National award puts Mote Park in nation’s top three
MAIDSTONE’S Mote Park has been placed in the top three of the nation’s parks. The park won the bronze award in the Green Flag Peo- ple’s Choice Awards, recognis- ing it as one of the nation’s favourite parks, behind Margam Country Park, Neath, and Victoria Park in the Lon- don borough of Tower Hamlets The awards, organised by
Keep Britain Tidy, gave the public the chance to vote for their favourite park in the UK
No concert hall
for town centre MUSIC fans will not get a con- cert hall in Maidstone any time soon, the council’s ruling party has warned. Tory leader Chris Garland
was responding to an idea put forward by Lib Dem councillor David Pickett for a performance house at Lockmeadow. Cllr Garland said: “We would
be looking at a price tag of some £30million plus and the coun- cil simply hasn’t got that kind of money at this time and, even if it had, there are things far higher on the priority list.”
SeeMail Marks – page 36
from those awarded Green Flags over the year for their ex- ceptionally high standards, ex- cellent facilities and strong community involvement. As there were a record break-
ing 1,448 parks and green spaces to receive a Green Flag Award this year, Mote Park’s achievement was even more impressive. Mote Park is home to 11
sports pitches, a play area, pitch and putt course, café, miniature railway, a model boat
club and angling on the lake. A £2.5million restoration project in 2012 – part funded by a £1.8million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Big Lottery Fund – saw im-
provements to parkland, paths and car parks, as well as new trees and bridges. The 1840s waterfall and neo- classical volunteers pavilion were also restored.
Villages face mail changes
THE increasing use of email means residents in several local villages could soon find their mail taking longer to arrive. Royal Mail has announced it is
to re-schedule its rounds in post- codes ME17 and ME18, which take in Coxheath, Kingswood, SuttonValence, Linton, Langley, Benover, Yalding and Ladding- ford. The organisation says it is necessary to make routes “as ef- ficient as possible”. However, while the current Monday-Sat- urday delivery service aims to deliver by 2pm at the latest, the planned changes could see mail arriving as late as 4pm.
Royal Mail has written to
every home and business in the areas affected and delivery sec- tor manager Dominic Best said: “We are introducing the changes to maintain and protect services and to keep our prices as low as possible. These changes have al- ready been made in many parts of the country and will be intro- duced in more areas over the comingmonths.” The changes mean mail could
be delivered by someone other than the regular postmen, as it could be sorted at different cen- tres, and delivery times could vary, depending where proper-
ties are located on the new routes. Although deliveries will startinthemorningasusual,the working day will be extended. News of the changes coincided with the Government’s an- nouncement that it is to priva- tise Royal Mail. In Yalding, postmen have al-
ready lost their bicycles which have been replaced with an ad- ditional van and a trolley. It is understood the postmen
are less than happy with the new regime and there have been complaints that the trolley is causing damage to the historic cobbles in the village centre.
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