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MallingMalling EditionEdition Maidstone & Malling’s No. 1 newspaper FREE
May 2017 No. 241
News Tory candidate debates with pupils Trail of fame FORMER Tonbridge & Malling BLUE plaques will put up in MP Tom Tugendhat came face to Wateringbury to remember face with all his political oppo- the village’s past VIPs. 3 nents at a local school. The Malling School has been staging its own election campaign Phone box’s new call in which pupils represent the na- AN unwanted phone kiosk at tional parties. Mr Tugendhat Ryarsh has been given a spoke to debating society students new lease of life. 3 and then at a Q&A session. Head Carl Roberts said he was proud his students asked “mature and Pantomime time informed” questions. Pictured are STARS hit the town to unveil plans Mr Tugendhat with Henry Cox, for panto fun at the Josh Burt, Matt Pettet, Emma Hazlitt Theatre. 4 Stone and Kestra Willett. Drugs danger PARENTS warned after drugs are found on a footpath at Villagers face bigger a church. 6 Top Twenty DOWNS Mail throws a party to blasts from quarry celebrate 20 years in newspaper publishing. 10 PLANS to use bigger explosives at a quarry near Offham are creating shock- Ofsted praise waves among locals. TWO schools are celebrating after The explosions at Gallagher’s gressively worse, with more resi- Offham Parish Council began they were awarded Blaise Farm Quarry have been a reg- dents reporting disturbance, includ- compiling a dossier of the disruption “good” grades by Ofsted. 12 ular feature of life for villagers, who ing windows rattling and ornaments to homes last month and has urged are alerted by the company to blast- juddering. villagers to make their concerns ing up to twice a week. But now “In Offham, we have a significant known to KCC, the Minerals Plan- Obituaries 32 charges of up to 25kg – more than number of old houses without foun- ning Authority, Gallagher and the twice the current size – are being in- dations and the potential for damage Environment Agency. vestigated to improve efficiency and is now a big concern.” Gallagher’s chief executive Nick Comment 34 meet demand. He says the parish council wants Yandle said he understood the reser- A document submitted to Kent to see sensors fitted at various loca- vations of residents but felt the best Parish Councils 42-43 County Council for its view on the tions across the village before any way to allay fears is to carry out a idea has already attracted objections consideration is given to increasing trial of the higher explosives. from Offham Parish Council, which the size of the explosions permitted. He said: “We are progressing talks Crime Reports 43 says vibrations from blasting at the He added: “It seems that the with the county council which quarry have progressively worsened quarry is moving closer to the village would allow us to carry out a small in the last six months, even with the and we know that Gallagher has trial – maybe 10 blasts – to gather current 10kg charges. permission to mine even closer to data, which can be put in front of Parish council chairman David our homes, so we should be moni- people.” Frankling said: “In the last six toring any potential impact before He continued: “To be fair, we are months, the vibration has got pro- discussing anything further.” not limited by the amount of times we can blast, but are constantly look- ing at ways to meet demand and do Residents and parish councillors things in the most effective way. aired their views at a public meet- “It seems fewer, larger blasts are ing on proposals for a large re- preferable to more smaller blasts. tirement home at West Malling. However, the caveat is that this The 4-page supplement inside by YOUR LOCAL PROPERTY EXPERT would only be on the basis of it not Malling Action Partnership sup- [email protected] causing a problem. If the data shows ports people and events in 01622 690290 it does, then we will keep things as 23 Pudding Lane • Maidstone • Kent Malling. they are.” Mickey’s Open Early Morning - 7 Days a Week Blue Bell Hill, Aylesford, 01634 Please see our Café Diner Kent ME20 7EZ 682928 advert on page 28. Humphrey’s of Allington Unit 10, Mid Kent Shopping HUMPHREY’S Centre, Allington, Maidstone, ME16 0PU Humphrey’s of Kings Hill FISH & CHIP SHOPS 19 Queens Street, Liberty AT ALLINGTON & KINGS HILL Square, Kings Hill ME19 4AU