DELIVERED TO 5,000 HOMES

MAY 2012 Published by Kennington Community Forum

Police target estate vandals

AN OAK to commemorate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee has been planted by Kennington Community Forum. It joins oaks planted in the Recreation Ground to mark the Festival of Britain, King George VI’s Coronation, and it’s believed, Queen Victoria’s although this has been lost. The

tree has been bought through generous donations by residents. It was supplied by Oakover Nurseries and planted by Kent Landscape Services. The oak will be dedicated during the Summer Fayre on 30 June.

Shopping locally can save pounds

MAKE A NOTE OF IT NOW! A DAY OF FUN FOR ALL THE FAMILY!

KENNINGTON SUMMER FAYRE, SATURDAY 30 JUNE, RECREATION GROUND, ULLEY ROAD, 12-4PM Children’s funfair; Stalls selling a wide range of goods; displays of Irish dancing, Martial arts, Maypole dancing, Soak the vicar! Hot food, Ice creams FREE PARKING . . . FREE ADMISSION Grand Draw with many great prizes

SUZANNE SKIDMORE’S ambition has come true with the opening of the Lucky 7 Coffee Shop in Faversham Road. The off-licence has been trans-formed into an attractive cafe with the off-licence tucked away at the back. Suzanne’s chance to buy the business came when she was working there four years ago. She was doing three jobs at the time as she saved up to buy a tea shop. The Lucky 7 is open Tues-Sat 9am-7pm, Sun 10-4pm. All the tea and coffee is fair trade from Thailand. The off-licence is open Tues-Sat 12-9.30pm, Sun 12-8pm. Closed Mondays.

MANY shops in Kennington are fighting for survival. They live a hand-to-mouth exist-ence as they fall victim to supermarkets, rising costs and the recession. Yet the little shops, some only walking distance from people’s homes, provide excellent and friendly ser-vice at competitive prices — and they could save you pounds. Take the BMW motorist who needed a new rear windscreen wiper. Told by a main dealer it

SUZANNE’S LUCKY BREAK

would cost £35 she called in at Beaver Batteries in Faversham Road and was delighted she could buy one for £3. “Shopping locally may cost a few pence more but it saves on petrol and park-ing,” said Martin Turner who runs the Fair Trade Shop in The Street with his wife Frances. Bella Patel, at Savers Newsagent, said: “I am only making enough to pay the wages.” She said health and safety regulations, higher busi-ness rates and restrictions imposed by some suppliers was making life difficult. Many local shops have special offers and bargains and you are always assured of a warm welcome and helpful advice. PLEASE SUPPORT THEM

A great little oak

KENNINGTON Junior School is seeking former staff and pupils to help it celebrate 140 years. The school, which opened in October 1872, wants to hear from any-one willing to share their memories with present day pupils. It would also like to display photo-graphs taken at the school over the years. 96-year-old Phyllis Stace (below) of Canterbury Road, is looking forward

to being involved. She started at the school in 1920 and has vivid mem-ories of the headmaster, Mr Axton. She said: “One day a boy who was always being caned snatched it out his hand broke it into pieces and threw them out of an open window!”

If you would like to be involved in the celebra-tions, or have any photo-graphs the school could copy, please contact Carol Wigston 01233 623744 or email

office@kennington.kent.sch.uk

School gets ready to celebrate 140 years

NEW BUS LAY-BY AND A BETTER SERVICE WORK will begin shortly to provide a bus lay-by in Bybrook Road, near the Community Centre. The decision follows consultation be-tween Kent Highways and Stagecoach.

County councillor Elizabeth Tweed said: “This should improve road safety, and Stagecoach has also agreed to improve the bus service to Bybrook once the works are complete.”

POLICE patrols have been stepped up at Little Burton Farm following an outbreak of vandalism. A bench outside the One Stop has been ripped up and the children’s play area has been vandalised. Community police officer

Glenn Phipps said: “We are targeting the area before the situation gets out of control.” Police have also received complaints about anti-social behaviour and about the amount of litter that has been scattered around the lake.

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KENNINGTON Com-

munity Forum repre-

sents the views of

people living and working in

Kennington and communicates

those views to Ashford council

and other statutory organisa-

tions. It is an independent,

voluntary group with its own

constitution.

THE Forum is led by a

Core Group comprising the

Chair, Treasurer, Secretary and

up to nine other members. It is

supported by an officer from

Ashford Council.

ANYONE who lives in

Kennington will be very wel-

come at the Forum’s meetings

which are held every two

months at St Mary’s Communi-

ty Hall, Rylands Road.

NEXT MEETINGS:

29 MAY, 7.30pm

31 JULY, 7.30pm

GET WELL, NIKKI

KCC must pay up so school can go ahead

ACT NOW TO GAIN FAST BROADBAND

KENT County Council has secured ownership of land for the new Goat Lees Primary school after a legal dispute with developers. But details of an out-of-court settlement— and the cost to ratepayers— have yet to be announced. Following claims that money had been paid to the developer the Kennington News requested infor-mation from KCC under the Free-dom of Information Act. KCC replied: “The Deed of Settle-ment is still being negotiated and has not been completed. Therefore, no money has been paid to the developer yet.” (16 April) KCC was given the site as a devel-oper contribution when the Goat Lees estate of more than 730 homes

was built between 1988 and 2005. The dispute arose because the school should have been built with-in 12 years of the development starting or the site would have to be returned to the Goat Lees Joint Venture Company. The developers and the KCC disa-greed about the date the develop-ment began and the return date and a hearing was scheduled in the High Court. The £4m school, to be built near the Trinity Road Community Hall, will open in September 2013, a year later than planned. Because of the delay phase 2 of Repton Manor Primary school has been brought forward to accommodate the extra places needed.

BUSINESS is thriving at The Old Mill in Canterbury Road, (formerly the Golden Ball) which opened recently. It has an extensive menu and a wide range of beers.

The Kennington (the former Ex-Servicemen's club) in Ulley Road has been completely renovated and will open on 6 May as a Sunday carvery. It can be booked for functions. www.thekennington ashford.co.uk

THE ever-expanding site on Willesborough Road, next to the rail-way line, is a tempo-rary compound for the Murphy group while it installs a new trans-former at Premier Foods. Murphy’s antici-pate remaining on site until early next year when it will return to agricultural use.

TOWERS Interact Club president Rose Mukuze has chosen as her two charities, the Pilgrims Hospice and the World Food Programme. She said: “The club will be holding fun activities and charity days during the year for the rest of the school to take part in.”

STAR prize in the Kennington Summer Fayre Grand Draw is a

Night of Luxury for two at Eastwell Manor worth £250. Tickets are avail-able from local organisations and will also be on sale at the Fayre on 30 June. This year’s event is being organised by Jill and Robin Britcher, 01233 634410. kenningtonfayre@gmail.com

IF YOU have any books, DVDs or CDs the Forum could sell on its

stall please bring them to next meeting, or call the number above.

IF you want superfast broadband register your demand now. Funding has been secured to transform the broadband net-work in Kent, but before provid-ers invest millions they need evidence it is something the people of Kent want. “By bringing together public funding and provider invest-ment, at least 90% of properties will get superfast broadband by 2015,” said county councillor Elizabeth Tweed. “KCC is investing £10m and the government £9.87m. To get the balance of a further £23m from providers, we must demonstrate a need. So register at www.makekentquicker.com to make this happen.” If you have no internet access please register at a KCC library or phone the contact centre 08458 247 247.

POLICE Community Support Officer Nikki Relf, who has been fighting sarcoma cancer, is making good pro-gress following an operation and hopes to return to work later this year. Kennington Summer Fayre is helping to raise money for Sarcoma UK cancer research.

A NEW Girl Guides group is opening in Kenning-ton. Call Tara on 07812 337095, tara.vaughan @ntlworld.com

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PLAN FOR NEW HOMES ‘ON HOLD’

What do YOU want to see at the heart of Bockhanger?

Red alert! MOTORISTS who obstruct the pavements are still causing problems in Kennington. This van is not only blocking the footpath in Canterbury Road but is parked on a bend creat-ing a hazard for people taking part in a charity walk, includ-ing many mothers with young children in buggies.

BOCKHANGER Community Centre will be hosting a con-sultation event on Saturday 19 May, from 10am to 1pm. This will be an exciting oppor-tunity for residents to share their views on the future of the heart of Bockhanger, which includes the community centre, public library, shops, and open space. Local community leaders, council officers, and repre-sentatives from other organisa-tions including Sure Steps, Hang 10 and Kent Libraries will be on hand to find out your views on how the area could

be improved. Giles Holloway, of Ashford Borough Council’s Housing Services Department, said: “We are keen to capture a wide perspective of views. “For example, does the community centre meet the local need? What local facilities do people use most often, and what could be improved?”

The community centre is man-aged by Bockhanger Communi-ty Association Trust, and since April 2011 the running costs have been met entirely from rental income. The Trust’s chair, Mick Hubert, said: “We

now buy in caretaker, cleaning and financial administration services, but a fair amount of unpaid time is put in by volun-teers. This has proved a viable course of action for the past 12 months and we will continue with this arrangement going forward”. Groups can hire the community centre from as little as £7.50 per hour on weekdays. The consultation event is being organised by the Bockhanger Development Site Steering Group, so come along, put your views and help change our community for the better!

MESSY MAKES ITS MARK

ABC COUNCILLORS have £2,750 to spend on projects in their ward. Details of how to apply from your ward member. See info panel, back page

A COUNCIL proposal to build eight affordable family homes on the green by Dudley Road and Randolph Gardens is “on hold”. Daniel Scarsbrook, ABC building surveyor, said: “Several issues have to be addressed and a final decision will be made next year.” The plan includes 31 parking spaces and a landscaped garden. Many residents have signed a petition objecting to the proposals and they expressed forthright views at a public consultation. Ward councillor Marion Martin said: “I appreciate how some residents feel, but I see a lot of merit in the plan and I’m certainly not going to hold it up. It’s bedlam trying to park round those roads and it’s ex-tremely dangerous at night. This scheme is the only way the council can help us get car parking spaces.”

SURE STEPS Children's Centre has made some changes to its team. Karen Roberts, in addi-tion to managing the Willow Centre in Brookfield Road, will also be covering Sure Steps at Belmont Road. Lee Robinson, formerly community involve-ment worker for Ken-nington, will continue his secondment as team leader supporting Karen at both centres. Jane Ross-Smith is the new community involvement worker.

MESSY Church is proving very successful since it began in Kennington six months ago. The Rev Richard King said: “It’s growing and we are getting many families along to enjoy doing things together, have fun, worship and eat together.” Messy Church meets on the second Sunday of each month at the Community Centre, Ryland Road, 4-5.30pm. THE Easter Day service at St Mary’s attracted a congregation of nearly 150.

THERE is concern about the indis-criminate way contractors “hack back” trees and hedges at Little Burton which pro-vide a sound barri-er against traffic.

Kennington News is published quarterly. Editor Robin Britcher, 01233 634410 kennington.news@hotmail.co.uk

@kenningtonnews

KENNINGTON cricket club is always on the lookout for good players, but equally for those without any previous experi-ence. If you would like to play call 01233 631672. The thriving junior section has more than 100 young cricketers aged eight to 15. Colts coaching: Tues 6-7.30pm, Wed 5.30-7pm and Sun 10-11.30am. Just come along to the ground in Ulley Road, or call John Cunningham on 01233 631672. If your playing days are over you can be a social member, or just come along and watch. BRIAN LOFTS

Ella will carry Olympic torch

KUMON’S unique maths and English study programmes are tailored to a child’s individual needs, nurturing their independence and enthusiasm for learning. At Ashford North Kumon Study Centre, a child will start at a level they are comfortable with, build-ing on strong foundations and gaining confidence from the start. Instructor Jyoti Rajani will set new and eventual-ly unfamiliar work, challenging them to learn for themselves. It is through this process that a child will develop independent learning skills which they can use to succeed in and out of the classroom. For a Free Assessment, call Jyoti 01233 664190. See below.

IF YOU enjoy visiting King’s Wood, near Challock, there are many walks and events organised by the Friends of King’s Wood. They include: Bluebells at Twilight, Wed 2 May, 6.30pm-8; Haze of Bluebells, Sun 6 May, 10am-12; Nightjars a Churring, Wed 20 June, 9pm-11; and Country Life and Lore, Sun 8 July, 10.15am-12.30pm. www.friendsofkingswood.org or call 07523 203458

KENNINGTON has a new tree warden who will take on and develop the Heritage Tree project. Wendy Jolly is helping compile the survey to record and protect old and interesting specimens. If you know of any please contact her on 01233 634113, or wendyjolly67@yahoo.co.uk

KENNINGTON schoolgirl Ella Barnes will carry the Olympic torch through Canterbury on 19 July. Ella, 12, who lives in Friesian Way, was nominated by her form teacher at Homewood School, Tenterden, for her suc-cess as a dancer — she has won several trophies — and for her dedication to sport as a junior athlete at the Julie Rose stadium. Ella said: “I’m really excited, I have to run with the torch for a mile. My classmates think it’s amazing and can’t believe it.” Ella was chosen by KCC as a representative for Ashford.

© KM GROUP

ELLA: So excited

RESTORATION of Kennington’s Memorial Shelter has been com-pleted, after four years of work by the Forum. Congratulating Chris Morley, who has led the project, Ashford council said the work was of a very high stand-ard and it will take responsibil-ity for future maintenance. The next stage includes improve-ments to the Garden of Remem-brance. A hornbeam hedge and a Magnolia grandiflora tree have already been planted. More details and pictures at kenningtoncf.parishes.gov.uk

Walk and ride to the cinema

Information COUNTY COUNCILLORS: Elizabeth Tweed 01233 714689 elizabeth.tweed@kent.gov.uk Andrew Wickham 01233 840902 andrew.wickham@kent.gov.uk

BOROUGH COUNCILLORS: Kennington: Phil Sims 01233 627603 philip.sims01@gmail.com Bockhanger: Michael Claughton 01233 635969 michael.claughton@ntlworld.com Bybrook: Andrew Buchanan 01233 627696 andrewjohnbuchanan@hotmail.com Little Burton: Marion Martin 628811 marionmartin168 @btinternet.com NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICE : Kennington: Tom Knight 07772 226032; Little Burton: Fergus Mackay 07772 225992, Bockhanger: Jason Brett 07772 226047. Bybrook: Covered by all of the above. NEW HAYESBANK SURGERY: 01233 624642 KENNINGTON FORUM: Chris Morley, chair, 01233 611196 chris.f.morley@gmail.com

ALL PLACES have been taken for the lunch on 3 June in the Scout Hall

organised by the Church and WI.

A FLOWER festival will be held in St Mary’s Church, Westwell, from 2-4 June. Doors open 11am.

IT IS hoped to arrange a football match between two Little Burton teams followed by a barbecue. Call Marion Martin 01233 628811

DOWNS VIEW infants are busy working on their celebration.

JUBILEE EVENTS

THE PATH from Bockhanger Lane to the cinema is about to be given a hard surface, widened and lit. Kent County Council is planning to complete the work this autumn.

Pedestrians and cyclists will have easier access to Eureka Park and the motorway pedestrian bridge, although cyclists will have to dismount on the steep slope down to the cinema. The £100,000 project is being under-taken in response to local re-quests to make the popular shortcut safer.

Spearpoint: Kent FA pledges support

KENT County FA has promised to support any scheme to replace the existing building at Spearpoint, not just for football but as an as-set to the community. Ben Moyle, facility manager at ABC, said: “We are looking at all possible funding streams, but in the current finan-cial climate this is not easy.

“Spearpoint remains a very im-portant part of our portfolios of football pitches and, despite the poor state of the changing rooms, provides quality pitches.”

THE WI has start-ed a monthly walking group. The route will begin a car ride from Kennington and end at a café or pub. THE drama group will put on a play at a coffee even-ing on Sat 19 May. OUTINGS are planned to West-enhanger Castle, Hythe, 22 May and Penshurst Place, 14 Aug. Details Ursula Jones 01233 620620