Four editions delivered to over 88,000 homes every month downsmail.co.uk MallingMalling EditionEdition Maidstone & Malling’s No. 1 newspaper FREE Maidstone Town | Maidstone East | Maidstone South | Malling September 2016 No. 233 News School trip grounded Village buses saved CAMPAIGNERS in Aylesford and Eccles have won their fight to keep their late bus 4 in coup unrest drama service. FAMILIES of pupils who were due to fly to Kenya to help poor children are Elite sports centre fighting to reclaim almost £1,000 each after the trip was cancelled. WORK has started on K Sports’ major sports complex at 4 Twenty-eight pupils from Ditton. Holmesdale School, Snodland were devastated when they arrived at Fish van victory A Heathrow airport, only to be sent home because their flight had been A MOBILE fish bar has been grounded by a military coup in allowed to stay in an 6 Turkey. Aylesford car park. To make matters even worse, their frustrated families are fighting to re- Cricket century gain a large part of the £1,575 they A DEAL secures cricket at Town paid for each youngster. Although Malling’s ground for the Turkish Airlines has refunded their next 100 years. 12 flight fees of £600 each, the rest is still outstanding, as a travel insurance company has refused to pay out. World title bid A Families attended a meeting at the SNODLAND-born Olympic school and Holmesdale’s executive athlete prepares for his principal, Patrick Hannaway, has next challenge. 24 taken up the fight. However, he has been told by the Claims Settlement Pupil Jess Stothart, from Larkfield, with her mother Kerry Agency that the trip was covered for we will not rest until we have our them. It would have been a real ex- Obituaries 32 “war” but not a military coup. outstanding refunds of £975 per perience for us all.” Mum Kerry Stothart, of Willow child.” The group of year 10, 11 and 12 Comment 34 Road, Larkfield, who chaired the Jess, a student at Holmesdale for pupils and three teachers, was due meeting, said that no alternative five years, said: “I worked extra hard to fly to Istanbul on Saturday, July 16 Parish Councils 42-43 flight was provided and the 10-day to raise the cash, as we all did. We on the first leg of their trip. They trip had to be cancelled. would have gone to the kids’ booked through specialist travel Crime Reports 43 Kerry, whose 16-year-old daugh- schools, teaching them and playing firm African Adventures, which is ter missed out on the trip, said: “Jess games. I have still got my suitcase based near Southampton. The holi- THERE was an attempt to steal had been looking forward to the trip upstairs full of presents such as pens, day involved voluntary work, two caravans from a field at to Kenya for two years. Ultimately papers and colouring books for helping to build a perimeter- 3 Kings Hill. A bank card and cash were stolen in a burglary in Ditton. Three white flatbed trucks were stolen from a farm in New bridge over Medway set to open Mereworth. THE official opening of the new home community near Would- across the bridge will herald new road bridge across the River ham, to the A228 on the outskirts prosperity for the town. Medway is expected to take place of Snodland and Halling. This will be the first time the on September 15. Details of the ceremony were two banks of the Medway have The £19m bridge has been being kept under wraps, but been linked in this area since a built by developer Trenport to businesses in Snodland are hop- military Bailey Bridge was built link Peters Village, a new 1,000- ing that the first traffic flow during World War II. Inside this edition: Making grade A SURVEY of West Malling businesses STUDENTS throughout Malling found that the town’s 1,215 workers and Maidstone are moving on to need at least 160 more car parking new challenges after celebrating spaces, leading to renewed calls for a YOUR LOCAL PROPERTY EXPERT the rewards of their studies with new parking site. See the four-page sup- successful A-level and GCSE re- plement by Malling Action Partnership, 01622 690290 [email protected] sults. For pictures and details, turn which supports people, businesses and 23 Pudding Lane • Maidstone • Kent to pages 20 and 22. events in the 11 parishes in Malling. 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The old BT box on the corner of Nursery Road and Woodlands as Kenya trip cancelled Road now houses a defibrillator for use in an emergency. Continued from page one It has been supplied by the Com- wall, renovate a classroom and munity Heartbeat Trust and BT in some teaching. It also included a an initiative backed by Aylesford visit to Thomson Falls, the Equator MP Tracey Crouch. and a giraffe sanctuary, as well as KCC Cllr Peter Homewood, who going on safari. provided funding for the Ditton When news of the disruption project, said: “I am pleased to sup- broke the day before their flight, port such a community-driven the party was advised to go to project making these lifesaving Heathrow as planes might be pieces of kit more accessible to local rerouted. communities.” Mr Hannaway has written to par- The box and the defibrillator will ents, saying that the reply from the be maintained by Ditton ward bor- Claims Settlement Agency “was ough councillors Ben Walker and not the response we were looking Tom Cannon. for” and that he had asked KCC’s lawyers to investigate. Coffee date African Adventures spokesman TEMPTING treats will be on offer Rachel Northover said it had ap- Pupils from Holmesdale were all smiling as they set off for Heathrow at Amelia’s Closet Nails and Beauty proached insurers T&G, but there airport on their way to Kenya. However, their excitement was shortlived. when the Kings Hill salon takes was no cover for “force majeure”, part in the Macmillan World’s which was usually the case. understood they were reluctant to “They were so unlucky – only a Biggest Coffee Morning and After- The travel firm had already paid accept the offer. few flights were cancelled that day noon Delight on September 30. out the money for the trip before She said: “We have never had and theirs was one of them. We The event runs from 9am to 7pm the cancellation. It had offered fam- anything like this happen before. have been in discussions with the with cupcakes, coffee, tea and soft ilies £600 each as a goodwill ges- We were so disappointed for them parents and the insurers. It is so un- drinks during the day, and cham- ture from its own funds towards a and we did everything we possibly fortunate that force majeure is not pagne and nibbles later on. rescheduled trip at half term, but could to try and help. covered under any insurance.” There will be a charity raffle with www.downsmail.co.uk prizes including beauty treatments For more local news go to our website at the Liberty Square salon. Advertisement feature downsmail.co.uk Malling September 2016 3 News downsmail.co.uk Village bus service reprieved VILLAGERS in Aylesford and Eccles have won their fight for later buses, at least for the time being. Arriva agreed a reprieve for the sters unable to go to youth clubs or “Many people had got in touch to She urged residents to use the 155 evening service after Kent nights out in Medway or Maidstone.