Bid to End 'Phoenix' Firms Tax Loophole
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Four editions delivered to over 88,000 homes every month downsmail.co.uk MaidstoneMaidstone SouthSouth EditionEdition Maidstone & Malling’s No. 1 newspaper FREE Maidstone Town | Maidstone East | Maidstone South | Malling September 2015 No. 221 News Bid to end ‘phoenix’ Harvest festival CLIMATE change has caused the date of next year’s Kent County Show to be changed to a firms tax loophole week earlier. 14 THOUSANDS of pounds of tax is going unpaid because of entrepreneurs Art stalls in town who claim their Maidstone-based businesses are bankrupt, only for their A NEW art market containing 80 stalls is coming to assets to be transferred to a company with a different name. Maidstone. 15 The recipient is known as a This figure includes more than mittee recently agreed to write off phoenix company and although the £630,000 owed to the taxman and this debt. End of market era practice is legal, Maidstone Coun- £63,895 to Maidstone Council. However, since October 2014 MAIDSTONE Country Market has cil is lobbying for a change in the The brothers were additionally they have been directors of Club closed just months after law after recently writing off directors of two Ashford-based Trading Ltd, for which the regis- its 70th anniversary. 22 £636,883 in unrecoverable business companies – one previously trad- tered address is 28-32 Gabriel’s rates from 18 failed public limited ing as Strawberry Moons Ltd – that Hill. The following month Straw- companies, accumulated during went under with debts of £1.4m, in- berry Moons issued a health and Students celebrate seven years. cluding £327,000 to HMRC. safety statement that confirmed the SCHOOLS across the borough Downs Mail can reveal that Mark In all, one or both of the Wilson brothers remained directors of the have reported Wilson (52) and his brother Robert brothers have served on the boards nightclub. strong exam results. 28-29 (56), who live at separate addresses of 10 companies that have folded in Robert Wilson said: “It is with in Discovery Road, Bearsted, have the past seven years, owing £4.29m. deep regret that these companies continued to run Strawberry One of their failed companies went into liquidation due to the re- Village repair hope Moons despite being directors of a was 1MK Ltd, which had the same cession. It is also unfortunate that A DEVELOPER may pay to string of companies registered at address as the nightclub and went Maidstone Borough Council has repair the roof of the nightclub's address of 28-32 under in May last year, owing had to write off £15,000 in rates. Marden memorial hall. 30 Gabriel’s Hill that wound up with Maidstone Council £15,403. The “Everything has been debts of £2.89m. council’s policy and resources com- done in the correct and legal12 Grounding out Villagers’ bid MAIDSTONE Rugby Club 34 Luke’s degree of success may be on the move. to buy up land A STUDENT from Maidstone who was turned down for his 11-plus RESIDENTS in Bearsted and Crime Reports 32 exam is hoping to inspire others Thurnham are trying to save part of POLICE were appealing for infor- after picking up a first-class honours the former KIG land from possible mation on the theft of two large degree. development. wooden gates from the entrance As pupils across the borough Two large plots of greenfield land to homes in East Farleigh. received their A-level results, Luke totalling more than 43 hectares Coomber (21), from The have been put up for sale at Bridge Comment 46-4734 Hedgerow, Grove Green, proved Farm, bordering Water Lane and that academic success can be Crismill Lane. Obituaries 36-37 achieved without attending a The site has remained under grammar school. threat even after the Kent Interna- Parish Councils 46-47 Luke (pictured) said: “You are tional Gateway road-rail freight in- very young when the choice is terchange proposal was refused A NEIGHBOURHOOD plan made as to whether or not you are five years ago. referendum might take place in Broomfield and Kingswood good enough to go to a As Downs Mail went to press, grammar school. At that 8 more than £500,000 had been early next year; a Christmas fun pledged by locals towards the pur- run was supported in Coxheath; chase of the land. East Farleigh opted not to try to More than 100 families have con- buy the Old School Hall; tributed £1,000 each, in addition to motorists were being harassed in two lots of £50,000, five of £10,000, Headcorn; a wasps’ nest had 10 of between £2,000 and £5,000, emerged in Langley; cold callers plus 30 smaller amounts. had been arousing suspicion by YOUR LOCAL PROPERTY EXPERT The two plots advertised for sale, offering cut-price furniture and with guide prices of £550,000- enquiring about parked cars in 01622 690290 [email protected] Loose; illegal bird-trapping was 23 Pudding Lane • Maidstone • Kent £600,000, and £300,000- £325,000, are at the western 4 reported in Marden. 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Email: [email protected] Call US TODAY: 0843 557 4080 Web: www.maximiseMYland.co.uk 2 Maidstone South September 2015 downsmail.co.uk News Third theft of pub tables Ruby’s thanks after A PUB in East Farleigh says sum- mer is officially over after thieves stole tables and chairs from its gar- den for the third time. Scout trip to Japan Kelly Richards, the manager of The Horseshoes in Dean Street says YALDING Scout Ruby Haigh has it is unlikely the furniture will be said a big thank you to all the sup- replaced until some way of keeping porters who enabled her to spend it secure can be found. three weeks travelling in Japan. She says four rattan tables and 16 Ruby (14), from Vicarage Road, chairs were taken overnight in the was one of 108 Scouts and Guides latest attack, the third since June, from Kent and East Sussex chosen to taking the total haul to several represent the UK in the 23rd World thousand pounds. Scout Jamboree in Kirara-hama. Police are looking for three men, Of the 4,000 youngsters who went one wearing a tracksuit and hoodie, from the UK, other locals included after examining CCTV footage. Scout Ruby Haigh with Hollie Honeyman from Upchurch and Nicole Finch Nicole Finch from Marden, who at- The manager said: “What’s is from Marden, who also travelled to Japan more alarming is that it was tends Invicta Grammar School; way of life as well as their food and dropped. straight after we left at around 1am. Charlie Arthur and Robert Latch- customs.