Four editions delivered to over 88,000 homes every month downsmail.co.uk MaidstoneMaidstone EastEast EditionEdition Maidstone & Malling’s No. 1 newspaper FREE Maidstone Town | Maidstone East | Maidstone South | Malling August 2015 No. 220 News ‘Let’s act fast to avoid Fun on the river ALMOST 100 boats lined along the Medway for the informal boat gathering, collated by a rise in homes target’ River Medway Boaters. 4 THE borough's housing target could swell beyond the current 18,560 if the Involve replaces Vam local plan is not adopted soon, warns the leader of Maidstone Council. LOCAL charity Voluntary Action Maidstone is to change Lib Dem Cllr Fran Wilson cam- spokesman] and myself over the port in the independent magazine its name to Involve. 26 paigned to reduce the controversial past 18 months to achieve this and for housing professionals that indi- housing target (initially 19,600) – be- we've failed. cates that the latest revision in pop- tween 2011 and 2031 – while in op- “The leader of Kent County Coun- ulation figures puts existing housing Delays expected position to the ruling Conservatives. cil [Cllr Paul Carter] did all he could data in question and that calcula- OPERATION Stack misery is set But less than three months after re- to find a way and he failed. tions on which local authorities have to continue despite gaining the role of council leader “Kalc [Kent Association of Local based their figures for housing need political interventions. 31 eight years since she was in charge, Councils] provided a further report have probably underestimated pop- Cllr Wilson has admitted that she and MBC, in the interests of trans- ulation growth. has “failed” to reduce the target. parency, sent that to yet another in- “I beg everybody to work together Show crowd increase Furthermore, both the Lib Dems dependent consultant. His verdict to actually resolve our local plan.” A TOTAL of 77,000 visitors at- and Conservatives have warned that was that it would not stand up to the Conservative Cllr David Burton, tended the Kent Show – London's rapidly increasing popula- inspector's scrutiny. chairman of the strategic planning up 2,000 from 2014. 40 tion – up by 100,000 every year since “It would now be advisable to ac- committee, said: “The impact of mi- 2008 – could force the borough to ac- cept the 18,560 housing need assess- gration to and from London will cept an even higher target. ment and to understand that as yet have an impact on the South East. Comment 34-3546-47 Cllr Wilson told full council: no utility or highways authority “There is some uncertainty about “Everything has been tried to reduce have provided any evidence to en- if and when it will come to fruition. Crime Reports 35 our housing need assessment. No able us to substantially convert that Delay in the local plan increases the one worked harder than Cllr Tony figure into a lower housing target. risk that housing numbers ITEMS were stolen from a cricket Harwood [Lib Dem planning “There is a well-substantiated re- need to increase further.” 12 pavilion in Otham. Obituaries 38-39 Cash query as TRIBUTES were paid to Alistair Rockers let hair down Black (79), who was a Maidstone bypass agreed borough councillor for Fant ward. MAIDSTONE proved it could rock with the best of them, MAIDSTONE Council is set to Parish Councils 50-51 in spite of the rain, when press ahead with the Leeds-Lang- the Ramblin’ Man Fair paid ley bypass, but there is still no indi- THERE was little interest in an its first visit to the town. cation of how the scheme will be emergency plan at Broomfield Thousands endured funded. and Kingswood; a car had en- Sunday’s downpours at the The proposed road linking the tered tee lake in Downswood; rock weekender in Mote A274 south-east of Maidstone with rats were problematic in Detling; Park and, in spite of the A20 near M20 Junction 8 has there were reports of travellers in complaints about the noise been an aspiration for more than 30 Glebe Field, Harrietsham. from residents, Maidstone years. It has become even more im- Council has confirmed it is portant in recent years, with the in talks with organiser The council's local plan target of 18,560 Rock Collective about a homes between 2011 and 2031 in- repeat performance next cluding about 4,000 homes along year. the Sutton Road corridor. 20 Previously the link road idea had caused divisions but the Maidstone Joint Transportation Board, con- taining borough, county and parish Award winning councillors, has recommended the Rubbish pick-ups salon inclusion of the scheme in the Inte- PAID-FOR bulky refuse collec- grated Transport Strategy (ITS), tions now include Saturdays. For sohairdressing.com which will form part of the local information see the Maidstone plan. But Cllr Paul Carter, who Council-sponsored 12-page Bor- lives in Langley and repre- ough Update in the centre pages. 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A planning application seeks to convert Main St Amusements at 90 Week Street into a tanning and beauty salon. theme to town centre Applicant Absolutely Fabulous Tanning has 14 salons across the HUNDREDS of people enjoyed country, including Mega Sun Tan- the glorious sunshine as the Maid- ning, which recently opened in Orp- stone Parade wound its way ington and whose frontage would be around the streets. replicated in Maidstone. The spectacular parade with the Maidstone Council will decide. theme “Around the World” in- volved more than 20 walking groups from schools, churches, Doorstep sellers charities, youth and community RESIDENTS have been warned groups, accompanied by choirs and not to do business with doorstep bands. sellers after reports of a company Places represented in colourful knocking on doors in the Madgin- costumes included Africa, Brazil, ford area. Anyone needing work Italy and Hawaii while the children A group from the Mandy Ellen Performing Arts School in Hawaiian dress done to their home or garden is ad- from Jubilee Church dressed as vised to obtain three quotes before aeroplanes from across the world. buying. Any suspicious activity There were also live music and should be reported by calling 101, or dance performances in the town. in an emergency, 999. The event was organised as part of Maidstone Arts Festival by Maidstone Town Team, in conjunc- Pub extension tion with Maidstone Council and THE Harrow in Lidsing Road, Lids- the Town Centre Management. ing has applied for a single storey For more pictures of the parade extension to the pub's existing din- see www.downsmail.co.uk ing area. 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Maidstone East August 2015 3 News downsmail.co.uk Boat gathering lights up river THE prospect of poor weather was that we do not want an official spent more than £500 during the sued a warning to visitors to stay failed to deter boat owners sailing event – we are quite happy to carry five days he was berthed on the safe and behave responsibly on the into Maidstone for the new “gath- on with our own gathering as we Medway. water. ering of boats”. have done for 37 years.” Mr Smurthwaite said: “It is such However, one speedboater – un- Almost 100 boats berthed in the Mr Smurthwaite said 90% of the a shame that the council cannot see connected with the gathering – was town for the informal gathering, boaters were happy with the gath- the benefit in promoting the river spoken to by police after driving collated by River Medway Boaters, ering as it was – although he criti- as a positive attribute to the county dangerously close to young chil- which last year replaced the Maid- cised Maidstone Council for its town, despite using a picture of it dren bobbing about in dinghies, stone River Festival.