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News Fury at plan forwardens hub
OPPONENTS have hit out at KCC’s proposal to get rid of dedicated local communitywardens. The county council says ithopes to
save £1.28m by almost halving the number ofwardens in Kent and cen- tralising the service. Maidstone currently has five area
wardens across the borough and a district supportwarden who covers the town centre, as well as a super- visor. Local posts would be lost and all staff risk losing their jobs com- pletely because the number of war- dens in the county would be cut from 79 to 40. KCCis also consulting on halving
the number of supervisors from 12 to six, reducing area manager posts from three to two and cutting ad- ministration staff from four to one. Parish councillor Peter Spearink,
from Staplehurst, whose community warden is Mira Martin, said: “I am frankly astonished that KCC can claim that halving the number of wardens and spreading them fur- ther but thinner will lead to a better service. Whose heads are they trying to pull the wool over? “Here in Staplehurst and Marden
our warden is known, trusted and held in the very highest esteem by
Lack of privacy
‘a fact of life’ LOOSE Parish Council was told to “get in the real world” over its ob- jection to a proposed residential ex- tension. Parish Cllr Irene Songhurst told
the planning committee that the de- velopment of a first-floor extension and rear extension at 649 Loose Road would have caused privacy issues to residents of 647, 649a and 651 Loose Road. But not one member of the com-
mittee felt the scheme should be re- fused. Cllr Richard Ash said: “Loose Parish Council has to get in the real world. If you live in a two- bedroom house the chances are you will be looking into the neigbour’s garden. That’s just a fact of life.” Arear balcony, whichwas part of
the original scheme, was removed from the plan, meaning the scheme was “policy compliant”, according to Cllr Tony Harwood. The committee voted unani- mously in favour.
Courts open THE Mote Squash Club in Willow Way, Maidstone, is opening its courts to non-members in a bid to encourage more people to play the sport. For more details, call the club on
01622 676977 (evenings), the secre- tary on 01622 757737 or visit the squash club’s website at
www.motesquash.co.uk.
all. She has built up this trust and re- spect over a number of years and to talk of sending her to other places as and when will mean that she will no longer be able to rely on the fact that she is known and trusted. “We will be in a situation where
some communities will hardly ever see awarden again because they are all being sent to the worst areas all the time. “This is yet another example of
KCC being run by the accountants and not for the needs of the people.” Janet Jennings, a former Neigh- bourhood Watch chairman in Lenham, whose communitywarden is Martin Sherwood, says the public should unite to persuade the county council to make savings elsewhere. She told the Downs Mail: “This is
a financial decision that wouldmean community wardens could be placed anywhere in future. “The whole success of the scheme
is that wardens patrol given areas, know their communities and have the trust of residents. They provide a visible, uniformed presence in the community and a valuable link with
PCSOs, whowe already see less of.” Community wardens were intro-
duced byKCC12 years ago and usu- ally operate in specific parish districts. Described by the county council as “the eyes and ears” of local residents, they tackle issues in- cluding fly-tipping, graffiti, vandal- ism, domestic and neighbour disputes and traffic management in the community. They cannot make arrests but are accredited by Kent Police and deal with low-level anti-social behaviour and pass on intelligence to police and the emergency services. Ms Jennings added: “If our com- munity wardens are to be ever- changing, people simply won’t know or trust them and will simply not bother reporting issues to them. “This will be a retrograde step for communities and the county coun- cil. They should not even be think- ing about doing this.” The county council’s proposal
comes after it agreed in February to cut £269m from its overall budget during the next three financial years. Mike Hill, KCC’s cabinet member
for community services, has pointed out that the authority is not obliged in statute to provide the service. He said KCC’s financial situation meant all services had to be examined. He said that with less focus on ge- ographic boundaries,wardens could be deployed to where they were most needed and the reduction in administration would make team leaders and area managers more hands-on. More people would have access to the wardens, who would spend more time with the commu- nities who need their help most. MrHill said parishes andcommu-
nities were being consulted on new volunteer wardens, which could possibly bolster the service. He added: “This is an option that has been floated a number of times and was tried by police with regard to PCSOs some years back.” Comments should be made by
November 9 at
www.kent.gov.uk/ communitywardenconsultation, by completing the questionnaire avail- able from community wardens, or by callingKCCon 03000 414141 and asking for one to be sent by post.
Club members rewarded for county showwork
MEMBERS of the Interact Club, the school age section of the Rotary Club, at Invicta Grammar School have received a cheque for £865 which they can donate to a charity of their choice. The members raised the money
when they worked as stewards at the Kent Show at Detling this summer. Their wages were donated to the Rotary Club, and Maidstone Riverside Rotary Club president Norman Springett and members Mike Springett and GeoffWood attended the year 12 and 13 assembly to present the money to the Interact Club’s president, Sophie Aujard.
Last year, the club donated to
Trinity Foyer inMaidstone, giving computers from the school and buying software for these computers.
Mr Springett said how
professional the youngsters were in dealing with the general public at the show and what good ambassadors they had been.
Protest over plan to reduce lime tree
RESIDENTS of St George’s House in St George’s Square, Fant, have objected to a plan to reduce a pro- tected lime tree to the height of a wall outside their homes. The applicant says the scheme
would restrict the damage caused by root growth to thewall, but res- ident Aiden Ashton left a comment saying: “The tree adds character to the property. It’s a wind shield and gives cover in extremeweather. “Reducing it in size diminishes
its use and the squirrels and birds I see in it regularly would be lost. The tree has been there a long time and deserves to be left alone.” Another resident, Rosamund
residents who own flats in the building, have been paying to have the tree trimmed and treated as part of the monthly maintenance fee. “I have lived in the building with
Hughes, added: “My partner has lived in the property since it was converted into flats more than 10 years ago. “He was told upon purchase of
the flat that the tree would not be cut down. He, along with the other
my partner for nearly four years and would hate to see the tree dis- appear. Not only does it keep the building’s character, which is an unusual sight in Maidstone these days, but it would also make the wildlife who live in and around the tree disappear. “I personally enjoy having the
tree as part of the property.” Maidstone Council will deter- mine the application.
Maidstone Town November 2014 27
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