Hartley-Kent: News 2003

News 2003

4 December 2003	D Times	Climber's charity talk Everest climber (pictured) gave talk to capacity audience at All Saints' Hall to raise £950 for Community Action Nepal.
4 December 2003	D Times	Girls sew to heal rift with US 3rd Hartley Brownies make quilt to exchange with Brownies in Jacksonville, USA (picture).
4 December 2003	D Messenger	Hanged man found in wood 41 year old man found hanging in Hartley Woods, police are not treating this as a suspicious death.
4 December 2003	D Messenger	Make a dream come true competition to "win your wedding day" features 2 couples from Hartley (pictured)
20 November 2003	D Messenger	Crime rate here among the worst Police figures reveal Gravesend (110 crimes per 1,000 population) and Dartford (104) are the worst parts of the county for crime. County average is 83 crimes per 1,000.
20 November 2003	D Times	Song-and-dance competitors mix with Maffia Rap star from So Solid Crew visits Axton Chase School, Longfield (pictured).
20 November 2003	D Times	New Ash Green burglaries Gang of 3 broke into 3 flats in sheltered housing at Turners Oak.
13 November 2003	D Times	Connex at end of Line Local Rail Company Connex lost its franchise at midnight last Sunday. Trains to be run by a public firm South Eastern trains until it is awarded to another private company.
13 November 2003	D Messenger	End of the line for Connex (See D Times 13/11/03)
13 November 2003	D Times	Farmers' £100m Trash Bill High cost of illegally dumped rubbish in the countryside. Interview with Fawkham based farming company Oncaland Ltd
13 November 2003	D Times	It's Scrooge who operates our concessionary bus scheme Letter from Swanley man protesting about the threatened cuts to concessionary bus fares
6 November 2003	D Messenger	MP is driving message home Dartford MP Dr Stoate advertises his surgery details on the 423 bus to Hartley (picture)
6 November 2003	D Times	Tories select candidates Dartford Conservatives pick ex-Bexley councillor and former Dartford Grammar School pupil, Gareth Johnson, to fight seat in next election.
30 October 2003	D Messenger	Beautician beats rivals hands down Beautician (pictured) of Perfect 10 Nail Salon in Cherry Trees wins acrylic category in national competition.
30 October 2003	D Messenger	Protests continue over threat to scrap pensioners' bus pass letter from Swanley man. He says he presented a petition asking for the 20p bus pass in 1995. The Labour/Liberal Council introduced one in 1996, costing £8. He adds that since the Conservatives regained control of Sevenoaks Council the price has risen to £12 (2000), £20 (2001) and £25 (2002). As well as the effect on the elderly he fears cuts in bus services if they are less used as a consequence.
25 October 2003	Consultation document	KCC proposes changes at Milestone School ) Milestone School is on the site of the former New Ash Green Middle School, but is in the parish of Hartley. At present it takes 145 pupils from 2 to 19 years old, with severe, profound and multiple learning difficulties and autism. They propose it be expanded to cater for 179 pupils with similar needs of ages 5-16 and also have an unspecified number of students aged 16-19. They would be drawn from Dartford Borough and part of Sevenoaks district. This is part of a county wide review and KCC plan implementation in September 2005.
16 October 2003	D Times	Do not scrap elderly fare The popular 20p bus pass is likely to be axed by Sevenoaks District Council, according to the Conservative leader. She cited the cost of £90 to administer each pass, compared with £24 for the less generous half price permit. The plans were condemned by Swanley Active Retirement Association and the Labour Group leader. (Additional information) The scheme was launched in 1996. At present pensioners and the disabled can choose to have the 20p pass for £25 per annum, or the half price pass for free. The 20p pass means pensioners can travel to Dartford for 20p, instead of the normal single fare of £2.50. In Sevenoaks District (2001) 4,359 chose the 20p pass and only 101 the half price pass. However Sevenoaks council's reserves are dwindling, and they do need to decide whether to spend less or raise council tax in the near future. The winning conservative candidates in last May's election promised "to give support through... concessionary fares".
9 October 2003	D Times	Creditors' meeting of Hartley Haulage Company Public notice of creditors' meeting of Ellerby Top Soils Ltd to be held on 17 October "for the purposes of having a full statement of the position of the Company's affairs.... and for the purpose, if thought fit, of appointing a liquidation committee." (Additional Information) From the last company accounts to 31 May 2002, the company made a small loss on its profit and loss account, but did spend much more than that on new assets.
2 October 2003	D Messenger	No relief yet from blackspot Hartley resident writes he has lived in the area for 17 years and seen the volume of traffic getting greater. He mentions problems of getting in touch with the highways department at Sevenoaks
25 September 2003	D Messenger	Hartley De Sales (pictured) defeat Battle of Britain 4-2 in round 1 of North Kent League's Reporter Cup. The club also hosted at Hartley Country Club a match between Charlton Veterans and Gillingham Veterans, Gillingham winning 3-1.
18 September 2003	D Messenger	Aisle be on time Cyclists from All Saints' Church pictured.
18 September 2003	D Messenger	New minister for United Reformed Church for North Kent group which includes Hartley
18 September 2003	D Messenger	Smugglers are jailed Longfield company director jailed for 21 months for his part in plot to smuggle 1.4 million cigarettes into UK on Dutch lorry.
14 September 2003	Boundary Commission	Opposition to moving Hartley from Dartford Constituency Dartford Council, the Conservative Group on the county and the Sevenoaks Liberal Democrats all oppose plans, which involve the moving of Hartley from Dartford to Sevenoaks Constituency. It was also opposed by the Friends of Hartley Countryside, Horton Kirby parish council and many residents in Hartley and Horton Kirby. The Labour party wants the Dartford Constituency to be co-extensive with the borough. By contrast the move is supported by Hartley Conservatives, one of whose members was the only one allowed to address the parish council before they came to the same decision by a majority vote. Because of the number of objections a public enquiry will now be held.
10 September 2003	Connex timetable	New Rail Times Some minor changes to times, presumably to accommodate the Channel Tunnel trains. The 07.53 Longfield to Blackfriars train will now run 8 minutes earlier (but will only be 5 minutes earlier at London), while passengers are unhappy that the 17.27 Blackfriars train in the evening has been retimed to run 3 minutes earlier, which will mean passengers cannot connect at Bromley South. Some journeys are much slower, for example the 0730, 0750 and 0811 all have 4 minutes added to the arrival time at Victoria
4 September 2003	D Times	Tragedy on Hoselands Hill At the junction of Hottsfield and Hoselands Hill, many bunches of flowers mark the spot of a tragic road accident when a lorry carrying pots fell on a transit van delivering newspapers. The driver died at the scene. A few days later Ash Road was resurfaced, while at the parish council there were calls for action on road safety by residents and councillors alike. Donations towards the driver's family made at the local newsagent
4 September 2003	D Messenger	See D Times 4.9.03
4 September 2003	Sevenoaks Chronicle	See D Times 4.9.03
11 September 2003	D Messenger	"When will road be made safe". Letter from Hartley Resident: "We have fought off radio masts and new developments, now is the time to really get behind a local campaign that can make a real difference."
4 September 2003	D Times	Graffiti youth fined youth fined for daubing buildings in Dartford with graffiti.
4 September 2003	Countryside News - NW Kent Countryside Project newsletter	Hartley's nature reserve keeps improving Local community's involvement said to be vital, to this site which is home to over 200 species of wild flower. Project officer pictured with 3 local volunteers
28 August 2003	D Messenger	Howzat! Cricketerwho plays for Hartley Country Club, is currently playing for England Ladies against South Africa.
25 August 2003	Upfront - Connex Magazine	Press release from Connex South Eastern Connex say there will be timetable changes for Longfield station in the autumn timetable to accommodate the Eurostar trains, when they run to Fawkham junction. But most space taken up by the loss of their franchise at the end of the year. A publicly owned interim company will take over for now, and some of comments printed in the magazine suggest that many people would like things to remain that way, although the Strategic Railway Authority want to contract services out again. Connex's managing director, Michael Holden, acknowledged the company was not popular but reminded people the inherent problems will not go away. The letters page had four letters, only one wholly in support of the company, another said "it goes to show that no matter how much spin you put on something, the bare facts will speak for themselves."
21 August 2003	D Times	Cigarette gang face sentence 10 men found guilty of cigarette smuggling, which were loaded onto a lorry in Longfield on 9 July.
4 August 2003	Reporter	Quads Go Two quad bikes stolen from Hartley Hill.
14 August 2003	G Messenger	We're in the Record Books highest ever UK temperature of 100.6 degrees Fahrenheit recorded at Gravesend on 10 August. Weather station is at Broadness, near Swanscombe
14 August 2003	Reporter	100.6 degrees F see G Messenger 14.8.03
12 August 2003	FHC	Heatwave Hartley Hartley's nearest weather station at Gravesend sets all time temperature record of 100.6 degrees Fahrenheit at about 2.30pm on Sunday 10th. Of course this is a shade temperature, the temperature in the sun was over 120 degrees at times.
7 August 2003	D Messenger	New Sign The Hartley sign on the village green has been refurbished.
24 July 2003	D Times	Sir Mick Jagger at 60 Includes supportive comments from interviewee from Hartley (pictured)
24 July 2003	D Messenger	A Safe Place to Live? Report from Home Office finds crime in NW Kent area has increased by 7.5% from last year, including a 43% increase in violent crime and a 2.4% increase in burglaries. But brighter news is that road traffic casualties have fallen by 30%
24 July 2003	D Messenger	On the market for years 25th anniversary of Longfield WI Market. Interview with secretary (pictured)
17 July 2003	D Times	Soaring Success! Hartley Art Group exhibit at Kent County Show.
3 July 2003	D Messenger	Village Officers to go on beat New Ash Green to get one of the new rural community wardens.
3 July 2003	D Messenger	Meat raid was to feed drug habit convicted of theft from Longfield Co-op
3 July 2003	D Messenger	Church Funds £5,000 raised at Fawkham and Hartley church fete
5 June 2003	Clive Emson, Auctioneers	1½ acres of land at Gorsewood Road sold for £50,000 Auctioneers sell 1.6 acre plot in Gorsewood Road, just over the boundary in Longfield parish. It is said to have a frontage of 200 feet to the road, buyers were advised to check planning matters with Dartford council. This was double the auctioneer's estimate and over 10 times its intrinsic value as agricultural land (farm land in England fetched an average £3,000 an acre in 2001)
5 June 2003	D Times	Bank thwarts gang bid to raid church account Sharp eyed cashiers spot forged request to move RC Church funds. Interview with Father Bridge and picture of church
29 May 2003	D Messenger	Thieves steal toys from playgroup Break in at Saplings Nursery, New Ash Green (pictured).
15 May 2003	G Messenger	Resounding victory "Hartley First" group wins all parish council seats. Main surprise was failure of popular farmer to win either election.
8 May 2003	Sevenoaks Chronicle	Tories win over half of seats Conservatives win 32 of the 54 seats, Labour 9, Liberal 8, Independent 2. Conservative gains wiped out by setbacks elsewhere. Picture of count at Sevenoaks Sports Centre is that of Hartley.
8 May 2003	D Messenger	Make a Wish 2 residents from Gorsewood Road raise £4,060 for the charity.
10 April 2003	Sevenoaks Chronicle	Fitting Tribute Plaque in memory of Councillor John Sandeford unveiled (picture)
27 March 2003	G Messenger	Pupils Take Action Three Hartley Primary School pupils redesign playground (pictured with headteacher)
13 March 2003	G Messenger	Council chairman's car goes up in smoke Chairman of Hartley Parish Council loses £55,000 jaguar in garage fire.
6 March 2003	G Messenger	Well Done Hartley Players Favourable review of "Charley's Aunt".
27 February 2003	G Messenger	Stop this year round nuisance Hartley resident calls for greater control on sales of fireworks.
27 February 2003	G Messenger	Village calls over policing Calls at a packed meeting by residents of New Ash Green for action to deal with local crime and anti-social behaviour.
12 February 2003	Standards Board for England	Standards Board dismiss complaint against Hartley Councillor The Board, which deals with complaints of misconduct by councillors, had received a complaint against Hartley Parish Councillor. At a meeting they had said the council's insurance covered kite flying on Northfield in spite of the presence of high voltage cables. The case officer found that the insurers had not been properly informed of the hazard by the council, but as the councillor said they thought the clerk had done this, they "could not conclude" that they had intended to mislead people.
6 February 2003	D Times	'Gentleman' Junkie says sorry Conviction of man for holding up Nationwide in Longfield and Lloyds in New Ash Green.
6 February 2003	D Times	Recycling Scheme all set for launch Sevenoaks council to introduce kerbside recycling in Hartley from October 2003.
30 January 2003	D Messenger	Mystery leaving its mark Feature on local dene holes, including pictures of those at Cherry Trees and Northfield.
9 January 2003	D Times	Residents get that sinking feeling Dene hole discovered at Cherry Trees, pictured with local archaeologist
9 January 2003	D Messenger	A hole lot of trouble See D Times 9.1.03
3 January 2003	D Times	Snatchers target women's bags Public warned of a gang of bag snatchers operating in Longfield and New Ash Green etc (pictured).