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Wednesday June 5 | 2019
Runway Training is named Family Business of Year at Times awards
ROYAL APPOINTMENT: Carl and Jenny Lewis with the Scots Guards at a tea party held at Buckingham Palace. See page 4
Council Leader steps in to stop plans for new housing at West Kent College By Andy Tong andy@timesoftonbridge.co.uk A PLANNING application to build 53 homes on car parks at West Kent College has been rejected after the intervention of Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council’s Leader Nicolas Heslop. The brownfield site was sold to developers Ashill in a bid to raise money for the Hadlow Group, which owns the college but has been beset by financial difficulties. The sale, which was supposed to bring in around £1million, will only be completed when planning is approved. The application was put in last September and was set to be approved by the Area 1 Planning Committee. But it was halted in April because of issues with the height of the development affecting neighbouring properties.
Cllr Heslop was re-elected as Leader – a post he has held since 2012 – on May 20. He told the Times: “My concern with the application was the impact of the proposed dwellings in relation to existing properties on The Spinney.
‘Ashill is very disappointed with the decision. We will take time to consider the reason for refusal’ “So I raised concerns about siting, scale, massing and height relative to the boundary of those properties on The Spinney. I said that they would intrusive and dominant.” Similar problems have already been addressed on houses adjoining Hillside. Remaining objections to the application were mainly focused on the
A COMPANY based in the town has won an award at the Times Business Awards for the second year running. Runway Training was named as Family Business of the Year at the gala ceremony at Salomons Estate in Southborough last Thursday. Last year the firm’s managing director Oliver Trailor was named as Business Person of the Year. Runway Training, which was founded by Mr Trailor in 2008, has helped more than 20,000 adults achieve nationally recognised qualifications in maths and English. These are provided through online courses, the classroom and onsite training. It also runs projects to support people who have mental health issues and unemployed learners.
Strength
lack of available parking at the college – there will be 170 fewer spaces – and the resulting impact of students having to park on surrounding streets. Other concerns are congestion and air quality on Brook Street, which includes The Judd School and Hayesbrook. David Cure, a Conservative councillor of Judd ward where West Kent is situated, succeeded in forcing a fresh site inspection in April before he was voted out in the local elections. Changes were made to the elevations at Hillside, but he was also raising awareness about parking and pollution. The same issues have been put forward by two Green Party councillors who have now been elected to Judd ward, April Clark and Mark Hood. Mrs Clark said: “Mark and I were able to raise a number of concerns, including
Mr Trailor said: “We’re very pleased to be a winner once more. There’s only five of us but we have worked so hard for this. “The business is going from strength to strength.” The company’s ethos is ‘a skilled workforce is vital to our future and improving skills is essential to building sustainable growth and stronger communities’. It is aiming to be recognised as the leading functional skills provider nationally, and offer the largest number of apprenticeships in Kent. The headmaster of Tonbridge School, James Priory, was among the judges for the fourth edition of the annual awards, which celebrate the achievements of local businesses in 10 categories.
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