Wednesday November 15 | 2017
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PHOTO: David Hodgkinson
‘Exceptional’ Kent awards for town’s Carl Lewis and More Than Words CARL LEWIS, the organiser of Tonbridge’s Poppy Appeal, was fittingly recognised as Kent’s ‘Exceptional Individual of the Year’ by Perry’s accountants last week during the build-up to Remembrance Sunday. Tonbridge charity More Than Words scooped the award for Exceptional Charity of the Year. Carl, who is the town’s flood warden, took over fundraising last year after the Tonbridge branch closed down and doubled the takings in his first year with a total of £34,000.
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CRICKET’S WAR HERO
County club pays tribute to great Tonbridge bowler Blythe Page 13
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Vegan delights that feel right as first fair comes to town Page 56
Drumming up support
Double The award, which was handed out at a ceremony at Leeds Castle last Thursday, represents a ‘double’ for the town after Fred and Fran Long jointly received the accolade last year. Carl, who is assisted by his wife Jenny and deputy Pam Mills with the Poppy Appeal work, said: “Tonbridge is the best place to live in Kent, and it’s nice to have the recognition – but it’s not just me. “When we helped out after the flood in 2013 I was part of a team. And with the Poppy Appeal it’s the same, there’s the retailers, the schools, the collectors, even down to my niece Lily who helped out. “The Tonbridge team works,” he added. “It shows what can be done if you put your mind to it.” More Than Words provides Makaton sign language
INSIDE
The 17th Tonbridge Air Scout Troop band were on parade for the town’s Remembrance Sunday service, led by Drum Major Steven Spicer. Private Leslie Burkett, a 96-year-old who served in Burma, laid a wreath at the War Memorial on behalf of all veterans. See pages 2, 10-12
New housing targets across borough are ‘undeliverable’ By Andy Tong andy@timesoftonbridge.co.uk THE council has expressed alarm at a stiff increase in the number of new houses the government expects it to build. According to the existing Local Plan, Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council is targeting 696 new homes every year. But the government has come up with a new way of calculating housing needs that could come into force in spring 2018. The latest assessment sees the annual requirement is set to rise to 859, which constitutes a 23.5 per cent increase.
At the current rate the council is managing to put up around 650 houses per annum, which means the current projection is within reasonable range. However, the council insists it cannot be expected to meet the new target.
Stress Nicolas Heslop, Leader of Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council, says: “We have robustly told the government that the proposed methodology for assessing future housing need within the borough has significant consequences. “It equates to an extra 3,260 new homes
over the 20-year Local Plan period. To deliver this level of housing growth would require a growth rate of 1.6 per cent, which has never been achieved in Tonbridge & Malling or indeed by any local authority in England over the period 2001-16.” Cllr Heslop insisted: “It is in simple terms undeliverable, unless there were to be intervention in the housing and construction market unprecedented in recent times.” And he warned: “Even if it were feasible, the result would be a further huge loss of greenfield and greater stress on transport and community facilities which are already under pressure.”
CHRISTMAS WISH
Magical production of Aladdin is a dream come true Page 74
RUNNING AMOK
Athletes win third national cross country title Page 78