Councillors battling for your votes
THE budget is out of the way for another year, so now it is time to think about the other main event in the political calendar – the local elections. Borough council elections take
place on Thursday, May 3, and in Maidstone, just over one third of the seats – 19 wards – are up for grabs. There are also several parish elections that coincide.
Maidstone has 55 councillors. Of these, 30 are Conservative, 21Lib- eral Democrats and four Inde- pendents. There are no Labour members on the council at pres- ent, although the party is plan- ning to contest at least three seats in next month’s elections. It promises to be anerve-wrack-
ing time for several key figures al- ready in the council chamber,
There’s still so much to do Chris Garland, Conservative leader
MAIDSTONE Borough Council has been Con- servative-led for the past four years, and has gone from strength to strength. It is now being headlined as one of the top places for people to live and businesses to invest and trade. But there is muchmore to do to bring pros-
perity, decent housing and improve the lives of residents. The council must continue to change as the spending cuts continue, as we try to clear up Labour’s financial mess; but I believe that it will produce a council more in tune with what the residents of Maidstone want. Under the Conservatives, it will be even more efficient in the delivery of those services you depend upon. Maidstone Council must accept it cannot do everything it used to do. Yet a Conser- vative councilwill also continue to provide aspiration and a pos- itive outlook and vision for Maidstone. Your local Conservatives are determined thatMaidstone coun-
cil makes the most of ratepayers’ money in the delivery of key services, facilitating prosperity through regeneration and pro- tectingMaidstone’s rich historical and environmental heritage. There is hope and opportunity in these adverse times and a Conservative Maidstone can win, is winning and will win!
Independents ‘only credible vote’ Mike FitzGerald, Independents leader
INDEPENDENT councillors safeguard and promote the interests of the local commu- nity, without being dictated to by any par- ticular political party. They are free to ask difficult questions and during the past year the Independents coun- cillors have done just that. They have challenged decisions and sought justice for parish councils. They have challenged the CCTV move to Medway and the closing of the Tourist Information Centre in the Town Hall. People are fed up with politics controlling decisions. Road safety is a serious issue in Maidstone and Independents believe safer speedmake safer roads. Traffic congestion is getting worse, and thismust be addressed as part of the core strategy. We give a voice to residents and we champion the protection
of local countryside.We have an important role to play as pub- lic health transfers new commitments for the council. I ask you to come out in force and vote Independent, the only alternative at this year’s elections. Although I am stepping down, I will leave the council ensuring the Independent voice with your support can continue to drive change and deliver for the people of Maidstone.
Line-up of confirmed candidates
Thesewere the main parties’ de- clared candidates as Downs Mail went to press, although nominations do not officially close untilWednes- day, April 4. *= standing councillor ALLINGTON: Malcolm Robertson* (LD), Barry Ginley (Con) BARMING&TESTON: Fay Gooch* (Ind), Susan Black (Con), BEARSTED: Richard Ash* (Con), Geoff Samme (LD) BOUGHTON MONCHELSEA& CHART SUTTON: Gill Annan (Lab), An- drewLehegarat (Con), StephenMun- ford (Ind)
26 East
BOXLEY: Wendy Hinder* (Con), Mick Beckwith (Lab) BRIDGE: James Ross* (Con), Robert Field (LD), Bruce Heald (Lab) COXHEATH&HUNTON: John Wil- son* (Con), Martin Rabicano (LD), EAST: Martin Cox (LD)*, Tony Den- nison (Con) FANT: Stephen Paine* (Con), Paul Harper (Lab), Irene Shepherd (LD), HEADCORN: Richard Thick* (Con), Sarah Barwick (Lab) HEATH: Bryan Vizzard* (LD), Scott Hahnefeld (Con),Mark Naghi (LD) (two seats) HIGH STREEt: Denise Joy* (LD),
Paul Butcher (Con) MARDEN&YALDING: Sue Austin (LD), StevenMcLoughlin (Con) NORTH: Jenni Patterson* (LD), Jeff Tree (Con) NORTH DOWNS: Daphne Parvin* (Con), Ralph Austin (LD), Audrey Gard- ner (Lab), Carol Vizzard (Ind) PARKWOOD: Gary Cooke (Con), Debbie Fernandez (Lab), Daniel Mori- arty (Ind) SHEPWAY NORTH: Chris Garland* (Con), Jim Grogan (Lab), Alan Heyes (Ind) SHEPWAY SOUTH: Bob Hinder* (Con), Geoff Licence (Ind),Malcolm
McKay (Lab) SOUTH: Ian Chittenden* (LD), Vianne Gibbons (Con) The final list of nominations will be announced on April 10
Parish council seats up for eletion: Barming, Boxley, Boughton Mal- herbe, Boughton Monchelsea, Bred- hurst, Chart Sutton, Coxheath, East Farleigh, Headcorn, Hollingbourne, Hunton, Linton, Marden, Stockbury, Teston, Ulcombe andWest Farleigh. Vacancies exist at other parishes, in- cluding Yalding, where an election will also be held.
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however, including council leader Chris Garland who is up for re-election in Shepway North, along with fellow long-standing Tories John Wilson (Coxheath & Hunton) and Richard Thick (Headcorn). On the Lib Dem benches, county and borough councillor Malcolm Robertson will be fight- ing for votes in Allington, and for-
mer mayor Daphne Parvin faces the pollsters in North Downs. Another former mayor, long- serving leader of the Independ- ents Cllr Mike FitzGerald, has already announced his intention to retire. His seat in Boughton Monchelsea and Chart Sutton will be contested by Andrew Lehegarat for the Tories and In- dependent StephenMunford.
Time for leadership and vision FranWilson, Lib Dem leader
IT is time for real leadership and vision at Maidstone Borough Council. If quality of life and the economy are to be protected, council- lors must display toughness and innovation. Your Liberal Democrat representatives work tirelessly to ensure delivery of high quality residential and employment development. Our track record on defending our country- side is widely respected and we are champi- ons of the historic, literary and cultural legacy that should define our borough. However, it is increasingly hard to fightMaidstone’s corner from a position of opposition. In leadership,wewould tackle the twin scourges of congestion
and poor air quality. We would sweep away out-dated office blocks and replace them with commercially attractive new de- velopment.Wewould deliver a thriving town centre and protect our wonderful countryside. We know front-line services really matter, and despite current economic woes we believe quality services can be safeguarded. The decline in local service provision and the emphasis given
by the Conservative-led council to expensive pet projects is un- acceptable and wrong. It is clear that Maidstone Borough Coun- cil desperately needs a change in leadership and direction.
Making the borough a great place Patrick Coates, Maidstone & TheWeald Labour party secretary
MAIDSTONE Labour Party will work towardsmaking Maidstone a fantastic place to visit, shop and live. We will ensure that council activities offer maximum value for money. If elected,wewill seek to freeze councillors’ allowances to 2015, so that money is spent on front-line services. Labour will work to set up Neighbourhood Forums across the
town to engage local communities in local issues. We will seek to encourage good design in planning applications and seek planning gain from developers to enhance local neighbourhoods. We will encourage the council, housing associations and the private sector to build more affordable and social housing. We will fight plans to cut public services, while keeping the council tax base as low as possible every year. Travel, parking, speed limits, and roads are all areas of concern. Your Labour councillors will work with KCC to ensure that Southeastern Trains improve the service on the London-Maid- stone East-Ashford line as well as theMedway Valley Line. We believe it is possible to create economic growth through in- vestment in the arts and will ensure the Hazlitt Theatre and MaidstoneMuseum remain great resources for the community. We will work with local GPs to overturn the Tory Health Min-
isters’ decision to reducematernity provision at Maidstone Hos- pital and to improve health services.
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