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Maidstone Town | Maidstone East | Maidstone South | Malling February 2016 No. 226

Four editions delivered to over 88,000 homes every month downsmail.co.uk

Malling EditionMalling Edition

CORE services for the elderly areunder threat, Age UK Maidstonehas warned.

It follows a request to the organ-isation from KCC to cut its costs inWest Kent by £10,000 next year.

Age UK says it has not received areal-term increase from KCC in sixyears for the core services it pro-vides Kent’s elderly residents andalready receives less per pensionerthan anywhere else in the country.

Age UK’s chief executive inMaidstone, Paul Coles said: “Wehave a good relationship withKCC’s adult services and under-stand it has difficult decisions tomake to balance its budget, but weare already the poor relation toother voluntary service providers.

“We are a lean organisation, sothis request to trim ourfunding needs further willtranslate into the closure of

News

Obituaries

�46-47

�22

Crime Reports �24

Shopping boostWORK is to start on a major re-vamp of the historic RoyalStar Arcade, Maidstone. �5

TV show request MORE than 20,000 people havesigned an online petition callingfor a Maidstone footballerto host BBC’s Top Gear. �3

Open space visionA NEW cafe and visitors centre isthe key part of a project toboost Mote Park.

Comment �23

Youngsters concernLOCAL playschemes could beaxed as the boroughcouncil looks to cut costs. �10

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�5

Parish Councils �32-33

LORRIES were said to be leavingfast-food litter in Birling; urgentelectrical work costing £1,600was authorised for a clock in Ec-cles; a Ford television advert wasfeaturing Kings Hill; a councillorin Mereworth called for theparish precept to rise by 25%;dog fouling was a nuisance inWateringbury; deer shootingwas causing concern in WestPeckham.

POP icon David Bowie had an interesting link to Maidstone.

Age UK facesbudget cutCHRISTINE Dooley has retired as

manager of the RSPCA’s LeybourneAnimal Centre in West Malling.

Christine (56), who opened theCastle Way centre in 1996, hashelped to rescue, rehabilitate andrehome about 35,000 animals inthat time.

She was previously deputymanager of the charity’sSouthridge Centre in Potters Bar ina career with the RSPCA spanning30 years.

RSPCA spokespersonDarren Parrish said: “The

RSPCA centre manager retires

�6

Supermarket idea forM20 park and ride site

The £14m proposal would see a29,000sqft store developed close tothe new Next shop near M20 Junc-tion 7, bringing an anticipated 200new jobs. The store would be morethan twice the size of the existing13,000sqft Waitrose in AllingtonPark, which the retailer says it iscommitted to retaining.

Nick Yandle, chief executive ofGallagher Group, the developer be-hind the proposal, said Maidstoneremains a key target for Waitrose,who would have built a store innearby Newnham Court but forMaidstone Council refusing LandSecurities’ application in June 2014.

He said: “The investment in aWaitrose store is a sign of confi-dence in the borough. It will rein-force Junction 7’s importance as agateway to the Maidstone economyand will attract further investmentand employment at Eclipse Park.”

Mr Yandle outlined the vision,pictured, to Boxley parish council-lors and residents ahead of a plan-ning application due to besubmitted to Maidstone Council inlate February. He said the single-storey building, next to the Tower-gate office block, would have asimple and contemporary design,in keeping with the surrounding re-tail and commercial units andwould feature Kentish ragstone.

The car park would provide 300spaces, with two hours free parkingfor customers. Replying to concerns

about traffic problems, Mr Yandlesaid that vehicles visiting the storewould be spread throughout theday, whereas the park and ride traf-fic was condensed at peak times.

No new highways work wouldbe required, with shoppers usingthe existing access by the ChilternHundreds pub or the new junctionnear the Next store.

The existing park and ride facilityclosed on Saturday, February 6.

If the plan is approved, buildingis expected to start in late 2016 withthe store opening early in 2018.

A PLAN to build a Waitrose supermarket on Maidstone’s doomed parkand ride site at Eclipse Park has been unveiled.

A LOTTERY grant of up to£25,100 was awarded for AllSaints’ Church in Snodland.For more details see Town Talkin the central pages of thismonth’s Downs Mail. The bi-monthly independent maga-zine is dedicated to Snodlandand Halling residents.

Town TalkTown Talk

A BURGLAR alarm frightened offraiders in Wateringbury.

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MORE than 20,000 people havesigned an online petition to haveTop Gear presenter Chris Evansdeposed by Maidstone footballerAlex Martin.

Alex (22), who plays for Maid-stone United’s disability footballteam The Raiders, shot to fame lastyear as one of the stars of Channel4’s The Undateables.

But in a recent episode, he re-vealed his first love is for fast cars– although he only drives a Vaux-hall Corsa.

Alex, who is autistic, had neverhad a date when he first appearedon The Undateables in January2015. He has since fallen for 21-year-old Eloise from Surrey, andboth were featured last month en-joying a romantic break at his fam-ily’s holiday home in the LoireValley.

The petition was set up onchange.org by Jake Tasker, whobelieves Alex would make a greatpresenter for Top Gear. The showreturns to our screens in May, withRadio 2 breakfast show broad-caster Evans at the helm.

There is speculation online that

Evans has been struggling with themantle he has inherited from theshow’s founder Jeremy Clarksonwith one commenter suggesting he“can’t talk and drive at the sametime”.

However, this month the BBCplayed its trump card by revealingthat former Friends star MattLeBlanc will co-host the show, in abid to appeal to a wider, transat-lantic audience.

In the meantime, the online peti-

tion continues to gather momen-tum. One fan wrote: "Alex has anatural talent and such charisma.I'd love to watch him every week."Another said: "Alex is a ledge."

Alex, a student at Hadlow Col-lege, says his dream car would bethe "Bugatti Veyron Supersport,top speed 268 miles per hour,nought to sixty in two point fiveseconds".

Alex says his autism makes himnervous around new people, par-ticularly girls.

He said: “I start blushing, mycheeks go red like a Ferrari then,when it comes to doing the talking,the words just don't want to comeout.”

Alex, from Halling, took Eloiseto Brands Hatch for their first dateand they have since been featuredout and about in West Malling.

He said the five years spent withMaidstone United Raiders hadplayed a large part in boosting hisconfidence. and the show evenmore so.

The online petition is addressedto bosses at the BBC, who have de-clined to comment.

Call for ‘Undateable’Alex to host Top Gear

New hope forcancer patientsGROUND-breaking technology todiagnose lung cancer earlier isbeing used by Maidstone and Tun-bridge Wells NHS Trust – one ofonly two acute trusts to offer theservice.

Doctors believe the electromag-netic navigation bronchoscopy(ENB) procedure will have a posi-tive impact on survival rates andpatients’ quality of life.

The ENB equipment, which hasbeen funded by the Peggy WoodFoundation, uses X-ray, CT or PETscan images to create a three-di-mensional roadmap that allowsdoctors to guide catheters throughairways to diagnose and preparetreatments for lung cancer.

The procedure requires patientsto be sedated, but explores deepinto the lungs, where nearly twothirds of lesions are found, andtakes a biopsy. The process is farless invasive than surgery andmeans most patients can go homethe same day.

Consultant respiratory physicianDr Syed Arshad Husain, the trust’slead on the new ENB service, said:“Our trust is totally committed toimproving lung cancer outcomes.This system aims to improve detec-tion times and will have a positiveimpact on survival rates and qual-ity of life.”

Malling February 2016 3

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Waterside Parkappeal rejected

A BURGLAR who left his DNA onspades used to break into his vic-tims’ homes has been jailed for twoyears and three months.

Nathan Norman (30), formerly ofEwell Avenue, West Malling stolethousands of pounds of jewelleryand electrical items after using thetool to force his way in through thepatio doors of a property.

He pleaded guilty to two countsof burglary at Maidstone CrownCourt.

The court heard how the housecontaining the jewellery and electri-cal items, in the Police Station Roadarea of West Malling, was brokeninto by Norman on February 25, 2015.

The victim returned to find the property ransacked, with drawers pulledout and items strewn across the floor in many of the rooms.

Norman had also attempted to break into a house in the Barming areaof Maidstone in October 2014 but had been unable to force his way inthrough the back door.

On both occasions stolen spades had been left discarded in the backgardens of the affected properties, providing forensic evidence linking Nor-man to the offences.

Speaking of the victims, Detective Constable Neil Buckle said: “NathanNorman demonstrated scant regard for their welfare when he selfishly tar-geted their homes and on one occasion rifled through valuables he had noright to be anywhere near.

“The DNA found on the spades he used proved he was involved in bothoffences, and I am pleased he is off the streets and behind bars where hecan cause no further harm to law-abiding members of the public.”

Spade raider sent to jail

THE High Court has thrown outproposals to build an industrialestate on land south of the M20near Junction 8.

After last year’s public inquiry, inwhich planning inspector KatiePeerless upheld Maidstone Coun-cil’s decisions to reject GallagherProperties’ two Waterside Park ap-plications, the company appealed.

However, High Court Judge Jus-tice Collins upheld the council’s de-cisions. Craig Howell-Williams,representng Gallagher, said beingnear the motorway made the sitesuitable for warehouses, despiteone of the prospective occupants,ADL, finding alternative premisesfor its relocation from Marden.

Bearsted and Thurnham Soci-ety’s Mary Richards said: “It is par-ticularly heartening to see thatwhen MBC councillors have thecourage to reject planning applica-tions that their officers wish themto grant, and when that decision isappealed, the planning inspec-torate supports it.

“When that decision is subject tojudicial review and the High Court

upholds it, it shows that coura-geous decisions can win the day.”

In his summing up, the judgementioned the large amount of op-position to the applications.

Mrs Richards said: “The inspec-tor hearing the Kent InternationalGateway appeal several years agoalso commented on the volume ofpublic opposition, so it is clearlyworthwhile for the community tomake its views known in largenumbers in situations of this kind.”

The judge ordered Gallaghers topay £9,290 costs. The company had21 days to decide if it wished toissue a further appeal.

Mid Kent MP Helen Whatelysaid: “I have opposed this develop-ment since I was elected [in May2015] – speaking against it was myfirst official engagement.

“We need successful businessesand jobs in Kent, but Junction 8 – soclose to Leeds Castle and the KentDowns Area of Outstanding Natu-ral Beauty – is not the right place.

“Development around Junction 8will affect the landscape and par-ticularly the AONB.”

For more local newswww.downsmail.co.uk


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MAIDSTONE is about to undergosome serious retail therapy.

Work is to start on a major revampof the Royal Star Arcade, which it ishoped will breathe new life into theHigh Street.

The arcade, which stands on thesite of the old Royal Star Hotel, hashad mixed fortunes, despite attract-ing top designer names because of itsprestigious location.

Created as a shopping mall in1989, it retains much of the architec-tural splendour of the 16th-centurycoaching inn. Manager Daniel LeBeau said: “The arcade will be trans-formed into a beautiful, classically-styled shopping experienceunmatched in the area, with theatrium, given its undoubted beauty,its crowning glory. We plan to focuson a high quality blend of independ-ent and niche retailers and comple-mentary businesses for those whoenjoy a little bit of luxury.”

The arcade has two levels, provid-ing 28 retail units including a cafe,health food shop and other nicheoutlets. The refurbishment includesthe removal of the bandstand stair-

case and redevelopment of the cen-tral rotunda.

Mr Le Beau said: “In its place wewill have a large covered area thatwill provide ample dining space, aswell as the opportunity for seasonalevents that are simply not possibleanywhere else in Maidstone at themoment.”

The original Star Hotel was a pop-ular overnight stop for those travel-ling between London andFolkestone. The 19th century saw thehotel get the royal seal of approval,and the ‘royal’ prefix, after a visit bya young Queen Victoria.

It is home to the Disraeli Balcony,where Benjamin Disraeli made hisparliamentary acceptance speechafter being elected MP for Maidstonein 1837. Mr Le Beau said the schemewould draw on inspiration from theBurlington Arcade in London andthe Royal Arcade in Norwich.�An announcement is expected

soon on plans for land at MaidstoneEast railway station. MaidstoneCouncil has long been keen to see asupermarket and housing on the sitebut there have so far been no takers.

Arcade to getmajor revamp

Continued from page onesome services or more costsbeing passed to our clients –neither of which we want.”

Mr Coles said negotiations arecontinuing with KCC, with a de-cision expected in the comingweeks.

However, it is clear that therewill be no funding after July 2016to continue Age UK’s befriend-ing service that was started inWest Kent with Maidstone Mind.

Mr Coles said: “This attracted acouple of hundred volunteers tobefriend or accompany elderlypeople and those with mentalhealth issues in their home or onday trips. Unfortunately, the suc-cess of this pilot is not the issuehere, but the county council’s re-sources to continue funding it.”

He said efforts were continuingto fund the project from outsidesources. Mr Coles added: “Age

UK fills a large number of gaps inthe service provision for the eld-erly in West Kent and these talkswill need to look at what KCCwants and what we can offer.

“If there is no flexibility in thebudget we will not be able to pro-vide the same level of service.”

He said the organisation wasbeing forced to absorb the cost ofsetting up staff pensions and theimplications of the living wage.

KCC part funds voluntarygroups to help in areas such asadult social care services, whichhas a £9.5m budget. A spokesmansaid: “Due to well-publicisedcuts to local authority budgets,we have had to look again at howmuch we fund voluntary organi-sations and as a result have writ-ten to all 98, including Age UK.

“We have asked if they couldreduce the amount of fundingthey require, and many haveagreed to do this.”

Age UK set for cut


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DEVELOPER Trenport has con-firmed that it will step back laterthis year from construction at Pe-ters Village, Wouldham on thebank of the River Medway.

The scheduled move reflects thegood progress that has been madeon the new road bridge.

The project means the return of ariver crossing near Snodland – thebanks were temporarily linked atthat point by a Bailey bridge duringWorld War II.

Trenport director Chris Hall said:“Major infrastructure works on Pe-ters Village by ourselves and ouronsite contractor BAM Nuttall willhave been completed by late sum-mer this year and have gonesmoothly and to schedule.”

However, the remaining workdoes include some of the biggest el-ements in the creation of the 1,000-home community. The largest ofthese is the new road bridge whichis due to open to traffic in late Au-gust and will link with the Snod-land-Halling roundabout.

A second bridge, spanning thenorth-south rail line between the

river and the A228, is one of the lastelements to be put in place.

Trenport’s project manager PaulMorris said: “There is an ageingbrick and steel bridge over the rail-way, built simply for access whenthe old cement industry was active,but inadequate for a modern dayroad link carrying the sort of vol-umes needed here.

“However, with the traintimetable taking priority, windowsof opportunity for building a re-placement were few, but BAM Nut-tall now has an agreed programmewith Network Rail and has startedbuilding embankments and boring

holes for piled foundations neededto bear the new rail bridge. Workshould then be completed at aboutthe same time as the Medwaycrossing and allow demolition ofthe old bridge over the railway.Both new bridges will include foot-ways and cycleways.”

The first housebuilder Bellwaycame on site in January and hasbegun construction. Other house-builders who will be taking up fur-ther phases are expected to beannounced shortly.

Building of Peters Village is ex-pected to be completed in about2024.

Developer to stand downas bridge work progresses

RSPCA bossstands downContinued from page 1RSPCA is incredibly gratefulfor all the hard workChristine has put in for thecharity. She will be sorelymissed.

“Few people in life cantruly retire knowing theyhave made a difference, butChristine should be proud tosay that her working life wasdevoted to making adifference to the hundreds ofanimals she has helpedduring her career.

“She has been a greatmentor to many staffmembers, including me. I andtwo others now manage ourown centres after havingworked with Christine, and inthis way she will continue tocontribute to animal welfarefor a long time to come.”

Mrs Dooley, who has livedon site, worked alongside herhusband Mike – the centre’sofficial photographer. She isnow looking forward tospending some quality timewith her family.

The charity hopes toappoint a replacementmanager in the coming weeks.

The bridge

over the River

Medway,

linking the

proposed

Peters Village

and

Snodland


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AN “iconic” cafe and visitors cen-tre is set to be built as part of a£3.96m bid to improve Maid-stone’s Mote Park.

Maidstone Council’s policy andresources committee agreed to thecapital investment, which wouldsee the new £2.5m cafe managedin-house and repositioned forviews of the lake. The existing cafe,which, as well as the public toilets,was most criticised by a recent res-idents’ survey, would be removed.

A design competition will beheld, with the council confidentthat notable architects will be keento create a high-quality building

containing four times more floor-space than the existing cafe.

Cllr Annabelle Blackmore, leaderof the Conservative group, said:“To have a brand new iconic build-ing for a cafe really will help to putMaidstone on the map, especially

for future events.”Also included in the plan is a

£790,000 adventure zone, newmaintenance area, new paths andformalised overspill parking areasto accommodate up to 350 more ve-hicles. There will be at least twoseparate toilet blocks.

However, the scheme will see thepermanent removal of the skatepark, though officers are to investi-gate an alternative site in the park.

Cllr John Perry said: “Skate parksexist very happily in rural areasand are very popular. I would liketo keep a skate park somewhere be-cause it is a well-used facility.”

One option could be to install askate park near the leisure centre.

Officers believe the researchbehind the plan – entitled “A sus-tainable future for Mote Park” –will “maximise operational andcommercial opportunities” at thepark.

Councillors heard that progresshad been made by bringing themanagement of the cafe back in-house and through the impendingintroduction of parking charges.

A consultant has been appointedto prepare and submit a planningapplication for the adventure zoneon the council’s behalf.

New cafe boost to Mote Park

Firewalk to boost hospice fundTHE Heart of Kent Hospice is inviting people to walk across hotcoals to raise money for the charity.

The hospice has 100 places for budding firewalkers to take the 5mstroll across coals that can reach up to 650C.

The fire walk takes place in Jubilee Square, Maidstone at 7pm onFriday March 4, and is managed by a highly experienced team forwhom the safety of the walkers is the top priority.

Entry is limited to those aged over 18 and the entry fee is £25, witha minimum sponsorship requirement of £100.

To book a place, call fundraising on 01622 790195 or go towww.hokh.org.

For more local news www.downsmail.co.uk

Skate park is set to be removed

Bid for flagMAIDSTONE is hoping to raise thePurple flag for another year.

The accreditation for the qualityof the twilight and night-time econ-omy was awarded to the town twoyears ago. Five major pubs andclubs have since closed, but thereare more restaurants.

Maidstone town centre changeco-ordinator Ilsa Butler said:“There has been a growth in thenight-time economy but it reflectsthe change in tastes and demand.”

The town was due to submit itsapplication by the end of January.

Library planKCC PLANS to save £150,000 byreducing mobile library stops.

The county council wants to cutthe least-used of the 651 stopsmade by the 11 mobile libraries toreduce its £367,000 annual outlay.

Analysis showed that 368 stopshad an average of two visitors orfewer. The proposed routes will seemore than half the stops increasingtheir stopping time and the servicemoving to a Tuesday-Saturdayschedule.

See how stops could affect you atwww.kent.gov.uk/consultations.


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PUPILS from Kings Hill helped to create wildlife havens in the natureconservation area on the development.

The youngsters, who attend the new Valley Invicta Primary School,heaped woodland debris into mounds for hedghogs to hibernate inand made stone-lined hollows where lizards and slow worms can findinsects asfood andbask onwarmer days.

They alsohad anopportunityto explore theWorld War IIpillbox in theconservationarea whichprovides ahome foranimals andinsects.

SusanDavies, KingsHill estate manager, said: “Many of the children are fairly new toKings Hill and so it was lovely to be able to show them parts of thedevelopment they may not have seen before and for them to learnmore about the habitats on their doorstep. They worked really hardand the habitats they have created will be so important for thewildlife. They enjoyed seeing the fruits of their labour and I hopethey will continue to visit the site to see how things are going.”

Headteacher Sarah Bone said: “Our aim is to enrich the curriculumby learning outside the classroom. It has been a wonderfulopportunity for the children to learn more about nature andappreciate the environment they live in as well as seeing how theycan help animals and insects.”

Pupils’ boost for wildlife

CHILDREN’s playschemes inTonbridge and Malling could beaxed as the borough council looksfor savings of £60,000 in the activi-ties it runs for youngsters duringthe school holidays.

Cutbacks were proposed by thecouncil’s overview and scrutinycommittee following a review of theauthority’s three main holiday pro-grammes – Activate, Y2 Crew andthe Summer Playscheme.

Last summer, Activate providedabout 200 youngsters with activi-ties, and there were 1,416 atten-dances at the borough’s 12 SummerPlayscheme centres.

The council currently operatesboth schemes but would withdrawfrom directly providing them, sav-ing £15,000 from the Activatebudget and £47,000 from theplayschemes, which cost £120,000.Other groups or companies wouldbe sought to take over the runningof the schemes, with the councilproviding £3,000 to support Acti-vate and £18,000 for the SummerPlayscheme.

Concessions could be kept for lessfortunate families to use the priva-

tised schemes and the council couldcontinue to provide play sessions inEast Malling, Snodland and Trenchward, Tonbridge in 2016 if no onecomes forward to run them.

The council would maintain itssupport of £1,700 a year for the Y2Crew programme, subject to otherpartners continuing financial con-tributions. The project provides ac-tivities for young people with morechallenging behaviours.

The council needs to make sav-ings of £1.4million in its 2016/17budget with additional potentialcuts of £700,000 now having to beidentified.

Higher admission charges foreach child were considered but itwas felt that the activities would betoo expensive.

Cllr Allan Sullivan, chairman ofthe overview and scrutiny commit-tee, said the council faced difficultdecisions through no fault of itsown and could leave no stone un-turned when it came to making sav-ings.

The proposals were due to go be-fore the council’s cabinet after theDowns Mail went to press.

Playschemes atrisk due to cuts


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A VILLAGE GP surgery underthreat of closure has been given asix-month reprieve.

Residents in East Peckham havebeen fighting to save the branchsurgery in Old Road after consulta-tion on its future began in Decem-ber. The service is run as a satelliteby Paddock Wood-based Wood-lands Health Centre where patientsfrom East Peckham would have tovisit for appointments if it closed.

The campaign was backed byTonbridge and Malling MP TomTugendhat and East PeckhamParish Council. More than 600 sup-porters signed an online petition tosave the surgery.

The NHS has now sent a letter tothe practice, agreeing to postponethe process for six months to givethe parish council time to findmoney to bring the premises up toits required standard so that thelease can be renewed.

NHS England (South East) seniorcontracts manager David Sellingwrote: “It is with reluctance wefind ourselves in the position, as itformally stands today, that we

would have little option to acceptthe application to close as I under-stand there are no alternative sitesthe practice can identify. However,we note East Peckham ParishCouncil is potentially offering tosupport the practice with the fund-ing of improvements to get thepremises into a condition wherebya new lease could be offered. Thus,NHS England would like to delaythe process of closure for up to sixmonths.”

He emphasised the NHS did nothave any funding for the work buthoped the doctors could come to anarrangement with the parish coun-cil and the landlord.

The parish council and GP prac-tice are negotiating the extension ofthe lease with the landlord. Con-sideration was being given towhether modifying the buildingwas possible, perhaps with parishcouncil money, anonymous dona-tions, crowdfunding and fundrais-ing. The parish council would alsolook at alternatives such as the con-version of changing rooms at theJubilee Hall or use of its land.

More time tosave surgery

STEPHEN Brown is planning an adrenaline-fuelled tribute to the sister henever knew.

The 20-year-old from Leybourne will be making a 10,000ft parachutejump for the charity that supported his parents after the death of hissister Helena, who would have been 25 this year.

Stephen says: “Iwant to raise moneyfor charity andachieve a life goalbefore the scary ageof 21 and decided todo this for Soft UK.

“Soft UK was a newcharity at the time ofHelena’s birth, andprovided support andguidance for myparents. It’s SoftUK’s 25th anniversary in May, so I aim to raise as much as possible inHelena’s memory.”

Helena was born in 1991 with the rare genetic disorder Edward’sSyndrome. She was less than six months old when she died.

Speaking ahead of his challenge, on March 26, Stephen. who ispictured 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 hasdonated. It's something that I won’t forget and something that I amproud to achieve.”

He also has the full backing of his proud parents, Sue and David, andSoft UK. The charity’s development manager Kirsty Bassett said: “Weare 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 workand with Stephen’s help we will be able to reach even more childrenacross the UK – children who have to cope with the death of theirbrother or sister.”

Back Stephen at mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/stephenbrownskydive.

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EAST Malling Research has beensaved from potential administra-tion after a takeover by anotherleading crop research institute.

The company, which made lossesof more than £1.5m last year, hasbecome part of the National Insti-tute of Agricultural Botany (NIAB),based in Cambridge.

Despite its high scientific reputa-tion, there had been concerns forthe survival of East Malling Re-search (EMR) for several years afterthe loss of government support.

Its rescue, for an undisclosedsum, means the new organisationcan create a major centre for appliedcrop science and innovation.

Founded in 1913, fruit researchspecialist EMR employs 85 people.The huge site was recently includedin Tonbridge and Malling Council’scall for development sites, raisingfears that the prime agriculturalland and laboratories would be re-placed by housing.

Giving a cautious welcome to themerger, KCC and borough CllrTrudy Dean said: “Hopefully, thisis good news for EMR if it safe-

guards the future of this 500-acresite of prime agricultural land forcontinuing with its internationallyadmired and valued research.

“Many people locally haveworked on the fields, greenhousesand labs at ‘the Research’ and willbe hoping that this announcementmeans its proud reputation of em-ploying the top scientists and prac-titioners will be continued. We needto hear quickly from NIAB about itsplans for the site.”

The NIAB group said the com-bined organisation, employingmore than 300 staff and with aturnover of £22 million, would pro-

vide long-term stability, scale andcapacity for investment in crop sci-ence.

A spokesman said: “NIAB EMRwill be established as a wholly-owned subsidiary of NIAB and willcontinue to operate from the exist-ing site at East Malling.”

Chief executive of the combinedorganisation, Dr Tina Barsby said:“The move creates a potent newforce in independent applied re-search, bringing together the scien-tific expertise required to supportprogressive crop production at alllevels, and represents a major stepforward in NIAB’s plans.”

Takeover set to rescuecrop research company

Council to find£1.9m savingsTONBRIDGE and Malling Councilhas identified the need to makesavings of £1.9million in the nextfive years.

Controversial proposals to thecouncil’s cabinet include cuttingmore than £60,000 from summerplay schemes and a review of park-ing charges in West Malling.

Council leader Nicolas Heslopsaid the council had always takenmeasured steps in how it deliveredservices but had thought that therevenue support grant from theGovernment would not be takenaway until 2019. The council hadnow learned that it would be re-moved a year earlier. Combinedwith the reform of the businessrates, Tonbridge and Malling willget 65% less in Government sup-port, equating to £2.4million.

West Malling Parish Council hascalled for the proposed introduc-tion of parking charges in the HighStreet car park to be delayed for sixmonths to allow time to work on al-ternative options. An online peti-tion against the scheme had morethan 3,300 signatures and another300 were collected at the farmers’market.

The proposals were due to go be-fore the cabinet after the DownsMail went to press.

Dr Tina Barsby and David Neill, chief operating officer of EMR (right)


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Time for lunchA SENIOR lunch club meets at TheDorcas Centre, Swallow Road,Larkfield from 11am to 1.30pmevery Thursday.

Light activities and food are onoffer for a minimum donation of£4. Free door-to-door transportmay be available within Larkfield,Leybourne, East and West Mallingand Kings Hill areas.

This is a Dynamic Future To-gether project in partnership withChurches Together in Malling.

To book a place and transport,call 07434150922. Volunteers anddrivers are needed – please call toapply.

Kent County Council wanted tooutsource the running of the site tosave money, as part of a wider pro-posal involving five of the smallercountry parks in its ownership, in-cluding The Larches in PilgrimsWay, Detling.

However, after a storm of protestincluding an online petition withmore than 6,800 signatures, andcomplaints about the lack of con-sultation, the county councilagreed to suspend the process. Itwill now review the proposal inthe coming months.

Support for the campaign camefrom the families, friends and for-mer colleagues of the crew wholost their lives in the Kent Air Am-bulance crash on the nearby hill-side in 1998. It emerged that thememorial stone (pictured) at thesite also marks the place where thethree men were buried.

Rachel Darby, whose fatherMark died in the accident, said:

“It’s not public knowledge thatthey were placed under that stone,but I think now it needs to be madeaware that this isn’t just a stone buttheir grave. It’s a place for us asfamily and friends to mourn andcelebrate their heroic actions. I re-ally don’t think this has beenthought through.”

Her mother Susan, called theplan “outrageous and without con-sultation; unforgiveable”, andcalled for support to “protect thisbeautiful site”.

Aylesford MP Tracey Crouch,

also expressed concern, sayingthere was “little notice or no con-sultation on this with interestedparties including myself.”

The park is within the KentDowns Area of Outstanding Natu-ral Beauty and is managed by KentWildlife Trust.

A spokesman for KCC said: “Wefully appreciate the environmentalsignificance of these sites and thatthey are highly valued by localcommunities and those who are in-volved with them.

“Our over-riding intention is tosee all these sites retained as openspaces with existing public accessmaintained, and it is within thiscontext that we will be looking toexplore with stakeholders whatopportunities there may be to en-sure that these sites continue to beenjoyed by members of the publicin a more cost-effective way.

“We look forward to discussingthis further with local stakeholders

and groups such as the KentWildlife Trust in due course to ex-plore what may be possible.”

Former leader of Tonbridge andMalling Council, DavidThornewell said: “I am glad theprocess of disposing of this well-loved site on the Downs has beensuspended. I was a borough coun-cillor at the time when KCC ac-quired it so this downland sitecould be open to the public andprovide a viewpoint from the topof the Downs.

“At that time they were proud oftheir achievement. Most of theNorth Downs are wooded orfarmed so unlike the South Downs,there are few places where there ispublic open space grassland wherepeople can enjoy the view.

“I know KCC says it is a ‘small’site, but the volume of objectionsshow how much people value thisunique site. It should be kept as apublic space.”

Decision on picnic site delayedPROTESTORS have won a reprieve for Blue Bell Hill picnic site after a plan to dispose of thepopular viewpoint caused a huge backlash.

DITTON has lost its last remainingpub after the Kentish Quarryman inNew Road closed its doors for good.

Owner Shepherd Neame said ithad no plans to reopen the publichouse which has had a chequeredhistory.

The property was formerly thevillage working men’s club whichwas turned into a pub in 2008 witha £200,000 refurbishment by thebrewery. This development and abid to extend licensing hours causedcontroversy with residents raisingconcerns about potential anti-socialbehaviour. The pub suffered afurther setback when it wastargeted by arsonists.

Although Cobdown Sports andSocial Club in Station Road andDitton Community Centre in KilnBarn Road have bars, theQuarryman was the village’s lastpub.

A Shepherd Neame spokesmansaid that once it was establishedthat a pub could not workfinancially, the owner was legallyrequired to stop leasing it out. Hesaid: “The decision to close the pubwas not taken lightly, but it had notbeen economically viable for sometime.”

Tonbridge and Malling Cllr BenWalker said the site had realpotential to be an asset to thecommunity, so it was hoped thatpositive inquiries would be made inthe future. Meanwhile he wouldkeep a close eye on the site toensure that it did not become anarea of neglect.

Village’s last pub calls time on drinkersLi�er targetfor volunteersLITTER pickers in Allingtonexpect to clear their 1,000th bagof rubbish as part of a specialdrive ahead of the Queen’sbirthday.

The Allington Alligatorshave lined up Clean for theQueen litter picks on March 5and 6, and is hoping the com-munity will join in.

The litter-picking volunteersorganised by April Lambournebegan their clean-up crusadein 2000 and meet monthly on aSunday morning.

The group, which uses litterbags that are emptied by Maid-stone Council, also works inconjunction with the MedwayValley Partnership.

The Clean for the Queen lit-ter picks will last about 90minutes. The March 5 pickswill meet at Giddyhorn LaneRec, off Poplar Grove, at 10amand the top of Castle Road,near the traffic-lights, at 2pm.On March 6 pickers will meetat the Topnotch Gym at the re-tail park, London Road, at10am and Allington Commu-nity Centre in Castle Road at2pm.

Equipment and a safety talkwill be provided.

For details, email April orMike Lambourne at [email protected] [email protected] or call 01622 763553.

Call for assault witnessesPOLICE are appealing for witnesses after a woman suffered injuries toher face and arm during an alleged assault in Aylesford.

Officers want to hear from anyone who saw the mother – who was withher three children – in an altercation with a man driving a Land Rover inHall Road at 5.39pm on Saturday, January 30.

It is understood that the woman got out of the 4x4, which subsequentlyhit her, before she was forced to get back inside. The family were thendriven off towards the junction with the A20 London Road and theQuarry Wood Industrial Estate. It is understood that the driver is knownto the family. He is about 6ft 1in tall, white and of stocky build. He hasshort, dark brown spiked hair and hazel eyes.

DC Leanne Carter, the investigating officer, said: “There were a num-ber 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 tobe, could help us investigate this case.”

Anyone with information is urged to call 01622 604100, quoting refer-ence YY/2245/16, or Kent Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.



News | Health downsmail.co.uk

Offham Primary School teacherFrances Cappuccini (30) died of aheart attack within hours of givingbirth to her second son, Giacomo,in October 2012.

Criminal charges against thetrust and against its consultantanaesthetist Dr Errol Cornish weredismissed by a crown court in Lon-don in January.

However, the family is now freeto take civil action for damagesagainst the trust, which they be-lieve is responsible for her death.

A pre-inquest review, held in No-vember 2013 heard that liability

had been admitted by the Maid-stone and Tunbridge Wells NHSTrust.

However, Mr Justice Peter Coul-son QC ruled that, while the trusthad admitted its care fell short ofexpected standards, mistakes didnot constitute crime.

The trust made legal historywhen it became the first NHS Trustto face a charge of corporatemanslaughter. But Mr Justice Coul-son dismissed the trial at the InnerLondon Crown Court and also thecharges against Dr Cornish.

Dr Nadeem Azeez, another doc-tor involved in the case, was not ontrial as he was no longer in thecountry. Now Mrs Cappuccini’s

family are expected to seek a civilsettlement, accusing the trust ofbeing liable for her death.

A spokesman for London-basedlawyers Kingsley Napley, which isrepresenting the Cappuccini fam-ily, said: "The family has no furthercomment to make at this sensitivetime.”

Mrs Cappuccini, pictured, suf-fered severe bleeding and never re-gained consciousness after theoperation to deliver her son.

The trust was accused of failingto check that the doctors wereproperly qualified.

Hospital sue threat over deathTHE family of a young mother who died following an emergency caesarean operation are expectedto sue Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust.

RADIOTHERAPY staff in the Kent Oncology Centre, divided between thehospitals in Maidstone and Canterbury, have won two awards.

Christine Richards, head of radiotherapy services for Maidstone and Tun-bridge Wells NHS Trust, was named South East Radiographer of the Yearby the Society of Radiographers (SoR) and the radiotherapy treatment de-partment as a whole won South East Radiography Team of the Year.

Christine’s award noted her tireless fight to promote the therapeutic ra-diographer profession both at a local level and nationally, as well as her en-thusiasm and innovative approach.

One comment from a patient was included in the team’s award cita-tion. It read: “The reception staff were friendly, helpful and professional.Radiographers – professional, extremely helpful and liaised with doctors topresent a seamless service. Excellent.”

Radiotherapy staff awards

Another lookat cancer fightTHE CCG is considering setting up aspecialist committee to improve thelocal battle against cancer after a re-port of a gap in outcomes comparedwith other EU countries.

Some key needs already identi-fied include more endoscopy andimaging provision and better GPeducation.

One concern is late diagnosis dueto patients presenting late withsymptoms.

One change under considerationis that nurse practitioners shouldbe authorised to request patient ra-diology tests in addition to GPs.�Cancer waiting times in the

area now exceed the standard 62-day waits.

MAJOR changes in diabetes careare planned by the CCG – a ‘keypriority’ due to the predicted rise inprevalence.

It says the current pathway forcare is fragmented with servicesprovided by different organisations– hospitals, GP practices and in thecommunity with no over-archingcare planning.

“Successful management of pa-tients requires a whole-system ap-

proach with support for self-careand care in the community as keyelements.”

It proposes a new model be pro-vided by both current local second-ary and primary care providers tomaximise local knowledge; ensureaccess to complete patient recordsand minimise delays; reduction inprescribed drugs; and to reduceduplication of time, tests and infor-mation.

The CCG would like to see acomprehensive obesity strategy,improved early detection andgreater capacity and capability inprimary care. The aims include re-duction in average years of life lostdue to type two diabetes from sixto four within 10 years and from 15to 12 years in type one diabetes.�Diabetes patients are more

likely to have a heart attack orstroke.

New scheme to tackle diabetes

�MAIDSTONE and Tunbridge Wells hospital trust reported a specimen col-lection bag had been left inside a patient undergoing surgery – and laterremoved back in the theatre.

�A BABY admitted with non-accidental injuries was sent home from hos-pital prior to receipt of results of an expert opinion. This revealed multiplefractures that could only have been sustained through excessive force. Thebaby and twin sibling are now in foster care and the parents were arrested.

When things go wrong...

THE GP-led NHS West KentClinical Commissioning Group(CCG) is seeking closer consul-tation with the county councilafter KCC proposals forchanges in funding health serv-ices such as health visitors andnicotine replacement.

The CCG is concerned thatthe new health visitor specifica-tion is “much narrower inscope, with some omissions.”The CCG is seeking clarificationfrom KCC about the specifica-tion and says “it should not beassumed the CCG would beable to fund elements omittedfrom the specification.”

KCC concern

The have notsRESIDENTS of West Kent livelonger than in the rest of Kent. Butthose in deprived areas – mainly inMaidstone – can live about 13 yearsless than in more affluent areas.

G4S transportNON-emergency NHS transportwill be provided in Kent and Med-way by a different operator – G4S –from July 1. It was given the contractafter “consistently showing a greatunderstanding for the needs of thecustomer.” It will take over fromNSL, which had difficulties in theearly stages of the current contract.

Stroke fearsTHE CCG is to meet the local NHStrust to discuss under-achievementin its stroke service, which “hasmade significant improvements re-cently but, in common with manysimilar services across the country,still struggles to meet all the recog-nised quality standards”.

Nurse shortageLATEST figures show a worseningpicture of nurse vacancies acrossthe Maidstone and TunbridgeWells hospital trust, up from 7.6%to 10.7%, equating to 482 full-timers. There is still a reliance onagency and locum staff. Staffturnover runs at more than 10%.

New surgery?THE CCG is considering the case tomove the Stockett Lane surgery inCoxheath to a purpose-built GPpremises. The practice has out-grown the current building andproblems are expected to escalatewith the rise in population.



MAIDSTONE Choral Union is set-ting the scene for Easter with aspecial performance of Stainer’s“The Crucifixion”.

The performance, on SaturdayMarch 12, at All Saints’ Church,Maidstone will be followed by anew work by composer David Pen-nant, Stainer’s great-grandson.

“The Resurrection” sits comfort-ably in the same format as The

Crucifixion, with choruses for achoir, soloists’ passages (for therisen Christ and for Mary Mag-dalen) and hymns for the audi-ence.

It will be the first public per-formance of this interesting com-position, which is 35 minutes long.

The evening begins at 7.30pmand tickets can be purchased atthe door.

Easter debut for choral work

DRIVERS need to take their feetoff the gas when travelling onthe M20 outside Maidstone.

Speed cameras clicked a totalof 3,367 motorists exceeding the70mph limit coastbound be-tween J4 near Leybourne and J7near Bearsted in 2014, whichhelped make the borough thesecond most ticketed in Kent.With 1,160 tickets issued as a re-sult of camera action south-bound on the A249Sittingbourne Road (DetlingHill), 933 southbound on SuttonRoad towards Langley and 375from cameras on the A20 Lon-don Road, the total number oftickets issued in Maidstone dur-ing the year was 5,800 – 1,200more than in the previous year.

The figures are inflated forDetling Hill as the southbound

safety camera was repaired atthe end of 2013, so the statisticsfor 2014 represent a full year ofoperation and are not directlycomparable with the previousyear. Similarly, during 2013cameras on part of the Maid-stone section of the M20 werenot fully operational. Kent andMedway Safety Camera Partner-ship revealed the figures.

Kent’s busiest speed camerawas at the Dartford Tunnel ap-proach, which clocked 7,637 ve-hicles. The M20 cameras weresecond busiest.

FIGURES show a significant risein the number of people usingtrains across the region.

Latest statistics from the Office ofRail and Road show sharp in-creases in journeys to and from allof the area’s stations for the year toMarch 2015, with only Yaldingshowing a dip in rail passengers.

The data offers no suggestionsfor the rise in rail use in our region,indicating only “local event traffic”as the possible reason for reversingthe previous year’s decline at Bel-tring station – still the least usedstation in the area, with an average37 commuters a day.

In spite of the combined in-creases across Maidstone’s threetown centre stations and at WestMalling, the number of rail usersstill falls nearly a million short ofTonbridge station, which remainsthe busiest in the region, with morethan four million users a year.

The Estimates of Station Usage,for all stations in Great Britain, isavailable on the ORR website atwww.orr.gov.uk/statistics/pub-l i s h e d - s t a t s / s t a t i o n - u s a g e -

estimates.Figures for other stations in our

region (with the previous year’sfigure 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 usageconsist of the total number of peo-ple travelling to or from the station(entries and exits); and interchang-ing at the station.

The figures are based on ticketsales. Single and return ticketstranslate into one and two journeysrespectively.

Le�ing traintake the strain

M20 cameras catch drivers


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TWO employees of Snodland-basedSouth East Water have receivedawards after 25 years working forthe company.

Mick Bryant and Mike Masterswere among 17 staff presented withcertificates and gifts for their longservice.

After starting work as an appren-tice garage mechanic, before mov-ing to a farm in East Farleigh, Mickneeded job security and applied fora labourer’s post at Mid Kent Water.He has since worked in several de-partments including on the firsthousehold free water mains.

Now a distribution technician,Mick said: “Things are much morecustomer focused than they used to

be, with new technology convertingour vans into mobile offices.”

Mike’s career with Mid Kent Waterstarted 32 years ago when he joinedfrom school as an apprentice

plumber. He left in 1989 to becomeself-employed, but returned to thecompany as an area inspector. Nowa leakage technician, he recalls see-ing some spectacular burst waterpipe fountains, including one in1991, during KCC roadworks nearRoydon Hall at Seven Mile Lane,near East Peckham.

He said: “I remember, when driv-ing to the site, seeing a cartoon-likescene of a column of water 100 foottall feathering out at the top andflooding the entire site.”

South East Water managing di-rector Paul Butler said: “The water in-dustry has seen many changes inthe last 25 years but they both havetaken it all in their stride.”

Water staff lauded for 25 years’ service

BANDS are in rehearsals for thesixth Maidstone Fringe Festival,set to run for six days across theMay bank holiday weekend.

Celebrating the diversity of newand original music in Kent and theSouth East, the festival will featurelive performances at venues in-cluding The Style & Winch, Earls,The Druids Arms, The Flowerpot,The Source Bar, Drakes, The WhiteHorse, The Art Lounge, Pizza Ex-press, The Royal Albion and ThePilot. Incorporated within the fes-tival are a number of all-day

events and dance all-nighters, aswell as family-friendly entertain-ment at many of the town centre’scafes and coffee shops. Much ofthe music will be free.

Among the businesses support-ing this year’s Fringe Festival,from April 27 to May 2, is CliveEmson Auctioneers, which hascome on board as the majorsponsor.

Artists confirmed so far includeCoco And The Butterfields, NickHarper and Gentlemen Of Few,new blues acts Salvation Jayne and

Flawless Carbon, alongside estab-lished favourites such as DavidMigden & The Twisted Roots,Funke & The 2 Tone Baby andindie/alternative artists TheatreRoyal, We Are Bandicoot, Jody’sFlat, Aux and Upcdownc. Flyingthe flag for folk and acoustic musicwill be The Dredgermen, TobysStarks & Friends and VaughanBatchelor, along with a huge skaand reggae event at The SourceBar, featuring Winston Francis,Dennis Bovell, and Carl St Clair.Visit www.maidstonefringe.com.

Fringe benefits for six days

New care home willhouse ex-servicemen

Abbeyfield Kent Society has wonpermission from Tonbridge andMalling Council for the scheme atMartin’s Square. The housing com-plex will replace the existingAbbeyfield residential care home.All 41 residents have moved to newaccommodation, the last leaving inDecember, and some of the 44 staffwere found new positions at otherAbbeyfield homes. The rest havelost their jobs, but 100 new roles areexpected to be created with the de-velopment.

The new scheme will provide 74extra care units, of which 20 will befor ex-servicemen. There will be 52one-bedroom units and 22 two-bed-room units for shared ownership oraffordable rent. The apartments willbe available only to over-55s whohave a care need.

Communal facilities will include24/7 staffing presence, a nurse-callsystem, restaurant, sun room, activ-

ity and training room, therapy andhairdressing, assisted bathroomsand two landscaped gardens. Therewill be 35 parking bays and eightspaces for cycle storage.

The charity said it had beenforced to close the home as it wasno longer viable due to cuts in KCCfunding; also, the facilities, includ-ing shared bathrooms and toilets,were outdated and upgradingwould not be feasible. There wasnow a demand for homes wherepeople could be independent withsupport from carers.

Leon Steer, chief executive of the

Abbeyfield Kent Society, said: “Thecharity has been providing accom-modation and care for older peoplein Kent for nearly 50 years andLarkfield, like all communities inKent, will be experiencing a sub-stantial increase in the numbers ofolder people needing long-termpermanent care in the comingyears.

“This project will create two yearsof development work and over 100new jobs, relieving the suffering ofmany very vulnerable people.”

Building is to start this summerand be completed by March 2018.

A PLAN to demolish a 38-bed care home in Larkfield and redevelop thesite with a new three-storey block of apartments has been approved.

Paul Butler (centre) presents the

awards to Mike Masters (left) and

Mick Bryant

MP demandsrail actionPASSENGER train services in Kentare going off the rails, according tolocal MP Helen Whately.

After Southeastern scored thecountry’s second-worst passengersatisfaction rating, the Mid KentMP called on transport ministerPatrick McLoughlin to take action.

More than 15,000 people havesigned a petition demanding the re-moval of the franchise from South-eastern and the MP wants to knowif the rail operator is in breach of itsfranchise agreement.

Speaking in a debate in theHouse of Commons, Mrs Whatelysaid: “My constituents use theSoutheastern network. Day afterday their trains are being delayed,particularly at peak times.

“This morning all trains betweenMaidstone East and London be-tween 6.30 am and 7.30 am werecancelled. These are unacceptablelevels of service.”

In the Transport Focus survey,67% of passengers were satisfiedwith the punctuality of Southeast-ern trains, a fall from 72% in 2014.Overall satisfaction stayed at 75%.

More passengers were happywith ticket-buying facilities afterSoutheastern got new machines.

Starring roleKINGS Hill has a starring role in anew TV commercial for Ford cars.

A sequence showing a pack ofdogs, of various shapes and sizes,running across a green space in thedevelopment was filmed in Decem-ber for Ford UK’s “unlearn cam-paign” which urges people to let goof preconceived conceptions.

Finance firmmoves inSPECIALIST mortgage brokerMortgages for Business is movingits headquarters to Kings Hill.

The company is relocating 38staff from its Sevenoaks office to itsnew premises in an entire wing(8,572 sq ft) of 17 Kings Hill Av-enue. It plans to expand by morethan 50% during the next three tofive years and also has an office inWilmslow, Cheshire.

The independent broker adviseson all aspects of property financeincluding buy-to-let, residentialand commercial mortgages.

Managing director David Whit-taker said: “Relocating to Kings Hillis an exciting move for us becausewe are bursting at the seams in ourcurrent office. We chose the busi-ness park because it has services,space and the parking we needtoday and in the future.

“It is will also mean a shortercommute for staff who live in Maid-stone and Medway.”


Another busyyear for retiredTHE Snodland Town Active Retire-ment Association (STARA) has hadanother incredibly busy year.Members have been on holidays

to Ireland, Malta, Scotland, incor-porating the Edinburgh Tattoo, andWeymouth.KathyMaynard said: "We had vis-

its to Kew Gardens, the VenetianRegatta at Hythe, and a river tripfrom Runnymede to Windsor.“Our charity donations included

£1,110 for the Leybourne RidingStables for the disabled."A dance to mark the Queen's

birthday and St George's Day hasbeen booked for April 23 and theclub is hosting a thanksgiving serv-ice at Rochester Cathedral for ac-tive retirement associations.The club has 180 members and

meets once a month at SnodlandCommunity Centre. Anybody inter-ested in joining can contact mem-bership secretary Pam Ayto on01634 241522.

ALL Saints’ Church in Snodlandhas received a first-round develop-ment grant of up to £25,100 fromthe Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).The money is for the develop-

ment of a restoration project whichwill include repairing stonework inthe tower, windows and entrance,and strengthening the floor of theringing chamber.The aim is also tomake the build-

ing’s historical features and spiri-tual resources more open to thewider community. The engage-ment and support of the commu-nity will be essential to the successof the project.Development funding has been

awarded to help the churchprogress plans to apply for a fullgrant. This initial funding will permit

a detailed study of the workneeded and associated costs.All Saints’ is an important histori-

cal building and a “local treasure”,strategically located at the point atwhich the PilgrimsWay crosses theRiver Medway. A church has stoodon this site for over 1,000 years andis mentioned in the DomesdayBook. It was placed on the English

Heritage “at risk” register in 2014.Rector Hugh Broadbent said:

“Our wish is not only to preservethis outstanding building for futuregenerations but to enhance its use,and we are very grateful to the Her-itage Lottery Fund for giving us thissupport.”Grant applications are assessed

in two rounds. A first-round pass isgiven when HLF has endorsed out-line proposals and earmarkedfunding. This first-round pass mayalso include an immediate award tofund the development of the proj-ect. Detailed proposals are consid-ered by HLF for the second-roundand, as long as plans have pro-gressed satisfactorily and accord-ing to the original proposal, anaward for the project is confirmed.

A Downs Mail supplement produced in conjunctionwith the Snodland Chamber of Commerce.

Local news for Snodland and HallingTown TalkTown TalkGrant to restore church

and spread its message

Pupils’ talents help charityHOLMESDALE Technology Col-lege's Year 13 Sport Studiesclass organised a highly suc-cessful event called Innovationto raise funds for the Slide Awaycharity.Slide Away works in partner-

ship with schools and offers be-reavement support to childrenand young people in West Kent.The evening was a good oppor-tunity to raise awareness of thecharity.Acts included singers such as

Finlay Frost (left), dancers,cheerleaders and gymnasts.Slide Away's vision is for all

children in Kent to have accessto a bereavement support serv-ice which acknowledges theirgrief and experience of loss fol-lowing the death of a close rela-tive or friend.

Slim chanceSLIMMING classes have becomeso popular in Snodland that athird session has been opened atHam Hill Working Mens Club,Malling Road.Slimming World consultant

Tracey Open of Hollow Lane,Snodland started her slimmingclub on Wednesdays at 5.30pm.She then started a 9.30am ses-sion on Thursdays and last monthlaunched an 11.30am club.She said: “I decided to open a

daytime session as the morningsession became very popular withover 70 members attending. Day-time groups suit part-time work-ers, parents, shift workers andretired people.”Men are particularly welcome.Tracey said: "The trouble is men

think that if they join a slimmingclub they can’t have a pint of beer,but of course they can.”

Photo callSNODLAND Historical Society istrying to obtain pictures of resi-dents named on the 1911 census.Chairman Andrew Ashbee said

the society had a good many pic-tures but there were 4,700 resi-dents on the census, includingHam Hill."An exhibition of pages from this

1911 project is on show in Snod-land Museum and it is hoped thatthe pictures and pages will be puton the society's website. Manylocal families will have picturesand the society would be gratefulfor the opportunity to scan these."Earlier or later pictures will be

gratefully accepted, includingmen who served in WWI. Scan-ning can be done at the museumor email pictures to me [email protected]."Group photos of school, sport

etc are particularly useful."

S

Educational

NurEducational

sery Nur

A SNODLAND couple who claimtheir parked car was hit by a bus,say their complaint to Arriva hasbeen ignored by the company.Peter Jefferies of Queens Av-

enue, said he was drawing thecurtains at the front of his houseat 7.30am on January 19 when anArriva bus hit his car.He said the No 575 did not stop

and was turning right into Holbor-ough Road. His car had beenknocked into another car, damag-ing 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 saidthey would contact the depot onher behalf.She has also written to Tracey

Crouch, Chatham and AylesfordMP; KCC Cllr Sarah Hohler, KentCounty Council, Kent Police Traf-fic Summons Unit and SnodlandTown Council.In her letter she said: “Extensive

damage was apparent on the rearof our car (pictured), and blue Ar-riva bus paint was visible on boththe vehicle and road, where therewas a large skid mark also with

blue paint.“A neighbour came out and told

my husband she had heard thebus coming round the corner andthen the sound of the impact."That the driver of a public serv-

ice vehicleshould fail tostop at thescene of anaccident I findshocking anddistressing. Ithas beensuggested byArriva cus-tomer serv-ices that hewas possibly

unaware of the impact.”Ms Crouch said she had written

to Arriva and was looking into thecase.Karen Sowten, chief executive

of the town council, said the coun-cil was trying to contact Arriva todiscuss a "number of concerns"residents had raised with the busservice.At the time Town Talk went to

press a response had not been re-ceived from Arriva.

Cafe helps with dementiaA DEMENTIA cafe to support sufferers and their carers is held onthe second and fourth Wednesdays of every month in the hall atChrist Church, Malling Road, Snodland.The Rev Sue

Brooks, associate rec-tor of Snodland, AnnPalmer and JuneWright, who both haveexperience of peoplewith dementia, organ-ise the group which offers individuals with memory loss and theircarers 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 de-signed to stimulate memory. Carers can talk to each other or anyprofessionals. We also have a shared lunch at £2.50 a head.”The cafe has the support of the Snodland Medical Practice.

Town TalkTown Talk Local news for Snodland and Halling

No response to bus‘hit and run’ claim

Basketball team’s strong finishST Katherine's Primary School, Snodland represented Sevenoaks andMalling 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 MaidstoneWarriors.

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Museum givenHam Hill post boxDEMOLITION is under way ofDene Hall, 269 Malling Road,Snodland – previously the HamHill Stores – and building eightflats on the corner site in BrookLane, opposite the FreemasonsArms public house.Andrew Ashbee, curator of

Snodland Museum, said the con-tractors had kindly donated thebuilding’s George V post box tothe museum.“The early history of the building

is difficult to ascertain,” he ex-plained. “It was erected by 1891and by 1901 it seems to have in-

WORK on converting the formerBull public house at HolboroughRoad, Snodland into a branch ofthe Co-op will not start until laterthis year.The Co-operative Group took

out a 20-year lease on the build-ing in September 2014. It receivedplanning permission for an exten-sion and alterations to the prem-ises and site from Tonbridge &Malling Borough Council.The branch at 46-48 High

Street, which includes the postoffice, was due to close and the

SNODLAND Chess Club is expe-riencing mixed fortunes thisseason.The club has entered four tour-

naments in the Mid Kent zone.Secretary, Neil Miners, said: “Weare the defending champions ofthe En Passant Cup, which is thehighest competition we are in. Atthe moment we are top of thequalifying group with four winsand a draw from five matches.The highlight was a convincing5-1 win against Maidstone.“In the Harvey Cup we are also

doing well – in first place of a largequalifying group that includeseight teams. Our best results were4-2 wins against Tunbridge Wellsand Medway.”

cluded the Coffee House, with thebuilder, Robert Langbridge, livingin the main part.“By 1911 The Old Coffee Tavern

was occupied by a fishmongerand general dealer, with HenryNewman, ‘late farmer, grocer,draper and postmaster’ runningthe enterprise. The post box datesfrom George V’s time, so Newmanwas probably the first post-master.”He added that older parish-

ioners will remember Ham HillStores owned by Fred Kent andhis niece, Betty.

Above: Andrew Ashbee and thepost box Right: Fred and Bettyoutside Ham Hill Stores

Ups and downs for chess club

Co-op’s Bull conversion delayed

The club has a mixed record oftwo wins, two defeats and a drawin the Tom Fuller Cup, and is sec-ond behind Medway. In the Introcompetition it has lost one anddrawn one game, putting it in bot-tom place.“Maidstone actually beat us 4-0

which is quite unusual in chessmatches to get a whitewash win ordefeat, so that was a rather disap-pointing evening,” Neil continued.“In summary, we are on course

for two semi-finals and have ourwork cut out to progress in the re-maining competitions.”The club meets at 7.30pm every

Thursday at the cricket club pavil-ion. Contact: http://snodland-chessclub.com/.

new Co-op was expected to beopened last autumn.A spokesperson for the bor-

ough council said the companyreceived planning permission butis still to provide details of land-scaping and boundary treatment.A spokesman for the Co-op

said: “We are looking at aroundSeptember/October time beforewe start work on the Bull.”The post office staff will be

transferred to the Bull premiseswhile the Co-op store at 11 HighStreet is not affected.

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Ready for the morning rushTWO friends put their heads to-gether and have introduced“something a bit different forSnodland” by running a cafecalled Morning Rush.Lucy Arnold (left), of Church

Field and Sarah Mockridge (right)of Saltings Road met as their chil-dren are in the same class atSt Katherine's Primary School,Snodland.They both went to work at

Doorstep, a sandwich bar thatopened up in a small unit in Hol-borough Road next to Trios hairstudio and the Specialised An-gling Centre.Sarah said: “It didn’t work out

for the previous owner and heasked Lucy if she would like to

take it over. We put our heads to-gether and introduced somethinga bit different for Snodland.“We did a lot of research on

local produce and decided to useCourt Farm, Upper Halling andCity Bakeries, Rochester.”Lucy, who has been involved in

catering for 10 years, said theyhave bought a fresh coffee beanmachine called Bean to Cup.Sarah set up a company with

her mum Sue, called Kent CakeLadies, seven years ago, so willbe providing the cakes for Morn-ing Rush.The cafe is open from Monday

to Saturday and recently invitedresidents to sample the variedbreakfast and lunch menus.

THE former NatWest Bank at 21High Street, Snodland was sold atauction for £360,000 in Januarybut at the time Town Talk went topress it was not known who hadbought the building.A spokesperson for the auction-

eers, Lambert Smith Hampton,said: “We don’t disclose whobought a property. We can passon your details to the buyer if youwish.”

Town Talk asked for the infor-mation from the buyer but did notreceive a reply.The property comprises a two-

storey building of brick construc-tion beneath a pitched and flatroof of about 2,639sqft (245sqm).The ATM cash machine producesa rent of £3,000 a year and mustremain for five years after comple-tion.The bank closed in January

2015. There was uproar in April2014 when Royal Bank of Scot-land, NatWest owner, threatenedto close the branch on two days aweek and the decision was re-versed.When the complete closure was

announced Chatham & AylesfordMP, Tracey Crouch, joined bor-ough and town councillors, thechamber of commerce and localbusinesses in objecting.

Farewell to town’soldest lady, GraceGRACE Spencer, Snodland’s old-est lady, died on Christmas Day,aged 102.She lived and worked all round

the country and was married for20 years to Joseph, who died in1969. She had lived in OstlersCourt since 1987 and when TownTalk reported her 101st birthdaywe quoted her saying:“I was only married for 20 years

but had the best man going. Ihave been from Hull to Torquayand various places in between —different people, different placesbut it has been a sparkling goodlife.”She did not have children and

has been looked after in recentyears by her niece, BarbaraSpencer, and her husband, Keith,who live in Halling.

Mystery buyer for former NatWest bank

Head appointed

for St Katherine’sRUTH Powell (pictured), headteacher of Offham PrimarySchool, takes over as head of StKatherine’s Primary School,Snodland, from next September.Announcing the appointment,

John Edgar, chairman of theschool governors, said: “This isgreat news for the future of StKatherine’s but it is also appropri-ate to reflect on the past few yearsand recognise the hard work andcommitment of the staff.“With this in mind I and all my

colleagues on the GoverningBody would like to put on recordour thanks to them and particu-larly Mr Cadwallader for the won-derful job he has done leading StKatherine’s during the time thatthe school has been without asubstantive head.“We will be working hard be-

tween now and the end of the ac-ademic year to ensure a smoothtransition and I am sure there willbe opportunities for Mrs Powell tocome into the school before herofficial start date.”Mr Edgar said Mrs Powell was

an experienced head teacher wholed her school to be judged out-standing in 2015.The previous head, Sharon

The Mortimer Society, a residen-tial care home at Birling House,High Street, Snodland – next tothe railway station – is holding anEaster bazaar on Saturday, 26March.The home is for adults with

learning and/or physical disabili-ties and specialises in the care ofpeople with Huntington’s Disease.

Tracey Crouch, Chatham andAylesford MP, has visited St Bene-dict’s Church at PaddlesworthRoad, Snodland to support theChurches Conservation Trust(CCT) Champing scheme.The church is 900 years old and

was, for centuries, a passing pointfor pilgrims travelling over theRiver Medway to Burham. In 1678it was abandoned for 250 yearsbut came back into use in theearly 20th century.St Benedict’s is one of

many churches supportedby CCT. Under Champingbreaks people can learnabout the history of thechurches and can stayovernight in the buildings.For more information

about Champing visit www.v i s i t chu rches .o rg .uk /champing/ or [email protected] said: “The CCT

does fantastic work protectingmany of our important historicchurches and making them ac-cessible to the public.“The Trust’s Champing scheme

has proved a hugely popular andinventive way to encourage peo-ple to explore church buildings.As Minister for both Heritage andTourism, this scheme is truly anencouraging way to ensure therich history in churches are notlost.”

Alexander, was suspended in May2013 before leaving “to concen-trate on her family”. She suc-ceeded Allan Adams, head for 25years until he retired in 2012.Gerald Cadwallader, acting

h e a d ,and asso-c i a t eh e a d ,BarbaraS c o t t ,h a v eb e e nho l d i ngthe fortsince.M r s

Pow e l l ,who livesin Maid-stone, has been head teacher atOffham since September 2011and had previously worked at Dit-ton Junior School.Her hobbies are gardening and

walking and she teaches in everyyear group and thinks it is im-portant to keep her hand in inteaching.“I am really excited at being ap-

pointed and I am really lookingforward to working with the staff atSt Katherine’s,” she said.

MPvisits Paddlesworth church

The bazaar will be held from11am to 1pm at the DevonshireRooms, Waghorn Road, Snod-land.Julie Luker, one of the organis-

ers, said there will be an EasterBonnet competition, plus stalls, araffle and refreshments. For moreinformation she can be contactedon 01634 244689.

Care home to host an Easter bazaar

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YOU may be forgiven for thinking you are liv-ing in the 1950s if you call into Alexanders TheBarbershop in Snodland High Street for a hair-cut.Walking past the red telephone box, you

can sit on one of the wooden cinema chairsand admire the Brylcreem and dinky toy ad-verts, the wallpaper cut from old footballbooks or read one of the Snodland historybooks.But if you have to wait there is free use of

Ipads, wifi or you might fancy a game of barbilliards.Alex Mackintosh, who trained at West Kent

College, managed Retro Blue Barbers in Ton-bridge before deciding to work for himself andfound 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 wasnever 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 opena barbershop that was quirky and fun.

“While I want Alexanders to be one of a kind,the most important thing is, of course, that youalways get a good quality haircut and goodcustomer service, whether you have clippersall over or a scissor cut.”Alex lives in Tonbridge, but is buying a

house in Wouldham. He hopes his businesswill benefit from the new bridge over the RiverMedway, which will be completed in the au-tumn.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 allaround Snodland and once they finish thebridge, I think a lot of people will come overfrom that side of the river because it will bevery convenient for them.”Alex is pictured cutting Luke Roffey’s hair.

THE first community event at Hol-borough Lakes, Snodland,proved to be a great success.Father Christmas arrived on a

sleigh with a real reindeer andgave out presents in his grotto.The event was organised by

Holborough Lakes Residents As-sociation (HLRA). Chairman JanetNaylor said: “It was sponsored bydevelope, Berkeley Homes, man-agement company RMG, South-ern Housing Group and Tarmac.Prizes and donations were alsoreceived from local businesses.”Snodland Scouts provided the

catering and entertainment wasprovided by Malling School bandand choir, Ditton Air Cadets, theSilhouette Dance and Theatre

School and Valley Invicta Primaryschool.Police and the fire service were

also available with vehicles.Janet concluded: “It was a fan-

tastic turnout. For a very first eventthis was a fantastic show and weare grateful for all the input and re-silience from both participantsand residents and everyone hadan enjoyable and successful day.


Alex’s barbers shop offers a taste of the 50s

Rugby squad make UKtop 12 at first attemptDESPITE losing its last two rugbygames, Holmesdale TechnologyCollege Year 9 club is within thetop 12 Rugby League schools inthe UK.Town Talk reported in its last

issue that the squad had reachedthe final of the London and SouthEast Year 9 Boys ChampionSchools tournament after winningthe Kent championship earlier inthe year.Holmesdale faced All Saints’

Catholic Church School from Da-genham, Essex at the Allianz Sta-dium, home of Saracens RugbyClub. Holmesdale played an ex-ceptional game which was onlydecided in the dying minutes.Holmesdale took a half-time lead

of 12-4 after tries by Bradley Harrisand team captain James Button,with conversions by Zac Harris.Harry Gearing scored two tries witha conversion by Zac leading to a22-14 lead.

However, All Saints managed alast-minute win of 24-22.Lee Downey, director of applied

learning at Holmesdale, said: "Icould not be prouder of the team.They were so unlucky after con-trolling the game and each one ofthem gave 110% from start to thefinal whistle.”He praised James Button, Harry

Gearing and Bradley Harris as out-standing, and added: “The supportfrom parents, staff and pupils wasout of this world. I have never ex-perienced anything like it at aschool game. Everybody in thestadium said how loud and enthu-siastic they were, so a huge thankyou from me and the team. Theyreally did make a difference.”Holmesdale competed in the first

round of the National RFL SchoolsCompetition against last year'squarter finalists, Chosen Hill fromGloucester at Maidenhead RFC.The opponents began the game

strongly and took the lead aftersome silly mistakes and missedtackles by Holmesdale.Mr Downey said: “The boys re-

grouped, kept their heads up andbegan to play the flowing rugbythat got them to the national stage.In the closing stages of the first halfBill Miners powered over the lineand Zac Harris converted.”Holmesdale fought hard in the

second half, but lost by 38-26points.Mr Downey added: “Holmesdale

were the first team to enter thecompetition for the first time andmake it all the way to the nationalcompetition. This is an outstandingachievement and puts them withinthe top 12 rugby league schools inthe UK.“The boys will prepare for their

Disneyland Paris rugby tour in Apriland look forward to entering thelocal rugby league competitionlater in the year.”

Injury blow forboxer GeorgeGEORGE Hennon, the Snodlandwelterweight boxer who is un-beaten in his first two professionalfights, has had to withdraw fromhis forthcoming bout against FonzAlexander at Grays Civic Hall,Essex on March 4.George (21), from Malling Road,

said he had to pull out because ofa recurrence of a back injurywhich it was feared could keephim out of the ring until May. How-ever, he was looking forward togetting back into the gym withinthe next week and returning to fulltraining by the end of the month.George, who was born in Snod-

land and attended HolmesdaleTechnology College, started kick-boxing when he was six. He be-came the International KickBoxing Federation English light-welterweight champion at 19.He started boxing when he was

19. His two previous professionalfights were in June and Octoberlast year. He is pictured in his prodebut against Matt Seawright.

Party in ParkPRIORITY tickets are now avail-able for Snodland Town FootballClub's Party in the Park at PotynsSports Ground on July 9 and 10.Members of the club and par-

ents and carers of the Nomadsfootball teams can buy the ticketsfrom the Medway Room at De-vonshire Rooms, Waghorn Roadbetween 10am and 2pm on Sat-urday, January 16 and between7pm and 8pm on Friday, January22. They are available to the pub-lic from the box office at Hicks Es-tate Agency, 30 High Street fromSaturday, January 23.

Community party a success Paralympianinspires pupilsPARALYMPIAN Tim Prendergastvisited the Church of England Pri-mary School, Snodland .

Tim, who won agold medal for NewZealand in the800m at Athens in2004, started theday with an assem-bly about steppingout of your comfort

zone, and spent the rest of theday discussing the theme withsmall groups of children.The day ended with him leading

a staff meeting discussing theproject “Inspired ways to Rio”.The following day he visited St

Katherine's Primary School.


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Castle boostFRESH investment is being madeat Leeds Castle. Improvements arebeing made to the kitchen thatserves the visitor restaurant, and itseducation centre will be doubled insize.

Tracking software is now avail-able which can monitor shoppers’movements and habits.

The data gathered can be usedby retailers to counter shoppers’drift away from town centre storesto the comfort of their computer.

The system was trialled in Maid-stone on Black Friday in November– supposedly the busiest day forbargains prior to Christmas – onbehalf of Maidstone Council andMaidstone Town Centre Manage-ment.

By tracking shoppers’ mobilephones, Scout Solutions Ltd wasable to discover that 3,135 peoplevisited the area between McDon-alds in Week Street, the bottom ofGabriel’s Hill, the High Street andKing Street between November 25and December 8. The busiest daysfor unique visitors were November28, December 2, 6 and 8.

The busiest times were at aboutnoon and between 4pm and 7pm.The highest footfall was in the areaaround The Mall and Gabriels Hill.

A series of six nodes positionedin the town was able to capturemobile phone activity and also de-

tect how many shoppers loggedinto Google, Facebook, Amazonand Twitter to potentially compareprices of goods for sale in shops.

Town centre retailers could soontake up the service to retain theirmarket share.

Scout Solu-tions directorPete Hotchkiss(pictured) said:“ I n c r e a s i n gnumbers ofpeople aremaking theirpurchases on-line. If highstreet shops are

to retain their share of the market,we need to encourage people tobuy in the high street.”

The company can track shopperswhose mobile phones are switchedon. However, they cannot identifyindividuals nor any of the contenton their phones – just their locationand usage. Analysing the data en-

ables the company to eliminatemultiple signals – so the 3,135shoppers were individuals and notthe same people identified in dif-ferent locations.

Mr Hotchkiss said: “Data scien-tists understand in minute detailhow people use websites. We needto obtain insights into how peoplebehave if we are to remain com-petitive. Data such as this can beused to reveal what are the busiesttimes, how often shoppers returnto a particular location and howlong they spend in that environ-ment.

“We can also find out how manypeople are simply browsing, thenordering online via their phones –or possibly shopping later athome.”

November 2015 was the eighthmonth in a row that shopkeepershad noted a decline in footfall andBlack Friday shoppers were 3.4%down on the previous month.

Tracking services can be com-bined with Google analytics andother software, such as weatherforecasts, to more accurately pre-dict and monitor trends.

Firm tracks your phoneto analyse how you shopBUSINESSES in Maidstone town centre are being urged to embracemobile phone tracking to keep pace with online shopping.

How do you feel about your mo-bile phone being tracked? [email protected]

KENT taxpayers are likely tohave to foot the bill for the polic-ing of Operation Stack.

Home Secretary Theresa Maywas asked to use her discre-tionary powers to reimburseKent Police for the additionalcosts incurred in 2015 – morethan £570,000 – but the answerwas a definite no.

The county’s independent Po-lice and Crime Commissioner,Ann Barnes, has spoken of hersurprise and dismay at the deci-sion. She said: “‘Operation Stackis acknowledged as a nationalproblem, and yet policing serv-ices in Kent have been put understrain to deal with it. Local tax-payers should not have to pickup the bill for the inability ofothers to solve the problem.”

The request for the “reason-able, additional costs” of£576,925.59 was sent to MikePenning MP, Minister for Polic-

ing, Fire, Criminal Justice andVictims, on November 17 lastyear, seeking funding under theHome Office Special GrantProcess.

Mrs Barnes said: “I need todiscuss with the Home Office, asa matter of urgency, about howwe can take things forward fromhere to make sure that Kent Po-lice is not left carrying the can inthe future.

“It would seem from theHome Secretary’s decision thatshould Operation Stack becalled again the taxpayers ofKent will be unfairly expected topay for policing it. This miseryhas been going on for years andwill continue until we get along-term solution.

“It is simply not acceptable tohave to routinely divert policeresources to cover Stack and forthose extra costs to be borne bythe taxpayers in Kent.”

Kent faces police billfor Operation Stack


TWO mums from Wateringburyhave come up with a novel way ofraising awareness among childrenabout the time they spend in frontof television and computer screens.

Gail Isted and Vanessa Brown’s“screen time trading scheme” is already earning top flight supportfrom the Royal College of Paedi-atrics and Child Health in London.

KidzCoins – aimed at helpingfamilies to manage children’sscreen time at home – encouragesparents to negotiate a time limitwith children, who then “buy”screen time trading tokens in 15, 30and 60 minute denominations.

The mums say the launch of theirscheme comes at a time of increas-ing concern among parents aboutthe impact too much screen time ishaving on children’s mental andphysical health and social skills.

Mum of two Gail said: “Afterchatting to lots of parents on theschool run it became clear thatmany shared our frustration aboutthe growing impact of gadgets onfamily life. We sat round a kitchentable and, over a few cups of coffee,created a simple and positive wayto help parents with managingscreen time while motivating chil-dren to take some responsibility.It’s about trying to establish goodhabits early on which should meanour children will have a healthierlifestyle balance in the long run. Allthe feedback we’ve had so far hasbeen extremely positive.”

Vanessa, a mum to two boys, ex-plained how KidzCoins works:“Families agree a screen time limiteach day or week with their childand when they run out of screentime they quickly learn to managetheir time.”

Speaking about KidzCoins, Pro-fessor Russell Viner, officer forhealth promotion for the Royal Col-lege of Paediatrics and ChildHealth, said: “KidzCoins is a fan-tastic idea which will allow parentsto hand over some responsibility tochildren themselves, teaching themthe importance of time manage-ment as well as the need to live abalanced lifestyle.”

For details and coins visitwww.kidzcoins.co.uk.

SwimathonGET fit for spring and raise moneyfor charity by joining this year’sSwimathon at Larkfield LeisureCentre.

The pool will hold exclusive ses-sions on Saturday and Sunday,March 19 and 20 from 6pm to 9pmin aid of Sport Relief and theSwimathon Foundation. Fundsraised will help vulnerable and dis-advantaged people in the UK andbeyond. Challenges suit all levels offitness, ability and age, with an in-dividual 1.5k, 2.5k or 5k challengeor team 1.5k and 5k challenge.

If you can’t make a session overthe Swimathon weekend you canregister for Simply Swim, so youcan compete at any pool at anytime.

For more details, visit www.swimathon.org, pick up a leafletfrom the leisure centre or call 0845

Gail Isted (left) and Vanessa Brown

created KidzCoins

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David BowieAMONG the flood of tributes, stories andli�le known facts which have emerged sinceDavid Bowie’s death is his Maidstoneconnection.

From 1964 to 1965the then unknownDavid Jones was amember of theManish Boys, a groupwho lived andrehearsed locally incramped conditions.

Its main rehearsalspace was a livingroom in Coxheath.

The band played locally, includingperformances at the Royal Star Hotel inMaidstone.

Bowie’s memories of the county townwere coloured by an incident in which alocal man a�acked him after seeing him onthe street, knocking him down and kickinghim. Long hair on young men was still acontroversial subject at the time and Bowieand his band mates suffered someprejudice.

Bowie would later talk about his dreamsto become “their Mick Jagger” with regardto his time in The Manish Boys. He left tojoin another band, The Lower Third, beforefinding stardom as a solo artist.

Jean AustinTHE Mascalls Academy in Paddock Woodhas announced the death of Jean Austin (88),a long serving teacher at the school whotaught PE and English from the 1950s until1988 and rose to become deputy head.

The school – basedin Maidstone Road –also posted aphotograph of Jean.Tributes poured infrom those who knewher. Donna Woznysaid: “An amazingwoman and teacher,”and Jean’sgranddaughter Jo

McCallion added: “Thank you everyone foryour lovely comments about our Nanna;our family really appreciates it.

“She loved this school and always told ushow she never had a bad day at work.

“She'd be so touched that you allremember her and would hold you all dearin her heart.”

Hayley MartinMOTHER-OF-ONE Hayley Martin (31), ofLoose Road, was known for her fundraisingfor cancer treatment and for helping toestablish a cancer charity – Freddie’s

Friends – dedicated tosupporting youngadults with cancer.

Hayley worked as aL’Oreal technicianand was firstdiagnosed with bowelcancer in 2011; shewas later given the allclear and gave birth toher son Freddie.

When Freddie was four months old Hayleyreceived the news that her cancer hadreturned in an inoperable form.

Her energy and selflessness in raisingawareness and living the remainder of herlife positively have prompted an outpouringof tributes and memories.

Hayley’s achievements include helping toraise thousands of pounds for the CharlesDickens ward at Maidstone Hospital, whereshe received treatment, and becoming theface of the charity Hair and BeautyBenevolent. The charity’s website includes avideo of “Hayley’s story”, chronicling hercancer ba�le.

Jackie HarrisJACQUELINE “Jackie” Harris, who wasknown to some as “Tessie” (102), livedlocally for about 50 years, as her husband –William “Bill” – managed Loder andPayne’s store in Bank Street, Maidstone.

Born JacquelineHarding-Goodman inWallington, Surrey,Jackie grew up inSurrey and Sussex.The couple moved toMaidstone in the1930s and raiseddaughters Antonia“Toni” and Roberta“Robbie”. They

remained locally until moving to Cornwallin 1987. Their homes in Maidstone includedMonckton’s Avenue, Heather Road, Looseand Madginford Road, Bearsted.

Daughter Robbie said: “My mother wasvery sociable and outgoing; she and myfather loved socialising at dances, pubs andparties – we held a lot of parties at home. Asa couple they were closely involved in theConservative Club when it was located onEarl Street, in the present home of the PizzaExpress restaurant.

“My mother was proud of her nobleheritage, and was a very giving person whowas generous to her chosen charities, whichincluded time spent volunteering at theCheshire Home in Mote Park. She was alsovery involved with St Faith’s Church in thetown.”

Jackie – who was widowed in 2004 –leaves her daughters, grandsons Guy, Johnand Sean, great-grandchildren Vikki andCharlene and great-great-grandchildrenSian, Freddy, Emily and Ma�hew.

Osvaldas RimsaOSVALDAS “Ozzy” Rimsa (27), who was akeen motorcyclist known throughout thelocal motorcycling community for hisdedication and club membership, died in anaccident in Rocky Hill, Maidstone.

Ozzy, who lived in Florence Road, Fant,worked as awarehousemanlocally and waspreviously a headwaiter at the Dean’sPlace Hotel,Alfristron, EastSussex.

His workcolleagues paid

tribute, as have his fellow members of theWest Kent Biker group. West Kent Bikernoted on its Facebook page that Osvaldashad “real passion for motorcycling” anddescribed him as “one of our own”.

It went on to note: “Osvaldas…had beenwith West Kent Biker right from the startand a�ended virtually every meet; [he] wasdedicated and had a real passion formotorcycling.”

Dave CurrerDAVE Currer (50), of Shortlands Green,Park Wood was known locally as amotorcyclist and a volunteer withrehabilitation groups.

He was also involved in organising theannual Green Fair in Mote Park in supportof environmental causes.

Many of Dave’s friends in the localmotorcycling community have paid tributeto his genial nature and valued friendship.He died in an accident on the A274 nearBiddenden.

Chris HaswellTRIBUTES have poured in after the suddendeath of East Farleigh’s Chris Haswell.

Chris (62) workedlocally in theconstruction industrybut was widely knownas the lead singer inRod Stewart and TheFaces tribute band,The Ronnies.

The married fatherwas also a keenfisherman and friends

from all areas of his life posted tributes onsocial media and shared news of his death.

Samuel Paul Jacques said: “A true andlovely gentleman.” Ian Maggs added: “Verysad and unexpected – great entertainer.”

Bob WilliamsROBERT “Bob” Williams (83), of Marden,moved to East Malling at the age of 17, whileserving in the RAF.

Born and raised in Bootle, Liverpool, hewas a loyal Liverpool FC supporter.

His RAF service brought him to the localarea where he met and married Joy, wife of63 years. They raised children Barry andKay. After working at Aylesford paper millBob became a postman. The family lived inLeeds before moving to Marden where Bobspent the final 32 years of his life.

Kay said: “My father never lost his Scousesense of humour; he had an answer foreverything. He was a loving and loyal familyman, a real hands-on dad, grandad andgreat grandad.

“His granddaughter and great-granddaughter used to call in on him ontheir way home from school. Long after hecame to live down south he would stilltravel to see Liverpool play in London. Thelast thing he watched on television was a 4-5away win for Liverpool.

“He was also a great giver to charities,especially animal charities.”

Bob leaves his wife, children,grandchildren Peter and Karrie-Anne andgreat-grandchildren Kate-Ellen and Maria.

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WE should be very proud Mote Park isnow regularly voted among the best threeparks in the country – and it could rise to thetop.

Improvements to pathways, parking andviews over the last two years have seen visi-tors numbers swell. Now Maidstone Councilhas announced plans for the next big steps – amajor, larger, re-built restaurant with mag-nificent vistas down to the scenic lake, up-graded toilets and a charged adventure andactivity feature next to the free children’s playarea towards the leisure centre.

We often take our grandchildren for anhour or so. These new attractions will makemost stays a lot longer – perhaps for threehours if the restaurant and eating experienceshit the right buttons. I would like to see themagnificent scenery and fascinating history ofthe park imaginatively displayed around therestaurant to excite visitors and encouragewider exploration of the 440-acre park.

How many know the enthralling story offormer park owner Lord Bearsted, founder ofShell oil company? He named it after his fam-ily business which traded worldwide in orna-mental sea shells. He was an amazing manwho died in 1927. His heirs sold Mote Park toMaidstone Corporation for £50,000 in 1929and The Mote Cricket Ground was left in trust

to the cricket club.With the park attracting a million visitors a

year – and this will grow – parking problemswill increase, despite the new £1-a-daycharge. I believe one of the next areas forcouncil consideration should be the largegrassed area lined with lovely trees betweenthe entrance and exit roads. In winter it isoften a quagmire.

I think its main value will be as a surfacedcar park – but recommend greater ambition. Ithink the end closest to the park entrancewould be a very popular location for two orthree quality restaurants. I think dining in thepark would be a very exciting addition. Thisarea could be a good earner, too, for our cash-strapped council.

I would also like the council to upgrade thesports take in the park. There is a little-usedarea close to the leisure centre and bowls clublarge enough for high-quality football, rugbyetc pitches. At the moment, much of this landundulates all over the place but an investment

in levelling and well-planned layout would bevery welcome by our sporting community.There is a strong demand from various sports– and the council knows it under-provides forsport in the borough.

It should be protected for quality sport use– but routes left for walkers and dogs to ac-cess other more popular areas of the park.Those I questioned have little appetite forwalking over the current sports pitches.

Changing rooms and showers are availablein the leisure centre – but sports clubs wouldlike to see these upgraded. I know some willsee my thoughts as harmful to their image ofparts of the park. But no one should nowdoubt the popularity of recent changes – it hasbecome a park of even greater beauty and fun.Let’s keep that ball rolling.�What do you think? The Downs Mail wel-

comes reader letters on Mote Park.

Fax frustrationsSome 20 years ago a business abused my

fax machine by sending unsolicited adverts.Ten years ago I removed the machine – butstill these unwanted nuisance phone calls ar-rive almost daily, causing great inconven-ience. Any advice please?

Quashing NHS mythsDear Sir – In a recent Mail Marks DennisFowle repeats some old myths about theNHS that need squashing.

Recycled regularly, especially by thosewho want to convince us that we can no

longer afford anNHS and weshould be thinkingof charges, aninsurance systemor privatisation,they include:� Charging

would help: No itwouldn’t. It justshifts the costs tothe poor and theelderly who are less

healthy than other groups. The Germansgave this up after the failure of a six-yearexperiment. The evidence is that itencourages the “worried well” but detersthe poor sick, which costs more in the longrun. The US Commonwealth Fund ratesthe UK NHS as the most cost-effectivehealthcare system in the world.� Ageing population: Exaggerated.

Most money is spent in the last six monthsof life, irrespective of how old you are.� Costs too much: Wrong. We spend less

on health than the other G7 nations and inthe last few years, the percentage of GDPspent has fallen from 11% to a li�le over7%. This is a political choice, not

economics. We are 27th out of 29 EUcountries in the number of doctors perhead of population. The NHS is notunaffordable or unsustainable butunderfunded. The cost of your GP per yearper head is £74 in West Kent. Try insuringyou cat or car for that.� It’s abused: Greatly exaggerated,

according to the evidence. This is not thecause of the NHS’s problems. Contrast thatwith the private US system that theGovernment is so keen on: waste $690billion , overcharging $750bn , fraud $98bn.The USA spends three times as much perhead with worse results.

It’s time the subtle but relentlesscampaign by the media and politicians toundermine our health service stopped.Correcting some of the anti-NHSpropaganda is a start.Dr Paul J Hobday, Churn Lane,Horsmonden

Leave our park aloneDear Sir – I feel I must write to defendMote Park against ideas put forward by MrFowle in his musings in Mail Marks in thisedition of the Downs Mail.

He thinks that the next area for thecouncil to consider is the “large grassedarea lined with lovely trees” between theMote Avenue entrance and exit roads,which he thinks should make a lovelysurfaced car park.

To make ma�ers worse he suggests two

or three “quality” restaurants in the samearea. We have more than enough concreteand Tarmac in the park already.

Starting with the leisure centre andMaidstone Bowls Club premises all builton part of the park, not to mention theretirement village and the park and ride,Maidstone has more than enoughrestaurants, coffee shops and cafes. Everytime you go into town there’s a new oneopened.

We need the park, a green open space. Ithink certain things are good ideas such asthe adventure playground and a new café,which could be built near where the oldone is by razing all the buildings in thatarea.

However, the park can be enjoyed bysimply walking round it. Why is it peopleseem to need things to occupy themselveswith? There is nothing as pleasant andrefreshing as a walk in a green open space.S Johnson, West Park Road, Maidstone

Co

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Of this year’s 1,196 recipients, 76%have undertaken “outstandingwork in their communities”.

In the Maidstone area they are:George Batts (90), from Barming,

will be made an MBE for his volun-tary service to war veterans. A vet-eran of the Normandy Landings,George became the national secre-tary and treasurer of the now-dis-banded Normandy Veterans’Association and spent many yearsorganising pilgrimages to France toremember The Fallen in the D-Dayconflict.

His voluntary work has also in-cluded compiling an archive of eye-witness accounts from thebattlefields and assisting with civicvisits, for which he received anaward from Prime Minister DavidCameron in 2014.

Venessa Willms, from Maidstone,will be awarded an OBE for servicesto education. The director of pri-mary education for Ark Schoolssaid: “Over the past nine years atArk, including seven as the found-ing principal at King SolomonAcademy, I have worked with tal-ented teachers and senior leaders to

provide every child with the toolsthey need to go to university or pur-sue a career of their choice.”

Craig Vidler receives a BEM forservices to charity. The 69-year-old,who lived near Mote Park in Maid-stone throughout his early years,has raised money for charities suchas the Royal Marsden and more

than £500,000 for the Retail Trustwith an annual fly-fishing eventover the last 28 years.

The former Maidstone Grammarschoolboy, who built a hugely suc-cessful career in retailing and re-cruitment, said: “I’m delighted tohave been able to give somethingback and help some of its peoplewho have fallen on hard times.”

Craig, who met and married hiswife of 46 years while working inSouth Africa, returned with Mar-jorie and their daughter Claire toMaidstone in 1971 and lived inLoose and for a short time in Leedsvillage.

The couple now live near Ashfordbut are regular visitors to the area,particularly Bearsted. Craig remainsa founding partner of a mentoringservice for the over-55s.


LOCAL people have been celebrating being named in the Queen’s New Year’s honours list.

Royal honours announced

Craig Vidler, George Batts and Venessa Willms have all been honoured

THE windscreen of a minibus wassmashed in Forstal Road, Aylesford, whenan object was thrown at it.

Cash was stolen by raiders who broke intoa café in Martin Square, Larkfield.

The patio door at the back of a house inEdgar Close was damaged during an at-tempted 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 wereamong items stolen from a house in WattsClose, Snodland.

A group of youths are thought to havedamaged a shop sign in Lunsford Lane,Larkfield.

A car was broken into while in a desig-nated parking bay behind the owner’s prop-erty in Brampton Field, Ditton.

Fishing tackle was stolen from a gardenshed in London Road, Ryarsh.

Aluminium chequer plates were stolenfrom a Land Rover in the Station Road carpark in Aylesford.

A shed at The Malling School in BeechRoad, East Malling, was broken into. A listof items stolen is awaited.

A black tool box containing various handtools was stolen from a Ford Mondeo inEagle Close, Larkfield.

Items were stolen during a raid on severalsheds in North Meadow, Offham.

The driver of a car or a motorbike isthought to be responsible for causing crimi-nal damage at a property in Atlas Close,Kings Hill, when it was driven across thelawn.

A vehicle in The Beeches, Aylesford, waskeyed.

The tarpaulin was damaged on a lorryparked in a lay-by on the Snodland Bypass,but nothing taken. A man in a black Audiwas seen acting suspiciously at the time.

A burglar alarm frightened off raiders at ahouse in Phoenix Drive, Wateringbury, afterthey smashed two windows.

Tools were taken from a van in MedwayCourt, Aylesford.

A Citroen C3 left in the Owen Close car

park at East Malling was keyed.A VW van in Eccles Road, Eccles, was bro-

ken into but nothing appeared to have beenstolen.

Damage was caused to a communal doorat a property in High Street, Aylesford.Damage was also caused to a vehicle in anallocated parking bay in High Street, Ayles-ford.

The front forks of a Sulcata bicycle werestolen from the garden of a home in TempleWay, East Malling.

A white Peugot caravan, with the regis-tration prefix WU52, was stolen from a com-mercial yard in The Street, Ryarsh.

Tools, including a Makita saw and a De-walt router were stolen from a garden shedin North Meadow, Offham.

A skip was taken from a yard in LakeRoad, Aylesford.

A bicycle left behind a property in MartinSquare, Larkfield, was stolen.

A metal drain cover was stolen from theroad in Braeburn Way, Kings Hill.

A window was damaged when somethingwas fired at it in Malling Road, Snodland.

The tyres were slashed on a car in Butch-ers Lane, Mereworth.

The rear windscreen was smashed on aMercedes C270 in Hermitage Lane, Ayles-ford.

A red Honda motorbike was taken fromthe garage of a property in London Road atRyarsh.

A garage in London Road East, Aylesford,was broken into but nothing was reportedstolen.

Children’s toys were taken from a gardenin Nursery Road, Ditton.

Diesel was stolen from a vehicle in BullenLane, East Peckham.

A garden shed was broken into inWoodgate Road and various items taken,

and a garage in Roughetts Road, both inRyarsh.

A Toyota people-carrier parked on thedrive outside a property in Snodland wasdamaged.

Damage was caused to a house and a gar-den shed during a break in at a property inPepingstraw Close, Offham. Nothing wasreported as stolen.

Golf equipment was stolen from the shedof a property in East Street, Addington.

Attempts were made to break into a LandRover on the drive of a home in CarnationCrescent, East Malling. Nothing was taken.

Tools were taken from a building inBroadwater Road, East Malling.

A car was stolen from Snoll Hatch Road,East Peckham.

The bodywork was damaged on a parkedcar in New Hythe Lane, Larkfield.

Items were taken from a vehicle in JasmineRoad, another in Lime Crescent and a thirdcar in Hardie Close, East Malling.

A set of outside lights were damagedat a premises in Norman Road, WestMalling.

Lead was stolen from a garage at a prop-erty in Smithers Lane, East Peckham.

Equipment was taken from a car in Mos-quito Road, Mereworth, and the window ofa house in the same road was damaged.

The window of a house in Kent Road,Snodland, was smashed.

Neighbourhood WatchWorking to reduce crime. Call Crimestoppers 0800 555 111 or local police

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speed check in the village for comparisonwith the previous one but was not surewhat would be achieved. It was decidedthat a possible grant and parish councilfunds might be better spent elsewhere. Aletter would be sent to Tom TugendhatMP, asking for his support in getting KentPolice to take action against speedingmotorists.Emergency plan It was agreed that itwould be a good idea for an emergencyplan to be drawn up with contact detailsand information for display on the websiteand noticeboard. The chairman and clerkwould produce a draft for the nextmeetingHGVs A councillor reported having seenHGVs parked on the verges at the bottomof Birling Road leading to the A20 and aconsiderable amount of fast foodpackaging litter had been left. In particulara Clancy Docwra vehicle was seen on theverge and new planting at the entrance toLeybourne Chase had been damaged. Theclerk would contact the firm andcouncillors would take photographs ofvehicles seen there in future with dates,times and registration numbers.Road study Details had been received ofan A20 road study to be carried out byAmey to establish an evidence base ofexisting and forecast problems or issuesbetween the A228 at Leybourne andColdharbour Lane, Aylesford. Councillorscommented on traffic congestion and lackof synchronisation of traffic lights on theroute and were hopeful that the studycould lead to improvements in trafficmanagement.

Kings HillTown Feedback from the parish council’sconsultation for Kings Hill to become atown was considered. It was resolved todefer the proposal pending furtherinvestigation.Public session Members of the publicraised the following issues: theinvestigation of other local Facebook sitesand the process of adding useful parishcouncil information to those sites; couldthe parish council contact the GP surgeryto discuss the time the appointmentssystem takes; could an update on thememorial stones be added to the parishcouncil website; issues with opening timesof the Sports Park bar/restaurant area.Borough council report Cllr Sarah Barkerreported on changes to the school busservice to Tonbridge; a new fast-track busservice to replace the 123 service runningon Kings Hill and an update on the M20junction 4 bridge widening. Queen Streethad been adopted by KCC from FortuneWay to the GP surgery. Furtherinvestigation would take place on thismatter. An assessment of the bus stopsand bus stop flags would be taking placein Discovery Drive.Local plan The results of the call for siteswere noted and it was agreed that theparish council would continue tochallenge these proposals.Advert It was noted that Kings Hillfeaures in the new Ford television advert.Queen The Queen’s 90th birthdaycelebrations were discussed and it wasagreed that the parish council would notbe lighting a beacon.

both the trees and the heritage inAddington. Ideally, members would liketo start a programme of identifying treesthat should have preservation orders,Incidents such as the recent felling of treesin woodland near Scarbutts on LondonRoad were of concern. It was alsosuggested that the clerk approach KentMen of Trees for advice.East Street North One of the oak saplingshad disappeared.

AylesfordLighting KCC had provided details ofadditional work it required to be done onYork Avenue and Victoria Road beforeadoption could be carried out. The clerkwas in detailed discussions withStreetlights Ltd about works required toparish-owned lighting, the drawing up ofa detailed schedule and futuremaintenance.Eccles memorial clock Urgent electricalwork was authorised at a cost of £1,600.Rogue emails The clerk reported somemembers receiving emails purporting tocome from the council’s old addressand/or from previous clerks and members.He asked members to ensure they deletethese without opening and only respondto emails from the council’s currentaddresses.Blue Bell Hill The milestone was stillwith the contractor. Work had beendelayed due to an injury to thestonemason.Aylesford village square There was asuccessful visit to Gallagher’s to viewstreet furniture alternatives. A rustic stylewith a low-level table was preferred. Theclerk would now pursue KCC to confirmarrangements regarding funding andaspects of work it would be undertaking.Members requested a site meeting with allinterested parties before final decisions ondesign were confirmed.Bridleways The public inquiry into thecreation of bridleways for Aylesford andBurham parishes was scheduled to last forsix days, starting on February 23 atBurham Old School Community Centre.River Medway towpath Work wasexpected to start after April. The parishcouncil had committed £20,000 to theproject.Ferryfield A request from Lawsons Circusto visit in April for three nights wasagreed.Eccles recreation ground The fencing ofplay equipment had been completed andwell received.Budget The precept for 2016/17 would beincreased by £10,651, making a total of£177,374.

BirlingCrime report A garage in The Close hadbeen broken into and garden equipmentwas stolen.Planning Regarding a caravan in the fieldopposite Langhold House, Tonbridge andMalling Council was awaiting a planningapplication for a dog walking/trainingbusiness on the site.Precept It was agreed that the precept for2016/17 would be £8,772, the same amountas last year.Speeding KCC Cllr Sarah Hohler had saidthat she would be prepared to part fund a

AddingtonPolice matters A house in The Clearway,Addington had been broken into and agarage was broken into in Woodgate Road.Award Members nominated Cllr PatriciaGarrett for the Kent Association of LocalCouncils community awards scheme 2016for her services to the community.Budget The total allocation for section 136funding for 2016/17 was £3,290, including£925 for the maintenance of thechurchyard. A total estimated expenditureof £27,530, including £5,000 forcommunity projects, was agreed. It wasresolved that the precept for 2016/17should be £19,571.98 including the counciltax support grant of £645. Any shortfallwould be met from reserves. This wouldbe the ninth year that the council resolvednot to increase the precept.Public session A member of the publicexpressed concern about the currentexternal lighting at Humphries and Parksand referred to informatives andconditions of previous planningpermissions and a previous refusal for thesite. They considered that the level ofcurrent lighting was wholly incompatiblewith a rural location and requested thatthe parish council asked borough planningenforcement officers to research theplanning history of the site in line withrelated planning policies and takeappropriate action.

A member of the public expresseddismay about the activities that hadrecently taken place at the Scarbutts siteon the A20. A removals firm had beenusing the site which had been reported toenforcement officers. A concrete garagehad since been turned into an office and inthe past week a number of trees adjacentto the site had been felled. They fearedthat this area would be surfaced andturned into further parking and requestedthat the clerk reported these concerns toenforcement officers.

Humphries and Parks Planningenforcement officers had investigated andsaid that a breach of planning control hadnot occurred. The clerk was asked tochallenge this decision, quoting theplanning information supplied by themember of the public.Woodgate Road KCC was continuing toinvestigate possible problems with drainsin the area near The Paddocks where theroad kept flooding.Jet Garage One of its signs was regularlyblocking the footpath on the south side ofthe A20.Stubblesdown The clerk had reported themissing posts and damaged verge to thehighways steward and was awaiting aresponse. Two cars had been seen for salein recent weeks.Village hall Members discussed theserious fire in the village hall car park onDecember 31 when two caravans caughtlight. Cllr Peter Robinson played anenormous part in assisting and offeringhospitality to the shocked members of theCaravan Club. Councillors thanked himfor everything he had done. The event hadhighlighted a few areas of concern whichwould be considered in a complete reviewof the emergency plan.Open spaces The clerk was asked to findout from Tonbridge and Malling Councilhow the parish council could try to protect

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MereworthFete management Two members of thepublic raised the matter of the village feteand asked that the parish council take thelead by forming a fete sub-committee. Thiswas agreed. The parish council’s insurancewould cover the fete and all activitiesrelating to it. An appeal would be madefor volunteers, emphasising that this wasthe village’s one main fundraising event ofthe year.Village hall soakaway Bill Piper reportedthat several tennis balls had been removedfrom the drain and it was now cleared.However, water was starting toaccumulate outside the fire doors and agulley here might help. The guttering onthe neighbouring building was damaged,causing further flooding and thehouseholder had been asked to deal withthis. A report was awaited from thecontractor before deciding the next step.Police matters There had been oneburglary (non-dwelling) and a theft from ahouse.Road accidents There had been threetraffic incidents on Seven Mile Lane at thebend by Orchard Place and one fatality.KCC Cllr Matthew Balfour said there wasno engineering solution to the accidents.There was a 50mph restriction and thepolice must enforce this. The PCSOs saidthey had undertaken several speed checksrecently. The chairman said the parishcouncil expected the police and KCC tocontinue to look for a solution to this diresituation.Kent Street Cllr Matthew Balfour said thatthe plans for Kent Street were still ongoingand the parish council would beconsulted. There was no money for majorroadworks though a solution could bedevelopment (section 106) which was notwanted by residents.Precept The precept for 2016/17 was set at£11,947.22, an increase of 10% on theprevious year. It was generally felt that asthe parish council had been running at adeficit for some years and had used up therevenue from land sale some years ago, itwas not prudent to allow this situation tocontinue. There had been no increase forseveral years and the workload requiredof the parish council had increased. CllrJenny Thorogood wished it to be recordedthat she did not agree with the smallincrease, but felt it should be 25%, as shefelt that parishioners wanted tree pruning,grass cutting and verges to continue to bedone to a high standard.

OffhamCrash It was reported that the police, KentHighway Services and Tonbridge andMalling Council were investigating thecircumstances of the recent fatal crash onSeven Mile Lane to try to prevent a similaraccident happening.Aldon Lane A lorry recently got stuck onAldon Lane and caused damage trying toturn around. Kent Highway Services waslooking at ways of preventing vehiclestaking short cuts along this narrow road.Phone box Following the parish council’ssuccessful application for a defibrillatorand case from the British HeartFoundation, plans were discussed forinstalling it in the old phone box on TestonRoad. The box was to be called the “Book

amount paid for 2016/17 by a band Dhousehold to £50.48, which is £3.61 lessthan the previous year. The final preceptrequest was for £14,289.

WateringburyCo-option John Evans was co-opted toserve on the parish council.Allotments The minor repairs to the gatehad been done.Budget Councillors voted to set theprecept for 2016/17 at £109,516.32 whichincluded the £40,000 one-off requirementfor a new wet pour surface at the playarea.Community assets The Mill Pond hadbeen placed on the list held by Tonbridgeand Malling Council.Planning The council had no objections tothe following applications: South ViewHouse, 226 Tonbridge Road, single storeyextension; 5 Phoenix Yard Cottages,removal of mobile home and domesticoutbuildings and erection of new annex.Play equipment Negotiations were stillprogressing with Playdale about thereplacement of some wooden supports.The existing surface would be replacedwith wet pour once these had beenreplaced.Sports and Recreation Association MikeWitts reported that the wetness of theground had delayed the work to refurbishpart of the playing fields. Cllr DennisStones agreed to represent the parishcouncil on the association’s managementcommittee.Village warden John Ibbs reported thatthe only problem currently was dogfouling. Dog owners were reminded topick up after their pets.Public discussion Topics raised were:councillors’ meetings with Siemans aboutuse of Drayhorse Meadow car park forwork to be carried out to install atemporary switchgear module; villageplans for Clean for the Queen; Croudaceplans for housing at a site in the village.

West PeckhamDeer shooting Concern was expressedthat deer shooting was taking place inHazel Wood in the locality of a publicfootpath. The landowner would becontacted to see if permission had beengiven for this.Funding A request had been received forfinancial assistance for West PeckhamCricket Club. The council agreed a one-offdonation of £500 to secure the future ofthe cricket club and ensure its financialsecurity.Roads Iron work was missing outside thechurch. This had been reported toSouthern Water. Concerns were expressedabout the crossing at Seven Mile Lane andMereworth Road at school time with theway cars were being parked particularlyaround The Octagon, often forcing carsinto the middle of the road. The clerkwould write to the school asking if parentscould please be considerate about parking.Dog bin This had now been installed.Budget The precept for 2016/17 was set at£2,998, meaning £17.30 for a band Dproperty – a slight increase of 6p or 0.35%over last year because the tax basereduced from £173.93 to £173.32.

Box” and would include shelves of bookswhich could be read and replaced orswapped by residents.Speed Watch Volunteers would be takingpart in training for the programme whichshould restart in the village soon.Quiz night Tickets for the quiz nightbeing held in the village hall on February27 cost £7.50 each and include a glass ofwine and hot food. They can be purchasedfrom Cllr Wendy Williams on 01832841501.Noticeboard The parish council had paidfor and installed a new noticeboardoutside the village hall.Precept Councillors discussed the budgetfor 2016/17 and agreed to keep the amountper band D household the same as lastyear.

RyarshSigns Kent Highway Services had lookedat the “slow” signs and white lines in thevillage and considered the centre line wasadequate. Of the seven “slow” signs, twowere worn and did not warrant action yet.White lines were not marked in winter butpossible work would be investigated againin April.Phone box The contractor suggested byBT for maintenance of the phone box wasnot interested in such a small job. A localresident, who was a painter and decorator,would be contacted.Pothole A pothole in The Street had beenreported to Kent Highway Services.Grass The KCC Landscape Service quotefor cutting the recreation ground grasshad been accepted.Defibrillator A local electrician would becontacted to provide a light for the phonebox which would be on a timer or operatewhen the door is opened, and for thedefibrillator. It was agreed to keep the boxred on the outside and white on the inside.Pub The Duke of Wellington pub wouldbe 500 years old this year and celebrationswere planned throughout the year. It washoped that the parish council could join inwith the celebrations with something atthe village fete suggested.Highways The bank opposite Moonfieldwas eroding and had been especially badin the past few weeks. A couple of treeshad come out of the bank and appeared tohave been holding it together. The bankwas breaking down and soil was washeddown the road and blocked the drains onThe Street. It was presumed that Redrowwas now responsible for the bank but itwas not known if repairing andmaintaining it was built into the terms ofthe planning permission for the site.Bus stop The bus stop on London Road,opposite Roughetts Road, heading in theWrotham direction, had no shelter.Waiting passengers were getting soakedwhen it rained. The clerk was asked towrite to Tonbridge and Malling Council torequest a shelter.Play area The roundabout was beyondeconomic repair. The play area was stillpopular with children from school, hallhirers and users of the recreation ground.It was anticipated that it would continueto be popular even when the new playarea was installed in the Brickworks site. Itwas agreed that the parish council shouldlook into replacing the roundabout.Precept It was agreed to reduce the

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