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UKIP vow could put council in limbo


MAIDSTONE Council could remain without direction after UKIP insisted itwould not form a coalition with any of the leading parties. The party took four seats – its first


ever in the borough – to leave the council under no overall control after the local elections. Of the 55 council seats, the formerly rulingTo- ries now have 25, Lib Dems 19, In- dependents five, UKIP four and Labour two. Unless the Conservatives, whose


leader Chris Garland resigned the day after the election, join with the Independents, which may prove tricky, the only way an administra- tion could be formed is with UKIP being part of it. But UKIP Cllr Eddie Powell, who


was elected in Harrietsham and Lenham, told the Downs Mail: “We will stand alone.We may join forces on individual projects but we have no intention to go into a coalition with anybody.” CllrPowell (55),whoused towork


in advertising,moved toChegworth Lane in Harrietsham 12 years ago. He says his group is “anti building on greenfield sites; I amnot going to talk to anybody who is pro building on greenfield land”. He added: “There are brownfield sites all over the place that new housing can go on.”


He says he will also campaign for 20mph zones near schools and qui- eter road surfacing between M20 Junctions 8 and 9. Should UKIPmaintain its uncom- promising stance, it would be im- possible for the LibDemsto form an administration. The group, which has re-appointed Cllr FranWilson as leader and Cllr Tony Harwood as her deputy, might have accepted working with UKIPas itwants to re- duce the draft local plan’s 19,600 housing target between 2011 and 2031. Cllr Wilson said: “We41


‘Pre-loaders’


hit bar trade LICENSING laws aimed at turning Britain into a café culture have failed completely, according to landlords in Maidstone.


Pupils from Roseacre Jun- ior School, Bearsted, at the exhibtion


Pupils learn of life on land


NEARLY 3,000 children and staff from 48 primary schools were treated to a visual and highly practical lesson in farming and the countryside at Detling’s Living Land exhibition. The free school event was staged by the Kent County Agricultural Society as part of its charitable objective to educate 8


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Bar and nightclub takings are de- clining in the county town as youngsters drink heavily before coming to the town to party, the town’s night economy forum heard.


Bar managers and club owners are now planning their own cam- paign to turn trade back to the “halcyon” days of the 1980s when clubbers came out at 8pm – and were back home in bed by 3am. The town’s night econ- omy forum heard that Just


12 Morrisons threat


MAIDSTONE Council could face a judicial review after changing its mind over the Morrisons proposal. The planning committee refused the supermarket idea for Spring- field after backing it on principle at an earlier meeting. The developer may now contest the ruling at court. Full story - page 16


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June 2014 No. 206 News


Patient care criticism


MAIDSTONE Hospital fails to meet basic standards of care, according to a Care Quality Commission inspection.


4 Village road re-opens


AFTER a sink hole appeared six months ago, the B2163 through Leeds at last re-opened to traffic at the end of May. 7


Street clutter call


A LOCAL councillor wants plan- ning restrictions to halt the pro- liferation of estate agent signs in the borough.


Junction 7 meeting


OFFICERS will urge Maidstone councillors to refuse the plan for a Waitrose and Deben- hams at Newnham Court.21


No confidence vote


PUBLIC criticism for Harri- etsham Parish Council. 22


D-Day tribute EVENT is on June 7. 26


Comment 44-45


THE council is criticised for ignoring local wishes and refusing the supermarket proposal for Springfield; a local shop is praised for supporting a stroke sufferer.


Obituaries 50-51 Parish Councils 62-63


MORE traffic was reported in Boughton Malherbe; the mobile police point was discontinued in Bredhurst; Gravelly Bottom Road was to be resurfaced in Broom- field and Kingswood; some streetlights were to be turned off after midnight in Downswood.


Crime Reports 63


COOKING oil was stolen from a convenience store in Downswood.


10


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