Candidates battle for county council seats
VOTERS will go to the polls in May to vote for their Kent county councillor. All 84 seats are up for grabs in the county,
with the exception of Medway, including nine in Maidstone. Polling takes place on Thursday, May 2,
and polling stations around the countywill be open from 7am to 10pm, with the count- ing taking place at several main venues thereafter. County councillors use local knowledge
to help the council make decisions on the essential services provided, including edu- cation, roads, social care, youth services and libraries. Kent County Council is one of the largest councils in the country and provides more than 300 services for about 1.6 million res- idents.
Annex refusal BARRIE Alder’s application to convert an outbuilding at Faith Cottage in Clapper Lane, Staplehurst, into a residential annex has been refused. Maidstone Council’s deci-
sion notice said: “The pro- posed annex, by virtue of its excessive size, prominent po- sition, and over-domesticated design ... would cause unac- ceptable harm to the charac- ter and appearance of the countryside.” Mr Alderwas recently given permission to convert an out- building into a holiday let.
Nominations do not close until Friday
April 5, and candidatesmay withdraw until the followingWednesday, but, as the Downs Mail went to press, the following people had been nominated to stand in the town’s nine key seats. Maidstone’s Tory council leader Chris Gar-
land is standing for the county council in Maidstone South, in place of Cllr Alan Chell, while two of the town’s LibDems, Brian Mor- timer and Derek Mortimer, are also fighting seats on the county council – in Rural North and Rural South, respectively. Maidstone Central (two seats) Rob Bird (LibDem)*, Paul Butcher (Con), Dan Daley (LibDem)* Maidstone North East Annabelle Blackmore (Con), Ian Chittenden (LibDem)*
Maidstone Rural East Jim Grogan (Lab), Geoff Samme (LibDem), Jenny Whittle (Con)* Maidstone Rural North Mike Beckwith (Lab), Paul Carter (Con)*,Brian Mortimer (LibDem) Maidstone Rural South Eric Hotson (Con)*, Derek Mortimer (Lib- Dem), Stephen Taylor (Lab) Maidstone RuralWest Martin Cox (LibDem), Paulina Stockell (Con)*
Maidstone South Brian Clarke (LibDem), Chris Garland (Con), Geoff Harvey (Lab) Maidstone South East Gary Cooke (Con)*, Malcolm McKay (Lab), David Naghi (LibDem) *denotes existing member
Rotary’s life-saving gift MEMBERS of The Rotary Club of Maidstone River- side have raised money for a defibrillator in mem- ory of the club’s former president Mike Baker, who died in December 2004, aged 33. Mr Baker had launched a community project to
provide debrillators throughout the town and sur- rounding villages. The sixth defibrillator was in- stalled at Brookside Nursery and garden centre in East Peckham. The equipment has been met through fund-rais-
ing and a grant from the Community Heartbeat Trust.
ColinNorgate, of the RiversideRotary Club, said:
Mike Springett, of Riverside Rotary Club with Terry Shead, of Brookside Garden Centre
“We know how valuable these portable defibrilla- tors are in helping save lives, so we had no hesita- tion in providing the funds.”
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