Maidstone Borough Council 7


Maidstone signs army covenant


A historic agreement has been signed between the Armed Forces and Maidstone Borough Council. The Armed Forces Community Covenant is a new initiative in which members of the Armed Forces and representatives of the local communities in which they live formally cement relationships and pledge to work together to ensure harmonious relations and greater cooperation. Lieutenant Colonel Ed Robinson, Commanding Officer 36 Engineer Regiment (Search), who signed on behalf of the Armed Forces, said: "We have always enjoyed very good relations with the community here in Maidstone and are extremely grateful for the support we receive. This covenant represents our commitment to maintaining and strengthening that relationship in the future." The signing came a week before a large contingent from 36 Engineer Regiment (Search) deployed to Afghanistan where they played a key role in developing the Afghan National Security Forces and keeping the deployed force safe from the threat posed by improvised explosive devices.


Hospice shop with a difference


The Heart of Kent Hospice shop which recently opened in King Street, Maidstone, is selling secondhand wedding dresses, with the quality of a boutique sales experience.


The shop also sells clothes, furniture and bric a brac and has a music department and coffee shop.


The bridal area provides brides with somewhere special to buy a dress, with comfortable areas for the bridal party to wait.


The shop welcomes donations – phone 01622 609143 for information, and 01622 791142 for furniture donation.


A new food hygiene scheme is helping diners in Maidstone make informed choices about where they eat.


The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme is a national initiative which allows people to check how clean their local restaurants, cafes, hotels, pubs and takeaways are.


Premises are marked from zero to five, with a zero rating meaning urgent improvements are needed, and a score of five showing the business has very good hygiene standards.


The rating is not a guide to food quality. It is worked out after the council’s food officer from the environmental health department has inspected the premises and looked at:


· how hygienically the food is handled – how it is prepared, cooked, cooled and stored


· the condition of the structure of the buildings, including cleanliness, equipment and other facilities


· how the business manages and records what it does to make sure the food is safe.


The Mayor, Rodd Nelson-Gracie and Lt Col Ed Robinson signed the covenant on behalf of the council and the armed forces.


Consultation thanks


Maidstone council is thanking local people who took part in its recent consultation on the borough’s Core Strategy and Integrated Transport Strategy.


The documents set out the planning and transport framework for the area until 2026 and in developing the strategies the council has sought to address local needs, especially for housing and economic development, with an emphasis on achieving continuing and higher levels of economic prosperity whilst at the same time protecting the environment and landscape that helps to continue to make the borough of Maidstone a special place to live and work in.


Now the consultation is over, the council will be progress to the next stage of adopting the plans, taking into consideration views raised in the consultation period.


Help for diners


The first certificates and window stickers have now been issued to food premises in the borough and although the business does not have to display them, it is likely that the best ones will choose to do so. This means now is the time to start to look out for the striking green and black certificates and window stickers.


The ratings can be found on the Food Standards Agency website: food.gov.uk/ratings from October onwards.


So far certificates and stickers have been sent to about 700 of the 910 food premises across the borough.


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