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 South 2016 No. 230 News Sainsbury’s store plan War pipe unearthed A PIECE of piping found in a farmer’s field is part of a vital fuel line which kept the facing further delays D-Day landings going. 3 Maidstone mayor SAINSBURY’S says it won’t be building its promised store and filling station DEREK Butler and his wife Mary in Staplehurst any time soon. have been installed as mayor and mayoress. 4 Confirmation of a further delay Sainsbury’s sales.” sites to secure its planning permis- came in a meeting between Maid- Another person agreed that con- sion for a store, which expired in New Hunton pavilion stone Borough Council and the retail firmation from Sainsbury’s that the March. giant following pressure from the store is not in its construction pro- He added: “We are continuing to THE new cricket pavilion at area’s borough councillors, con- gramme for 2016-17 is “indeed, bad review our plans for a new store in Hunton Wanderers’ 6 cerned about the ongoing delay in news. Also having to live with the Staplehurst and will update the ground has been opened. bringing the plan to fruition and the eyesore that the old Texaco site has community once we are in a position deteriorating state of its filling sta- become does nothing for the image to do so.” Pony death search tion site. of the village.” Green King currently manages the One villager said on the parish The area’s borough councillors proposed store site – formerly TWO men are being sought by police over the death of council’s web forum: “It does seem Louise Brice and John Perry say they owned by DK Holdings – as a car 8 a shame that, despite many other will keep the pressure on the retailer, park for commuters for Sainsbury’s. a pony at Headcorn. places opposing proposed super- but concede that in such a challeng- However, the retailer rejected the market development plans, this is, ing climate, Sainsbury’s cannot be idea of turning the old Texaco Natalie is new chief by and large, something that is actu- forced to build. garage over for the same purpose ally wanted by the local population. A Sainsbury’s spokesman said because of the redundant pumps NATALIE Kirk has risen through It would no doubt also be good for work had been carried out on both and tanks on the site. the ranks to become boss of a Kent attraction. 10 Summer fest samba Jubilant Stones need more room THE town’s Summer Festival will feature no less than MAIDSTONE United’s promo- three samba bands. 27 tion to the highest tier of English non-league football has hastened the need for a bigger stadium. Spa hotel now at risk While the Stones have no in- PLANS for a hotel are under tention of leaving the Gallagher threat from council Stadium, the club must increase conservation rules. 32 its capacity by 1,000 to meet with National League requirements. Management will submit an Cider star of show application to Maidstone Bor- THE growth of micro-breweries is ough Council to extend one end celebrated at this year’s of the ground. Kent County Show. 37 The Stones beat Ebbsfleet United at Stonebridge Road on Comment penalties on May 14. The victory drenched in emotion and excite- extra-time sent the tie to penalties, 30-3146-47 means they graduated into the ment. which the away side won 4-3. higher division on an afternoon A last-gasp equalising goal in Full story and pictures, page 22 Crime Reports 3632 BUILDING gear was stolen from a site in Marden. Election special Obituaries 36 FULL coverage of the borough council elections, the Kent Police Parish Councils 46-47 and Crime Commissioner poll and TREES near the Scout hut in YOUR LOCAL PROPERTY EXPERT your chance to vote in our special Kingswood have been cut down 01622 690290 [email protected] eve-of-referendum and the parish clerk will write to 23 Pudding Lane • Maidstone • Kent opinion poll inside. 16-18 the group’s leader. 15 Royal Star Arcade, High Street, Up to 30% OFF Maidstone, ME14 1JL upholsterybrands.co.uk 01622 296680 Open Mon-Sat 9-5pm, Sun 11-4pm Champagne Cocktail & 2 Course Lunch just £19 The Who’d a Thought It is a lovingly restored sixteenth-century Champagne Bar with rooms set in the delightful Kentish countryside and is the perfect setting for any meal. Come and enjoy a sumptuous 2-course lunch with Champagne Cocktail for just £19, choose from classic peach or strawberry Bellini. Available Monday to Friday on production of this advertisement. Forthcoming events Our Very Own Royal Blues Brothers Tribute Ascott Ladies Day Night Saturday 2nd July Come to the Who’d A Thought It on On Saturday 2nd July we will be 17th June to enjoy the Royal Ascott having a big knees-up with music from Races! Make sure you dress to a Blues Brothers Tribute! £35 per impress! More information available head, including a 2 course meal and on our web site events page. welcome drink. Who’d A Thought It. To book your table, please call Champagne & Oyster Bar & Rooms 01622 858951 Headcorn Road, Grafty Green, Nr Lenham, Kent ME17 2AR www.whodathoughtit.com 2 Maidstone South June 2016 downsmail.co.uk News Blaze at flats FAMILIES are back home after Wartime pipeline gets being evacuated following a mys- tery fire at a block of flats in Mar- den. Six flats were affected by the a place in our history blaze, which starting in the ground floor bin room at The Cockpit. A PIECE of pipe unearthed in a Golding Homes, which owns the farmer’s field in Chainhurst flats, says residents returned home could have come in handy during on May 24 after safety checks. France’s recent fuel fiasco. A spokesman for Golding Homes The WWII pipe is part of said residents had all been kept up PLUTO - the Pipe Line Underwa- to date. Flats were not damaged, no ter Transport of Oil project - used one was hurt and repairs to the to deliver fuel to the Allied forces communal areas were underway. in France after D-Day. The bin store, in the entrance to The pipeline, built in 1944, car- the building, was sealed off while ried fuel from the Isle of Grain via investigations continue. a pumping station at East Peck- ham to Dungeness – and from Music dates there, underwater through pipes ST Margaret’s Church Collier Street on the seabed to Boulogne. is being turned into an auditorium Farmer Robert Day discovered a for a series of summer concerts. section of the pipe on his land at On Saturday, June 11, there will Gatehouse Farm some years ago be music from the reigns of both and used it as a barrier. The pipe, Queen Elizabeths – the Tudor Eliz- which appears to be a concreted abeth I and our Queen, Elizabeth II. joint section, would have been lo- The St Margaret’s Singers will be cated where the route changed di- accompanied by Tonbridge Chapel rection slightly – possibly between organist David Williams and pro- Gatehouse and Murzie Farms. Retained firemen Grant Oliver and Andy Wardley helped out ceeds will go to the church. In February 2015, the Marden tre, where it joins a red telephone McFarland said: “PLUTO was one On Saturday, July 16, the Chan- History Group (MHG) was granted box and a WWII air-raid siren. of the major engineering achieve- cel Singers will perform choral a licence by Maidstone Borough Marden firefighters Andy Ward- ments of WWII. The history group works from across the centuries. Council to move the PLUTO pipe ley and Grant Oliver were called in believes that this section has a sig- Tickets for each concert are £7.50 and its concrete joint to a site near to help transport the hefty piece of nificant place in our parish and na- and available from Rachel West on Marden Library and Heritage Cen- pipe. The History Society’s David tional history.” 01622 872278. www.castle-cleaning.co.uk specialists in carpet & Ns Flooring upholstery cleaning Exceeding expectations, but never your budget! 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