Town Centre Management update: Maidstone Business Forum Bollards to prevent falls? Jubilee Square dug


COUNCILLORS are concerned at the num- ber of trips and falls being reported on the new stretch of pavement and road around Jubilee Square. Several incidents have been reported to


the council as a result of people missing their footing when moving from the pave- ment to the road. The town’s business forum heard that it


was sometimes difficult to tell where the pavement ended and the road began, al- though members were told that acid clean- ing of the stone would reveal that one was markedly lighter than the other. If this did not resolve the problem, the council might consider adding ‘visibility inserts’ to highlight the kerb. Bollards are also being installed to mark the crossing point.


Maidstone’s economic developmentman-


ager John Foster said the council would be monitoring and evaluating the situation. He said: “There have been a small number of trips and falls, but we are treating them se-


Still hope for


Portas money MAIDSTONE has missed out to Margate on the first round of awards from High Street guru Mary Portas. The Queen of Shops selected


10 towns each to receive £100,000 towards their regener- ation, including Margate and Dartford. Maidstone, along with dozens of other towns, missed out this time, but is still hopeful of procuring some in- vestment when the second round of awards are made in August. Win or lose, the town intends


to take full advantage of the ad- vice shared in her report – The Portas Review – and a meeting of town centre management and retailers is due to take place later this month.


Café Rouge opens DINING al fresco has taken a new turn in Earl Streetwith the opening of Café Rouge. The French-style restaurant


chain has opened in a former solicitors’ office and, as well as seating for more than 100 cus- tomers indoors, has an outside pavement café and will shortly have a roof garden. A new Chinese restaurant,


the Buddha Belly, is due to open on the corner of Pudding Lane and the High Street, while the former River Bar has been relaunched as Bridges.


SECURITY in Maidstone has been tightened up following the move of the CCTV camera oper- ation to Medway, the town’s Business Forumwas told. All CCTV cameras now record in real time, all the time, whereas under the previous system, there were some occa-


22 Town


Museum impresses visitors FOLK from all over the South East have been flocking to the newly-ex- tendedMaidstone Museum. The town’s Business Forum heard that vis- itors had been heading into the town from Folkestone and Faversham, as well as from the local area, and had expressed their surprise how good the newfacilitywas. The Victoria and AlbertMuseumand the NationalPortrait Gallery had


expressed an interest in working with themuseum to organise touring exhibitions, members heard. Cllr Fran Wilson said: “We are so fortunate to have it.”


CCTV move has improved security, forum told


sions when the cameras did not record and therefore vital footage could be missed. The forum heard that teething troubles with the new state-of-the-art system had now been resolved and the service was working well, although the police still had to drive toMed-


way to recover any footage they required. Discussions are ongo- ing as to whether footage can be streamed directly to the po- lice stations inMaidstone. Operator hours are to be ex- tended on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights to improve the service.


Mayor of Maidstone, Cllr Rodd


Nelson-Gracie, unveils the plaque to open Jubilee Square in Maidstone


riously and looking into it. Obviously, there are always trips and falls, whatever the sur- face.We need to identify how many of these can be attributed to the new design.” Police reported the layout of the square


was a great improvement, with much better sight lines, and the square was already proving to be a popular gathering place for people of all ages.


TRAFFICmanagement inMaid- stone is on a learning curve now that the town centre gas main replacement is underway. The initial closure of Knightrider Street seemed to improve traffic flows through the town, the town’s business forum was told. However, since one lane in Lower Stone Street has been closed, traffic has been backing up throughout the gyra- tory system, causing severe con- gestion on most major routes at peak times. KCC’s urban traffic manage-


up after opening PART of the newly-laid Jubilee Square has already been dug up. Within days of the opening,UKPowerNetworkswere called to carry out emergency works beneath the granite paving and a section was fenced off. The only works allowed on the square


for the next five years would be emergency works, the town’s business forum was told. All utility companies would be required


to reinstate the paving to its original state and this would be overseen by KCC to en- sure the quality was maintained. The council has retained a reserve of


spare paving blocks for future repairs and there are still small amounts of snagging and electrical work to be completed. Different types of cleaningmethods have


been investigated and the council is confi- dent the granite can be kept in a good con- dition. Areas around the bus stops are to be sealed, but the rest will be reviewed in a year’s time. Members were told the stone’s natural resistance to stainmay suffice.


Traffic changes would go to consultation


ment scheme has helped to al- leviate much of the congestion, by ensuring traffic lights change on a much more frequent basis. Cllr Malcolm Robertson told forum members: “They are doing the best they can to keep things moving.” A suggestion that Knightrider


Street remain permanently closed would be given full con- sideration and be subject to public consultation, members were assured, as whilst it ap- peared to alleviate some town centre problems, it was exacer-


bating them for residents in places like King Edward Av- enue and Campbell Road. Cllr Fran Wilson said: “This


area is really taking the brunt of the removal of traffic from the town centre. We have to find the correct balance between meeting the needs of the com- mercial sector and the rights of the residents.” Cllr Malcolm Greer assured


there would be full consultation before any changes were made which would impact on the neighbourhood.


Town gears up for summer’s


jazz festival THEREwill be more dancing in the streets when Maidstone’s Jazz Festival gets underway on June 30. Around a dozen venues have offered to host jazz bands, in- cluding Union Street, Week Street, Gabriels Hill, Market Buildings and Pudding Lane, as well as Jubilee Square. In a de- parture from previous years, in- dividual traders are covering the cost of the musicians per- forming. The Maidstone Museum Foundation is holding a jazz night and barbecue on Thurs- day, July 5. The Foundation, formerly the Friends of Maidstone Museum, exists to encourage support of the museum and to raise funds. Details of how to support the foundation can be found on the museum’s website at www.mu- seum.maidstone.gov.uk/sup- port and tickets for the event are available from the Tourist Information Office at the mu- seum, priced £26.50, to include a two-course barbecue.


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