victims, on November 17 last
year, seeking funding under the
Home Office Special Grant
Process.
Mrs Barnes said: “I need to
discuss with the Home Office, as
a matter of urgency, about how
we can take things forward from
here to make sure that Kent Police is not left carrying the can in
the future.
“It would seem from the
Home Secretary’s decision that
should Operation Stack be
called again the taxpayers of
Kent will be unfairly expected to
pay for policing it. This misery
has been going on for years and
will continue until we get a
long-term solution.
“It is simply not acceptable to
have to routinely divert police
resources to cover Stack and for
those extra costs to be borne by
the taxpayers in Kent.”
ables the company to eliminate
multiple signals – so the 3,135
shoppers were individuals and not
the same people identified in different locations.
Mr Hotchkiss said: “Data scientists understand in minute detail
how people use websites. We need
to obtain insights into how people
behave if we are to remain competitive. Data such as this can be
used to reveal what are the busiest
times, how often shoppers return
to a particular location and how
long they spend in that environment.
“We can also find out how many
people are simply browsing, then
ordering online via their phones –
or possibly shopping later at
home.”
November 2015 was the eighth
month in a row that shopkeepers
had noted a decline in footfall and
Black Friday shoppers were 3.4%
down on the previous month.
Tracking services can be combined with Google analytics and
other software, such as weather
forecasts, to more accurately predict and monitor trends.
Swimathon
GET fit for spring and raise money
for charity by joining this year’s
Swimathon at Larkfield Leisure
Centre.
The pool will hold exclusive sessions on Saturday and Sunday,
March 19 and 20 from 6pm to 9pm
in aid of Sport Relief and the
Swimathon Foundation. Funds
raised will help vulnerable and disadvantaged people in the UK and
beyond. Challenges suit all levels of
fitness, ability and age, with an individual 1.5k, 2.5k or 5k challenge
or team 1.5k and 5k challenge.
If you can’t make a session over
the Swimathon weekend you can
register for Simply Swim, so you
can compete at any pool at any
time.
For more details, visit www.
swimathon.org, pick up a leaflet
from the leisure centre or call 0845
Castle boost
FRESH investment is being made
at Leeds Castle. Improvements are
being made to the kitchen that
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education centre will be doubled in
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downsmail.co.uk
David Bowie
Obituaries
AMONG the flood of tributes, stories and
lile known facts which have emerged since
David Bowie’s death is his Maidstone
connection.
From 1964 to 1965
the then unknown
David Jones was a
member of the
Manish Boys, a group
who lived and
rehearsed locally in
cramped conditions.
Its main rehearsal
space was a living
room in Coxheath.
The band played locally, including
performances at the Royal Star Hotel in
Maidstone.
Bowie’s memories of the county town
were coloured by an incident in which a
local man aacked him after seeing him on
the street, knocking him down and kicking
him. Long hair on young men was still a
controversial subject at the time and Bowie
and his band mates suffered some
prejudice.
Bowie would later talk about his dreams
to become “their Mick Jagger” with regard
to his time in The Manish Boys. He left to
join another band, The Lower Third, before
finding stardom as a solo artist.
When Freddie was four months old Hayley
received the news that her cancer had
returned in an inoperable form.
Her energy and selflessness in raising
awareness and living the remainder of her
life positively have prompted an outpouring
of tributes and memories.
Hayley’s achievements include helping to
raise thousands of pounds for the Charles
Dickens ward at Maidstone Hospital, where
she received treatment, and becoming the
face of the charity Hair and Beauty
Benevolent. The charity’s website includes a
video of “Hayley’s story”, chronicling her
cancer bale.
Jackie Harris
JACQUELINE “Jackie” Harris, who was
known to some as “Tessie” (102), lived
locally for about 50 years, as her husband –
William “Bill” – managed Loder and
Payne’s store in Bank Street, Maidstone.
Born Jacqueline
Harding-Goodman in
Wallington, Surrey,
Jackie grew up in
Surrey and Sussex.
The couple moved to
Maidstone in the
1930s and raised
daughters Antonia
“Toni” and Roberta
“Robbie”. They
remained locally until moving to Cornwall
Jean Austin
in 1987. Their homes in Maidstone included
THE Mascalls Academy in Paddock Wood
Monckton’s Avenue, Heather Road, Loose
has announced the death of Jean Austin (88), and Madginford Road, Bearsted.
a long serving teacher at the school who
Daughter Robbie said: “My mother was
taught PE and English from the 1950s until
very sociable and outgoing; she and my
1988 and rose to become deputy head.
father loved socialising at dances, pubs and
The school – based
parties – we held a lot of parties at home. As
in Maidstone Road –
a couple they were closely involved in the
also posted a
Conservative Club when it was located on
photograph of Jean.
Earl Street, in the present home of the Pizza
Tributes poured in
Express restaurant.
from those who knew
“My mother was proud of her noble
her. Donna Wozny
heritage, and was a very giving person who
said: “An amazing
was generous to her chosen charities, which
woman and teacher,” included time spent volunteering at the
and Jean’s
Cheshire Home in Mote Park. She was also
granddaughter Jo
very involved with St Faith’s Church in the
McCallion added: “Thank you everyone for town.”
your lovely comments about our Nanna;
Jackie – who was widowed in 2004 –
our family really appreciates it.
leaves her daughters, grandsons Guy, John
“She loved this school and always told us and Sean, great-grandchildren Vikki and
how she never had a bad day at work.
Charlene and great-great-grandchildren
“She'd be so touched that you all
Sian, Freddy, Emily and Mahew.
remember her and would hold you all dear
in her heart.”
Osvaldas Rimsa
Hayley Martin
OSVALDAS “Ozzy” Rimsa (27), who was a
keen motorcyclist known throughout the
MOTHER-OF-ONE Hayley Martin (31), of
local motorcycling community for his
Loose Road, was known for her fundraising dedication and club membership, died in an
for cancer treatment and for helping to
accident in Rocky Hill, Maidstone.
establish a cancer charity – Freddie’s
Ozzy, who lived in Florence Road, Fant,
Friends – dedicated to
worked as a
supporting young
warehouseman
adults with cancer.
locally and was
Hayley worked as a
previously a head
L’Oreal technician
waiter at the Dean’s
and was first
Place Hotel,
diagnosed with bowel
Alfristron, East
cancer in 2011; she
Sussex.
was later given the all
His work
clear and gave birth to
colleagues paid
her son Freddie.
tribute, as have his fellow members of the
West Kent Biker group. West Kent Biker
noted on its Facebook page that Osvaldas
had “real passion for motorcycling” and
described him as “one of our own”.
It went on to note: “Osvaldas…had been
with West Kent Biker right from the start
and aended virtually every meet; [he] was
dedicated and had a real passion for
motorcycling.”
Dave Currer
DAVE Currer (50), of Shortlands Green,
Park Wood was known locally as a
motorcyclist and a volunteer with
rehabilitation groups.
He was also involved in organising the
annual Green Fair in Mote Park in support
of environmental causes.
Many of Dave’s friends in the local
motorcycling community have paid tribute
to his genial nature and valued friendship.
He died in an accident on the A274 near
Biddenden.
Chris Haswell
TRIBUTES have poured in after the sudden
death of East Farleigh’s Chris Haswell.
Chris (62) worked
locally in the
construction industry
but was widely known
as the lead singer in
Rod Stewart and The
Faces tribute band,
The Ronnies.
The married father
was also a keen
fisherman and friends
from all areas of his life posted tributes on
social media and shared news of his death.
Samuel Paul Jacques said: “A true and
lovely gentleman.” Ian Maggs added: “Very
sad and unexpected – great entertainer.”
Bob Williams
ROBERT “Bob” Williams (83), of Marden,
moved to East Malling at the age of 17, while
serving in the RAF.
Born and raised in Bootle, Liverpool, he
was a loyal Liverpool FC supporter.
His RAF service brought him to the local
area where he met and married Joy, wife of
63 years. They raised children Barry and
Kay. After working at Aylesford paper mill
Bob became a postman. The family lived in
Leeds before moving to Marden where Bob
spent the final 32 years of his life.
Kay said: “My father never lost his Scouse
sense of humour; he had an answer for
everything. He was a loving and loyal family
man, a real hands-on dad, grandad and
great grandad.
“His granddaughter and greatgranddaughter used to call in on him on
their way home from school. Long after he
came to live down south he would still
travel to see Liverpool play in London. The
last thing he watched on television was a 4-5
away win for Liverpool.
“He was also a great giver to charities,
especially animal charities.”
Bob leaves his wife, children,
grandchildren Peter and Karrie-Anne and
great-grandchildren Kate-Ellen and Maria.
There is no charge for our obituary service. Call Neil Nixon on 01622 630422 or email nlnxn@aol.com
22
downsmail.co.uk
W E should be very proud Mote Park is
now regularly voted among the best three
parks in the country – and it could rise to the
top.
Improvements to pathways, parking and
views over the last two years have seen visitors numbers swell. Now Maidstone Council
has announced plans for the next big steps – a
major, larger, re-built restaurant with magnificent vistas down to the scenic lake, upgraded toilets and a charged adventure and
activity feature next to the free children’s play
area towards the leisure centre.
We often take our grandchildren for an
hour or so. These new attractions will make
most stays a lot longer – perhaps for three
hours if the restaurant and eating experiences
hit the right buttons. I would like to see the
magnificent scenery and fascinating history of
the park imaginatively displayed around the
restaurant to excite visitors and encourage
wider exploration of the 440-acre park.
How many know the enthralling story of
former park owner Lord Bearsted, founder of
Shell oil company? He named it after his family business which traded worldwide in ornamental sea shells. He was an amazing man
who died in 1927. His heirs sold Mote Park to
Maidstone Corporation for £50,000 in 1929
and The Mote Cricket Ground was left in trust
MailMarks
DENNIS FOWLE President
dfowle2011@aol.com
to the cricket club.
With the park attracting a million visitors a
year – and this will grow – parking problems
will increase, despite the new £1-a-day
charge. I believe one of the next areas for
council consideration should be the large
grassed area lined with lovely trees between
the entrance and exit roads. In winter it is
often a quagmire.
I think its main value will be as a surfaced
car park – but recommend greater ambition. I
think the end closest to the park entrance
would be a very popular location for two or
three quality restaurants. I think dining in the
park would be a very exciting addition. This
area could be a good earner, too, for our cashstrapped council.
I would also like the council to upgrade the
sports take in the park. There is a little-used
area close to the leisure centre and bowls club
large enough for high-quality football, rugby
etc pitches. At the moment, much of this land
undulates all over the place but an investment
in levelling and well-planned layout would be
very welcome by our sporting community.
There is a strong demand from various sports
– and the council knows it under-provides for
sport in the borough.
It should be protected for quality sport use
– but routes left for walkers and dogs to access other more popular areas of the park.
Those I questioned have little appetite for
walking over the current sports pitches.
Changing rooms and showers are available
in the leisure centre – but sports clubs would
like to see these upgraded. I know some will
see my thoughts as harmful to their image of
parts of the park. But no one should now
doubt the popularity of recent changes – it has
become a park of even greater beauty and fun.
Let’s keep that ball rolling.
What do you think? The Downs Mail welcomes reader letters on Mote Park.
Comment
Mote Park – best in Britain?
Fax frustrations
Some 20 years ago a business abused my
fax machine by sending unsolicited adverts.
Ten years ago I removed the machine – but
still these unwanted nuisance phone calls arrive almost daily, causing great inconvenience. Any advice please?
Quashing NHS myths
economics. We are 27th out of 29 EU
countries in the number of doctors per
Dear Sir – In a recent Mail Marks Dennis
head of population. The NHS is not
Fowle repeats some old myths about the
unaffordable or unsustainable but
NHS that need squashing.
underfunded. The cost of your GP per year
Recycled regularly, especially by those
per head is £74 in West Kent. Try insuring
who want to convince us that we can no
you cat or car for that.
longer afford an
It’s abused: Greatly exaggerated,
NHS and we
according to the evidence. This is not the
should be thinking cause of the NHS’s problems. Contrast that
of charges, an
with the private US system that the
insurance system
Government is so keen on: waste $690
or privatisation,
billion , overcharging $750bn , fraud $98bn.
they include:
The USA spends three times as much per
Charging
head with worse results.
would help: No it
It’s time the subtle but relentless
wouldn’t. It just
campaign by the media and politicians to
shifts the costs to
undermine our health service stopped.
the poor and the
Correcting some of the anti-NHS
Dr Paul Hobday
elderly who are less propaganda is a start.
healthy than other groups. The Germans
Dr Paul J Hobday, Churn Lane,
gave this up after the failure of a six-year
Horsmonden
experiment. The evidence is that it
encourages the “worried well” but deters
the poor sick, which costs more in the long Leave our park alone
run. The US Commonwealth Fund rates
Dear Sir – I feel I must write to defend
the UK NHS as the most cost-effective
Mote Park against ideas put forward by Mr
healthcare system in the world.
Fowle in his musings in Mail Marks in this
Ageing population: Exaggerated.
Most money is spent in the last six months edition of the Downs Mail.
He thinks that the next area for the
of life, irrespective of how old you are.
Costs too much: Wrong. We spend less council to consider is the “large grassed
on health than the other G7 nations and in area lined with lovely trees” between the
Mote Avenue entrance and exit roads,
the last few years, the percentage of GDP
which he thinks should make a lovely
spent has fallen from 11% to a lile over
surfaced car park.
7%. This is a political choice, not
To make maers worse he suggests two
or three “quality” restaurants in the same
area. We have more than enough concrete
and Tarmac in the park already.
Starting with the leisure centre and
Maidstone Bowls Club premises all built
on part of the park, not to mention the
retirement village and the park and ride,
Maidstone has more than enough
restaurants, coffee shops and cafes. Every
time you go into town there’s a new one
opened.
We need the park, a green open space. I
think certain things are good ideas such as
the adventure playground and a new café,
which could be built near where the old
one is by razing all the buildings in that
area.
However, the park can be enjoyed by
simply walking round it. Why is it people
seem to need things to occupy themselves
with? There is nothing as pleasant and
refreshing as a walk in a green open space.
S Johnson, West Park Road, Maidstone
Contact our team ...
Stephen Eighteen
Diane Nicholls
Jane Shotliff
Dawn Kingsford
Editor
Assistant editor
Journalist
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News
downsmail.co.uk
Royal honours announced
LOCAL people have been celebrating being named in the Queen’s New Year’s honours list.
Of this year’s 1,196 recipients, 76%
have undertaken “outstanding
work in their communities”.
In the Maidstone area they are:
George Batts (90), from Barming,
will be made an MBE for his voluntary service to war veterans. A veteran of the Normandy Landings,
George became the national secretary and treasurer of the now-disbanded Normandy Veterans’
Association and spent many years
organising pilgrimages to France to
remember The Fallen in the D-Day
conflict.
His voluntary work has also included compiling an archive of eyewitness
accounts
from
the
battlefields and assisting with civic
visits, for which he received an
award from Prime Minister David
Cameron in 2014.
Crime reports
24
Craig Vidler, George Batts and Venessa Willms have all been honoured
Venessa Willms, from Maidstone,
will be awarded an OBE for services
to education. The director of primary education for Ark Schools
said: “Over the past nine years at
Ark, including seven as the founding principal at King Solomon
Academy, I have worked with talented teachers and senior leaders to
THE windscreen of a minibus was
smashed in Forstal Road, Aylesford, when
an object was thrown at it.
Cash was stolen by raiders who broke into
a café in Martin Square, Larkfield.
The patio door at the back of a house in
Edgar Close was damaged during an attempted break-in at Kings Hill.
A property in Station Road, Aylesford,
was broken into and items, including cash,
were stolen. Inquiries are ongoing.
Cash and electrical equipment were
among items stolen from a house in Watts
Close, Snodland.
A group of youths are thought to have
damaged a shop sign in Lunsford Lane,
Larkfield.
A car was broken into while in a designated parking bay behind the owner’s property in Brampton Field, Ditton.
Fishing tackle was stolen from a garden
shed in London Road, Ryarsh.
Aluminium chequer plates were stolen
from a Land Rover in the Station Road car
park in Aylesford.
A shed at The Malling School in Beech
Road, East Malling, was broken into. A list
of items stolen is awaited.
A black tool box containing various hand
tools was stolen from a Ford Mondeo in
Eagle Close, Larkfield.
Items were stolen during a raid on several
sheds in North Meadow, Offham.
The driver of a car or a motorbike is
thought to be responsible for causing criminal damage at a property in Atlas Close,
Kings Hill, when it was driven across the
lawn.
A vehicle in The Beeches, Aylesford, was
keyed.
The tarpaulin was damaged on a lorry
parked in a lay-by on the Snodland Bypass,
but nothing taken. A man in a black Audi
was seen acting suspiciously at the time.
A burglar alarm frightened off raiders at a
house in Phoenix Drive, Wateringbury, after
they smashed two windows.
Tools were taken from a van in Medway
Court, Aylesford.
A Citroen C3 left in the Owen Close car
provide every child with the tools
they need to go to university or pursue a career of their choice.”
Craig Vidler receives a BEM for
services to charity. The 69-year-old,
who lived near Mote Park in Maidstone throughout his early years,
has raised money for charities such
as the Royal Marsden and more
than £500,000 for the Retail Trust
with an annual fly-fishing event
over the last 28 years.
The former Maidstone Grammar
schoolboy, who built a hugely successful career in retailing and recruitment, said: “I’m delighted to
have been able to give something
back and help some of its people
who have fallen on hard times.”
Craig, who met and married his
wife of 46 years while working in
South Africa, returned with Marjorie and their daughter Claire to
Maidstone in 1971 and lived in
Loose and for a short time in Leeds
village.
The couple now live near Ashford
but are regular visitors to the area,
particularly Bearsted. Craig remains
a founding partner of a mentoring
service for the over-55s.
Neighbourhood Watch
Working to reduce crime. Call Crimestoppers 0800 555 111 or local police
park at East Malling was keyed.
A VW van in Eccles Road, Eccles, was broken into but nothing appeared to have been
stolen.
Damage was caused to a communal door
at a property in High Street, Aylesford.
Damage was also caused to a vehicle in an
allocated parking bay in High Street, Aylesford.
The front forks of a Sulcata bicycle were
stolen from the garden of a home in Temple
Way, East Malling.
A white Peugot caravan, with the registration prefix WU52, was stolen from a commercial yard in The Street, Ryarsh.
Tools, including a Makita saw and a Dewalt router were stolen from a garden shed
in North Meadow, Offham.
A skip was taken from a yard in Lake
Road, Aylesford.
A bicycle left behind a property in Martin
Square, Larkfield, was stolen.
A metal drain cover was stolen from the
road in Braeburn Way, Kings Hill.
A window was damaged when something
was fired at it in Malling Road, Snodland.
The tyres were slashed on a car in Butchers Lane, Mereworth.
The rear windscreen was smashed on a
Mercedes C270 in Hermitage Lane, Aylesford.
A red Honda motorbike was taken from
the garage of a property in London Road at
Ryarsh.
A garage in London Road East, Aylesford,
was broken into but nothing was reported
stolen.
Children’s toys were taken from a garden
in Nursery Road, Ditton.
Diesel was stolen from a vehicle in Bullen
Lane, East Peckham.
A garden shed was broken into in
Woodgate Road and various items taken,
and a garage in Roughetts Road, both in
Ryarsh.
A Toyota people-carrier parked on the
drive outside a property in Snodland was
damaged.
Damage was caused to a house and a garden shed during a break in at a property in
Pepingstraw Close, Offham. Nothing was
reported as stolen.
Golf equipment was stolen from the shed
of a property in East Street, Addington.
Attempts were made to break into a Land
Rover on the drive of a home in Carnation
Crescent, East Malling. Nothing was taken.
Tools were taken from a building in
Broadwater Road, East Malling.
A car was stolen from Snoll Hatch Road,
East Peckham.
The bodywork was damaged on a parked
car in New Hythe Lane, Larkfield.
Items were taken from a vehicle in Jasmine
Road, another in Lime Crescent and a third
car in Hardie Close, East Malling.
A set of outside lights were damaged
at a premises in Norman Road, West
Malling.
Lead was stolen from a garage at a property in Smithers Lane, East Peckham.
Equipment was taken from a car in Mosquito Road, Mereworth, and the window of
a house in the same road was damaged.
The window of a house in Kent Road,
Snodland, was smashed.
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KINGSGATE CONSTRUCTION LTD
Extensions & Conversions Specialist
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Unit 11, Newnham Shopping Village
Bearsted, Maidstone Kent
Showroom: 01622 738204 Office: 01622 611880
www.ahminstallations.co.uk
(
26
Call our sales team now - 01622 630 330
Wood Works
FULL CARPENTRY SERVICE
FROM DECKING TO DOORS,
KITCHENS & FLOORS.
ALL JOBS BIG & SMALL.
MAKING THE BEST OF WOOD IN AND AROUND THE HOME
CALL Cliff on 07940 854927 or 01622 729092
All aspects of
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Doors, Windows, Kitchens
supplied and fitted, Loft
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small alterations,
Plastering and Tiling
All work guaranteed.
FREE ESTIMATES
Family business established 21 years
01622 743648
Mob: 07711 291921
31, Sheppey Road, Loose, Maidstone
Chimney Maintenance
H & G Chimney Services
Chimney sweeping service
Long established
ICS registered • All types of flu
All pots-cowls supplied & fitted
Complete re-builds
Re-pointing
Guttering, roof & valley repairs
01622 739439 07860 318166
info@chimneysweepkent.co.uk
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Chimney Maintenance continued
Garden Services continued
Clean Sweep
Brush & vacuum
Wood burners and flues
supplied and fitted
All work insured
All work certified to cover insurance
Pest control available
Camera inspections available
Weddings attended
Member of the ICS
HETAS approved
TNC Property
& Landscapes
Driveways and Paving
Block paving refurbishment
(level sunken areas, clean & sand)
Lawn construction
Fencing new and repairs
Brickwork/patios re-pointed
Call Tremayne
Fully Insured
01622 758221
07748004252
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EPIC
MAIDSTONE
TREE SERVICES
LANDSCAPES
No job too big or small
• Fencing • Treework
• Turfing • Decking
• Levelling Ground
• Jet Washing Service
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Professional Tree Services
Contact Kevin Bovis
01622 844385
07885 651578
Mobile 07590 408482
j.williams-treesurgery@hotmail.co.uk
www.maidstonetreeservices.co.uk
cleansweepmaidstone@gmail.com
Electricians
Electric Rewired
The new 17th Edition wiring regs are applied
We are Part P Certificated
For all your Electrical needs
From extra sockets to house rewiring
Replace old light fittings with new fittings
Call Alf for your free quote
Ring 07831 247843 or 01622 738680
www.electricrewired.co.uk.
alf@electricrewired.co.uk
For a free site survey call:
01622 527106
07788 532926
Handyman Services
J Norris Electrical Contractor
All aspects of
domestic electrical
work undertaken
by a trusted and
qualified
electrician with 20
years experience.
• Part P
certification
provided
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approved and
certified
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Tel: 07966 511408
E-mail: jnorriselectrical@gmail.com
Handyman HANDYMAN
No job too small
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•Painting & Decorating • Plastering
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Phone Lee for quotes
No job too big or too small.
Painting & decorating,
all roofing works & repairs,
chimney’s, guttering & gutter
cleaning, pressure cleaning,
fencing & brickwork & diveways
07554 367087
07894 138224 01622 204491
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Mobile: 07749 202140
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Call Colin on 07521
377306 or 01622 853978
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Garden Services
24 hour service locks opened new locks fitted security checks
emergency work undertaken UPVC door & window repairs
Maidstone & Kent
T: 01622 755750 M: 07738 658751
www.yourmaidstonelocksmith.co.uk
3 Plains Avenue, Maidstone ME15 7AT
Painting & Decorating
Pictor
TEL: 07860 838729
Painting- Wallpapering - Internal/
External Work
Lady Decorators - Clean & Reliable
No jobs to small or large
Refs available - Free Estimates
Rathbone Decorating Services
Interior & Exterior
Works Undertaken
No job too small
with special rates
for pensioners
www.wrightsfencing.co.uk
• Free Estimates • Friendly Personal Services
• Domestic and Commercial • Qualified Tradesman
No1 Locally Since 1996
Tel 01622 721491 or Mobile: 07753 487796
27
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Painting & Decorating continued
MALCOLM ROBERTS
Over 25 years’ experience of
maintaining people’s homes.
A friendly, reliable service.
Painting & decorating,
Wall Papering, Tiling
and all aspects of DIY.
• Quality Decorating at a
fair & competitive price
• Dulux approved over
30 years experience
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Tel: 01622 737225
Mobile: 07816 149502
www.sr-interiors.com
email: info@sr-interiors.com
Skip Hire
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01622
CALL MALCOLM
ON 01634 308067
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Email: paulaircon@hotmail.co.uk
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01622 611107 / 07967 625 447
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0800 028 49 00
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Trailor Hire, Sales & Repairs
Trailer Hire-Sales-Repair Kent Trailers
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Units 15-16 Dickens Court
Enterprise Close, Medway City Estate
Kent ME2 4LY
01634 717400
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Recruitment
Maidstone and Malling's No.1 Newspaper
We are currently recruiting a part time field sales person to
sell advertising across our successful Downs Mail and Mid
Kent Living publications and associated online products.
The role will involve:
• Making face to face presentations and telesales calls
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• Obtaining and growing new business
• Canvassing from competitor publications and online products
• Working to achieve challenging revenue targets and meeting strict
deadlines on a weekly basis
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(pro rata) annual leave + mileage allowance
Email applications to the sales manager. Include your CV and a
covering letter explaining how your experience matches the job
requirements and why you would be successful in the role.
bill.brett@downsmail.co.uk
On the Road
All MOT’s
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Foot Health Professional - Katherine Morton MCFHP MAFHP
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Unit 5, Bridge Industrial Estate,
Wharf Road, Tovil, Maidstone ME15 6RR
29
ACE
M.O.T. and Clutch Centre
Vehicle Maintenance, Service & M.O.T.
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736 London Road, Larkfield, Kent ME20 6BG
Te l : 0 1 7 3 2 8 7 0 3 6 8
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Parish Councils
32
Addington
both the trees and the heritage in
Addington. Ideally, members would like
Police matters A house in The Clearway, to start a programme of identifying trees
Addington had been broken into and a that should have preservation orders,
garage was broken into in Woodgate Road. Incidents such as the recent felling of trees
in woodland near Scarbutts on London
Award Members nominated Cllr Patricia
Road were of concern. It was also
Garrett for the Kent Association of Local
Councils community awards scheme 2016 suggested that the clerk approach Kent
Men of Trees for advice.
for her services to the community.
Budget The total allocation for section 136 East Street North One of the oak saplings
funding for 2016/17 was £3,290, including had disappeared.
£925 for the maintenance of the
churchyard. A total estimated expenditure
Aylesford
of £27,530, including £5,000 for
community projects, was agreed. It was
Lighting KCC had provided details of
resolved that the precept for 2016/17
additional work it required to be done on
should be £19,571.98 including the council York Avenue and Victoria Road before
tax support grant of £645. Any shortfall
adoption could be carried out. The clerk
would be met from reserves. This would
was in detailed discussions with
be the ninth year that the council resolved Streetlights Ltd about works required to
not to increase the precept.
parish-owned lighting, the drawing up of
Public session A member of the public
a detailed schedule and future
expressed concern about the current
maintenance.
external lighting at Humphries and Parks
Eccles memorial clock Urgent electrical
and referred to informatives and
work was authorised at a cost of £1,600.
conditions of previous planning
Rogue emails The clerk reported some
permissions and a previous refusal for the members receiving emails purporting to
site. They considered that the level of
come from the council’s old address
current lighting was wholly incompatible
and/or from previous clerks and members.
with a rural location and requested that
He asked members to ensure they delete
the parish council asked borough planning these without opening and only respond
enforcement officers to research the
to emails from the council’s current
planning history of the site in line with
addresses.
related planning policies and take
Blue Bell Hill The milestone was still
appropriate action.
with the contractor. Work had been
A member of the public expressed
delayed due to an injury to the
dismay about the activities that had
stonemason.
Aylesford village square There was a
recently taken place at the Scarbutts site
successful visit to Gallagher’s to view
on the A20. A removals firm had been
street furniture alternatives. A rustic style
using the site which had been reported to
with a low-level table was preferred. The
enforcement officers. A concrete garage
had since been turned into an office and in clerk would now pursue KCC to confirm
arrangements regarding funding and
the past week a number of trees adjacent
aspects of work it would be undertaking.
to the site had been felled. They feared
Members requested a site meeting with all
that this area would be surfaced and
turned into further parking and requested interested parties before final decisions on
design were confirmed.
that the clerk reported these concerns to
Bridleways The public inquiry into the
enforcement officers.
creation of bridleways for Aylesford and
Humphries and Parks Planning
enforcement officers had investigated and Burham parishes was scheduled to last for
said that a breach of planning control had six days, starting on February 23 at
Burham Old School Community Centre.
not occurred. The clerk was asked to
River Medway towpath Work was
challenge this decision, quoting the
expected to start after April. The parish
planning information supplied by the
council had committed £20,000 to the
member of the public.
project.
Woodgate Road KCC was continuing to
investigate possible problems with drains Ferryfield A request from Lawsons Circus
to visit in April for three nights was
in the area near The Paddocks where the
agreed.
road kept flooding.
Eccles recreation ground The fencing of
Jet Garage One of its signs was regularly
blocking the footpath on the south side of play equipment had been completed and
well received.
the A20.
Stubblesdown The clerk had reported the Budget The precept for 2016/17 would be
increased by £10,651, making a total of
missing posts and damaged verge to the
£177,374.
highways steward and was awaiting a
response. Two cars had been seen for sale
in recent weeks.
Birling
Village hall Members discussed the
serious fire in the village hall car park on
Crime report A garage in The Close had
December 31 when two caravans caught
been broken into and garden equipment
light. Cllr Peter Robinson played an
was stolen.
enormous part in assisting and offering
Planning Regarding a caravan in the field
hospitality to the shocked members of the opposite Langhold House, Tonbridge and
Caravan Club. Councillors thanked him
Malling Council was awaiting a planning
for everything he had done. The event had application for a dog walking/training
highlighted a few areas of concern which
business on the site.
would be considered in a complete review Precept It was agreed that the precept for
of the emergency plan.
2016/17 would be £8,772, the same amount
Open spaces The clerk was asked to find
as last year.
out from Tonbridge and Malling Council
Speeding KCC Cllr Sarah Hohler had said
how the parish council could try to protect that she would be prepared to part fund a
speed check in the village for comparison
with the previous one but was not sure
what would be achieved. It was decided
that a possible grant and parish council
funds might be better spent elsewhere. A
letter would be sent to Tom Tugendhat
MP, asking for his support in getting Kent
Police to take action against speeding
motorists.
Emergency plan It was agreed that it
would be a good idea for an emergency
plan to be drawn up with contact details
and information for display on the website
and noticeboard. The chairman and clerk
would produce a draft for the next
meeting
HGVs A councillor reported having seen
HGVs parked on the verges at the bottom
of Birling Road leading to the A20 and a
considerable amount of fast food
packaging litter had been left. In particular
a Clancy Docwra vehicle was seen on the
verge and new planting at the entrance to
Leybourne Chase had been damaged. The
clerk would contact the firm and
councillors would take photographs of
vehicles seen there in future with dates,
times and registration numbers.
Road study Details had been received of
an A20 road study to be carried out by
Amey to establish an evidence base of
existing and forecast problems or issues
between the A228 at Leybourne and
Coldharbour Lane, Aylesford. Councillors
commented on traffic congestion and lack
of synchronisation of traffic lights on the
route and were hopeful that the study
could lead to improvements in traffic
management.
Kings Hill
Town Feedback from the parish council’s
consultation for Kings Hill to become a
town was considered. It was resolved to
defer the proposal pending further
investigation.
Public session Members of the public
raised the following issues: the
investigation of other local Facebook sites
and the process of adding useful parish
council information to those sites; could
the parish council contact the GP surgery
to discuss the time the appointments
system takes; could an update on the
memorial stones be added to the parish
council website; issues with opening times
of the Sports Park bar/restaurant area.
Borough council report Cllr Sarah Barker
reported on changes to the school bus
service to Tonbridge; a new fast-track bus
service to replace the 123 service running
on Kings Hill and an update on the M20
junction 4 bridge widening. Queen Street
had been adopted by KCC from Fortune
Way to the GP surgery. Further
investigation would take place on this
matter. An assessment of the bus stops
and bus stop flags would be taking place
in Discovery Drive.
Local plan The results of the call for sites
were noted and it was agreed that the
parish council would continue to
challenge these proposals.
Advert It was noted that Kings Hill
feaures in the new Ford television advert.
Queen The Queen’s 90th birthday
celebrations were discussed and it was
agreed that the parish council would not
be lighting a beacon.
downsmail.co.uk
Fete management Two members of the
public raised the matter of the village fete
and asked that the parish council take the
lead by forming a fete sub-committee. This
was agreed. The parish council’s insurance
would cover the fete and all activities
relating to it. An appeal would be made
for volunteers, emphasising that this was
the village’s one main fundraising event of
the year.
Village hall soakaway Bill Piper reported
that several tennis balls had been removed
from the drain and it was now cleared.
However, water was starting to
accumulate outside the fire doors and a
gulley here might help. The guttering on
the neighbouring building was damaged,
causing further flooding and the
householder had been asked to deal with
this. A report was awaited from the
contractor before deciding the next step.
Police matters There had been one
burglary (non-dwelling) and a theft from a
house.
Road accidents There had been three
traffic incidents on Seven Mile Lane at the
bend by Orchard Place and one fatality.
KCC Cllr Matthew Balfour said there was
no engineering solution to the accidents.
There was a 50mph restriction and the
police must enforce this. The PCSOs said
they had undertaken several speed checks
recently. The chairman said the parish
council expected the police and KCC to
continue to look for a solution to this dire
situation.
Kent Street Cllr Matthew Balfour said that
the plans for Kent Street were still ongoing
and the parish council would be
consulted. There was no money for major
roadworks though a solution could be
development (section 106) which was not
wanted by residents.
Precept The precept for 2016/17 was set at
£11,947.22, an increase of 10% on the
previous year. It was generally felt that as
the parish council had been running at a
deficit for some years and had used up the
revenue from land sale some years ago, it
was not prudent to allow this situation to
continue. There had been no increase for
several years and the workload required
of the parish council had increased. Cllr
Jenny Thorogood wished it to be recorded
that she did not agree with the small
increase, but felt it should be 25%, as she
felt that parishioners wanted tree pruning,
grass cutting and verges to continue to be
done to a high standard.
Box” and would include shelves of books
which could be read and replaced or
swapped by residents.
Speed Watch Volunteers would be taking
part in training for the programme which
should restart in the village soon.
Quiz night Tickets for the quiz night
being held in the village hall on February
27 cost £7.50 each and include a glass of
wine and hot food. They can be purchased
from Cllr Wendy Williams on 01832
841501.
Noticeboard The parish council had paid
for and installed a new noticeboard
outside the village hall.
Precept Councillors discussed the budget
for 2016/17 and agreed to keep the amount
per band D household the same as last
year.
amount paid for 2016/17 by a band D
household to £50.48, which is £3.61 less
than the previous year. The final precept
request was for £14,289.
Wateringbury
Co-option John Evans was co-opted to
serve on the parish council.
Allotments The minor repairs to the gate
had been done.
Budget Councillors voted to set the
precept for 2016/17 at £109,516.32 which
included the £40,000 one-off requirement
for a new wet pour surface at the play
area.
Community assets The Mill Pond had
been placed on the list held by Tonbridge
and Malling Council.
Planning The council had no objections to
the following applications: South View
Ryarsh
House, 226 Tonbridge Road, single storey
Signs Kent Highway Services had looked extension; 5 Phoenix Yard Cottages,
at the “slow” signs and white lines in the
removal of mobile home and domestic
village and considered the centre line was outbuildings and erection of new annex.
adequate. Of the seven “slow” signs, two
Play equipment Negotiations were still
were worn and did not warrant action yet. progressing with Playdale about the
White lines were not marked in winter but replacement of some wooden supports.
possible work would be investigated again The existing surface would be replaced
in April.
with wet pour once these had been
Phone box The contractor suggested by
replaced.
BT for maintenance of the phone box was
Sports and Recreation Association Mike
not interested in such a small job. A local
Witts reported that the wetness of the
resident, who was a painter and decorator, ground had delayed the work to refurbish
would be contacted.
part of the playing fields. Cllr Dennis
Pothole A pothole in The Street had been
Stones agreed to represent the parish
reported to Kent Highway Services.
council on the association’s management
Grass The KCC Landscape Service quote
committee.
for cutting the recreation ground grass
Village warden John Ibbs reported that
had been accepted.
the only problem currently was dog
Defibrillator A local electrician would be fouling. Dog owners were reminded to
contacted to provide a light for the phone pick up after their pets.
box which would be on a timer or operate Public discussion Topics raised were:
when the door is opened, and for the
councillors’ meetings with Siemans about
defibrillator. It was agreed to keep the box use of Drayhorse Meadow car park for
red on the outside and white on the inside. work to be carried out to install a
Pub The Duke of Wellington pub would
temporary switchgear module; village
be 500 years old this year and celebrations plans for Clean for the Queen; Croudace
were planned throughout the year. It was
plans for housing at a site in the village.
hoped that the parish council could join in
with the celebrations with something at
the village fete suggested.
West Peckham
Highways The bank opposite Moonfield
Deer shooting Concern was expressed
was eroding and had been especially bad
that deer shooting was taking place in
in the past few weeks. A couple of trees
had come out of the bank and appeared to Hazel Wood in the locality of a public
footpath. The landowner would be
have been holding it together. The bank
contacted to see if permission had been
was breaking down and soil was washed
given for this.
down the road and blocked the drains on
Funding A request had been received for
The Street. It was presumed that Redrow
financial assistance for West Peckham
was now responsible for the bank but it
Cricket Club. The council agreed a one-off
was not known if repairing and
donation of £500 to secure the future of
maintaining it was built into the terms of
Offham
the cricket club and ensure its financial
the planning permission for the site.
security.
Crash It was reported that the police, Kent Bus stop The bus stop on London Road,
Roads Iron work was missing outside the
Highway Services and Tonbridge and
opposite Roughetts Road, heading in the
church. This had been reported to
Malling Council were investigating the
Wrotham direction, had no shelter.
Southern Water. Concerns were expressed
circumstances of the recent fatal crash on
Waiting passengers were getting soaked
about the crossing at Seven Mile Lane and
Seven Mile Lane to try to prevent a similar when it rained. The clerk was asked to
accident happening.
write to Tonbridge and Malling Council to Mereworth Road at school time with the
way cars were being parked particularly
Aldon Lane A lorry recently got stuck on
request a shelter.
around The Octagon, often forcing cars
Aldon Lane and caused damage trying to
Play area The roundabout was beyond
into the middle of the road. The clerk
turn around. Kent Highway Services was
economic repair. The play area was still
would write to the school asking if parents
looking at ways of preventing vehicles
popular with children from school, hall
taking short cuts along this narrow road.
hirers and users of the recreation ground. could please be considerate about parking.
Dog bin This had now been installed.
Phone box Following the parish council’s It was anticipated that it would continue
Budget The precept for 2016/17 was set at
successful application for a defibrillator
to be popular even when the new play
and case from the British Heart
area was installed in the Brickworks site. It £2,998, meaning £17.30 for a band D
Foundation, plans were discussed for
was agreed that the parish council should property – a slight increase of 6p or 0.35%
over last year because the tax base
installing it in the old phone box on Teston look into replacing the roundabout.
reduced from £173.93 to £173.32.
Precept It was agreed to reduce the
Road. The box was to be called the “Book
Parish Councils
Mereworth
33
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Supermarket idea for M20 park and ride site

Transcription

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