New look River Bar Source gains safety award
APROMINENT - but empty - riverside venue is set to be- come the latest outlet in Maidstone's
flourishing
restaurant economy. David Folb, who runs the Lashings nightspot in Upper Stone Street, has his eye on the abandoned River Bar, next to the Crown Courts. He plans to re-open it - pos-
sibly as soon as next month - as a brasserie and bar if talks about the lease are successful. The town already boasts 35
eating places - and is about to get more:
Restaurateurs have bought the former Post Office in King Street
The old Chiesman furni- ture store in High Street is to become a largeChinese buffet Mr Folb said he aimed to
attract a new type of clientele to the proposed brasserie, not "horrible people and yobs drinking outside".
He said it would be a cafe-
style eaterie, open from 7am till late at night, serving "tasty,
value-for-money
meals". As the DownsMail went to
press, Mr Folb was trying to negotiate a lease that did not "tie" Lashings in the way pre- vious lessees had been. He said the building is in a terrible condition and he had builders on hold, until the lease was signed. There would not be structural alter- ations but London designers would change its look. "It will be a place where
you can have a nice bottle of wine by the river and take in the ambience and the view, rather than having 10 pints," added Mr Folb, who is also chairman of the star-studded Lashings World XI cricket club. The brasserie would bear the Lashings name and contain cricket memorabilia.
THE Source Bar was voted runner-up in a town centre poll on night- time safety. The Rose Yard nightspot was two summers ago forced to close for a
few weeks following a police drug raid. Yet it was second only to JD Wetherspoon-managed The Muggleton
Inn in a poll of around 150 members of Town Centre Management. The Source Bar was applauded for safety measures that include being
the only venue in the county to have an ID scan on the door. Photos of every entrant are also taken and logged onto a computer for
police to review should they need to identify any customers who could have been involved in anti-social behaviour. John Drogo, the Maidsafe intelligence manager, said: “They have really pulled their finger out to make sure there is no trouble. Anyone trying to do drugs is reported.” Source Bar licensee Luke Bendall was also pleased to discover his
venue had been named runner-up in theMixmag Awards for best night out in the country. Thiswas for Coma, a house music event that runs bi- monthly on a Saturday night.
Maidstone Mela puts the unity in community
BANGHRA superstar Sukshinder Shinda, winner of numerous UK Asian music awards, will be head- lining the Maidstone Mela at Mote Park on Saturday, September 10. Sunday’s entertainment will fea-
ture music and dance from the Caribbean,Middle East, Africa, Eu- rope and the Indian Sub-continent.
Latest news update from Maidstone Business Forum
Jazz festival – so smooth! MAIDSTONE’s annual jazz festival was the “smoothest” yet – but it needs a new spon- sor for 2012. Ivan White’s Pudding Lane photography business has been the main backer for the past three years but it will be the last time, he told the forum. The event involved a record 11 different venues and three big bands, but the high- light was the appearance of jazz legend Acker Bilk (pictured) at the Great Danes Hotel. “He can still play a hell of a good liquorice stick,” said Mr White of the clarinettist, fa- mous for ‘Stranger On The Shore’.
Town centre manager Bill Moss thanked Mr White. “Without
Ivan’s sponsorship we would not have had a jazz festival. This year’s was the smoothest running we have had.” The challenge now is to find a sponsor for next year, he added.
Oiling the wheels of publicity
A BARONESS was so im- pressed with Maidstone’s volunteer-run Urban Blue busthatshe useditto launch a Government ini- tiative atWestminster. She also presented a £2,000 cheque to the Urban Blue team, which provides medical facilities for clubbers who sustain minor injuries and acts as a “safe haven” for those waiting for transport home after nights out inMaidstone. Helen Newlove was made a baroness
for the work she did in trying to tackle ju- venile alcoholism after her husband Garry was murdered when he chal- lenged three youths who were vandalis- ing her car in 2007. She fronted a recent ITV programme, screened on June 30, featuring Maid- stone’s night-time economy, which in- cluded Urban Blue’s key role. Town centre manager BillMoss told the business forum: “Money could not buy that kind of publicity. Maidstone came out of it smelling of roses.”
22 Malling
WORK on the much-heralded High Street regeneration is scheduled to start on Monday, September 5, and run for 32 weeks. It will kick off with enabling
works in the Lower High Street – removing planters, the bus lane and traffic lights. Thatwill coincide with new traffic orders which, among other restric- tions, meansmotorists can only enter Mill Street via Pudding Lane.
Maidstone Council’s project manager for the scheme is John Foster. He outlined a communi- cations plan to keep retail- ers, the public and others informed. A liaison office will be set up in King Street to han- dle queries, plus a 24/7 helpline and a dedicated page on the
Maidstone Council cabinetmem
ber Cllr John Wilson said: “This annual opportunity to celebrate community union and under standing brings so much wonder ful colour and vibrancy to Mote Park, and 2011’s Mela is set to be the best yet.
by Peter Erlam Communication plan for High Street
council website. Town Centre Management has
set up a sub-group for all stake holders, who will receive emailed newsletter updates. Leaflets will be distributed to retailers in mid-August explain ing traffic circulation during the project. Mr Foster said: “There will be temporary disruption There is no way round that bu we want to communicate wha will happen as much as we can.” Ivan White, who runs a pho tography shop in Pudding Lane, called for parking enforce ment not to be “over-zealous”. Meanwhile, Mr Foster praised
Kent County Council for con tributing £600,000 to the proj ect. “Let’s not forget it’s a partnership,” he added.
Retailers still believe in town
NEW retailers are moving intoMaidstone – at the same time as na tional chains are keeping faith in the town. Costa Coffee has just opened in the former Laura Ashley shop
in King Street, opposite the old Post Office, which itself has been bought by a small group of restaurateurs. Kent Reliance Building Society has opened a branch in High
Street and the old Chiesman furniture store is to become a large Chinese buffet, said town centre manager Bill Moss. Fashion chain Superdry plans to move into vacant premises a
27 FremlinWalk. Though TJ Hughes is closing its Mall Chequers branch, chains
Baroness Newlove hands over the cheque in front of Maidstone’s Urban Blue bus outside Westminster
such asWaterstone’s, Mothercare and Jane Norman, who are shut ting shops across the UK, are remaining in Maidstone. Mr Moss said: “It’s a great reflection on the strength and buoy
ancy of Maidstone that they are staying.” The town’s shop vacancy rate is 10.5%, which compares favourably with the rest of the UK (14.5%) and elsewhere in Kent
New tourist group to promote the borough A NEW tourist organisation has been set up in Maidstone. MarketingMaidstone Town and Country has now become Maidstone TourismAs- sociation and membership is open to companies, individuals, or anyone involved in tourism in the area. The teamworks with supporting bodies that include Visit England, Tourism South East and Visit Kent.
Have you got news for us? Phone our News Desk on 01622 734735
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