Latest news update from Maidstone Business Forum


THERE is a steady turnover of retail tenants in Maidstone but the town is doing better than elsewhere in Kent. The council's economic development manager John Foster told the business forum: "We are get- ting shops opening and shops closing. There is quite a churn at the moment." Mr Foster reassured mem-


bers that Maidstone "does extremely well" and has a catchment area of over half a million people. A third of the borough is within the most prosperous parts of the country. Cllr Malcolm Robertson


said the agents' mentality is that if they lower the rents it devalues their whole body of property. He added: "Rather than lower the rent


they will tolerate it being empty because they don't want to lower rents for the better times."


council on behalf of the Government. But the council is reviewing its discre- tionary business rates policy to "see what support we can give", said Mr Foster. Council cabinet member, Cllr John Wil- son, said the issue of empty stores is a na-


Olympic torch set for river MAIDSTONE aims tomake a big splash - literally - when the Olympic torch arrives in town next summer. The aim is that the River Medway will figure prominently, making Maidstone the only town in the UK to feature its river in the flame ceremony, though the Thames estuary will host it at some stage. After spending the previous evening at Leeds Castle on


July 19, the flame will be carried into town via Mote Park and the High Street, then down to the River Medway, said Councillor JohnWilson. The details ofwhat will happen have not been decided, but


the local sea cadets and rowing club have been contacted. The flame will arrive at London's Olympic Stadium on July 27 for the opening ceremony.


Use high-speed train, please


A PLEA has been made for local people to use the high- speed train service between Maidstone West and St Pan- cras. So far, take-up is "good" for the three morning and three evening "javelin" trains, which use the slow Medway Valley line before picking up speed between Strood and the capital. Cllr Malcolm Robertson, the borough's "rail champion", said:


RUNS and rain - there were Lashings of both during the charity cricket match between the eponymousWorldXI and aHouse of Commons team. The game, staged at Sutton


Valence, raised money for the 36 Royal Engineers statue ap- peal. Ilsa Butler, of Town Centre Management, which was in- volved in the administration, said ticket sales were "very


"The hope is that by November or December we may get a few more trains during the day in- stead of having to change at Strood." But he


urged: "Please use the high- speed line. The more it is used, the more chance we have of keeping it." Meanwhile,


he said the Medway Val-


ley line is the second fastest growing passenger route in the UK. Its stations have been heav- ily promoted as ideal starting points for walks.


Lashings of cricket...and rain!


slow". The afternoon itself was marred by rain and the game was reduced from 35 to 20 overs. Not surprisingly, the all-starLashings teamwon, by 44 runs. "I understand it didwellde-


spite theweather," added Ilsa. TheVillage Hotel recently


held a Shirley Bassey tribute night in aid of the statue ap- peal.


C&H Fabrics closed in Week Street this


year after managers complained about high rents andrates-thoughMrFostermade clear the rates are only collected by the


by Peter Erlam Empty town shops compare well


tional problem. He said: "Landlords just don't see the future," adding that once a major retailer pulls out, it is almost impos- sible to get them back. Cllr Robertson stressed Maid-


stone is doing a lot better than most Kent towns. He cited Mar- gate, which was recently said to have 36% of its shops empty, com- pared with Maidstone at 10% and a national average of 14.5%. He added that not many years


ago, Maidstone had few food shops in the centre but now has a Sainsbury and Tesco Metro in Week Street as well as M&S. How- ever, it had lost the Co-op, which had "served a purpose at the lower end of the market".


Cllr Robertson said Maidstone's inde- pendent shops are what differentiates it from out-of-town shopping centres such as Bluewater. "Speciality shops that you won't find elsewhere - that is why we mourn the loss of C&H Fabrics and the likes."


Hold your cannon fire!


THE first phase of the High Street regeneration is well under way - but no decisions have yet been made about Phase 2. There are exciting plans for the Lower High Street buttheyhave been put on hold due to tight local authority


fi-


nances. But the coun-


cil's economic de- velopment manager John Fos- ter said: "If, and when, Phase 2


University eyes


studios move THE University of Creative Arts hopes to expand its courses at theMaidstone Studios site. Answering a councillor's question, economic development manager John Foster said broadcasting courses are currently being delivered in "a small way" at the studios in New Cut Road. These courses


have proved very at- tractive and UCA, which is currently based at Oakwood Park, wants to ex- pand its range of courses at the stu- dios for up to 300 students. But he added:


happens - and we hope it will - the cannon has a new plinth to go on. There will be considerably more trees, new seating and new feature lighting. We want to make much more of it." Work on the


High Street it- self should be finished by next summer, with a two- week break over Christ- mas, from De- cember 22.


County Square


sounds good OPINIONS in favour of the space in front of the Town Hall being called "County Square" were heard at the business forum. The name was mooted by


In short...


THE annual Volunteers Week was recently held in The Mall.


IN the new year, the business forum will hold a meeting at Maidstone Museum to give members the chance to see its revamped EastWing.


"Lots of things have to happen before that investment can be made." Cllr Malcolm Robertson raised the


TOWN Centre Management will be holding another gala boxing evening on December 6 at The Great Danes.


issue as there is anextant planning per- mission for housing in the studio grounds. But he said there is a "synergy" be-


tween UCA and the studios and thought it would be good news for the economy and that area of specialism if UCA moved there.


To contact Downs Mail just phone 01622 630330


Lee Bennett, of Town Centre Management marketing. There had been three en- quiries about running a cafe in the redun- dant ground floor of the Town Hall, es- pecially as it has entrances to the County Square, she said.


Economic


development manager John Foster was impressed with the name and wondered if anyone had a better idea. But Cllr Malcolm Robert-


son warned that KCC might think of the space in front of its Sessions House HQ, op- posite Maidstone East sta- tion, as the county square.


Malling 19


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