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It is inevitable that parking problems and anti- social behaviour will come into play, but the chaos caused by aendees of one show in late November is clearly unacceptable. The clear way forward is for the studios and residents to work together, so they can co-exist in relative harmony. The best advice would be to give detailed information about dates and times of upheaval to Boxley Parish Council, which is liaising with the studios. Response by Stephen


So much council aention


Dear Sir - Have any other long-term residents ofWalderslade or Lordswood been surprised by the level of aention they are now receiving from Conservative-controlled Maidstone Council? I’ve lived inWalderslade for over 25 years and, for the first time, I’ve received two leers, an eight-page questionnaire and a glossy leaflet asking for my views on fly- tipping, dog fouling and recycling. The council alsowanted to know my opinions regarding race relations,wage levels and crime, plus my ethnicity and age. If youwalk through our localwoods or fields you’ll see that the council has never done much about removing dog-fouling or fly- tipping, apart from puing up signs prohibiting it, and what can it do about race relations, crime orwage levels? These questions remind me very much of those asked in surveys carried out by political parties prior to an election, although this research is being funded by us, council tax payers, and not Conservative Central Office! Usually, at council election time, I don’t even receive a leaflet with my Conservative candidate’s name on it –my vote has been taken for granted. Now I’mbeing pursued and the council tax payer is picking up the bill.


Should this be called the “UKIP effect”? MikeWardle,Walderslade.


Mike, the first questionnaire was sent out by Maidstone Council to a sample of residents across the borough to find out what they thought about its services and priorities for the coming year. The second was a leaflet by Boxley Parish Council, the Walderslade Action Group and Maidstone Council inviting residents to aend meetings to circulate information on fly-tippers and other offenders. I am encouraged that the council is keen to find out your views on these issues and I hope you have


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Stephen Eighteen Editor stephen@downsmail.co.uk 01622 734735 ext 231


Diane Nicholls


Assistant editor diane@downsmail.co.uk 01622 734735 ext 232


Jane Shotliff


Journalist jane@downsmail.co.uk 01622 734735 ext 233


JCB used to steal cash machines


AMAIDSTONE man has been arrested aer a JCB digger was used to demolish the front of Tesco’s store at Grove Green in Maidstone, where two ATM machines loaded with Christmas cashwere taken. The 35-year-oldwas arrested on suspicion of robbery hours aer the early morning raid on December 16. The thieves le a trail of destruction aer stealing a digger from a nearby building site, which they tracked across the supermarket car park, flaening shopping trolleys as theywent. At the scene, which was cordoned off to


traffic, but not to shoppers following the robbery, the front of the building was badly damaged, with cables and computer equipment strewn across the car park. A Tesco spokesperson would not elaborate


on whatwas taken, simply saying: “This is now a maer for the police and we will be helping them with their investigation in any way we can.”


Unconfirmed rumours suggest the ATM machineswere re-filled on the Sunday night. The arrested man was bailed until February 10, pending further enquiries.


Maidstone East Edition January 2014 25 Dawn Kingsford


Journalist dawn@downsmail.co.uk 01622 734735 ext 233


provided a thoughtful and detailed response. From what I can gather, these leers were non- political, so were sent out by officers rather than the ruling Conservatives. Therefore, in these instances it should not have required an emerging party for the council to engage with its taxpayers. However, if the presence of UKIP is encouraging more public engagement among policy-makers, it shows the benefit for democracy of having political parties outside the status quo resonating with enough of the electorate to be considered a threat. Politics is like any profession: it needs competition to improve. Response by Stephen


Get realistic about parking


Dear Sir –AmI the only one that thinks that Maidstone Council’s planning members have their heads in the sand when it comes to counting how many bedrooms are in new or proposed developments against the number of parking spaces they require? All too oen, I read about new developments comprising of one, two or more bedroom dwellings yet the number of parking spaces at said development is only the same or thereabouts as the total number of dwellings. Your article in the last Downs Mail about flats replacing the hotel proposed at the boom of Tonbridge Roadwould have 25 two-bedroom flats and 12 one-bedroom flats, but only 38 off-street parking spaces. The possibilities of having only one car per bedroomwould mean that there could be 62 cars vying for those 38 spaces, and this ignores the fact that people have lives which include friends and family who might come to visit – where are all the cars going to park? Will Maidstone Council planning members ever actually use some common sense and realise that you need to have more parking spaces in these developments, especially those so close to the town centre, or do they all need to go back to school and do some simple arithmetic? R Planck, Barming


I imagine officers and members at Maidstone Council will be tearing out their hair in exasperation when they read your leer, as I know most of them share your concerns. The problem is that parking controls are guided by KCC. The only way the borough council can refuse a planning application for having minimal parking is if the county council objects on this ground,


which almost never happens. KCC tends only to object if the lack of parking causes a danger to highway safety. It is too late to stop this application, but focusing your lobbying on this particular angle is my suggestion the next time you are dismayed at an application that compromises space for vehicle users. Response by Stephen


Co-op store iswelcome


Dear Sir –We all need our Co-op convenience store in Lenham and it’s about time. I have lived in Lenham for many years, paying very high prices for food in the village shops. Peoplewant to stop and think – it’s all about cost today.Wewouldn’t have to travel to our large supermarkets eachweek for a large shop – no travel cost, no bus, no petrol in the car and no standing about in the cold weather. The Co-opwould be a lot cheaper for us all in the village. It’s okay for Gez Clark to shout about it, he has no desire for the supermarket plans because he runs a taxi firm. People use his taxis to go into town for a large shop, and if Iwas him Iwould get 1,000 signatures to stop the Co-op plans. We all need our Co-op,we do not need a Gez Clark. Itwould be a good time to change our town crier too. Name and addresswithheld


It is a shame that you did not want to make your name public, but this is understandable given the anger this Co-op proposal has generated in Lenham. I am on the side of the vehement voices in the village that believe an existing convenience store, baker, butcher, bank and greengrocer are major assets for Lenham that the Co-op could destroy. A local Co-op would not bring the same value for money and variety of goods you would receive at a large supermarket.With another convenience store already well-established in the Honywood estate, it would not even be the only place to buy food and drink late at night. The improvement offered by Co-op on what is in the village at the moment is minimal, yet it puts in jeopardy the viability of long-standing village businesses. However, I would like those in favour not to feel too scared to publically voice their opinions, especially as the store’s opening in Lenham is an inevitability. Response by Stephen


Comment


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