29 December 2005 Pet
cat wounded by pellets from air gun (Dartford Messenger,
p 5) Star the cat from Pitfield wounded after being shot by airgun.
Owners said they had reported someone shooting an airgun to
the police a few weeks previously.
26 December 2005 Boxing
Day trains return to Longfield (South Eastern Trains press
release) After very many years, Boxing Day trains return to Longfield,
running to London every hour from 9.07 to 20.07 and returning from
Victoria at every hour from 9.55 to 20.55.
22 December 2005 Couple
enjoyed weekend that was pure gold (Dartford Messenger, p
18) Picture of golden wedding couple from Banckside.
Santa's early call on some lucky pupils (Dartford
Messenger, p 5) Santa visits Langafel School (picture).
15 December 2005 Smoke
billows over from oil depot inferno (Dartford Messenger,
p 1) Picture of black cloud that went over this area the previous
Sunday from the Buncefield fire.
Heartfelt thanks (Dartford Messenger,
p 23) Hart Magazine donates £650 to Asian Earthquake Appeal.
Langafel School (Dartford Messenger,
p 6) Picture feature on school's nativity play.
8 December 2005 Tributes
to beloved dance teacher, 77 (Dartford Times, p9) Obituary
and picture of dance teacher Audrey Tutton, whose school used to
do shows for the former Hartley Fete Week.
Pool bid sunk (Dartford
Messenger, p4) Sevenoaks Council turn down plans for swimming pool
at Eureka Sun Club, Fawkham.
Warning - don't dial 090 (Dartford
Messenger, p7) Trading Standards warn of what they believe to be
scam in the Longfield and Hartley DA3 postcode area. People
have been receiving cards claiming that they have a parcel to be
collected in Dartford, and telling them to call a £1.50 a
minute number.
Letters service is first
past the winning post (Dartford Messenger, p11) Figures for
July-September 2005 show DA postcode the best for next day deliveries
of first class post (97.1%)
1 December 2005 War
Hero in flu jab crisis (Dartford Times, p1) 72 year old Wellfield
man (pictured) unable to get flu jab. Area health trust have
ordered more but no delivery date given to them.
Pack of lies (Dartford
Messenger, p31) Good review of Hartley Players' latest production,
with especial praise for the female lead.
24 November 2005 Sewage
Leak Closes Footpath Kent County Council close footpath across
Rectory Meadow for a maximum of 3 weeks due to defective sewage
pipe (see
photo)
You're welcome (Dartford
Messenger, p25) Longfield Co-op store reopens after £150,000
refit.
17 November 2005 It's
fun being fit with this village club (Dartford Messenger,
p27) Feature and picture on the Hartley Fitness and Fun Club, which
meets on Tuesday mornings in the WI hall.
Beautiful success (Dartford
Messenger, p11) Exquisite Beauty Salon in Longfield wins regional
category of 2005 National Training Awards.
Police plea after bones
are found in woodland (Dartford Messenger, p3) Police seek
help in discovering identity of skeleton found in Horton Wood, Fawkham
16 November 2005 Classrooms
wrecked in school fire (BBC
website) Fire at West Kent Hospital school at Main Road, Longfield
(picture). Firefighters manage to save 80% of building.
(see also "School
site is still unsafe" - Dartford Messenger 24.11.05, p19 with
pictures).
10 November 2005 Saddled
up (Dartford Messenger,
p 24) Hartley Social Club charity bike ride raises £1,700
for Milestone School.
Speed cameras (Dartford
Messenger, p 25) Signs have gone up for these on Ash Road, which
now allow the mobile unit to attend (photo).
3 November 2005 Lucky
to live in the jackpot town (Dartford Messenger, p3) According
to Camelot, the DA postcode (which includes Hartley) is the 10th
luckiest in the country for the National Lottery.
See also "Why town
should feel very lucky" - Dartford Times, p 9.
Reception classes (Dartford
Messenger, p18-19) Pictures of reception classes at Hartley Primary,
Our Lady of Hartley, Langafel CE and New Ash Green primary schools.
BBC interview (Dartford
Messenger, p 25) Manor Drive resident and secretary of their regimental
old comrades' association interviewed.
Women have £5,000
of shoe stock stolen (Dartford Messenger, p 7) Stock of shoe
party organisers "Puss in Boots" stolen from Farm Holt
on night of 6/7 October.
27 October 2005 Train
hold up (Dartford Messenger, p3) Trains delayed at Longfield
for 10 minutes, following discovery of suspicious package, later
reclaimed by owner.
Fawkham CE School (Dartford
Times, p XXXVIII) Picture of reception class.
20 October 2005 Goats
get votes (Dartford Messenger, p7) Langafel Primary School
raises enough money to buy 23 goats for Africa (picture).
Disaster victims rebuild
lives (Dartford Times, p 4) Two ladies from New Ash Green
raise £18,000 towards rebuilding village of Panadura in Sri
Lanka, following the tsunami.
14 October 2005 Knowing
New Ash Green (News
Shopper website) Feature on New Ash Green, which is in the shortlist
of 100 for the Channel 4 Architectural Icons award.
13 October 2005 Wildlife
grow-how rewarded (Dartford Times, p9) Couple from Hartley
win Gold award for wildlife garden from Sevenoaks Council. Hartley
Primary School highly commended.
Caring for ponds (Dartford
Messenger, p3) Pond warden appointed for Longfield.
Builder starts fire (Dartford
Messenger, p5) Fire brigade called to fire at Knights Croft, New
Ash Green.
Quality service in parishes (Dartford
Messenger, p 23; additional reporting FHC) Hartley parish council
is awarded quality status by the government. Quality status
is a case of having an elected (not nominated) council, a qualified
clerk, and regular newsletters.
Delicious dining (Dartford
Messenger, p23) Pupils from Langafel Primary School attend healthy
eating dinner at Green Man, Longfield Hill (pictures).
9 October 2005 Speed
cameras for Ash Road shelved (Kent on Sunday, p10) In response
to a parliamentary question by Liberal Democrat MP, Tom Brake, minister
said plans for Ash Road and another 500 sites have been put on hold
pending a review. Mr Brake said "it is extremely disturbing
that the government is sitting on making decisions which could literally
save lives.. ministers should not be pandering to boy racer instincts".
In reply government said it was time for an independent review.
(further info, see 12 July)
It appears that the cameras
were allowed after all - see 10 Nov.
6
October 2005 School
Fears voiced (Dartford Messenger, p 2) West Kent Hospital
School in Main Road, Longfield concerned about being reclassified
as a pupil referral unit.
Minor injuries (Dartford Messenger, p4) Woman injured
when her car overturned in Church Road, New Ash Green.
29 September 2005 Thieves
target stables for saddles and stirrups (Dartford
Times, p3) Thieves steal 50 saddles worth £35,000 from Chapelwood
Wood Industries between 1.30 and 2am on 25 September. Police
think it is linked to other thefts locally.
See also "Riding Tack stolen
from stables" (BBC
website)
Beef ban lift welcomed (Dartford
Times, p6) Hartley farmer (pictured) welcomes the end of the ban
on the sale of beef from older cattle.
Club is keen to continue at field (Dartford
Messenger, p8) New Ash Green Cricket Club write to confirm they
are not folding and plan to continue at Manor Field next year.
Polished Performance (Dartford
Messenger, p23) Nail technician (pictured) at Perfect 10 Salon in
Cherry Trees wins national competition.
22 September 2005 Property
Market (Dartford Messenger, Prop 10) Your move has 5 bed
house in Simons Drive for £770,000, 3 bed semi-detached bungalow
in Cherry Trees for £299,000
15 September 2005 Speed
'putting lives in danger' (Dartford
Messenger, p11) Local resident (pictured on Hartley Green) calls
for more action, citing 2 collisions in the last week. He
is unimpressed with the measures taken so far.
Charity Cash Boost (Dartford
Times, p2) New Ash Green junior rugby club raises £8,000 for
Cancer charities.
Property Market (Dartford
Messenger, Property 8,19) Your Move have 4 bed house in Banckside
on market for £380,000 and 6 bed semi in Manor Drive for £519,995.
12 September 2005 Parish
Council Meeting (FHC) Click here
for our independent minutes of the meeting.
25 August 2005 Call
for planning review (Dartford Messenger, p9) Dartford MP
Dr Stoate calls for a change in the law, after Kent County Council
grant planning permission to themselves to redevelop Axton Chase
School.
Purr-fect! (Dartford Times, p16) Work
of Animal Samaritans of Teal, Hartley highlighted (picture).
11 August 2005 Garden
Day (Dartford Times, p4) Open garden at St Margaret, Manor
Drive for Eleanor Hospice.
4 August 2005 Hosepipe ban announced by Mid Kent Water (Press
release) Hosepipe ban for domestic customers of Mid Kent Water
begins at 9am on Monday 8th August. Follow this
link to see how the level of the local water table has fallen
significantly (from Stansted borehole).
Schools honour retiring teachers (Dartford Messenger,
p11) Retirement of Headteacher of Our Lady of Hartley RC school
(pictured)
Prize
dancer (Dartford Messenger, p7) 12 year old from Wellfield
wins weekly dance prize at Pontins, and will now compete in national
final (picture).
Keen and Green (Dartford
Times, p11) Sevenoaks council now recycle 31% of household waste,
thus meeting Government 30% target.
28 July 2005 Super
Gran (Dartford Times, p11) 68 year old grandmother from Gorsewood
Road is finalist in talent competition for over 60s organised by
Yours Magazine (picture).
23 July 2005 Ash
Road Telephone Box damaged The
window of the phone box at the corner of Ash Road and Culvey Close
has been smashed, in what seems to be an act of vandalism (picture).
21 July 2005 New
head teacher sought (Dartford
Messenger, p23) Current head of Our Lady of Hartley RC school is
leaving to become an area education officer for Kent County Council.
Ladies Cricket (Dartford
Messenger, p23) Hartley cricketer selected to play for England Ladies
against Australia.
16 July 2005 Grass
fire at Woodlands Avenue Park The Fire Brigade was seen putting
out a small grass fire at the roadside opposite the allotments at
11.50 am.
14 July 2005 Foster
Mother is awarded an MBE (Dartford
Messenger, p13) Fawkham woman who has fostered over 30 children,
is to receive MBE this week
Police 'delay' angers driver (Dartford
Messenger, p9) Driver unhappy about police response after van crashed
into his car in Main Road, Longfield.
12 July 2005 Mobile
Speed cameras for Ash Road? (KCC - Highways
Advisory Board minutes) Ash Road and Hartley Road are one of
two sites identified for new mobile speed camera checks. It
now requires Department of Transport approval. The same meeting
noted that where 'significant' after-data exists, the number of
killed and seriously injured at camera sites has fallen by 72%,
and the number of crashes by 55%.
8 July 2005 Hartley
Bottom Farm first to be accredited for school visits (Government
Office for South East Press
Release) Hartley Bottom Farm one of the first two farms in the
south east to be accredited under the new scheme, which is intended
to encourage countryside teaching.
7 July 2005 Wardens
on road to violence (Dartford Messenger, p1) Case of driver
convicted of assault against Dartford traffic warden said to be
"the tip of the iceberg" of a catalogue of incidents,
including a warden spat at by a female driver in Station Road,
Longfield.
30 June 2005 Miracle
escape for trapped dogs (Dartford
Times, p9) Sevenoaks council environmental health officer had to
rescue 2 dogs trapped under a shed in Valley Road, Fawkham.
Big hearted volunteers (Dartford
Times, p 13) Dartford Heart Foundation branch raises £1,492.65
from collections (which included at Waitrose Supermarket, Longfield).
Goods vehicle operator's licence (Dartford
Times, p 83) Application by Undercover Events Ltd to run 3 goods
vehicles at Three Gates Road, Fawkham
Well done Hannah (Dartford
Messenger, p19) Fawkham School pupil given special award by Darent
Valley Lions Club, for bravery in dealing with diabetes.
23 June 2005 Ben
passes peaks test (Dartford Times, p13) Man from Knights
Croft, New Ash Green, completes 3 peaks challenge to raise £550
for Diabetes UK.
17 June 2005 Death
lorry 'scrapped' by police (BBC
website) Following crash on Hoselands Hill on 1 September 2003
that resulted in the death of a delivery van driver, the driver
of the other lorry (which was travelling at 41mph) was fined £600
and banned for one year. The family of the deceased were unhappy
the charge of causing death by dangerous driving was dropped, after
it emerged the lorry had been scrapped.
16 June 2005 Property
Market (Dartford Messenger - Property, p8) Your Move has
the following properties for sale in Hartley:
- Hartley Bottom Road (3 bed house
& 1¼ acres) £520,000
- Manor Drive (5 bed det house)
£495,000
- Church Road (2 x new 4 bed houses)
£495,000
- Church Road (5 bed det house)
£599,995
- Hoselands Hill (4 bed det house)
£385,000
Funding boost helps build youth
shelter (Dartford Times,
p4) West Kent Housing Association give £1,500 to build youth
shelter at Woodland Avenue. Picture of 2 parish councillors,
W.Kent representative and local children.
Have your say on new library (Dartford
Times, p6) Kent County Council to modernise New Ash Green Library,
beginning on 16 July.
2 June 2005 Car theft warning (Dartford
Times, p7) Laptop computer stolen from car at New Ash Green on night
of 24/25 May.
Fury at plan to cut ticket office
times (Dartford Messenger, p2) Dartford Council opposed to
plans to reduce opening hours of ticket offices at Longfield Station
and elsewhere. However local police think the promise to deploy
the staff on the trains and platforms may help cut crime.
Church fete draws in the crowds (Dartford
Messenger, p5) Picture of visitors to Hartley RC Church fete.
26 May
2005 Say 'Howdy' to deep
south group (Dartford Times, p5) Dixieland Group Happy
Trails (pictured) to perform at New Ash Green Sports Pavilion.
Club hopes festival will pack them
in (Dartford Times, p6) New Ash Green Junior Rugby Club to
hold bank holiday extravaganza, to raise money for cancer charities
(picture).
Crackdown on off-road bikers (Dartford
Times, p9) Local police issue "section 59" orders to anti-social
bikers in New Ash Green and elsewhere. Under the terms of
the order, the police can seize their bikes if caught again.
Cuts are 'not cost saving measure' (Dartford
Messenger, p5) Longfield to be worst affected locally by cuts in
ticket office opening hours.
Pupils take part in celebrity show (Dartford
Messenger, p9) Feature and pictures on Hartley Primary School annual
"Stars in their Eyes" show.
12 May 2005 The final countdown
(Dartford Times, pp 4-5) Description of the tense election count at Leigh City Technology College in Dartford. Things began with the arrival of the first ballot box from Longfield Hill at 10.16pm (by Porche). Throughout the night the parties matched each other pile for pile. The reporter thought that Labour believed they had lost. Dr Stoate thought he was helped by his campaign to save Central Park from road construction.
6 May 2005 Labour hold on to win in Dartford as Conservatives fail to win over voters
Dr Howard Stoate has been re-elected as Hartley's MP (Dartford Constituency), but with his majority reduced to 706. His vote fell by 5.4% but only the Conservatives' share of the vote only went up by 0.5% - the fewest of all the parties. The biggest gainers were the New England Party (+2.6%) and the Liberals (+2.3%).
Howard Stoate |
Labour |
19,909 |
42.6% |
Gareth Johnson |
Conservative |
19,203 |
41.1% |
Peter Bucklitsch |
Liberal Democrat |
5,036 |
10.8% |
Mark Croucher |
UKIP |
1,407 |
3.0% |
Michael Tibby |
New England |
1,224 |
2.6% |
Conservatives returned for Hartley's County Council Seat
Conservative David Brazier won the Sevenoaks North East County Council Seat easily with over 50% of the vote. However the Conservatives' share of the vote fell by 2%. The results were:
David Brazier |
Conservative |
4,771 |
51.2% |
Robert Carson |
Labour |
1,803 |
19.4% |
Philip Hobson |
Liberal Democrat |
1,308 |
14.0% |
Alan Pett |
Independent |
1,032 |
11.1% |
John Marshall |
English Democrat |
396 |
4.3% |
Conservatives get carried away
(News Shopper website) "Power hungry Tories got ahead of themselves claiming they had won the Dartford seat six hours before official results showed they were misguided". Local Conservatives contacted TV stations to make this claim about 11pm, apparently based on a poll of schoolchildren, where Conservatives got 673 votes, and Labour 655, on a 26% turnout.
5 May 2005 It's back by popular demand - New Ash Green's Sunday Market
(Dartford Times, advertisement, p13)
Bay watch: Police have their own parking slot outside store
(Dartford Messenger, p22) Dedicated police parking bay unveiled outside Waitrose in Longfield. Welcomed by store manager - "that will certainly act as a visual deterrent to crime". (picture)
28 April 2005 Thieves make speedy escape
(Dartford Times, p13) Speedboat worth £8,000 (pictured) stolen from Three Gates Road, Fawkham on evening of March 29th.
Cricket in Hartley
(Sevenoaks Chronicle, p6) ... is alive and well. Country club will field 5 teams this year, on a square relaid after 70 years. Meanwhile New Ash Green and Hartley CC, along with Hextable CC will field teams at Manor Field.
21 April 2005 To the manor born
(Dartford Messenger, Property 1-2) Highfields, Manor Drive on market for £970,000 (2 pictures)
19 April 2005 Dartford General Election Candidates Announced
(Dartford Borough Council website) There will be five candidates fighting the Dartford constituency, which includes Hartley, Fawkham and Longfield (but not New Ash Green), listed below.
- Peter Bucklitsch (Liberal Democrat)**
- Mark Croucher (UK Independence Party)
- Gareth Johnson (Conservative)**
- Howard Stoate (Labour)
- Michael Tibby (New England)
(** home address not in the constituency, but both say they have links with the borough)
Click here for further details
County Council Candidates announced
There will be county council elections on the same day. For these Hartley, New Ash Green, Fawkham and West Kingsdown are in the Sevenoaks North East Division. There are 5 candidates for this election too and a list of them can be found on the Sevenoaks Council website. There are no candidates from Hartley, but perhaps the best known locally is Alan Pett, for many years the head of the New Ash Green Village Association, and Sevenoaks District Councillor. The full list of candidates is:
- David Brazier (Conservative)
- Robert Carson (Labour)
- Philip Hobson (Liberal Democrat)
- John Marshall (English Democrat)**
- Alan Pett (Independent)
(** also a general election candidate for the party in Sevenoaks constituency)
In the last election in 2001, the Conservatives got 53% of the vote, with Labour on 28% and the Liberals on 19%. However there have been boundary changes since then with the addition of West Kingsdown, and the 2003 Sevenoaks council elections suggest a swing away from the Conservatives. The 2003 results must be treated with some caution as the turnout was much lower, not all areas were fought by all parties, and local issues may have played a part. However then the Conservative's vote on the new boundaries had fallen to 50% with Independents on 36% and Labour on 14%.
14 April 2005 Let the games commence
(Dartford Times, p10) New Ash Green Junior Rugby Club is donated kit by sponsor AMB Sports Limited (picture)
Chav label unfair to area
(Dartford Messenger, p7) Local leaders criticise chavtowns.co.uk website for naming Dartford, Swanley, Bluewater and New Ash Green as chav hotspots. Local councillor Clive Bruce said "this is a very nice area and I've lived here for 32 years".
31 March 2005 Dead animals will cost us a packet
(Dartford Times - David Willetts, p 6) Hartley farmer raises concerns about the costs of the EU Fallen Stock directive, which means dead animals which could previously be buried on the farm will now cost £100 to send to special plants.
24 March 2005 Police hunt gang of thugs
(Dartford Times, p4) Three neighbours attacked in Caxton Close by a gang of thugs, when they tried to stop them vandalising a car in Caxton Close, Hartley
Mother's day abseil (Dartford Messenger - Colin Senneck, p23) Billings Hill Shaw lady raised £700 for Cancer Research UK by abseiling down main stand at Twickenham.
How much to change a light fitting? £333 at Darent Valley Hospital (Dartford Messenger - Lauren Abbott, p1&3) Concerns over high price of minor repairs charged by the Private Finance Initiative operator Carillion.
17 March 2005 Tots futures saved in the nick of time
(Dartford Times, p4) Intervention of local MP saves Molly's Preschool in Gorsewood Road, Longfield, after Kent County Council tried to slash funding (picture).
10 March 2005 Field of Death
(Dartford Times, p15) In recent months RSPCA find 9 horses either dead or the victims of severe neglect in a field in Fawkham.
Missed Treat (Dartford Messenger - Colin Senneck, p17) Only 6 paying customers for excellent production "Two for the 1/9s" by the Time of Our Lives Music Theatre Company at All Saints' Hall, Hartley
3 March 2005 'Bullied' officer jailed for perverting course of justice
(Dartford Messenger, p9) Met Police PC, who lives in New Ash Green jailed for 2½ years for perverting the course of justice, jury failed to agree on other charges of obtaining money by deception and criminal damage. Trial took 3 months. (Previous article)
24 February 2005 Rotary raises thousands
(Dartford Messenger, p11) Rotarians' Christmas collections raise £11,000 for the Ellenor Foundation. Picture of local rotarian Bryan Smith and others presenting the cheque.
Levels rise across area
(Dartford Messenger, p2) Sevenoaks Council tax to rise by 4.7% to £145.80, by contrast council tax in neighbouring Dartford is £131.85. In all a band D resident in Hartley will pay £1,079.98 in 2005/6.
Postal studies
(Dartford Messenger, p6) Exhibition by Axton Chase pupils on the history of the postal system will be displayed in Folkestone gallery.
10 February 2005 Dartford's Police Community Support Officers
(Dartford Messenger, p12-13) Big feature and pictures on the new local police community support officers, including PCSO Andy Swanson of New Ash Green, and PCSO Tony Quilter of Longfield (Hartley has no PCSO).
Volunteers are a rare breed
(Dartford Messenger, p9) Picture of Kent Wildlife Trust members working on scrub clearence at the Longfield Chalk Bank.
Malawi Challenge
(Dartford Messenger, Colin Senneck, p24) Two Hartley pupils at St George's School are raising money to take part in Worldwide Expeditions Team visit to Malawi in 2006.
Hats off to fundraisers
(Dartford Times, p8) Letter congratulates two fundraisers in New Ash Green for the Tsunami appeal
Winter Fuel Payments (Hansard,
Parliamentary
Question, col 1783-4) To a question from Dr Stoate, the minister
Malcolm Wicks said in 2003/4 there were 1,680 recipients of Winter
Fuel Payments for the Hartley and Hodsoll Street ward. The
figures for Longfield, New Barn & Southfleet ward is 1,635 and
for Fawkham and West Kingsdown - 1,415.
20 January 2005 E-mail runied my life
(Dartford Messenger, p3) 55 year old man from Manor Forstal, New Ash Green, embarassed when his CV was sent worldwide, and is considering legal action against the alleged purpetrators.
13 January 2005 Beware criminals
(Dartford Messenger, p26) Lady driver followed home by criminals who snatched her bag when she opened the car door.
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