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My hopes for our borough MailMarks
HAVE you any idea how the borough
of Maidstone will look in 15 or 20 years? Do you have an idea of how you would like it to look? What are the priorities for you and your family? They are big and difficult questions – but
what a messwe seem to be in just now to find answers. Who are the real decision-makers? Must Maidstone Council bow to the expressed expansion will of national Government, be it Tory, Labour or a coalition?Will squabbling political elements on Maidstone Council be able to set the local scene? Is there a balance to be found between our protesting parishes and sensible expansion in different parts of our borough? I have to admit to my own very deep and growing concerns, even depression. Who wouldwant to be in the hot seats of Maidstone Council at the moment, trying to satisfy the demands of everyone? In my last colums of the year, here are my key hopes for the future: Immigration:A British Government will quickly reduce growth pressures by severely controlling immigration now imposing so many massive strains on the UK. My preference is to see major changes in the EU – but if not I think I will now vote, given the chance and with
Get tough on local plan
Dear Sir – I have received through my leerbox an invitation to aend a public exhibition regarding prospective building at Fant Farm, Fant. Myunderstanding is that no political
group on Maidstone Councilwants this to go ahead; Lib Dem parliamentary candidate Jasper Gerard has suggested he will lie down in front of bulldozers and the local councillor for Fant, Conservative Stephen Paine, successfully got the land removed from the draft local plan. So why, then, am I receiving such an invitation from Gleeson Developments regarding its “masterplan” for a housing development at Fant Farm? The answer is becausewe do not have a current local plan and it is still, after several years, at the draft stage.
Other than developers and land owners looking to sell, I amcertain that not one person wishes to see the large numbers of houses that appear to be required as a result of national planning policy. Time is being spent on trying to reduce the numbers required (already reduced from 19,600 to 18,600) but every day that passes without the borough having an approved local plan puts us at risk of any development proposed being approved. While our local councillors would likely
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32 Maidstone South December 2014 Diane Nicholls
Assistant editor
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DENNISFOWLE President
dfowle2011@aol.com
concern and sadness, to leave the union. Growth: I accept the current national need for growth, but there must be supporting infrastructure and services and Government awareness of impact on our local communities. I believe the proposed 1,000 new houses a year for Maidstone in the next 18 or so years is probably over the top and would be damaging. Maidstone Council: Needs to be more driven by the need to agree at speed a local plan that accepts a requirement for substantial residential and business growth, rather than by political machinations and gain and desires to bury heads in very old sand. When Maidstone agreed its moo as “Agriculture and Commerce”, mostwere farm labourers or in domestic service. Communities: Those selected for growth to see potential advantages and press for infrastructure and stronger services that can improve lives for themselves and their descendants. Growth can strengthen communities in manyways – and lift many
lean towards refusing such speculative applications, they would be most likely approved at appeal by the planning inspectorate.Without a clear local plan, as far as developers are concerned, anything goes. Our councillors, regardless of party politics, need to make tough decisions and stand by them. Bickering and arguing over housing numbers in a bid to save their respective local patches from additional housing maywell please their voters in the short term, but until the local plan is approved it leaves every single voter at risk of developments in the precise areas they voted not to have them. Instead of spending time debating how
they are going to debate going forward (changing back from cabinet to commiee system again), councillors need to focus on the most important issuewe as a borough currently face – our local plan. All local politicians need to start being
more honest with us about what they can do.
Julia Ba, Charlton Street, Fant
Ukip a serious challenge Dear Sir –As a Maidstone Ukip supporter I must challengeBWGodding’s leer that Lib Dems offer the only objective candidate who could deprive Conservative Helen
villages increasingly deprived because of their size. I believe the most sensible area for expansion is close to the M20, the A20 east of Bearsted, near the main London/Kent coast railway line and not far from Ashford’s high-speed international station. There could be a new M20 junction serving that area. How popular would a large new self-sufficient North Downs village be? Substantial growth in Maidstone during
the next 20 years is inevitable – as it is for Kent and many other parts of the UK. Maidstone’s resistance is likely to be self- defeating. Our emphasis now must be to get the best out of it for our borough. We live in a beautiful part of the world
with so much countryside and open spaces we cherish.We must be in charge of the few areas of greenfield landwe are prepared to surrender for growth – and an early local plan is vital for this. The borough of Maidstone couldwell
grow from a population of about 155,000 to 200,000 during the next 20 years or
so.And greater Maidstone (including the Malling villages) to about 320,000.We now have the great responsibility to plan them with good homes, environment, infrastructure, services and local quality employment. So what will Maidstone look like in 20
years?
Grant of the Maidstone andWeald constituency. I accept the Lib Dems have punched above
their weight in Maidstone local elections, but this is a national election and the relevant evi- dence is the Lib Dems’ poor showing in May’s European elections for Maidstone. Addto that the LibDems’ very dismal current
rating in national opinion polls. Ukip came out top in the local European vote
with the Tories second and in the General Elec- tion the Lib Dems would do very well to come third in Maidstone. This election will be fought on national mani-
festos and won by a party and leader inspiring most public confidence. We know that immi- gration, the EU, taxation, and faith in economic competence will be very big issues. DC Brown, Maidstone, by email
Keep the election clean
Dear Sir – I agree with Dennis Fowle (Mail Marks) with his plea for a clean General Election in Maidstone and the local area. I think things have improved in the past few
years. I decided long ago not to vote for any party which tries to profit from personal attacks I think are based on inaccuracies, innuendo or downright lies. Iwant all parties to campaign on their policies
and hopes. I am a long-standing immigrant to Maidstone and a peace-loving Muslim and find
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