Process was a total travesty

The complete travesty exhibited by KCC’s, Planning Committee as reported in the KM last month highlights all that is wrong with today’s society. The application by Maidstone Grammar School for an all weather playing facility, costing £750,000 at a time when schools cannot afford to provide toilet paper is obscene. The application was ‘supported’ by more than 145 responses from student parents, most of whom live well outside the area, at the request of the somewhat selfcentered head, Mr Tomkins to e-mail the planning authority with a ‘cut and paste’ copy of his recommendation.

As neighbours we have no objection to an ‘all-weather facility’ however to cover this cost, this application extended to the erection of 8 x 50ft floodlighting towers.

These will be open for public usage from 9.30am to 8pm daily with no additional car parking facilities despite an estimated 350 additional vehicle movements hourly to this site.

Protestations from local residents were largely ignored despite numerous public meetings, the spokesman having been given just five minutes to object.

Of the nine committee members, one said he had not read any reports, or the application, voted, for the proposal.

Another member was continually ‘slapped – down’ by the chairman in his endeavours to raise important objections and MBC’s representative explained that tests undertaken by the Environmental Agency was the ‘worst’ in the area for traffic congestion and air pollution.

The vote taken was hung four, each way leaving the chairman with the casting vote approving the application.

During the meeting the chairman referred to support for the application by Helen Grant our MP clearly influencing his decision.

Self congratulatory Mrs Grant in her weekly column claimed success in having influenced KCC in reducing traffic congestion and improving air pollution in her constituency. Democracy or hypocrisy?

John Doody

Beech Hurst Close, Maidstone I have every sympathy for learner driver Annabel Williamson (Why