‘CCTV switch may be a good thing’
MAIDSTONE could actually benefit if mon- itoring of its CCTV system is moved to Med- way.
That is the view of Ch Supt Matthew Nix
- and is in sharp contrast to most businesses in the town who believe switching control away from the Town Hall would impair its effectiveness. Ch Supt Nix, area commander for Kent's
west division, said his main priority has al- ways been to maintain 24/7 CCTV coverage
which, he stressed, is wider than just the town centre. He said it is crucial that rural parts of the community are covered, too. He said, as a second priority, it “would be
great to keep it local” but added: “Being pragmatic, the police certainly haven’t got any money to put into it." Ch Supt Nix said 24/7 CCTV does work in
partnerships. “My other district, Swale, has migrated to Medway and that has worked really well.
Prisoners help the blind
meeting,” said Anita, “and they all loved it and were astounded at the low cost.We know of sev- eral service users who will find these incredibly useful as it will make reading with ade- quate light on the page so much easier.”
Maidstone prisoners have al-
Andy Hudson (right) presents a stand to KAB’s Anita Hinch- liff, alongside prison recycling manager Ian Brightman.
INMATES from Maidstone Prison have been working on wooden reading stands to help people with visual impairment. Andy Hudson, governor of HMPS Maidstone, presented the stands to Anita Hinchcliff, team leader at College Road- based Kent Association for the Blind. “I took the prototype reading stand to a team leaders’
ready made several stands, with orders for more in the pipeline. They have also adapted a painting easel for use as a reading stand for some- body who is severely disabled and has a sight loss. Martin Dacey, community en- gagement manager for the prison, said: “This was at nil cost to the taxpayer as they were built from material that would have otherwise been scrapped. Even the nuts, bolts and screws are reclaimed from broken furniture.”
“There are people issues, of course, but in
terms of quality of service and public safety that element has been maintained, if not ac- tually increased."
THE council has since accepted legal ad- vice that Medway Council's "partnership agreement" document is not satisfactory and has agreed to go out to tender for a CCTV service. But the delay means the annual £50,000 savings will not be made yet as the service will not be in place till April 2012.
Stones back to Sittingbourne MAIDSTONE United FC will next season go back to playing their home games at Sittingbourne, after the groundshare agreement at Ashford’s Homelands ground came to end. There were concerns over dwindling crowds and the state of the playing surface at Ashford, where the Stones had been for the past two years. So the club will return to Sittingbourne’s Bourne Park, where they last played in 2008/09. THE Stones are continuing their attempts to raise £1.2m to
build a new stadium in James Whatman Way, Maidstone. They have not played in the county town since 2001.
Blood cancers walk
THE Maidstone branch of Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research has organised a fundraising walk at Bedge- bury Pinetum on May 8.
The event is the second For-
get Me Not walk following the success ofan event in Bedge- bury last October. Local MP Helen Grant will officially start the walk, at 10am.
For information, email lr-
maidstone@btconnect.com.
New home refused APROPOSAL to build a new home on land adjacent to Micklewood in Gravelly Bot- tom Road, Kingswood, was turned down. Maidstone Council decided that the de- velopment would cause harm to the open country- side and lead to the loss of protected trees that act as a “stepping stone” between blocks of ancient woodland.
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