Churches Face Closure As Funds Crisis Looms
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downsmail.co.uk Maidstone East Edition Maidstone & Malling’s No. 1 newspaper Maidstone Weald Edition downsmail.co.uk FREEMaidstone & Malling’s October 2017 No.No. 246 1 newspaper NewsFREE April 2019 No. 264 Panto ahoy! Kate, 107, dies THE cast of Cinderella, which is to be KATE Hart, a resident at an old staged at the Hazlitt Theatre in Maid- people’s home in Bearsted, stone, took to the River Medway to has died aged 107, her son 3 launch this year's panto. News David has disclosed. On board The Kentish Lady were £national48 treasurek c Rustieos tLee o(Fairyf borough’s legal action Lesson in schooling Godmother),MAIDSTON formerE Boro EastEnderugh Coun Ste-- point of settlement was £48,554. cure a judicial review over the TMP’sHE secr eLocaltary of s tPlanate for bidedu- fancil sBoothpent a(Princelmost £Charming),50,000 of t aEliza-x- It is not yet known how much county council’s use of £200,000 cHELENation g Whatelyets a les saskedon in the bethpaye rsBright’ mon ey(Cinderella), on its doo mCraiged KCC spent on its lawyers, but it in developer contributions for frgovernmentontline scho tool ihaltng f therom a AndersonHigh Cou r(Buttons)t action a gand,ains tpictured, Kent is thought to be a similar studies into a Leeds-Langley re- Lborough’soose head housingteache rscheme.. 34 StephenCounty CRichardsouncil. and Adam Bor-amount. lief road. zone (Ugly Sisters) . Leaked papers, seen by MBC launched proceedings Turn to page 20 for the full Village ram raid fury They were greeted by pupils from Downs Mail, say the bill at the against KCC last summer to se- story. Plans for Dr Nigel South Borough Primary School and RESIDENTS in Staplehurst THE widow of GP Dr Nigel Minnet members of the media. The panto reveal their frustration after will walk the Grand runs from December 1-31. For tick- an alleged ram raid rocks Canyon for charity. 12 ets go to www.hazlitttheatre.co.uk. another Weald village. 8 Churches face closure AJasonruna wDonovanay succe datess WTHEE M formerEET th Neighbourse young a tstarhle tbringse who hhisas showtake ton thehis Hazlittsport by 18 CCTVas funds call crisi ins lo aom bids stTheatreorm in nextjust tMay.wo years. 14 Linton clean sweep RELIGIOUS leaders are struggling to make ends meet and protect LINTON villagers clean up as churches from closure, Downs Mail has learnt. they blitz the countryside to stop fly-tipping in a litter-picking drive. 22 In a perfect storm, the institution cient, resulting in basic bills, like CALLSwhich has d forefine thed We installationald commu- of CCTV cameras to preventheating, fly-tipping topping £8,00 on0 a ayear. nities for centuries faces a future of Headcorn’s St Peter and St Paul’s Obituaries 26 countryrising costs, roadfalling a havettendan beence and made by the local boroughC councillor.hurch alone costs £1,500 per a pBurberryotential s Lane,hortag neare of cl Leedsergy. and nearby, more than a year after it wunlicensedeek to run. waste carriers, but be- Parish Councils 28-29 Broomfield,The situat hasion beenhas b targetedecome s byo was dumped and set on fire. lievesCruc theially cost, eac toh smallchurch firms is als ofo e dis-x- wastepressin dumpersg, the D forioc years,ese of butCan inte re-r- The church car park has also seen pposingected to of pa constructiony the diocese wastea “pari atsh a AObituaries BUDGET of £400 was set asid32e centbury, months, which o thever problemsees Maid hassto be-ne many instances of illegal dumping. stransferhare” – stationa set co isntr provingibution t ao deter-cen- to buy planters in Broomfield and comeborou moregh, h acute.as instigated a wide- But it is a problem in many rural trentral ch thaturch is f costingunds wh councilsich cove more.rs the KParishingswoo dCouncils; Coxheath34-35Parish raConstructionnging consult waste,ation o rubble,n howhard the areas including Langley, Otham cosCllrt of Forthiring made the cl herergy remarks and pay as- Council has applied to the British core,churc windowsh should b ande fun householdded in futu fur-re. and Kingswood. Water Lane in ioneng fo ofr t thehe w borough’sider churc closesth’s min trans-istry HASHeart dieback Found ahastio nbeen for discovereda grant to in nitureAnn isa D leftrew illegally, the di –oc oftenese’s strewndirec- Bearsted and Pilgrims Way have afernd stationscharity w atork North. Farm, Tun- bMonksuy a co mMeadowmunity d efiinbr illaDetlingtor; six ; Hollingbourne village fete stall- intor the of c middleommun ofica thetion road.s, told Downs also been targeted recently. bridgeAt pre Wells,sent, t announcedhis money is it g willener be- warning letters were sent and 23 Cllr Gill Fort said: “Every month Last year, Maidstone Borough aclosedted en fortirel 10y a weeks.t grassroots level by vholderehicles co-ordinator recorded by JeanEast DuffyFarlei ghash Mail: “Perhaps, in the past, we felt resigned; yellow lines are needed we are having toilets, sinks and Council cleared 911 cases of fly-tip- graShents, added: legacie “Ifs, f youund gorais alongers an thed Speedwatch volunteers; Langley there were more important issues for Buffkyn Way, Otham, to allow construction waste dumped in the ping and this year more than 163 tlinehe ofco increasingllection tr fines,ay, p theyrom havepting to Parish Council has paid more than to attend to than money, but now buses through Imperial Park; rub- village, specifically in Burberry have been recorded since April. cbehur enforced.ch leaders A an reductiond the clerg iny theto £900 to a contractor to repair we need this bigger conversation.” bish bins in the sports field in Lane, where we are now thinking The approaching darker evenings qchargeuestion or th offeringe sustai itna freebilit mayy of havethis street lights. Bankrolling the Weald’s ancient Kingswood are to be moved over to of installing cameras on private will prompt a rise in illegal tipping. atheppr desiredoach. similar effect.” churches is a major challenge for ings are grade I listed and require the picnic area and rear exit. land, to oversee the problem area.” Cllr Fort welcomed a joint initia- WAe three-monthlyald vicar, Rev litterFion picka Ha onske thett vicars, the laity and congregations. expensive specialist care and main- Crime Reports 29 A recent event in Burberry Lane tive by the Environment Agency (mile-longpictured) stretchtold Do ofw roadns M throughail she Around 80% of these iconic build- tenance. Many are not energy effi- Crime Reports 35 saw a caravan burned out while a and the Driver and Vehicle Stan- sLeedsuppor villagets the c producesoncept of an a averageparish OUTBUILDINGS were broken into torched car remains on a footpath dards Agency to clamp down on s32ha blackre. Sh sackse said of it rubbish. helps maintain inVEHICLES Chart S haveutton been; thr edrivene gard overen theCllr cou nFort,try’s whonetw oalsork o fserves churc hases ,a fefarmlandnce pa neinls Lenham,were stolecausingn in eparishven if icouncillor,t does take asaysbou t teaching£75,000 Cdamgeoxheat hto; a bcrops;ack do oanr w aattempteds broken fchildrenrom th eabout cof fsocialers o responsibilityf the four inbreak-in East Fa wasrleig reportedh; a large in o rDetlingnamen;- a candhur theche sissue in hofe rlitter cha ring eschools at Ch awillrt tavehiclel gar dwasen vandalisedurn was inta kBearsteden in Shelputto ntake, Ea sthet Su issuetton, Hoffea thedco rstreets.n and MRd,ard eWeaveringn; a vehicle; typumpkinsre was sla shwereed SSheutt obelievesn Valen cwithe eac everyh year household. instolen Head cofromrn; t ooanls a nallotmentd gardenin gin YOUR LOCAL PROPERTY EXPERT receiving“With o an eweekly of my refuse own c collectionhurches eLenhamquipmen. t were stolen from aservice,t risk o theref clos uisr eno,” excuseshe ad mforit tlittered, Sutton Valence. [email protected] “beingit’s a stthrownruggle t ofrom find. ”vehicles or Comment 46-47 01622 690290 23 Pudding Lane • Maidstone • Kent dumped Speci inal rtheep oroad.rt on page 4 Comment 38-39 15% discount on cash Home AlarmsIndian supplied Express and fitted collection visit www.amiga.co.ukGOOD CURRY, GOOD LIFE! | FREEor HOMEcall DELIVE 08000RY | 01622 199622 669 777 130 Sutton Road, Maidstone, ME15 9BY | Free parking NO GIMMICKS! NO MISLEADING OFFERS! TOP QUALITY PRODUCTS AT AFFORDABLE PRICES! windows : doors : conservatories 01622 686 732 Sorry no buy one get one free. No 70% off list price Just the keenest prices around www.southernglassmaidstone.co.uk NEW SHOWROOM NOW OPEN Monday to Friday 8am - 5pm Saturday 9am - 1pm OUR REPUTATION SPEAKS FOR ITSELF 1a Brunswick Street East, Maidstone ME15 7UX WE DO NOT employ pushy salesmen on commision. WE DO employ our own fitters. WE DO insure all our guarantees for peace of mind WE DO give prices over the phone. 2 Maidstone Weald April 2019 downsmail.co.uk News Head gives minister a Minibus hit HEADCORN Scouts have been immobilised after the minibus they use to transport groups to activities and camps was tar- view from ‘the coalface’ geted by criminals. A HEADMASTER put his views The vehicle was vandalised on modern teaching to the heart while parked in Ulcombe Road of government last month, when on the evening of February 5. he hosted the education secretary A spokesman said: “Consid- at Loose Primary School. erable damage was caused to the Darren Webb (43) said the meet- interior and back windows. It Education ing with Damian Hinds MP was a may be some time before we are chance to give the minister “valu- secretary back on the road.” able feedback from the coalface”. Damian The former comprehensive pupil Hinds (left) – who, as CEO of Coppice Primary with head Call for help Partnership, has turned around the teacher academic fortunes of Loose and Darren Webb SUTTON Valence Pre-school is Coxheath schools – said he covered looking for a villager to join its topics as diverse as finance and tion of pupils.