New Call for Bypass After Van Hits Girl, 16
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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 September 2016 No. 233 Vintage show News Burial ground plan draws crowds A FUNERAL director has announced plans for a natural THE ninth annual Classic Cars and burial ground at a former Retro Vintage had its most success- riding centre in Detling. 3 ful year yet, raising more than £3,000 for the Kent, Surrey and Sus- sex Air Ambulance. Bride’s tractor trip Hundreds of visitors flocked to A TRACTOR provided the perfect Bearsted Green to see the 200 vehi- transport to church for cles and visit the vintage stalls. Bearsted newlyweds. 4 The more energetic danced along with the Medway Lindy Hoppers throughout the day. By-election battle The Peter Willson Trophy for the OPENING shots are fired in the ‘Best in Show’ was awarded to battle for a seat on Keith Hoffman for his 1954 Bentley Maidstone Council. 5 Cars were the stars at the Classic Cars and Retro Vintage show R-type saloon. New homes delay START on 800-home Langley development could be at New call for bypass least a year away. 8 Bat in the belfry WORK is starting to repair Leeds church roof after delays after van hits girl, 16 due a bat in the belfry. 10 THE issue of traffic volumes through Leeds village has been highlighted Dog waste bins to go again after a teenager was struck by a van. BINS for dog waste are to be re- moved in a bid to cut The 16-year-old from Sutton Va- lagers came out to see if I was all been a different story altogether.” council costs. 15 lence was returning to her cousin’s right. Kent county councillor and long- house after a trip into Maidstone, “He said he got too close to me be- time supporter of a relief road for the Olympics carnival and was thrown to the ground by cause he had to village, Gary Cooke, said he was the impact. get out of the way “horrified” by Felicity’s ordeal. A RIO carnival-style event will The vehicle’s wing mirror was of a car coming in He said: “To be honest, I am ab- celebrate the Olympics ripped off by the strike and sent fly- the opposite di- solutely horrified that the problems in the town centre. 15 ing down the pavement, near rection and sort of experienced by the village should Burgess Hall Drive. swerved and hit have resulted in a child being hit.” Making the grade Felicity Poulter (pictured) said: “It me. My cousin Cllr Cooke – who hosted a site STUDENTS have been all happened so quickly. I felt being and I thought he meeting in the village this week to celebrating their A-level hit from behind on the upper arm might have been talk to residents concerned about ve- success. 22 and then being knocked over onto going a bit fast.” hicle volumes and speeding – said the pavement. Felicity did not suffer serious in- that a relief road had to go on the Obituaries 34 “In fairness, the driver got out and jury in the collision although her table again. was so apologetic. He seemed really arm was bruised and sore. Upper street resident Rob Jackson nice and genuinely sorry and gave She added: “If this had been a has been mobilising villagers over Comment 35 me a hug. Another car stopped to see smaller child, they’d have been hit traffic and fears it may in- if I was okay and some of the vil- on the head and that would have crease further with three 8 Crime Reports 47 Royal Mail sale GOLF buggies, a utility tractor and THE Royal Mail site in the centre other equipment were damaged of Maidstone has been bought at the golf club off Blue Bell Hill; jointly by Maidstone Borough fencing was stolen from a field in Thurnham; number plates were YOUR LOCAL PROPERTY EXPERT Council and Kent County Council for a fee of at least £4.5m for a taken from a van in The Street, [email protected] Boxley; a shed was broken into at 01622 690290 mixed use of retails, 23 Pudding Lane • Maidstone • Kent houses and offices. 24 a horse yard in Stockbury. 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Free credit 15 Royal Star Arcade, High Street, Maidstone, Kent ME14 1JL 01622 296680 Open Mon-Sat 9-5pm, Sun 11-4pm upholsterybrands.co.uk 2 Maidstone East September 2016 downsmail.co.uk News Burial ground Yellow spots before your plan revealed AN OLD riding stables in Detling could become a natural burial ground. eyes could be bee poo Maidstone Council will consider an application to change the use of A COATING of yellow marks on the brick buildings, off Hockers cars and washing lines has been Lane, into offices and a chapel. mystifying residents in Bearsted. Estate agent Sibley Pares, which And while some say the offending has been marketing the land and spots before their eyes are pollen, buildings for £250,000 since the be- others firmly believe it’s bee poo! ginning of the year, said the 12-acre The British Beekeepers’ Associa- site to the south of the village is tion told the Downs Mail this week under offer. that the spots could be aerial dis- A planning application by Tender patches from bees and other insects. Ian Homer Touch Funeral Services includes an Ian Homer, a beekeeper for nearly (above) says the extension to the stable barn and a 40 years, said: “With the late crops yellow deposits dormer to the hay loft, as well as re- and the warm weather, bees are very are more com- establishing ponds and a stream in active collecting nectar and pollen at the grounds, which lie in an Area of mon when bees this time of year. They feed on carbs Outstanding Natural Beauty. A car and protein – nectar and pollen – but are busy park for 15 vehicles would also be the pollen has a very hard outer case, collecting nectar created. and it’s this fibre provider that they Paul Hopper is behind the family- excrete while they work.” plus anything else outside. It seems of the bees ... sorry if it’s attacking car run funeral business, which has The sightings were reported on to occur every year and we have no- paintwork but they can’t help it!” premises in Gravesend, Rochester, Bearsted’s Streetlife website. ticed it particularly over the last 2/3 The beekeepers’ association says Erith, Plumstead and Oprington. One of those who posted the news months.” bee poo is no cause for concern. The Ian and Rosemary Ferguson, who was Susan, from Bearsted Green, Maureen N replied: “I don’t think natural by-product can be washed live near the site, say they are con- who thought it wasn’t bee poo, be- its bee pollen but it’s probably bee away without causing damage. cerned about the increase in traffic it cause “the stains were eating into the poo. We have had some hot, sunny A spokesman for Maidstone will generate and the proximity of paintwork of some cars”. She re- weather and the bees have been very Council said: “It seems likely that the car park to their home. They also ported the spots to Maidstone Coun- active, so their metabolism is at its this is bee poo. It’s a natural phe- believe parking will be inadequate. cil’s environmental health team. height. It means there is a very nomenon and nothing we can do Detling Parish Council will con- She said: “My neighbours and I healthy bee colony [colonies] around anything about. We certainly don’t sider the application at its meeting at are experiencing small yellow de- you. That’s why it occurs at about have any plans to issue any ‘ASB-ee’ the village hall from 7pm on Tues- posits on car windows, washing the same time each year. On behalf orders.” day, September 6. 01622 738772 www.castle-cleaning.co.uk 7 Yeoman Court, Ashford Rd Bearsted, Kent ME14 4ND www.directorshairandbeauty.co.uk specialists in carpet & upholstery cleaning Experts in Cleaning Your Home Castle Cleaning is a small family run business operating across Maidstone for 10 years and we are dedicated to delivering the highest cleaning standards possible combined with excellent value for money. We are IICRC registered company, we have to adhere to guidelines set down by IICRC.