Valley Conservation Society
Holder of the KCC Award for Volunteering Excellence
Last chance
for barbecue
IF YOU haven’t yet bought your tickets for this Saturday’s barbecue, please
do so at once - we need to be sure of numbers for the catering.
Once again the barbecue will be held in the magnificent grounds of The Manor at
Hayle Place. It is an enclosed setting and there is plenty of room for the kids to roam free in
safety – so make it a family affair. Children under 14 come free – but they must be
accompanied by an adult.
Your committee members are supplying as many picnic tables and chairs as they have, but
if you have your own it would help if you could bring them with you. Also be sure to bring
your own glasses - and plenty to drink!
All food is included in the ticket price and there will be burgers, sausages and chicken
portions, as well as vegetarian options. Pasta, salads and rolls are provided – so make sure
you come hungry!
As usual there will also be a mouth-watering display of desserts – including fresh fruit
grown locally.
This is the Society’s major social event of the year, and we do hope you can join us.
Gates open at 4.30pm, with food served from 5.30pm. But as is the way with barbecues, the
food is not all ready at once, so if you can’t get there till 7pm it doesn’t matter. There will
still be plenty of food available, cooked fresh for you.
There is one change this year, we are asking people please not to bring their dogs.
A nearby field has been prepared as a car park. You may like to drive to the entrance to the
garden alongside The Manor to drop off chairs and tables, passengers and supplies,
but then please return to the field to park. There is no parking in the circular driveway,
which is reserved for residents of The Manor.
Saturday, July 18
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The Manor is a handsome Georgian building with Elizabethan origins. It is accessed via
Hayle Place, at the top of Teasaucer Hill (bottom of Cripple Street). Alternatively, it is possible to
walk through from Broadoak via the triangular playing field in Richmond Way, or from Gleneagles
you can walk along the Postley Road extension.
During the evening we shall be entertained with live music from the Stretto String Quartet.
These four professional musicians led by cellist Dan Burrowes will be performing between
6pm and 6.45pm, and between 7.15pm and 8pm.
Tickets cost £7.50 and are available from:
Alan Smith, Bockingford House, Cripple Street, 01622 751926
Bryn Cornwell, 4 Stockett Lane, 01622 746514
Maggie Davis, 27 Hayle Mill House, Hayle Mill, 01622 674001
Jane Holman, 3 The Manor, Hayle Place, 01622 673491
Jill Lee, 30 Gleneagles Drive, 01622 664643
Dennis Usmar, 8 The Laxey, Tovil 01622 764430
Roadworks: You may have to drive past some “road closed” signs to reach Hayle Place.
Don’t worry, Kent Highways has assured us that access to properties will be maintained
and there will be no roadworks in progress on the weekend.
Will drivers get the message?
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WE are delighted to report that work has begun on the traffic-calming measures in Cripple Street/Hayle Mill Road.
Some white lining was the first task; currently the engineers are engaged in installing extra kerbing. While we can‘t
say that work is proceeding fast - the slightest rain seems to bring everything to a halt – nevertheless it is
proceeding and for that we are grateful. In the meantime, residents are delighted to have traffic on the road
reduced by the “road closed” signs.
Campaign to Protect Rural England
ABOUT 30 members turned up for the annual meeting of the CPRE Maidstone branch – held in the picturesque if
slightly remote location of Thurnham Church (July 9). The meeting was attended by two local Maidstone borough
councillors: Richard Ash (Bearsted) and David Marchant (Downswood and Otham).
There was a short presentation on the Kent International Gateway application, and an explanation of the borough
council’s Local Development Framework process presented by CPRE’s county planning officer Brian Lloyd,
formerly a local government planner with Swale council.
Mr Lloyd explained how the new format – imposed by central Government – would see the old Local Plan (MBC)
and Structure Plan (KCC) replaced by a “folder” of policies, possibly eventually containing up to 15 different
documents and strategies.
VCS secretary Alan Smith was among the Maidstone CPRE committee members re-elected for another year.
VCS website: You can visit the Society’s website on www.valleyconservation.org.uk
You can email the chairman on bryncornwell@yahoo.co.uk or phone him on 01622 746514.
Safari so good
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THE Loose garden safari on June 28 was well supported and raised an amazing £6,260 for the
Ellenor Lions Hospices.
Quiz night MEMBERS say they enjoyed our teaser questions for our forthcoming
quiz night in the last newsletter, so here’s some more:
1) What’s the proper name for a baby rabbit?
2) What is the capital of the West African country of Burkina Faso (Upper Volta)?
3) On which saint’s day was the Battle of Agincourt fought?
4) How many countries does modern-day Germany border?
5) When did we say goodbye to pounds, shillings and pence?
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VCS Quiz Night
Saturday, August 15
Admission from
Fantastic ploughman’s supper and desserts included in the price
£7.50 per head (children £5) |
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Tickets for the quiz night are now on sale from Alan Smith on 01622 751926.
Home again
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THEY’RE back! Three intrepid friends have returned to Boughton Monchelsea after cycling to Paris
to raise funds for the Maidstone branch of the Alzheimers Society. It took Matt, Will and Paul just
six days to complete the 565-mile return trip – despite an injury to Matt's knee on the first day just
out of Calais so he was in pain and had to be careful for a few days.
The boys raised £2,200 in sponsorship and are pictured here with Vic Codling, chairman of the
Maidstone branch. Matt is the son of VCS members Alan and Sue Whiting of Green Lane.
Core Strategy
MAIDSTONE council is to continue to produce its “core strategy” document, indicating where
development should be allowed in the borough, on the basis of its Option 7C map. That designates
land to the south east of Maidstone (Leeds, Langley, Otham) as best suited to take the bulk of
11,080 new homes the council is looking to provide, and includes part of the proposed KIG site
in Bearsted within an “area of search” for employment development. The latter in particular has
proved controversial as it is said to undermine the council’s ability to fight the KIG application.
Cllr Tony Harwood attempted to persuade his colleagues that they should not continue to progress
the core strategy until they had more evidence on the landscape values of the different parts of the
borough and a further assessment of what highway adjustments would be needed to support the
proposed developments. Cllr John Wilson (of East Farleigh) proposed the council proceed with
the core strategy using the Option 7C map but with the KIG area taken out. Both amendments were
rejected by other councillors after planning officers warned them that any slippage in the timetable
for the production of the strategy could result in the council losing its planning delivery grant from the
Government. So we know the council’s priorities: money first.
Work party
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Repairing a ragstone wall in the valley
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THE Tuesday work party continues. The gang meets at 11am for work usually on either
the ponds or Treacle Wood. If you can lend a hand for a few hours, call our chairman
Bryn Cornwell on 01622 746514 to find out where to meet.
Kent International Gateway
AXA, the French multi-national company behind the KIG project have engaged Marrons, a Leicester-based
firm of solicitors to represent them at the forthcoming planning inquiry. Marrons in turn have engaged one
of the top planning barristers in the country, Christopher Katkowski, to act for them. Mr Katkowski has acted
for developers on many major projects - including winning permission from the same planning inquiry
inspector for a similar road/rail freight interchange at Howbury Park, at Slade Green, near Dartford.
Where does Mr Katkowski choose to live?
He has a £1.5m farmhouse at North Quarme, Wheddon Cross, in the middle of Exmoor National Park -
an area protected from development.
Answers to brain-teasers: 1) A kitten
2) Ouagadougou
3) St Crispin
4) Nine: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark,
France, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Switzerland
5) 15th February, 1971
Next meeting
THE next meeting of the executive committee will be on Wednesday, August 5, at 7.30pm at
Flat 3, The Manor, Hayle Place. Members are always welcome to attend.
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