Town Centre Management update: Night Economy Forum No need for ‘drunk tanks’ in town


MAIDSTONE won’t be backing a call for “drunk tanks” to cope with the problems of nighttime binge drinkers. The idea has won the backing of some po-


lice and crime commissioners, including Kent’s Ann Barnes, who are keen to tackle alcohol-related problems and keep policing costs down. The scheme sees drinkers who get so in- toxicated they cannot look after themselves cared for in holding cells until they sober up – and charged for the pleasure, as well as being fined for being drunk and disorderly. But police told members of the Night Economy Forum that the tanks had the po- tential to cause more problems than they solved – and that Maidstone already dealt with the issues effectively. It is estimated that it costs between £300


and £400 a night to hold someone in a police cell – more than a night in the Ritz – while police can issue a fine of up to £80 for an of- fence of drunk and disorderly. More than 31,000 people were given a


Clamping down


on beggars MAIDSTONE has become a “zero tolerance” zone for beg- ging, following complaints about the rise in the number of home- less and street sleepers. Police and social services have


been working with the council and other agencies to try to home those in need, while iden- tifying those who are coming into town with the sole purpose of harassing the public and beg- ging for money. The Night Economy Forum


was told that several arrests had beenmade in recent weeks, with offenders being bailed with the condition they keep out of the town centre. Although the condition would


only last until their court ap- pearances – likely to be the end of November or early December – this had succeeded in remov- ing most of the remaining beg- gars from the streets in the short term. Sgt John Marshall told mem-


bers: “If they re-offend, we can do it all over again.”


Design success MAIDSTONE graphic design company GeoMedia, based in the Royal Star Arcade, has been awarded the Independent cre- ative business award at this year’s Kent Independent Traders Awards ceremony. Andrew Dicker, of GeoMedia,


said: “We were incredibly pleased to win the award. Over the past five years we have worked really hard to integrate into the local community and to build a reputation for really high-quality design, so we are incredibly proud to finally have the recognition and to be an award winning agency.” For more information about


the company, go to geome- dia.co.uk.


28 Malling


fixed penalty for the offence last year, al- though it is not known how many of those would have been so drunk that they had to be held in a cell overnight. But Maidstone police sergeant John Mar-


shall told the Night Economy Forum that the street pastors and blue bus already dealt ef- fectively with people who were “drunk and incapable”. He said: “There is a difference between


drunk and disorderly and drunk and inca- pable.We deal with the former and the blue bus dealswith the latter. If someone is drunk and incapable, they should be in hospital or the blue bus – not a police cell. “Once we arrest someone, we become re- sponsible for their health and safety and there are all kinds of issues which compa- nies providing drunk tanks could face.” Town Centre Management chairman Paul Alcock said he was satisfied the town dealt with situations satisfactorily, as recognised in it being awarded the Purple Flag, and said: “People who find their towns are in


Cash plan for paving


SHOPPERS – and shops – in Gabriel’s Hill could soon bewelcoming happy feet. The council has been wanting to re-pave the street


for a long time, but has not had the funds available. In the meantime, the paving slabs have become increas- ingly uneven and dislodged. KCChas nowsaid it will contribute£50,000 towards


the work, while Maidstone is to receive a further £100,000 from the S106 agreement signed by Next, who are to develop a Home store in Bearsted Road. The project to redevelop Lower High Street is ex- pected to be cheaper than had been anticipated, free- ing up more funds, some of which could go towards the Gabriel’s Hill scheme.


Acouncil spokesmansaid: “The Lower HighStreet is


a capital project and there is likely to be an under- spend. Cabinet has decided thatMalcolmGreer, cabi- net member for economic and commercial develop- ment, will allocate this capital budget underspend to infrastructure projects such as Earl Street and Gabriel’s Hill.”


Ladies’ loo issues an inconvenience


MAIDSTONE Council is con- fronting the problem of what to do with ladies caught short in the night. Pop-up and portable urinals


have helped provide relief for male revellers spilling out of the town’s pubs and clubs – but the council has so far failed to come up with a solution for the opposite sex. The street pastors, who work alongside the Urban Blue Bus in aiding those the worse for wear due to too much alcohol, have repeatedly complained about ladies relieving them- selves in an alley close to their base at the Switch Café. At a recent meeting of the


Night Economy Forum, it tran- spired one lady had been seen attempting to use one of the male urinals. The council claims it is not


cost effective to buy or hire a portable ladies toilet – and there are other issues attached to the use of these, the forum heard. The meeting heard that lava-


tories in the Royal Star Arcade had been locked after reports of drug dealing, and women were left with nowhere to ‘go’. Sarah Robson, the council’s community partnerships man- ager, offered to take the issue up with head of environment Steve Goulette to see how the cost of


toilet provision compared with the cost of street cleaning. Officers had suggested that


the pubs and clubs could allow ladies to use their toilets, but Julia Lucas, proprietor of Banks, in Bank Street, said this was simply not feasible. She said: “The toilets are provided for our customers. Door staff have enough problems trying to control admissions, without people trying to get in with the excuse of needing the toilet.” A council spokesperson said:


“The cost of temporary toilets is prohibitive, therefore, we are looking at how other areas tackle the issue so that we can find a cost effective solution.”


Bank could find new life as pub TILLS could soonbejinglingat theformerKentishBankin Jubilee Square. The Wilson family, who run the Road House and Straw- berryMoons in Gabriels Hill, areplanning torestoreandrevivethe historic Maidstone building and turn it into a thriving pub. An application to carry out the conversion has been submitted


to Maidstone Council and, if granted, the new owners hope to have it open in time for Christmas. The plan is to restore the building, which includes a stunning


huge glass ceiling dome, with solid oak columns and panelling. The owners plan to operate as a free house, providing drinks


and food from 10am to 11pm. The Kentish Bankwas last in use by NatWest.


To contact Downs Mail just phone 01622 630330


chaos should come to Maidstone and see how we work as a partnership to make it a safe and good place to be.” Drunk tanks are popular in America and


parts of Europe as a way of saving police re- sources. Prime Minister David Cameron backed the idea of establishing drunk tanks in a speech last year, but did not mention fees for those who found themselves in them. But Sergeant Marshall said: “What would


be the point in locking up a 19-year-old girl whowas drunk and incapable then charging her £400 to get out? She needs looking after – not locking up. “We don’t see the same people every week


here in Maidstone. Once someone has been locked up for being drunk and disorderly, we rarely see them again – unless they come back to say ‘thank you.’ “One difficulty is knowing where to draw


the line between ‘disorderly’ and ‘inca- pable’. Police are trained to recognise that, whereas a private company would not.”


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