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News Cash boost for regeneration MONEYto help ease congestion in Maidstone town centre could be a shot in the arm for Maidstone


Council’s regeneration plans. Maidstone is one of the beneficiar-


ies of £104m being given to Kent to boost jobs and transport schemes, under the Government’s “growth deal”.


Included in the grant is £8.9m for


the Maidstone integrated transport strategy, plus a further £4.56m to- wards a Maidstone gyratory bypass, to help overcome congestion and de- lays in the town centre. Afurther £2.19m will go towards widening the bridge over theM20at Larkfield, to ease traffic flows at J4, and £2m to providing sustainable access to Maidstone employment areas, including a cycle path along the River Medway from East Far- leigh toAylesford. Countywide, £4.8m has been given to the Kent strategic conges-


tion management programme and £900,000 towards sustainable access to education and employment. The money was won by the Kent


& Medway Economic Partnership – the local arm of the South East Local EnterprisePartnership, which brings together leaders from business, local government and education to boost economic growth. Paul Carter, leader of KCC and


board member of SELEP and the Kent & Medway Economic Partner- ship, said: “This is good news that the Government has announced transport schemes in Kent which will help support transport infra- structure across the county. “As we come out of recession, housing growth will accelerate and commerce will increase.”


Work on the Maidstone gyratory bypass and the M20 overbridge is scheduled to start in 2015/6, while the Maidstone integrated transport spendwould come a year later. The town centre bypass scheme


would see the construction of two northbound lanes, enabling north- bound traffic on the A229 to bypass the existing gyratory system over the Medway to reduce journey dis- tances, travel time and congestion. However, some members already


fear for Maidstone’s “green” future. Cllr Tony Harwood said: “We all


know from repeated bitter experi- ence that highways officers have lit- tle interest in pedestrians, air quality or the local landscape (street trees/river side for example), with the spine road being a particularly


brutal example which severed the town and destroyed an attractive river frontage.” He is urging fellow borough Cllr


Ian Chittenden, who is also a mem- ber of KCC, to set up a cross-council meeting between Kent Highway Services and the affectedward coun- cillors covering High Street and Northwards to ensure that any final scheme addresses pedestrian and cyclist safety and protects trees and verges, as well as more greenery to soften the “rather grim riverside”. Cllr Harwood added: “I fear ifwe


do not have a meaningful input we will end up with a brutal multi-lane highway destroying what's left of our riverside and creating a physical and psychological barrier for pedes- trian movement.”


Round Table ‘a great place to make friends’


New president THE new president of the Inner Wheel, Maidstone, is Sue Kinsman of Bearsted.


ABOUGHTONMonchelsea couple said to be the biggest buy-to-let landlords in Britain are set to retire and sell up their property portfolio estimated at £100 million. Fergus Wilson (65) and his wife


Judith have over 1,000 properties in Maidstone and Ashford alone. He said he had assured tenants they would be protected and contracts transferred to the buyer. He believes the portfolio could


sell for closer to £200 million. High-speed rail links were en- couraging people to move to Maid- stone, pushing up rents, he said,


BEARSTED Round Table is dusting down its image to rid itself once and for all of the outdated belief that it’s a club for old men. In fact, the organisation has always been for males aged 18-45, but at Bearsted, most of its members are under 30, including chairman Chris Franklin (29) and vice chairman Rick Grierson (27). The Bearsted club is bucking a national decline in membership and growing in size. Vice-chairman Rick Grierson says the club is taking membership inquiries from an increasing number of young people. The not-for-profit organisation provides a mix of so- cial and fund-raising activities. Rick said: “We recently held a black tie ball, which


raised £2,000 for Crossroads young carers, and in Sep- tember we are climbing three mountains in 24 hours.


Wilsons to sell rental portfolio


but he was against the building of 19,600 homes outlined in Maid- stone Council’s draft local plan. Mr Wilson said he and his wife


would be sad to sell the business they had built up over many years but they had worked hard and a holidaywas long overdue. The pair attracted controversy


after serving eviction notices on 200 tenants on benefits. In April Mr Wilsonwas convicted of an assault on an estate agent.However, he has announced he would stand as Kent’s police and crime commis- sioner ifAnn Barnes stepped down.


Work begins on fast food outlet WORK will start on a new McDonald’s in the town at the end of July. The fast food outlet – the company’s fourth in the Maidstone area – will be a drive-thru and a restaurant, with seating for 170 diners. The 8,000sqft two-storey restaurant will be built on the site of the Re- nault Garage on the junction of Tonbridge Road and Hart Street. Due to open in December, it will open from 6am to midnight and will generate 100 full and part-time jobs. McDonald’s other outlets are in Week Street, The Chequers Centre and the services at M20 J8, Hollingbourne.


Members of Bearsted Round Table


“If you are new to the area, it's a great way to meet new mates and get yourself out of the house for maybe a pint at the local, go karting or even climbing a moun- tain.”


The club meets at 7.30pm at The Bearsted Club on


The Green on the first and third Monday of each month. For details, email membership@bearstedrt.co.uk.


NHS West Kent CCG news


CQC criticised IAN Ayres, chief officer of the NHS West Kent Clinical Com- missioning Group (CCG), has told his governing body “there were issues of inappropriateness regarding some comments” made by the CQC in its criti- cisms of Maidstone and Tun- bridgeWells hospitals. He reported the trust had


raised these with the commission and theCCGhad written toNHS England on behalf of the trust.


Poor response THE CCG has been told that local patients are getting “a less responsive” ambulance service for the highest category calls. The problem is being pursued by the urgent care board.


Service fear THECCGhas been told there are “various issues” concerning local dermatology services, which are now not seen as fit for purpose and aren’t meeting patient needs.


Down trend THE majority of patients inWest Kent continue to feel they have a good experience of GP and out- of-hours services – but latest re- sults show a reduction in positive experiences. This find- ing continues the downward trend since 2011/12.


Homes care WEST Kent CCG has set up a meeting to improve care and practice in nursing and residen- tial homes. It wants visits to be seen as supportive.


Maidstone East August 2014 35


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