Lines drawn in kerb row Outbuildings to


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 amonth 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!


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HYDRAULIC HOSES


FLO GAS


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.


become homes A PROPOSAL has been ac- cepted to convert a 19th cen- tury oast and Grade II Listed barn at Moat Farm, Collier Street, to provide five homes. The scheme will include the


use of existing outbuildings for garaging and ancillary residen- tial use. The supporting statement


said: “The setting of the her- itage assets will be enhanced through the proposed develop- ment, with improvements to the current landscaping and outbuildings, preserving their group value and removing detrimental aspects such as the modern agricultural buildings. “Residential conversionswill secure the future of these valu- able buildings, which may oth- erwise deteriorate, potentially leading to the loss of the her- itage assets.” Maidstone Council granted planning permission on condi- tion of a detailed scheme for the investigation and recording of site contamination. The de- cision notice added: “The pro- posed window in the west elevation of the proposed annex building shall be fitted with obscured glazing and fixed shut before the first use of that building as an annex and shall be subsequently main- tained in that condition.”


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