Lines drawn in kerb row Pub charity’s
DEMARCATION lines have been drawn as the dispute rumbles on over the safety of Maidstone’s new-look High Street. Despite claims from the coun-
cil that the new granite paving stones were safe and the pave- ment was easily identifiable from the road, reports of trips and falls continued to flood in. In a bid to counter the critics,
the council instructed contrac- tors Eurovia to spray paint a thin yellow line along the “problem” kerbstone edge, clearly marking the drop from the pathway to the road. The paint is only temporary, however, and will be replaced with “black nosing” in the af- fected bus stops, according to the town’s regeneration and eco- nomic development manager John Foster. Numerous people complained
to the council after tripping off the edge of the pavement by the taxi rank, across from the en- trance to The Mall. One woman, Carol Taylor,
broke one leg and badly sprained her other, while Maidstone Cllr David Pickett was another victim of the new-look High Street. There were four reports of bro- ken limbs from four different people in the space of a few days.
Maidstone Town Centre Man-
agement’s business forum heard that dozens of women had been seen tripping off the kerb in a similar lay-by outside Wether- spoon’s – and not just as a result of drinking. While Mr Foster ini- tially claimed people regularly tripped in town centres and it was necessary to identify those who had fallen as a direct result of the £2m “improvement” works, the council’s U-turn has been welcomed by opposition leader FranWilson. Cllr Wilson said: “Our three
High Street ward councillors had been dealing with complaints for a month before this happened. It took the borough a long time to accept there was a problem relat- ing to the structure, repeating the same mantra that the elderly and infirm often fell over in the town. “Many of the people who have
been affected by this are not eld- erly and infirm!
Temporary yellow lines mark the edges of the pavements
“When these reports started to
come in, the council should have taken some action. It is their re- sponsibility and it is only a pity they took such a long time to wake up to the fact.”
cracking down NEW traffic regulation orders have come into effect in Maid- stone High Street, following re- cent improvement works. Signs are now in place, and
Traffic wardens
both the police and traffic war- dens will have the powers to stop and penalise motorists caught flouting the law. Only buses and taxis are al-
lowed at the top end of the High Street and enforcement action will be taken against anyone caught in breach of the regulations.
scanner gift A PUB charity has presented a cheque for £7,929 to Maidstone Hospital to pay for a bladder scanner, after two of the pub’s regulars were diagnosed with bladder cancer. The Polar Bear Charity Foun- dation was set up at the North Pole pub in Wateringbury and has spent the last 18 months raising money for the specialist equipment. Zoe Wopling, owner of the
North Pole pub, said: “People were extremely supportive and generous and it is down to them that we have managed to raise the thousands of pounds needed for this piece of equip- ment.” Some of the events held at the
pub to raise money for the scan- ner included a charity ball, auc- tion and Christmas carol event. Rachel Field, a junior sister
from Maidstone Hospital, said: “We are absolutely delighted that the Polar Bear Charity Foundation has been so gener- ous and raised the money to buy Maidstone Hospital a blad- der scanner. “Wewould liketosay abig
thank you to everyone who do- nated money to the cause and also to everyone at the North Pole pub who held the events in the first place. We are very grateful for their support.”
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