Round-up of Maidstone Council election results
Tories’ majority increases to five By Dennis Fowle
THE election for control ofMaidstone Coun- cil ended as most expected – with the Con- servatives still in command. The national tide turned against the Lib
Dems and despite their local resilience they lost key seats in Coxheath & Hunton, Fant and South – but gained Loose. All this means the Tories now hold a com-
BEARSTED – Val Sprin- gett (Con) was a 737 cap- tain with BA for 16 years. A founder member of Bearsted’s StopKIG cam- paign she lives in Roundwell, Bearsted, with her husband and sons (aged 13 and10).
BEARSTED – Mike Cum- ing (Con) of Madginford Road is married with a grown-up son. He spent 25 years in oil exploration around the world and owned a marine engineer- ing business in Ramsgate. Now he is a part-time coach driver.
COXHEATH & HUNTON – Dennis Collins (Con) of Chainhurst, Marden, has been married for 31 years and has two children and two grandchildren. He runs a housebuilding business.
ALLINGTON (1 seat): Cynthia Robertson (LD) 1345; Barry Gin- ley (Con) 1048;WendyHollands (Lab) 383. Turnout 50%.
BEARSTED (2 seats): Val Springett (Con) 1754; Mike Cum- ing (con) 1555; Pat Marshall (Ind) 1395; Jim Grogan (Lab) 432; Gill Annan (Lab) 281; Ciarin Oliver (Green) 215; Sarah Goodwin (Green) 182. Turnout 44%.
BOXLEY(1 seat) Malcolm Greer (Con) 1350; Michael Beckwith (Lab) 862; JohnWatson (LD) 264; Penny Kemp (Green) 177. Turnout 41%.
COXHEATH & HUNTON (1 seat): Dennis Collins (Con) 1247; David Stamp (LD) 915; Stella Randall (Lab) 265; Keith Wooll- ven (UKIP) 140; Robin Kinrade (Green) 114. Turnout 47%.
DETLING & THURNHAM (1 seat) Nick deWiggondene (Con)
fortable working majority of five over other parties – “a reflection that our local policies during two difficult economic years have broad public approval”, according to Tory leader Cllr Chris Garland. But Lib Dem leader Cllr Fran Wilson warned the Tories there are no grounds for complacency. “We lost these seats locally due to an uplift in Labour voting,” she said, “not because more people supported Con-
DETLING &THURNHAM – Nick de Wiggondene (Con) of Willow Way, Maidstone. The 45-year- old is an operations direc- tor at a Lloyd’s broker in London.
DOWNSWOOD – Gordon Newton (Ind). The 62- year-old is a personality in Downswood, known for his battles to protect wildlife from anglers’ hooks and lines and keep- ing that parish free of lit- ter. He runs The Stone Shop in East Farleigh.
EAST – Martin Cox (Lib Dem). The 45-year-old and his family live in Gre- cian Street, Maidstone, and runs a print and de- sign service. An active Ro- tarian, he is chairman of Maidstone River Festival.
Maidstone Council results
628; Geoffrey Licence (Ind) 291; Paul Blackmore (Lab) 143. Turnout 45%.
DOWNSWOOD & OTHAM (1 seat) Gordon Newton (Ind) 451; Gary Cooke (Con) 310; SteveGib- son (Lab) 84; Andrew Waldie (Green) 27. Turnout 41%.
EAST(2 seats): David Naghi (LD) 1286; Martin Cox (LD) 1281; Tony Dennison (Con) 1010; Scott Hahnefeld (Con) 858; Bruce Heald (Lab) 316; Caroline Burns (Green) 270; Hannah Patton (Green) 242. Turnout 40%.
FANT (1 seat) Alistair Black (Con) 727; Fran Smith (LD) 661; Paul Harper (Lab) 542; Stuart Jef- frey (Green) 526. Turnout 38%.
HARRIETSHAM & LENHAM (1 seat): TomSams (Ind) 1175; Maz Michaelas (Con) 827; Jeanne Gib-
A CABINET restructure will save taxpayers £12,000 – though the Lib Dems claim the ruling Tories stole the idea from them. There are now four rather than five mem-
bers in council leader Chris Garland’s cabi- net. The portfolio for leisure and culture, previously held by Cllr Richard Ash, has been redistributed among the remaining four post holders. They are Malcolm Greer (economic de- velopment and transport); John Wilson (communities and leisure); Marion Ring
24 South son (Lab) 122. Turnout 48%.
HIGH STREET (1 seat): Fran Wilson (LD) 853; Valerie Parker (Con) 533; Marianna Poliszczuk (Lab) 333;Wendy Lewis (Green) 176; John Stanford (UKIP) 163. Turnout 32%.
LEEDS (1 seat): Peter Parvin (Con) 623; Juliet Maddocks (Ind) 187; Maggie Lack (Lab) 129. Turnout 50%.
LOOSE (1 seat): Susan Grigg (LD) 519; Steve Sheppard (Con) 413; Joshua Amos (Lab) 49; Denise Hay (Green) 47. Turnout 52%.
MARDEN & YALDING (1 seat): Anabelle Blackmore (Con) 1612; Carol Jacques (LD) 425; Edith Davis (Lab) 317; James Shalice (Green) 188. Turnout 44%.
NORTH(1 seat): MervynWarner
(environment); and Eric Hotson (corporate services), who has just ended his year as mayor. The revamp was partly due to Ben Sher-
reard, previously the environment cabinet member, not standing for re-election for Loose ward at the local elections. But op- position leader Fran Wilson was "fuming" when she heard Cllr Garland’s plan. She accused him of “stealing our own
idea – lock, stock and barrel” as the Lib Dems had already formed their shadow
servatives.” The Labour uplift did not produce a win-
ner and the party continues without a seat. The drama of the count was prolonged by former Mayor Pat Marshall’s determined at- tempt to regain the Independent seat in Bearsted she lost last year. But it was disap- pointment again in a two-seat election in this ward. She said this was her last attempt. There are many new faces:
FANT – Alistair Black (Con) has returned after 50 years in human re- sources in Harare, Zim- babwe. The 75-year-old wrote from there to David Cameron incensed by the Parliamentary expenses scandal – and the Prime Minister introduced him to local politics.
LOOSE – Susan Grigg (Lib Dem) helps her hus- band run the Chequers pub in Loose village. The local JP has two children.
SOUTH – Mike Hogg (Con) lives in Beacons- field Road, Tovil, and this year celebrates his silver wedding, with the help of five children. He is a prison officer at Cookham Wood Young Offenders’ Prison, Rochester.
(LD) 871; Jeff Tree (Con) 782; Keith Adkinson (Lab) 330; Charles Elliott (UKIP) 152;Derek Eagle (Green) 140. Turnout 38%.
SHEPWAY NORTH (1 seat): Marion Ring (Con) 1139; Geoff Harvey (Lab) 589; Geoffrey Samme (LD) 193; Stephen Mug- geridge (Green) 157; Gary Butler (BNP) 102. Turnout 34%.
SOUTH (1 seat): Mike Hogg (Con) 1242; John Wilson (LD) 1171; Richard Coates (Lab) 338. Turnout 44%.
STAPLEHURST (1 seat): Richard Lusty (Con) 1211; John Randall (Lab) 288; Ralph Austin (LD) 228; Ian McDonald (Green) 148. Turnout 43%.
SUTTON VALENCE & LANG- LEY (1 seat): Paulina Stockell (Con) 735; JeanHarvey (Lab) 156; Susan Austin (LD) 112. Turnout 49%.
Lib Dems claim cabinet revamp idea was ‘pinched’ by Tories
cabinet on the premise of dropping one post. But she claimed Cllr Garland felt that leisure and culture portfolio was “non-im- portant” whereas the Lib Dems were “pro- tecting” it by making it part of the regeneration and community services posts.
There are two new faces in the shadow
team – David Pickett (corporate services) and Derek Mortimer (community services). Tony Harwood (regeneration) and Rob Field (environment) continue in their posts.
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