News


Charity bid to turn pub into homeless hostel


A FORMER town centre pub could be converted into a hostel for the homeless. Homeless Care Ltd, which runs


the Knightrider Street day centre and Goodsell House men’s hostel in Tonbridge Road, wants to ex- pand and has earmarked The Cricketers pub in Mote Road. The charity has applied to Maid-


stone Council for permission to convert the ground floor into a communal living space, with seven bedrooms on the top two floors. The Kingsley Road pub closed in 2011 and has fallen into disrepair.


It is close to almshouses for the eld- erly run by the Cutbush and Cor- rall charity. Some residents have objected to


the planning application, claiming it could devalue their homes, add to traffic problems and put pres- sure on the Victorian drainage sys- tem.


Maidstone has a shortage of ac- commodation for people trying to ‘get back on their feet’ after a pe- riod of homelessness and Homeless Care was created out of the former Maidstone Christian Care charity with a view to helping fill the void.


The application says a full-time


social worker would be employed to oversee both Goodsell House and the new property, with no al- cohol or drugs allowed on the premises. Homeless Care believes return-


ing the pub to full time use would reduce vandalism in the area and improve its general appearance. The property would not serve as


a drop-in centre and tenants, who would be expected to be in work, would stay for up to six months until they were able to move in to more permanent accommodation.


Cartoonist focus of exhibition


A RETROSPECTIVE exhibition celebrating the career of Ralph Steadman, one of the most impor- tant graphic artists of the past 50 years, has opened at Maidstone Museum. Ralph Steadman’s work has


won him an international reputa- tion and numerous awards, as well as inspiring and influencing other graphic and comic artists. The one-time rabble-rouserwho


now lives quietly in Loose is fa- mous for his long collaboration with the writer Hunter S Thomp- son, most notably providing illus- trations for Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1971), and helping to create what has come to beknown as “Gonzo” journalism. In the 1970s the pair covered the presidential campaign of 1972 and the Watergate hearings, with his cartoons appearing in The Times, The New York Times and Ob- server magazine. Ralph has been the subject of a number of TV documentaries by


Queues for


Next opening SHOPPERS queued to be the first to step inside Maidstone’s newest department store. Town centre traders fear Next Home, at the Eclipse Business Park, just off J7 of the M20, will take busi- ness away from the town, whereas supporters argue it will draw more people in. The flagship store combines fash-


ion, homeware and DIY products over three floors. The 40,000sqft store has created 100 jobs. Next has secured a 15-year lease


on the site, owned by Gallagher Properties. Staff have transferred to the new store from Next in Fremlin Walk, which has closed.


38 Maidstone Town Xmas 2014


the BBC and Channel 4. In more recent years he has formed a col- laborative partnership with writer Will Self and filmmaker Ceri Levy. His long-standing friend, actor Johnny Depp said: “Ralph is an icon. His topical, political render- ings are iconic, his mad jargon a paragon of artistic brilliance.And through the illustrated musings of his life and times, Ralph’s bird will perpetually soar in the minds of those that follow, carrying the


torch he once collected from all the dissidents that spewed their creative venom before him. Here is a man and artist of superior cal- ibre.” The exhibition, created by the Cartoon Museum in London to celebrate Ralph’s rich and varied career, explores the full range of his work, from early cartoons pub- lished by Private Eye and Punch, to his later illustrated books in- cluding Sigmund Freud andAlice in Wonderland. On display will be Ralph’s ear-


liest published cartoon from the July 1956 Manchester Evening Chronicle as well as many of his savage political cartoons. Ralph Steadman: A Retrospec-


tive runs at themuseumuntil Feb- ruary 28. Admission is £3 for adults and £2 for concessions. The exhibition is accompanied


by a 160-page catalogue in full colour with contributions by Johnny Depp, Guardian cartoon- ist Martin Rowson andWill Self.


New police chief named


SUSIE Harper has been named Maidstone’s new district com- mander. Chief Inspector Harper, who re-


places Simon Wilson, previously worked as head of CID in West Kent, based at Maidstone Police Station. She has 25 years’ policing experi-


ence, which includes a position at Cambridgeshire Police. Ch Insp Harper said: “We have


one of the busiest and safest night- time economies in the South East, and we also have a significant amount of development which is thriving in our rural areas, so we certainly have a diverse range of is- sues and challenges to police.


“In my previous role as head of


the CID team in West Kent I worked closely withmyuniformed colleagues and neighbouring forces to ensure that victims and wit- nesseswere at the heart of our daily business, and to “lock up” those who break the law. “I am looking forward to devel-


oping greater community and part- nership working to keep Maidstone and the rural communi- ties safe.” Ch Insp Harper is one of the four district commanders in West Kent who report to the divisional com- mander, Chief Superintendent Steve Corbishley.


Hannah is


Greens’ hope YOUTHworker Hannah Patton (20) is the Green Party’s parlia- mentary candidate for Maidstone and TheWeald. The former member of the Youth


Parliament for Maidstone said: “Young people have a lot to offer but the younger voter is under-rep- resented in Parliamentary discus- sions. I would like young people to have the same opportunities to en- gage with politics that I have had.” Her concerns include climate change and the need for a “be- spoke” education system. She said: “Government has been hell bent on trying to force pupils through a one- size fits all education system that leaves them disillusioned and ill-pre- pared for the future.”


Planning appeals


APPEAL dates for the proposals to build a new business park near M20 Junction 8 have been an- nounced.


Maidstone Council has refused


two separate joint applications, from Gallaghers, ScarabSweepers and ADL, to build warehouses on a new development called Water- side Park on land south of theA20 near Hollingbourne. The first hearing by a planning inspector is due to begin in mid March 2015 and the second, for a smaller-sized scheme, is sched- uled for May 6. Both hearings are expected to


last eight days and the council has obtained the services of barrister Tim Corner QC, who successfully fought the battle against the nearby Kent International Gate- way (KIG) plan four years ago.


Historic homes OLDER residents in Maidstone can buy a slice of the town’s history, in the latest building phase atAudley Mote House. Work has begun on the penulti-


mate phase of the retirement vil- lage next to Mote Park. The 43 properties being offered include the brew house and dairy, part of the Georgian estate. They are due to be completed next autumn.


downsmail.co.uk


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