downsmail.co.uk Maidstone East Edition Maidstone & Malling’s No. 1 newspaper FREE FREE& Fortnightly October 2017 No.Maidstone 246 & Malling’s No. 1 newspaper News April 15th - May 5th downsmail.co.uk No. 293 Panto ahoy! Kate, 107, dies THE cast of Cinderella, which is to be KATE Hart, a resident at an old staged at the Hazlitt Theatre in Maid- people’s home in Bearsted, stone, took to the River Medway to News has died aged 107, her son 3 launch this year's panto. Hazlitt celebrates cash boost David has disclosed. On board The Kentish Lady were THEnational Hazlitt treasure Theatre Rustie is to receive Lee (Fairy a Mosque opens soon GovernmentGodmother), windfall former to EastEnder help it sur- Ste- THEMP’s Maidstone Local mosque Plan isbid vivefan the Booth COVID-19 (Prince pandemic. Charming), Eliza- finallyHELEN dueWhately to open asked at the the end bethThe EarlBright Street (Cinderella),venue will receive Craig ofgovernment May after to three halt theyears in aAnderson chunk of (Buttons)£620,000 and,its parentpictured, construction.borough’s housing scheme. à44 groupStephen Parkwood Richards Theatres and Adam will get Bor- fromzone the (Ugly Culture Sisters) Recovery . Fund. TheThey popular were greeted playhouse, by pupils famous from TaxiPlans firms for Dr hopeful Nigel South Borough Primary School and TAXI firms hope the borough for its annual panto, was under THE widow of GP Dr Nigel Minnet members of the media. The panto threat of closure after landlords councilwill walk will the help Grand out after a runs from December 1-31. For tick- Maidstone Borough Council tried to COVID-19Canyon for exoduscharity. by 12 terminateets go to www.hazlitttheatre.co.uk.Parkwood's contract, lay drivers from the trade. à5 off staff and mothball the theatre. Jason Donovan date A public campaign led by Downs Dig ‘treasure’ find Mail forced a U-turn earlier this year. THE former Neighbours star brings FIND out why a tile recovered l See pages 3 and 47 his show to the Hazlitt fromTheatre a buildingnext May. repair 18 CCTV call in a bid project is significant. à8 Academy agreement £400k ‘down the drain?’ ST. Augustine Academy has come to an agreement with GOVERNMENTto stop commissioners fly-tipping are investigating Maidstone local residents over shared use of its grounds - but the new ar- BoroughCALLS for Council’s the installation silence of over CCTV a £400k cameras sewer to prevent collapse fly-tipping in Mote on Park. a rangement will come à countryThe cave-in road during have construction been madetion that by the the council local may borough have to vide councillor. me with its final submissions with a price tag. 14 of the Adventure Zone cost tax- reconsider its refusal to co-operate. in this regard, so I can determine payersBurberry more Lane,than £400,000 near Leeds when and nearby,Mr Williams more said: than "My a year investiga- after it whetherunlicensed the wasteinformation carriers, should but be-be Obituaries à33 Broomfield, has been targeted by was dumped and set on fire. lieves the cost to small firms of dis- MBC decided not to legally pursue tion will look at whether the coun- disclosed." thewaste contractor dumpers as forthe years, authority butin felt re- cil Theis correct church when car park it says has that also it seen is posingLiberal of Democrat construction borough waste coun- at a ObituariesParishes à3235 itcent was months,unlikely theto succeed. problem has be- entitledmany instances to withhold of illegal the dumping.informa- cillortransfer David station Naghi, is proving a builder a deter- by comeWhen more Downs acute. Mail used Free- tion.But it is a problem in many rural trade,rent that said: is costing “There councils should more.be ac- ParishComment Councils à45-4734-35 Construction waste, rubble, hard areas including Langley, Otham Cllr Fort made her remarks as dom of Information legislation last "My initial view is that, as the re- countability when it comes to pub- ASH dieback has been discovered in yearcore, to windows ask 11 questions and household relating fur-to questand Kingswood.relates to the Water collapse Lane of ina licone money of the and borough’s I see no closest reason trans- why niture is left illegally – often strewn Bearsted and Pilgrims Way have fer stations at North Farm, Tun- Monks Meadow in Detling; the write-off, MBC refused to an- sewer during construction, it is the council should not have dis- Pipe warning in the middle of the road. also been targeted recently. bridge Wells, announced it will be Hollingbourne village fete stall- swer any of them, citing commer- likely that the information consti- closed it. Surely the contractor Cllr Gill Fort said: “Every month Last year, Maidstone Borough closed for 10 weeks. holderNEW water co-ordinator pipes toJean be Duffylaid in has cial sensitivities. Downs Mail tutes environmental information. would have had liability insurance resigned; yellow lines are needed we are having toilets, sinks and Council cleared 911 cases of fly-tip- She added: “If you go along the Leeds next year could shut the appealed. "I have, therefore, directed the if carrying out work for the council for Buffkyn Way, Otham, to allow construction waste dumped in the ping and this year more than 163 line of increasing fines, they have to village for many weeks, Now senior case officer at the In- council to reconsider the request buses through Imperial Park; rub- village, specifically in Burberry have been recorded since April. andbe enforced. proper procedures A reduction were in fol- the if not months. à19 formation Commissioner's Office, under the Environmental Informa- bish bins in the sports field in Lane, where we are now thinking The approaching darker evenings lowed.”charge or offering it free may have Kingswood are to be moved over to Christopherof installing Williams, cameras has on been private as- tionwill promptRegulations a rise 2004 in illegal (EIR) tipping. and thePaperwork desired similar for the effect.” policy and re- theAbusive picnic area thug and rear jailed exit. signedland, to to oversee discover the if problem the council area.” issueCllr you Fort with welcomed a new response. a joint initia- sourcesA three-monthly committee litterlast summer pick on there- AN ABUSIVE thug who cut his handledA recent our eventrequest in correctly. Burberry Lane tive“If bythe thecouncil Environment is still withhold- Agency ferredmile-long to stretch“the substantial of road through costs Crimevictim’s leg Reports with a knife during 35 an sawHe has a caravan indicated burned on first out inspec- while a ingand information the Driver it and willVehicle need to Stan-pro- (£403,000)Leeds village incurred produces as a an result average of torched car remains on a footpath dards Agency to clamp down on the32 black sewer sacks collapse of rubbish. on the site dur- VEHICLESattack in Maidstone have been has driven over ingCllr the Fort, construction who also phase. serves as a farmlandbeen jailed. in Lenham, causingà25 parish“However, councillor, after thoroughsays teaching con- damge to crops; an attempted sideration,children about it has social been responsibility concluded break-inElections was reported 2021 in Detling; a that the prospects of successful re- vehicle was vandalised in Bearsted and the issue of litter in schools will LATEST news, views and com- coveryhelp take were the tooissue low off tothe make streets. it Rd, Weavering; pumpkins were ment on the May 6 elections - worthwhile.She believes withAccordingly, every household the cost stolen from an allotment in plus all the candidates standing YOUR LOCAL PROPERTY EXPERT hasreceiving been awritten weekly refuseoff against collection the Lenham. committee'sservice, there budget is no excuse this year.” for litter for local council [email protected] being thrown from vehicles or Commentseats. à 26&2746-47 01622 690290 23 Pudding Lane • Maidstone • Kent dumped in the road. Home Alarms supplied and fitted webexpandvisit www.amiga.co.uk.co.ukor call 080000162 1996222 880840 In the the top top 1% of 1%UK web of designUK companies webwww.webexpand.co.uk design companies | [email protected] web design google promotion ecommerce Supporting the Kent community for over 235 years Whitehead Monckton solicitors are based in Canterbury, Maidstone and Tenterden providing specialist legal services to individuals and businesses. Our clients tell us we are good listeners and great lawyers, but don’t take their word for it. If you would like help with: • Wills • Tax & Estate Planning • Probate • Family • Residential Conveyancing If your business needs help with: • Contracts & Transactions • Property • Licensing • Employment Call Maidstone 01622 698000 or visit our website at www.whitehead-monckton.co.uk e. [email protected] Whitehead Monckton Limited (no. 08366029), registered in England & Wales. Registered office: 5 Eclipse Park, Sittingbourne Road, Maidstone, Kent ME14 3EN. Authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority under no. 608279. 2 downsmail.co.uk News Fair cancelled Joy for theatre council HEADCORN School has an- nounced there will be no May fair this year. A spokesman said: “We had con- sidered a summer fair later in the wanted to ‘mothball’ year, but feel there is a risk that some restrictions will still be in THE Hazlitt Theatre has won gov- place. ernment funding to ensure its sur- “We promise to return fully en- vival after months of uncertainty. ergised next year and are very Parkwood Theatres, the um- much looking forward to it.” brella organisation which runs the Earl Street venue, has secured a Cafe approved bail-out of £620,000 from the Cul- MAIDSTONE Borough Council’s ture Recovery Fund. Licensing Committee has ap- Although the sum amounts to a proved street trading consent for a little under £100,000 for the Hazlitt, café (Hop Pickers’ Rest) to open management described the pack- would have amounted to about the people of Maidstone who have seven days a week.