Tories bruised by UKIP surge


VOTERS turned against the Conservatives – in particular the leader of Maidstone Council – when they took to the polls in Kent on May 2. With 28 seats lost across the county – 17


of them to UKIP – the ruling Conservative group just about managed to hang on to control of the county council, with 45 of the 84 council seats. But the leader of Maidstone Council


Chris Garland, hoping to hold on to the Maidstone South seat for the Conserva- tives, faced a humiliating defeat as the Lib- Dems snatched the seat from under him. Cllr Garland had hoped to retain the seat vacated by Alan Chell, only to find himself beaten soundly by Loose sub-postmaster Brian Clark, who took 47% of the vote, as opposed to Cllr Garland’s 29%. Such was the triumph for the opposition


group that Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg put in a personal call to the success- ful Cllr Clark. LibDem spokesman Jasper Gerard said:


“You can imagine ourman’s surprise when the phone rang – especially as Brian was serving a customer at Loose Post Office!” One of the principal issues against the To-


ries in Maidstone South was undoubtedly the recent controversy over more new hous- ing – and the additional traffic whichwill be generated – to the south of Maidstone, along with the debacle over the proposed bus lanes in Sutton Road and Loose Road. But Cllr Garland said: “The LibDems fought the county council election on bor- ough council issues. They sent out the mes- sage that to vote Tory wouldmean gridlock, but to vote LibDem would bring Utopia. They put out a very good message which had resonance with the public. “What they failed to mention is that they


Cllrs Chris Garland and Brian Clark


have been involved in the decision making on housing and transport from day one, and they know the process. The electorate that I spoke to understood our predicament as a council on both housing and transport, and were very supportive.” Shortly before the election, Cllr Garland


did an about-face on the Loose Road bus lane, claiming it would be impractical, but held on to the view that the Sutton Road section would still be workable. But local voter David Elphee, who lives


in Sutton Road, contacted the Downs Mail to say: “In answer to my concerns over the proposed bus lanes, Chris Garland assured me no less than three times in our short conversation, that the scheme had now been dropped. “I have since learned that the Wheatsheaf


to Armstrong Road section has been dropped, but the Sutton Road extension has not been signed off, therefore is still able to be implemented. “I broached the subject with him that to


widen Sutton Road to accommodate the ex- tended bus lanewould mean the demolition of the line of trees on the East side of Sutton Road, extending to Northumberland Road. He assured me this wouldn’t happen.”


Inquest into body in lake


AN INQUEST is to be held into the death of amissing Shepway mum whose body was found in Mote Park lake. Susan Hampton (64) was re- ported missing from home by her daughter Lisa after she found her mum’s home, in Northumberland Avenue, empty and the dog home alone. Police immediately began a search of the area, which ended two days later when a member of the public reported the sight- ing of a body in Mote Park lake to police. An inquest, opened on Mon- day April 29, recorded the


THE Samaritans says it is al- ways available to help when people go through tough times. Following recent suicides in Maidstone, the local branch of the charity has appealed to those considering taking their own lives to get in touch. Bill Legg, from the charity,


said: “The Samaritans are avail- able at any time to talk to any- one in despair – they don’t judge, won’t try to tell people what they should or shouldn’t do and every contact is treated with the utmost confidentiality.


14 East


cause of death as drowning. It will be resumed at a later date, following toxicology reports. Mrs Hampton spent much of


her life working as a carer, first at the Poplars in Tonbridge Road and then at the Dorothy Lucy centre in Northumberland Avenue. She had been suffering from depression following the death of her own mother in 2011 and had recently begun working as a volunteer at the Beacon Church charity shop. She leaves two daughters,


Lisa andHayley, and two grand- children Leah and Kyle.


Samaritans ‘always here to help’


Callers are in control of any dis- cussion. They are anonymous and calls can’t be traced.” The group is based at 48 Gre-


cian Street in Maidstone and there are about 80 local volun- teers, who give their time freely to help people in distress. The branch is open to callers


every day and can also be con- tacted on 01622 674444 or 08457 909090, 24 hours a day. Anemail to jo@samaritans.org


will be answered within 24 hours. The website is www. maidstonesamaritans.org.uk.


Cllr Garland said: “Neither scheme has


been ‘dropped’ nor are they likely to go ahead. KCC will make the decision and sign it off and, without the support of the Joint Transportation Board, it simply will not happen.” In the election in other parts of the town, LibDem Cllrs Dan Daley and Rob Bird held on to their two seats in Maidstone Central, with UKIP gaining 11% of the votes – the same as the Conservatives. They also retained MaidstoneNorth East,


with almost twice as many votes as the next nearest contender – again from UKIP. In Maidstone Rural East, Cllr Jenny Whit-


tle maintained a healthy clear majority for the Conservatives, winning 69% of the vote while KCC leader Paul Carter held on to his seat in Maidstone Rural North with a 600- vote majority, as did Tory veterans Cllr Eric Hotson, with a 1,000 majority in Maidstone Rural South and Cllr Paulina Stockell with 43% of the votes in Maidstone RuralWest. In Maidstone South East, Cllr Gary Cooke


was returned for the Conservatives with 44% of the vote – but just a 300 majority. Although UKIP is now the strongest op- position group in KCC, the LibDems still maintain they would take the parliamen- tary seat if voting patternswere repeated at the next general election. Jasper Gerard said: “A detailed analysis


of our performance by Lib Dem stat-man Geoffrey Samme has revealed that if these results were repeated across the con- stituency at the general election, the Lib Dems would be celebrating their first Ken- tish parliamentary gain in half a century.” 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.


MEET YOUR PCSO – Dave Rowley What attracted you to the job?


The opportunity to know I could make a difference to people’s lives. Each day brings different challenges, and mixing with people fromdifferent walks of life. It’s good to get out and about, and not be not stuck in an office all day!


Which part(s) do you enjoy most?


Meeting with the public and members of the community and helping to sort out residents’ issues. Making people feel that I have time to spend with them and not having to rush off; making people feel valued.


Which are most challenging?


Not being able to answer residents’ queries. Parking is a big problem in the villages, and it would be easy forme to say that it is not our problem. I will always try to sort this type of issue, but in the end I have to rely on outside agencies for matters like this.


Describe a typical day


I start by carrying out checks on my patch – any crimes and calls I need to make, prioritising those which are most urgent, then obtaining burglary packs to distribute to victims of crime.


I put in calls to parish clerks and my KCC warden, giving updates as neces- sary. Then it’s time to call victims to arrange to visit them, offering reassur- ance when appropriate.


I have to prepare crime figures for parish council meetings and generate posters and flyers for distribution to the


DAVE ROWLEY (57) covers Lenham and Harrietsham. He has been in the job for four years. Contact him on 101.


local community, offering advice and advertising police events in the villages.


Then it’s out to my area for some high visibility patrolling!


What personal qualities would you say you brought to the job?


Approachability, compassion, a sense of humour and the ability to empathise with victims.


Has there been anything partic- ularly memorable in your work?


One of themost rewarding was a call for an elderly lady who had gone missing. The lady had been staying with family over Christmas. My colleague and I of- fered to search for the lady who had gone out to walk her dog. As time passed the temperature dropped and there was no sign of the lady. We searched further afield and as we turned into Hollingbourne we saw the lady walking with her dog towards the A20.We were able to explain to her who we were brought her and her dog back to her relieved family.


What do you do to relax?


Spend time withmy family, eat out or go fishing.


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


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