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 July 2015 No. 219 News Protests grow as more Industrial decision MAIDSTONE Council has made a u-turn and decided that employ- ment use will be accept- solar farms planned able near M20 Junction 8. 4 THE fight to prevent the Wealden landscape from being scarred by large Bring back festival solar farms has widened, after plans for two new schemes were submitted. A WARD member has called on his colleagues on Maidstone Residents in Staplehurst are al- ment says it wants to create the of good and attractive farmland. Council to support a river ready making their fourth round of farm on 14.3 hectares of land in “We have support from our MP, festival in 2016. 5 objections to an application for Widehurst Farm, south of Thorn Helen Grant, and from both Mar- 64,000 solar panels on a 20.5- Road. It says the development den and Staplehurst parish coun- hectare site at Great Pagehurst would have a capacity of 5mwp – cils as well as the vast majority of Village jubilation Farm in Pagehurst Road – first sub- enough to power more than 1,500 local people we hear from in reject- THERE was a day of celebration mitted in June 2013 – after appli- homes. ing the idea on numerous grounds. in Hunton when the opening of a cant Vogt Solar made amendments The site would also contain a “I am as concerned as anyone cricket pavilion coincided that included a survey of great substation, storage container and about the need to reduce our re- with the village fete. 17 crested newts. up to five inverters. The scheme liance on fossil fuels, but when you Now a proposal has been sub- would come as close as 1,150m look beneath the surface, these mitted for 20,000 panels on 14.3 from Great Pagehurst Farm, but the schemes do not achieve that (due to Successful beginners hectares of land in Marden, which applicant denies that there will be the importation of the panels from will be less than a mile from the a cumulative visual impact. China and the labour from Ger- MARDEN Primary School came Great Pagehurst proposal. However, Charlie Foulkes, a many and the fact that they gener- second on their Maid- Elsewhere, more than 60 villagers strong objector to the Great Page- ate power when it is least needed). stone Kwik Cricket debut. 18 in Teston have opposed a submis- hurst Farm plan, said: “We are hor- “They are motivated by the greed sion to set up a solar farm near the rified to see that another such of the installers and farmers and Report accolade historic bridge and popular coun- scheme is being mooted less than a rely on Government subsidies. EAST Farleigh Pre-School was try park. mile from the first. In both cases, They make out that it is cleebrating an outstand- In Marden, Susenco Manage- these are totally inappropriate uses temporary, 25 to 30 years 10 ing Ofsted rating. 20 Fruit fly threat Comment 30-3146-47 THE decision not to debate the to our cherries demolition of the Russell Hotel is THIS year’s cherry harvest is under defended. attack from Asian fruit flies. Growers in Yalding and Loose Obituaries 34 have already reported losing cher- ries to the bug, which enjoys the Crime Reports 36 heat and thrives when tempera- TWO safes containing cash were tures top 20C. stolen in a raid on a bakery in The threat to this year’s harvest is Headcorn High Street. just as real for commercial growers as it is to gardeners, with the pest partial to not only cherries, but Parish Councils 37-47 Pie-flingers battle it out plums and other soft fruit. SCOUTS in Broomfield and Unlike most fruit flies, which at- Kingswood were being disrupted THE 2015 World Custard Pie Championships in Coxheath attracted 16 teams tack fallen and over-ripe fruit, the by catapult attacks and drug ready to battle it out for the coveted trophy. female spotted wing drosophila users; charity bags had been fly- Teams of four aimed to propel pies at their opponents, scoring points (SWD) lays its eggs under the skin tipped in Chart Sutton; East Far- for a direct hit a blow above the shoulder, and fewer points for those of healthy fruit. Larvae eat the fruit leigh was calling for changes landing elsewhere on the body. from inside, making them soft and after a signalman was injured at After two hours of competition, the champions were a team from unmarketable. the level crossing; a panic button Japan called ITTE-Q, who had flown in for the event. They beat The Malcolm Marden, manager at was purchased in Headcorn; Fairies (pictured), who knocked out defending champions The Grannies. Worley’s Court Lodge Farm in badgers were causing a Organiser Mike FitzGerald said the event was fantastic and much Kenward Road, Yalding, says the headache in Loose; items were enjoyed by everyone who attended, including the Mayor of Maidstone bug, first recorded in the UK in stolen from a charity bin in Mar- Cllr Daniel Moriarty, who presented the trophies. 2012, first reared its h e a d den; Japanese knotweed was an For more pictures, go to www.ginoandsharonphotography.co.uk on his farm last year. 10 ongoing problem in Nettlestead. www.charterwood.co.uk Charterwood For ALL your Mobility needs Newnham Court Shopping Village t 9-5 n-Sa -4 FREE Mo y 11 Notcutts Garden Centre, Maidstone unda king S Par LIVERY EE DE FR (Next to Pennies Nursery) TEL: 01622 631511 Advertisement feature downsmail.co.uk Expand your business on the web with Webexpand IF you are considering a new website, or “A Website should make you updating your existing website in line with your growing business, Webexpand can help. money, not cost you money” Established in 2004, by David McCord, local business Webexpand has helped hundreds of David genuinely took the time to business owners to achieve a strong on-line web fully understand our business and presence that is vital for creating and developing Webexpand created a fantastic new customers. website for us. 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ONE of Yalding’s oldest pubs, the spotted the business on the inter- The applicant appealed on the 15th century George, has re- net and travelled from Bexley to grounds of Maidstone Council’s opened with a bang. view it, its future was set. non-determination of the plan for Food and drink flowed at a Julie Chalker, who helps run the the four and five-bedroom homes launch party for locals, marking pub with son Chris and his step- off Maidstone Road.