Full Council meeting looks at future of the town centre Green light for High Street revamp


MAIDSTONE’S ruling Tories stuck to their guns about press- ing ahead with the High Street improvement project during a heated budget debate. Opposition Lib Dems were


equally adamant the scheme should be delayed until a better way of financing it was se- cured. But the final go-ahead was


given to a phased approach – work on phases 1a and 1b from the Mall Chequers to the end of Bank Street, costing £2.2m, will start this year. The £1.2m phase 2, as far as the dual carriageway, is being shelved for the time being.


Earlier, council leader Chris


Garland told the meeting about the “huge task” of saving £5.4m from the revenue budget over the next five years. The au- thority could no longer be “everything to everybody”. Sharing services with neigh- bouring councils and curtailing money for tourism were exam- ples of savings. Addressing the capital pro- gramme, Cllr Garland said his group believed in delivering three “key flagship” projects: the High Street, the museum ex- tension and the Mote Park re- vamp. He rejected a claim by Lib


Dem leader Fran Wilson that the High Street decision was a


‘Tired’ town centre needs some TLC


COUNCILLOR Richard Thick (Con) wondered if the opposition was happy that residents in the south of the borough preferred to go to Cranbrook and Tenterden rather than Maidstone. He said the County Town looked “very tired” and that was why he was supporting the High Street project. CllrMike FitzGerald (Ind) said the scheme should be done “at


a pace we can afford”. But his group’s amendment that £50,000 should be saved from the High Street project and used as a one- off capital grant to help a Tovil community group buy the old St Stephens School was defeated.


Plea for decision on river festival


THE chairman of Maidstone’s River Festival has urged the council to indicate its level of backing for this year’s event. Martin Cox told members that


the annual event – last year’s in July was the 31st – would usu- ally be in its early planning stages by February. Council leader Chris Garland


said the authority was review- ing its contribution to events, including the river festival, which it had supported for the past three years. Decisions would be taken based on eco- nomic benefits to the town and the river festival would be con- sidered favourably, he added. Cllr Mike FitzGerald said the


event provided entertainment for the people of Maidstone and income for many shops, and that it should continue. Mr Cox, who took over from chairman David Knight last year, said it would not be pos- sible to run the event without the council’s input, not just fi- nancial but also its officers. Mayor Cllr Eric Hotson thanked Mr Cox for his “in- credible work” in making the festival a continuing success.


“fudge”. Rather, he said, the scheme would deliver benefits to businesses, residents and those who wish to work in the borough. Funding phases 1a and 1b was the “most prudent and ambitious” way forward. Meanwhile, CllrWilson, who


had engaged in cross-party talks with Cllr Garland, agreed that balancing the budget was “extraordinarily difficult”. There had been various areas


of broad agreement but some areas of fundamental disagree- ment. She said it had also been hard to find out precisely what lay behind some figures in the revenue budget. She said her group had faith


in the coalition government de- livering a way of financing the High Street without straining the council’s budget, by allow- ing it to recoup some of the millions it collects in business rates. The project should be put on hold until a decision on that was made, added Cllr Wil- son.


But the Lib Dems lost an amendment calling for £250,000 to be retained fromthe


Parishes upset by ‘arrogant’ council


MAIDSTONE Council has “really upset” parish councils over its decision to cut their grants by almost one-third. That was the view of Cllr Fay Gooch, an Independent borough member who also chairs Barming Parish Council. She said some parishes can afford the 30% cut in concurrent functions grant but a lot “can’t stand” the funding reduction. Cllr Gooch said Maidstone council had genuinely tried to find


the money from elsewhere in its budget, and the whole issue is being reviewed this year. But she said, from the outset, the borough had really upset the parishes at a time when they needed them as partners, to delegate some of the work. Cllr Gooch said she was trying to improve the perception parishes


had of the borough council but a “lot think we are pretty arro- gant and that a swingeing cut of 30% is too much”. But Cllr John Horne (Ind) said Cllr Gooch’s passion was mis- placed. There is an ongoing dialogue between the two parties on subjects such as service level agreements, he added.


ORGANISERS of Maidstone’s twinning set-up with a French town face a future without finan- cial support from the borough council. It is part of the Town Hall cutbacks that


have followed government austerity measures. The council’s central revenue grant for 2011/12 has been cut by more than 16% and the authority is making £1.9m savings from its annual budget of more than £20m. Glenda Goldfinch, chairman of the Maidstone/ Beauvais TwinningAssociation – formed 50 years ago – said past funding had been used to support tourism, educational contacts, culture exchanges and youth sports. Cabinet member Cllr Richard Ash (Con) ac-


Donations for Park Wood boxing club A ParkWood boxing club has received a boost with the donation of two £500 cheques from police and The Mall Shopping Centre. The money, which will be used to buy new equipment, was presented


to Westree Boxing Club by Inspector David Coleman of the Town Cen- tre Neighbourhood Unit and Paul Alcock of The Mall. The donation from local police was from the Police Property Fund, which raises cash by the auction of unclaimed recovered property. Right: Trainer Bradley Urguhart with David Coleman and Paul Alcock.


4 Town


Disabled travel CABINET member Ben Sher- reard assured Cllr FranWil- son that he could report soon on how the disabled travel voucher scheme would be funded for another year. She voiced concerns that it would be financed through balances rather than the rev- enue account.


High Street budget to pursue the business rate option with government. Meanwhile, Cllr Clive Eng-


lish (Lib Dem) accused the council of doing “absolutely nothing” to develop the bor- ough’s green economy and put- ting “all its economic develop -ment eggs” in the town centre. He added: “The longer this council delays in getting in- volved in these [green] projects the smaller the economic bene- fits will be. “It’s not that the High Street is


not worthy – but there are bet- ter uses for the limited amount of money that is available.”


Rodd is next in line for chain


THE next deputy mayor of Maidstone will be Rodd Nelson-Gracie, who repre- sents the Marden and Yalding ward. In May, he will take over


as deputy from Brian Mor- timer (Coxheath) who be- comes mayor for the year. Cllr Nelson-Gracie, who


lives in Nettlestead Green, has been a borough coun- cillor for 14 years and will be mayor in 2012-13.


Town twinning cash is axed in council cut backs


knowledged Mrs Goldfinch’s passion for the as- sociation but reminded her about the “substantial cuts” faced by the council, which would not be able to fund activities that were not a priority. However, that did not mean twinning activities had to stop – and grants were available from other sources, he added. Cllr Ash assured Mrs Goldfinch that Maidstone would do what was needed to inform Beauvais council about future arrangements. But Cllr Clive English (Lib Dem) urged the council not to rush to terminate the relationship. Cllr Mike Fitzgerald (Ind) said he would like the long-standing twinning to continue and high- lighted excellent work done with schools.


Cricket net practice BEARSTED Cricket Club is holding net practice at New Line Learning Academy on Sunday afternoons until April 17. Info: Steve Pearce – 07740 796 003.


You can e-mail the Downs Mail—info@downsmail.co.uk


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