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Town Centre Management update: Maidstone Business Forum


Making most of Portas funding THE town might have only re- ceived £10,000 of Mary Portas’s money to regenerate its retail landscape, but the Town Team is making a little go a long way. Andrew Simms, of Town Cen-


tre Management, praised volun- teers who had set up a team to focus on four aspects of promot- ing the town: marketing, regen- eration, events and culture. The group meets each month


and is looking at plugging holes in the town’s wi-fi provision. While wi-fi is available at Fremlin Walk and The Mall, there are gaps in Week Street and the High Street. The Town Team is also look-


ing at developing a website. Mr Simms said the work being done put Maidstone ahead of other towns, where there has been criticism that Mary Por- tas’s fund has gone to waste.


Taxi scheme MAIDSTONE’s taxi mar- shalling scheme has received some funding from the Muggle- ton Inn, in the High Street, but unless more money is forth- coming it will be forced to close. On Friday and Saturday nights, marshals keep queues orderly and support lone rev- ellers in need of help, but the service, which costs about £8,000ayeartorun,willend without a cash injection.


Car park plans HOUSING developers are ex- pressing interest in King Street car park, which is earmarked for demolition. Cllr Malcolm Greer said if


new homes were built, the res- idents would provide increased footfall in the town centre. He stressed that undercroft parking would be an essential part of any development.


Jazz festival date MAIDSTONE Jazz Festival will be held on June 29 this year, when the celebrations will be centred on Jubilee Square.


Restaurant plan is revamped


A NEW proposal has been sub- mitted to allay fears that a restaurant would destroy the character of the former home of Andrew Broughton in Earl Street, Maidstone. In January, Maidstone Coun-


cil’s planning committee voted to narrowly refuse an applica- tion for a restaurant with a glass box to infill a courtyard at No 31 – a former gentlemen’s club that was the 17th century home of town mayor Mr Broughton, who was court clerk in the trial of King Charles I. At the time, Mike Parkinson,


the council’s conservation offi- cer, said it was the most damag- ing listed building proposal he had seen in 35 years of studying applications. Applicant Neale Jackson has


now submitted a revamped ap- plication for a Thai restaurant, office and flat. His supporting statement said: “The whole building has a mixed use, con- sisting of a former gentlemen’s club and self-contained resi- dential flat in No 31 and office useinNo33. “No 31 has been vacant for


some time, following the cessa- tion of the gentleman’s club. It is rapidly deteriorating in con-


keeping with the character of the surrounding town centre uses.” The building is described by


Cllr Malcolm Greer, the bor- ough’s cabinet member for re- generation, as “one of the most prestigious buildings in Maid- stone”. The costs of doing up the


dition and is in need of refur- bishment and renovation. “The design of the rear exten-


sion has been simplified, both in terms of its visual appearance and use of traditionalmaterials, as distinct from the previous proposal for a contemporary glazed structure. The extension is subservient in form to the ad- joining building. “The design of the staircase enclosure on the rear flat roofed extension is also simple and functional; it will be more con- temporary in style utilising ei- ther lead or zinc clad elevations with a glazed elevation facing onto the new outdoor terrace area.


“The revised proposal offers


the opportunity to introduce a new mixed use which is in


Grade II listed building are esti- mated to be in the region of £600,000 to £700,000 but he felt the final result should add to the area’s attractions. During the earlier hearing Cllr


Tony Harwood, amember of the planning committee, said the previous proposal would have been “akin to putting a conser- vatory on to the Tower of Lon- don”.


Maidstone Council will deter- mine the latest application.


Cllr Greer said he would like to see Earl Street pedestrianised and made a leisure destination, for dining and cultural activities.


‘Business hub’ at post office No KCC at show


THE vacant PostOffice building in King Street lies at the heart of the town centre and is consid- ered ripe for development. Now Maidstone Borough Council is proposing to turn the period building into an innova- tion hub, to promote business start-ups and offer meeting spaces. Fast broadband will be an es- sential tool for firms working from the premises and the plan is to tap into the high-capacity fibre optic cable serving Maid- stone Studios. The building has been vacant


for eight years and KCC is said to be “enthused” by the idea.


KENT COUNTY SHOW


01622 633060 www.kentshowground.co.uk kentcountyshow


kentcountyshow 14 Malling You can e-mail the Downs Mail — info@downsmail.co.uk


KCC will not have a stand at this year’s Kent County Show because the authority is trying to save money. The council usually has a


large stand at the Detling event and last year it highlighted at- tractions across Kent. A spokesman said: “In these


tough financial times we need to make sure that our expendi- ture gives the best value for money so we have looked care- fully atwhere we can make sav- ings. This has been a difficult decision. We wish the Agricul- tural Society every success.” This year’s Kent County


Show takes place from Friday to Sunday, July 12 to 14.


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