Rap for council as fabrics store shuts


MAIDSTONE'S specialist C&H Fabrics store is closing after 40 years – and the borough council has been criticised by the company chairman. C&H, at the corner of Week Street and


Union Street, will shut when the lease ex- pires in March, as it is making a loss. But the firm's other outlets, including Canter- bury and Tunbridge Wells, will remain open.


Chairman Bryan Hamblin said the rent (to


a Scottish landlord) and the business rates “have climbed so steeply that we cannot continue to trade profitably in Maidstone”. Mr Hamblin said: “We pay £70,000 a year,


which is far too high. I fear other retailers will be forced to follow us as their leases end.” Mr Hamblin said: “The borough council


YOUNGSTERS from Kings Hill School’s boys’ football team were runners-up in the finals of the Kent Cup. The lads had beaten several schools during the year to reach the final match of the tour- nament at Dover. Teacher and coach


David Baker said: “Our boys put up a fantastic fight and thoroughly deserve their runners-up medals. We are very proud of them all.”


Team members show off their medals (from left) Carlo Gonzalez, James Francis, Jack McKnight, JamieWarmington, Matthew Hathaway, Sam Vale, Connor Anderson, BradleyWoods and Harrison Hatful.


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has done little or nothing to arrest the de- cline of the town centre and, in particular, our end of town. No new car parks have been built near us in 20 years (indeed one has been shut). Car park prices have been forced up year after year. Shoppers do not want Park and Ride.” Mr Hamblin added: "We feel we have been forced out of Maidstone." He regretted the loss of 47 “excellent” em- ployees, plus freelance curtain-makers. "Maidstone has changed a lot in the last


15 years and our end of Week Street has never recovered from the loss of the old Army and Navy store. Bluewater opened and Maidstone took a big hit. The new Fremlin Walk development has further damaged other areas of the central shopping zone.


“Wealthier and more mature customers repeatedly tell us they do not like coming in to Maidstone. They prefer the 'comfort' and 'quality' of TunbridgeWells, Canterbury and Tenterden.” C&H opened a new store in Guildford in


2009. Its other seven stores had a "remark- ably strong" 2010. Mr Hamblin said: "We hope to replace the Maidstone store with a new one in Chel- tenham or Worcester in the first half of 2011." Council spokesman Roger Adley said: “Business rates are set nationally, based on rental values, which are themselves an in- dication of the area’s prosperity. The coun- cil collects the money on behalf of the Government and the money goes to the Government.


Kings Hill battle through to county football final “When FremlinWalk opened


in 2005 it put Maidstone into the top 50 town centre retail destinations nationally and maintained our status as Kent’s premier town centre. “Maidstone is well served by


car parks – Fremlin Walk has 760 spaces. “The council has approved a planning application for a mixed residential and retail use of the former Army and Navy store. “A number of new stores


have opened in recent months. The former Woolworth’s store is now back in use as two retail units and a Tesco Express has opened on the other side of C&H Fabrics.”


Lillico Country Store, Beddow Way, Aylesford, KENT ME20 7BT Tel: 01622 718062


Have you got news for us? Phone our News Desk on 01622 734735 Malling 17


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