Locality boards for the ‘big spenders’


COUNTY and district councils in Kent are preparing a new way ofworking together for the community’s benefit. Locality boards are being touted as the


way forward and leadingmembers of Maid- stone Council have already spoken in favour. It has been suggested four boards could


cover the whole county. They would work alongside the existing Kent Forum, chaired by KCC leader Paul Carter, who is very keen on the idea of boards. They would advise on the public service priorities for the locality, with the aim of improving local accountability to residents


for those services. Each board’s core membership would be


the divisional county councillors and an equivalent number of district council cabi- net members, though Cllr Carter has sig- nalled the need to avoid a ‘one size fits all’ approach. Maidstone’s Tory leader, Chris Garland,


Council is facing a ‘tough year ahead’ MAIDSTONE Council faces another financial squeeze in 2011- 12, but not as tight as last year. Leader Cllr Chris Garland said £1.2m would need to be saved


from the council budget of around £20m. But it would not be as tough as last year when £1.9m had to be trimmed, he told June’s full council meeting


Angie takes over


Inner Wheel THE Inner Wheel Club of Maidstone welcomed Angie Evans as its new president for the year aheaad. Angie (pictured) is retired


after spending 27 years working in her husband’s civil engineering firm.


First lady hands over


MP Helen Grant with president Peter Bodycombe cutting a celebration cake.


Rotary raises £250k for good causes in 20 years


MEMBERS of the Rotary Club of Maid- stone congratulated their first lady presi- dent, Pat Thomas (pictured), in almost 90 years on her success when she handed over.


New president is James Boswell, of Mar- den, a former district governor.


Extension refusal APPLICANT Nigel Heynes was denied in his attempt to erect a side extension and convert a garage into living accommodation at a home in Franklin Drive,Weaver- ing.


Maidstone Council felt the development would, by virtue of its siting, height and proximity, have an overbearing impact upon a neighbouring property.


THE Rotary Club of Maidstone Riverside celebrated its 20th anniversary with a din- ner at the Russell Hotel in Maidstone, at- tended by 80 local Rotarians including many of the original members of the club. In his address Peter Bodycombe, presi-


dent of the club, mentioned thatmore than £250,000 had been raised for good causes – locally, nationally and internationally.


Cobtree parking MAIDSTONE Mencap has applied to add 18 new park- ing spaces at Cobtree Hall,Willington Street, Maidstone. Twelve of the spaces are proposed to the west of the


hall, with the remaining six to the south. Maidstone Council will decide on the planning ap- plication.


Police campaign leads to arrests A POLICE campaign that tripled the number of patrol officers coincided with 62 arrests in two weeks. Operation Radical, which ran in June, deployed 20


extra police officers per day and saw the recovery of 42 items of stolen property. Six properties were searched.


told councillors he welcomed locality boards. They could be a way of improving partnership working. By bringing together the “big spenders” – MBC, KCC, health care trusts and police – the boards could “make a difference on the ground”, he added. Lib Dem leader Fran Wilson said: “If we can get them to work properly they are the way forward.” She added: “At this


point in time we don’t have enough detail but in general the principle is right.”


hospital route A £2M investment in bus services will improve travel to the new Tunbridge Wells Hospital with up to two buses an hour from Maidstone. Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS


Bus boost for


Trust is planning to spend the money over the next five years to enhance pub- lic transport for the hospital, which opens fully in late September. The trust will contract with Kent County Council, which will manage the improvements to the bus routes. The enhanced services will also mean


up to six buses an hour from Tunbridge Wells and three per hour from Tonbridge The trust says the new services will be phased in where possible before the hos- pital opens and progressively after that due to the need for bus operators to ac- quire new vehicles. New hospital development director Graham Goddard said: “We looked very carefully at all the local routes most used by patients, visitors and staff by analysing the data we hold. “From this it’s clear that the most ef- fective investment of the £2m is by fund- ing additional buses running to and from the key hubs – Maidstone, Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge to the new hospi- tal.”


Thaw in salt bins


policy for parishes PARISH councils will be allowed to buy their own salt bins at a cost of about £600, which would include two refills. The new system, agreed by KCC’s high-


ways scrutiny committee, changes the ex- isting policy of salt bins being purchased by Kent Highways Service after an engi- neer has assessed the need. There aremore than 2,000 throughout the county. In the past, parishes have asked for bins


and offered to pay but been refused leave to place them on Kent highway land. The committee’s decision has changed


that. Cllr Malcolm Robertson said: “KCC will now supply those bins – paid for by parishes – and allow them to be placed on the highway land. “Certain common sense safety and legal parameters will have to be met but they will not have to pass the old criteria test.” County councillors will still be able to


fund bins from their devolved highways budgets, added Cllr Robertson, who repre- sents Maidstone Central.


Green light for bungalow THE development of a new bungalow in Ware Street, Weavering, was given the go- ahead after an ecological survey indicated it would not cause harm to any protected species. In February, Maidstone Council’s plan-


ning committee deferred the application on land adjacent to The Retreat, close to the cul-de-sac end of Fulbert Drive, for an ecological survey as it is part of a recog- nised green route of back gardens running parallel withWeavering Street and linking up to adjacent woodland. The survey, undertaken in the spring,


found that no further work was necessary to safeguard wildlife on the land. Commit- tee member Cllr Tony Harwood said it was “inconceivable” that no protected wildlife was present on the land. However, the committee was minded to grant planning permission.


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