downsmail.co.uk RESULTS in the May 22 Maidstone


Are we in for a dirty election? MailMarks


Council elections are unpredictable. This inspires hope for all candidates (Conservatives, Lib Dems, Labour, UKIP, Greens, Independents etc) and an understandable determination to succeed. It also brings a great danger that truth


will be the loser and there are real concerns this could become Maidstone’s dirtiest ever election. Voters need to be very aware – and question everything that comes through leerboxes. Opponents believe there is a chance of


taking three or fourwards off the Conservatives, whichwould deprive them of an overall majority. Thatwould lead to hurried deals to control the council. I believe the leaders of the two main Maidstone parties – Cllr Chris Garland (Conservative) and Cllr FranWilson (Lib Dems) –want the election fought honestly on important local issues. The Downs Mail keeps advocating this –


but the dirty tricks brigades will be difficult to control in the next fewweeks. I give one example from a Lib Dem publication delivered to my East Farleigh home. It accused Cllr Garland of telling a council meeting that traffic jams proved Maidstone’s success and if you did not like it you should move out. That seemed odd –


Mote development proposal and has made a grant of £15,000 to the club to help submit a powerful planning application for an enabling development that will be considered separately from the emerging Maidstone local plan. Part of this planning exercise will be consultation with statutory consultees such as Sport England. More sports now show keen interest in being part of a regenerated Mote and helping to secure this precious but endangered site for generations to come.


Response by Dennis Fowle, chairman of The Mote CC Development Commiee


England flag blues


Dear Sir – I have thought for some time that the Maidstone town centre manager, Bill Moss, is completely out of touch with what shoppers really want, but now he has apparently proved that he is totally out of touch with England. In your article about the town marking St George’s Day, he states: “Let’s wave the red, white and blue flag”. It is unbelievable that a man in his job does not appear to realise that St George is the patron Saint of ENGLAND, that the flag of ENGLAND, represented by the cross of St George is ONLY red and white. I hope Mr Moss is not involved in any


way with the preparations of making April 26 a “traditional English day”, and that someone on the council does indeed know what the ENGLISH flag looks like.


Contact our team ...


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


Dawn Kingsford


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


Maidstone South April 2014 27


DENNIS FOWLE President dfowle2011@aol.com


so I checked. Cllr Garland says thewebcast shows he said to one councillor “if he wanted to live in a dead town he should move elsewhere”. Too oen the Lib Dems are accused of


being Fib Dems. This will bring revenge aacks, oen personalised. It is a very sad way to run an election campaign. As voters we need to be suspicious.





It looks like 19,600 It seems evidence for 19,600 new houses


for Maidstone up to 2031 is stacking up. KCC leader Paul Carter challenges the figure and the Lib Dems dislike it even more than the Conservatives. But their challenges look futile atworst and marginal at best. Their best hope seems toworkwell in


unison to try to prove to a Government local inquiry such a target is not achievable. The council is now floating a figure of 17,100.


Maidstone is not alone in facing this


If there are any red, white and blue flags around for the celebrations, I for one won’t be aending. It’s about time we English stood up for ourselves, and started being proud to be English – I am. Judith Pennington, Whitchurch Close, Maidstone


St George confusion


Dear Sir – Regarding your story on St George’s Day in the March Downs Mail, could you please tell Bill Moss that the English flag has not got any blue in it...thanks.


David Brooks, by email


It is safe to assume that Mr Moss got a lile confused between the Union Flag and the St George’s Cross. Given the current debate over independence, it is just as well he was not in Scotland and made a similar mistake regarding the St Andrew’s Cross.


Response by Stephen Let us speak our minds


Dear Sir – We have to agree with Jean and Malcolm Beaton (“Comments not welcome”). We have always been happy to read Mr


Fowle’s comments in his Mail Marks column, even though we might not agree


challenge. Tonbridge and Malling has announced an evidence-based target of 13,000. The national political drive for extra housing is really on – and there will be few King Canutes successful in holding back Government policy. The big question for Maidstone is:


where? The dra local plan has been published andwe are now in the period of public consultation (closing May 7). Aer a council scrutiny meeting some proposed sites have been dropped, most notably Fant Farm with its high-grade agricultural land. I cannot believe the Lib Dems played politics and did not contribute to this key meeting. Three or more significant urban sites


came forward, at the 11th hour, including part of The Mall/Chequers proposed redevelopment and the Haynes site. These could take 1,000 or more houses and relieve pressure on greenfield land. Hopefully urban Maidstone can take more. I hope much development can be concentrated close to the M20. This will relieve pressure on our other stretched highways. The council presses for more land to become available in Lenham, a village with many good services that, perhaps, could one day have a direct link with the M20. Overall that makes sense.


with them. It is a mark of a free press that we are all allowed to express our opinions. However, the new leers page format allows the editorial team to commandeer this forum in addition to the Mail Marks facility and we do not feel it is a progressive step. Your readership is an intelligent bunch, well able to work out what is going on and we are afraid your responses do belile the valid views of those who take the trouble to write to you. For example: Response to Peter Edwards: “Your definition of an irresponsible councillor differs to mine.”


Response to James Colle: “I expect the thinking behind the conversion of The Lime Tree to residential was that there are other places to eat nearby.” Response to Ian Stuart: well, all of it. All of the above were printed in the same column as Mr and Mrs Beaton’s leer. Maidstone Council does not listen to its electorate and publications like Downs Mail offer an opportunity to let other readers know they are not alone in their worries. In the past, any responses by the editorial team have been limited to a single sentence, possibly expanded in an actual column in the main body of the paper. Please restore this to the previous format. The public likes to read the public’s opinions in the Comment section; you have the whole paper to voice yours.


Steve and Jeanne Gibson, Birling Avenue, Bearsted


Comment


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