Pat hands over Gearing up for May elections By Dennis Fowle
charity reins AFTER a decade helping the elderly, Pat Thomas is looking for a new challenge. The chairman
of Age UK – the charity formed from Help the Aged and Age Concern – says after eight years in the chair, it’s time for new blood. Mrs Thomas said: “I’ve loved
my time with Age UK, but fresh ideas will take the organisation forward.” Her husband – also Pat – took
on the job as treasurer. She has seen the organisation’s turnover rise from £230,000 to over amil- lion in her time at the helm. Her proudest moment was opening the charity’s dementia unit, the Goodman Centre, in Egremont Road, Bearsted. AgeUKruns 13 day centres in Maidstone and provides the eld- erly with services including foot care, home bathing and com- puter courses. Mr andMrs Thomas, who live
in Abingdon Road, Barming, will continue their work for Ro- tary and the Freemasons. The husband and wife team handed over the Age UK mantel to BrianVyzzard (chairman) and his wife Carol (treasurer) at the charity’s AGM in October.
Sleep disorder factor in death
A 55-YEAR-OLD man who was found dead at his lodgings in Carman’s Close, Loose, had a heart problem and suffered from a sleep disorder, a Maid- stone inquest heard. Coroner Patricia Harding
ruled that photographer Timo- thy Fenton died from natural causes at the home he had rented for two months. A post mortem examination showed he had a very enlarged heart. He had been diagnosed with sleep apnoea, which can involve pauses in breathing. Ms Harding said these two factors caused his death and his high body mass index was also relevant. Mr Fenton, who lived alone, was found dead on April 1.
Shop help needed HI Kent, the local charity for people with hearing loss, is looking for volunteers to help run its Christmas Shop inWeek Street, Maidstone. Theshopwillbeopenuntil Saturday, December 14, six days a week. Full training will be given,
and a DBS criminal check will paid for by the charity. Anyone who would like to
help can call Liz Clayton on 01622 691151 or e-mail
l.clay-
ton@hikent.org.uk
28 Town
MAIDSTONE’s Lib Dems be- lieve they have a real chance next May of depriving the Con- servatives of overall control of Maidstone Council. They also believe Jasper Ger-
rard is working well enough to win the Maidstone and The Weald constituency at the next general election. The Conservatives, however, believe their overall council majority of three will be too strong to overturn, and they see good prospects of gains in other wards in the election year that bring pressure on some Lib Dem seats. They also see MP Helen
Grant cementing her position after three years in office, with her increasing roles in the con- stituency and her recent ap- pointment to the high-profile role as Minister of Sport and Equalities. The current state of parties
on Maidstone Council is: Conservatives Lib Dems
Independents Labour
30 19 5 1
With support for parties at a national level so difficult to read just now, and with UKIP hoping to continue as major players, forecasting local elec- tions next May is almost im-
possible. LibDemswillwanttosee
much brighter national opinion polls to boost local confidence after three years in a coalition Government. All parties will be concerned
about growing local interven- tion of UKIP candidates, espe- cially on a May election day to be shared with the European elections. Recent history sug- gests the Tories may have most to fear. Therewillbecontestsin18 wards. The Tories hold big ma- jorities in Bearsted, Boxley, Headcorn, Marden and Yalding, Shepway North and Staple- hurst. The Lib Dems ought to be safe in Allington, Coxheath and Hunton, East, High Street and North.
“THE Lib Dems must not be seen only as the party of ‘tree huggers’ and must explain bet- ter why we depend upon a healthy environment,” said Cllr FranWilson. “We understand that well- planned and located develop- ments with excellent green open space can deliver for peo- ple, economy and wildlife.” Cllr Wilson also gave her
views on policies and cam- paigns. She confirmed Lib Dem
That leaves seven wards – Bridge, South, Fant, Harriet- sham and Lenham, Heath, Park Wood, Shepway South – in- volved in the real heat of the battle. Conservatives will de- fend four and Lib Dems three. It is possible one or two well- known councillors will not be seeking re-elec- tion. The Lib Dems’ Steve Beerling. right, is standing down in Fant and health problems will force retirements, meaning two seats may be contested in some wards. Local parties are gearing themselves for a very tough bat- tle – and the election is still five months away.
‘We are not just tree huggers’
support for how officers calcu- late the five-year land supply. This was subject to local criti- cism and deep scrutiny by councillors. She sees traffic congestion as
a key issue linked to economic and human health. She questions the business
case for economic development at M20 Junctions 7 and 8, while other sustainable business loca- tions, some with planning per- mission, remain derelict.
‘Use greenfield sites on our terms’
THE biggest policy/campaign- ing issue now to be driven by Maidstone Lib Dem leader Cllr Fran Wilson and her deputy Tony Harwood is the local plan and use of greenfield sites for development. “With the Government still pushing up housing numbers throughout the UK we cannot possibly campaign for little or no development on greenfield sites. That would be undeliver- able and dishonest,” she told Downs Mail. “It is inevitable this will have
to take place – but regeneration must be the priority – and where greenfield sites are re- leased they must be in the right place with development of the right type sympathetic to the local environment. “The council knows it faces unpopular decisions in approv- ing housing on valued acres in various parts of the borough,” added Cllr.Wilson. “It is an un- palatable part of leadership – a duty we have to perform. But it must be on our terms.” She added the Lib Dems strongly disagree with the Con- servatives on some principles which should be central to mak- ing these difficult decisions. “We believe the council’s sec-
ond priority: ‘for Maidstone to be a decent place to live’ should be promoted above the current
Jasper Gerard, the Lib Dems’prospective parliamentary candidate with protestors at a dog show in BluebellWood
first priority: ‘for Maidstone to have a growing economy’. A growing economy does not au- tomatically make Maidstone a decent place to live. “We are concerned the bor-
ough is not doing enough through its evolving local plan policies to ensure that develop- ers prioritise regeneration sites over greenfields and that the current administration has not been robust enough in identify- ing and safeguarding greenfield sites local communities con- sider too important to lose. Bluebell Wood, off Hermitage
Lane, is a perfect example of a precious and irreplaceable land- scape currently under threat. “Developers must not monop-
olise the future direction of de- velopment. Local residents must also meaningfully influ- ence the process. “The Lib Dems must work
with and influence the Conser- vatives to agree the best local plan strategy for the people, en- vironment and wildlife of the borough. Thismust be achieved quickly – because delay means developers will have freedom to build without council control.”
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info@downsmail.co.uk
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