Policy switch could see lights go out


COUNCILLORS are to identify areas where savings could be made from switching off street lights during the night. Maidstone Council needs to save not only money but energy and could be penalised if significant savings are not made. The council does not have to provide


street lighting except when it is linked to “demonstrable road safety”, although it has become common practice for all street light- ing to remain on all night. Street lighting costs KCC £5.1m each year


– and the cost could go up by as much as 10% this year. And with a carbon emission of 29,000 tonnes, the council could face a further financial penalty if the Government


KENT Police Authority has voted to freeze the police coun- cil tax for the forthcoming year and to accept a £2m govern- ment grant instead. The authority has agreed a budget of £274m for 2012-13 of which 68% is funded by the Government and 32% by the police council taxpayer. The authority and force are entering the second year of a major programme to find £50m


Excavation at


almshouses THE six Cutbush & Corrall almshouses in St Faiths Street, Maidstone, are to be extended and refurbished. Maidstone Council al- lowed the charity to under- take the work, which will include ground floor kitchen extensions at each existing dwelling. An archaeologist will ob-


serve any excavation to en- sure that finds and items of interest are recorded.


Extended hours DISABILITY charity mcch has been permitted to extend the use of its day centre at 84 Holland Road,Maidstone. Maidstone Council granted planning consent for the building to be used by mem- bers between 9am and 10pm seven days a week. Use was previously restricted to weekdays (9am-5pm), 10am- 2pm on Saturdays and for- bidden on Sundays and Bank Holidays. The consent was on condi-


tion that the garden area is used during restricted hours.


Obscure glass is a


planning condition THE Jubilee Trust has been given consent to move into a bungalow next toWillington Court, at 2 Ashford Road, Maidstone. Maidstone Council granted planning permission on con- dition that a rear dormer window contains obscure glazing and has restricted opening, to prevent over- looking of the occupants of 4 Ashford Road.


decides to impose a carbon levy. The Maidstone Joint Transportation Board


was told that light pollution and costs could be reduced in a number of locations with- out any detriment to road safety or increase in crime. “There is a clear difference between per- ception and actual data,” council members were told. In parts of Essex, for example, during a


trial to turn off lights between midnight and 5.30am, night-time crime was halved. Some energy-saving measures have al-


ready been introduced, such as replacing inefficient mercury lamps with energy-effi- cient units and adjusting timer setting to


in four years. However, policing services


will be maintained including the boost to neighbourhood of- ficers, introduced last Novem- ber as part of a reorganisation programme. The county was split into


three policing divisions –West, North, and East – and a new ap- pointment system has been in- troduced to enable victims of crime to see an officer at a time


make lights come on later at dusk and go off earlier in the morning. Cllr Gary Cooke said he had received a multitude of letters from residents on the subject and would certainly welcome the reduction of light pollution where appro- priate. He added: “This is one area where we are not as ‘green’ as we might be. It is also a good opportunity to save money while making life more comfortable for those affected by light pollution.” Cllr Malcolm Robertson stressed it was important decisions were made with care. “There are some places where this is the right thing to do and others where it would be quite wrong,” he said.


Police pledge to deliver despite spending cuts


and place of their choosing. Kent still has one of the low-


est police council tax rates in the country, with the average band D household paying £2.67 a week. Ann Barnes, chairman of Kent Police Authority said: “A one- year grace will help hard- pressed families and this decision means that those who are struggling are not burdened with more financial worry.”


Playscheme looking for workers MAIDSTONE Mencap playscheme is looking for supervisors and assistants to help run its Saturday morning and Summer Holiday playschemes. The scheme provides services to children aged five to 18 with learning and physical disabilities. Supervisors must have relevant experience and NVQ level 3 as a minimum qualification. Playscheme assistants are responsible for supporting a small group of children and assisting staff. Again, ex- perience is essential. A number of one-to-one carers are also required to support chil-


dren with particular needs. The Summer Holiday playscheme runs for three weeks from Monday, July 23 to Friday, August 10. For further information, contact Margaret Leeds on 01580 891512 or email mleeds_mencap@yahoo.co.uk


JobShops help young people find work TWO specialised JobShops have been launched by Mid- Kent College in a bid to tackle youth unemployment. The JobShops – at the Maid-


stone campus and inMedway – will advertise vacancies and match up local employers with suitable candidates. They will also help students with appli- cation forms, interview tech- niques and writing their CVs. Launching JobShops, Henry Nydam, chairman of Kent In- victa Chamber of Commerce, said: “With youth unemploy- ment at record levels it has be- come incumbent on all educational and business or- ganisations to do all we can to address the situation. I urge local employers looking for skilled staff to make full use of it.”


Henry Nydam with MidKent College’s head of business de- velopment Jacqui Brown


Safer roads around schools on the way SPEED reduction measures around Maidstone’s primary schools are to get under way in April. One of the first projects to be tackled will be outside South Bor-


ough in Postley Road, following a petition from residents about the number of buses using the road, aswell as complaints about speed- ing traffic. Maidstone has been chosen to pilot the speed reduction schemes, being introduced by KCC, which will involve the instal- lation of LED warning signs and 20mph notices. Discussions are taking place with the schools affected to min- imise disruption during the construction phase.


18 years sentence


for sex assaults WAREHOUSE- MAN Michal Tejkowski (27), of Enterprise Road, Maidstone, was jailed for 18 years after being found guilty of raping two young women in Brighton and the sex assault of an elderly woman in Mote Park. The judge at Lewes Crown


Court described Tejkowski as a “thoroughly dangerous man who had shown not a shred of remorse or human compassion towards his victims”. Judge Coltart commended PC ThomasMepstead, the Kent of- ficer who rang Sussex Police after watching a reconstruction on BBC TV’s Crimewatch. He spotted similarities in the Brighton attack on a teenager to the one in Mote Park on a 67- year-old woman onMay 6. Det Ch Insp Trevor Bowles,


who led the investigation, said Tejkowski’s crimes were “ap- palling” and added: “All three victims showed immense courage and strength through- out the police investigation and during the trial.”


Access for all event GOLDING Homes is holding an Access for All event to help find out what prevents dis- abled people from accessing services in Maidstone. The free event at Maidstone Leisure Centre, Mote Park, is on March 29, from 10am -3pm. There will be a wide range of stands and displays to high- light services and opportunities available to meet other people with disabilities and their carers. Free refreshments will be available and a free prize draw to win a Wii console plus Wii Fit and others prizes. Golding Homes owns and manages over 6,500 properties in the Maidstone and Tonbridge andMalling boroughs.


Prayer breakfast A WOMEN’s prayer breakfast takes place at the Salvation Army in Union Street on Satur- day, March 24, 8.30am-10am. To book a place, call the church office on 01622 681808.


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