Editor's Blog: Protecting our villages - at a price
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Today’s KM has a fascinating story that will chime with anyone
living in a village. One of the big fears of people who choose a
rural life is about future development. They worry that as the
pressure for house building grows will those rolling fields at the
back of their houses eventually be home to a new estate. Those
concerns have driven the parishioners of Boughton Monchelsea to buy
32 acres of land separating the village from Loose. But it has come
at a price – a cool £182,000.
It has also led to the resignation of former
chairman Robin Fuller who claims it was a waste of money. Property
tycoon Fergus Wilson agrees saying planning permission would never
have been given anyway. The council argues that it was the only way
it could protect the village “in perpetuity”. We’d be interested if
villagers agree that it was a sensible use of their money.
I paid a visit to the team who put together
the school magazine The Vibe this week and what an impressively
bright bunch they are. It’s co-ordinated by the New Line Learning
Academy but has representatives from several schools. The last
issue included interviews with Gillingham chairman Paul Scally and
TV presenter Ben Shepherd. They are now planning an edition for the
final school term, which might have a few references to the world
cup. I was struck by their insightful questions of me such as the
potential damage to newspapers’ circulation by the internet and
what makes a good headline. They’re a credit to their schools.
So Tesco looks to be eyeing a site in the
middle of Maidstone. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the nation’s
supermarket was looking for a presence in the town centre given its
‘footprint’ occupies 75 per cent of the entire nation’s postcodes.
Indeed, it could be said that Maidstone, as one of the south east’s
premier shopping hubs outside London, turning over millions of
pounds every day, is a little bit of a gap in the giant’s regional
portfolio. Sure, it has big stores in Grove Green and Lunsford and
there’s a little Express version at Allington but the County Town
would seem to be a natural home for one of its busy Metro brands.
And it would be a welcome addition to the top end of Week Street
which still has a slightly downbeat feel about it. But the move
isn’t certain and there were very strong rumours that it was set to
take over old Woolworth site nearby which didn’t materialise and a
poundstore is now set to move in.
All of which brings me to an interesting
little sideshow yesterday morning as I paid for petrol at a Tesco
garage. Not normally prone to small talk with a checkout operator I
mentioned that ‘I see your boss is going’ alluding to the
announcement that shelf-stacker-cum-chief executive Sir Terry Leahy
was quitting. This was greeted by a look of complete bewilderment,
so I thought maybe she thinks I’m talking about her actual
boss. ‘Your big boss – the top man’ I expanded. Nothing.
‘Sir Terry Leahy – your chief executive, he’s leaving’. Diddily. ‘I
just come in and take me money,’ came the reply. Not exactly
corporate but reassuring in a way.
Big business is usually in the firing line for
public criticism and cynicism. In Tesco’s case it is bizarre given
that the nation collectively gives £1 out of every £7 of its
hard-earned cash to Sir Terry and Co. Local firm Gallaghers is not
quite in that league but nevertheless a pretty substantial concern
and it has come it from a fair bit of criticism for its plan to
quarry 74 acres of ragstone at woodland in Barming. Proposals like
this inevitably provoke a great deal of concern but people still
want their roads, their houses and nice driveways. There’s a very
interesting letter from a KM reader that we’re using in today’s
paper which pays tribute to Pat Gallagher for the way he manages
the landscape in the area – effectively saying it’s safe in his
hands. Readers from that area will no doubt be the judge of that
but may have some time to wait for their verdict.
Just a reminder that today’s KM has the final
voting coupon for the Denne School Dream Project competition with a
£7,500 prize at stake. We have six primaries taking on other
schools from around Kent so let’s make sure a KM school comes out
on top. These last bonus tokens count for five votes.
Friday, June 11 2010
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