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downsmail.co.uk Traders criticise ‘groy’ town
BUSINESS leaders and councillors voiced their frustrations about problems in Maidstone town cen- tre including beggars, homeless- ness and anti-social behaviour. A business briefing session at the
Town Hall heard that one of the key issueswasMaidstone Council’s lack of investment in public toilets. Martin Kennedy, who recently bought the Kentish Lady cruiser, based nearArchbishop’sPalace, said the riverside had become “grotty” with people using the ground as a toilet and leaving needles. He urged the police and authorities to “come
down to the river and see what’s going on there. It’s a ghetto.” Several traders including Ciaran O’Quigley ofMuMuinWeek Street, and Julie Lucas of Banks Bar de- scribed instances of begging, drug abuse and doorways being used as toilets.
Inspector Jody Gogan-Cook, of Maidstone police community safety unit, outlined recent changes in town centre policing and asked busi- nesses to liaise with the police. An update in October to anti-so-
cial behaviour laws had given police new dispersal powers to deal with
anyone likely to cause harassment, whereas previously this had needed to be alcohol-related. Officers had since carried out two night-time and one day-time dispersal operations. “There are lots of plans afoot. We want to get a solution,” she said. Other initiatives, including the “Killing with Kindness” poster cam- paign, the need to secure empty re- tail premises and for people to provide information about street problems, were described by Will Myers,whowas seconded as an out- reach worker from Porchlight, the homeless charity, seven months ago.
A CONTINENTAL-style Christ- mas market in Maidstone has been cancelled because of mixed messages from the council. Town Centre Managemen-
wanted to run the attraction in Ju- bilee Square. Itwas told it needed council consent – but then told it didn’t. Weeks later, with time running short, TCM was told it needed planning permission. When planning consent was fi- nally granted in late November,
TCMdecided itwas too late to or- ganise such a large event. Planning consent is not re- quired for events totalling 14 days in any one year. However, the TCM had already exceeded this quota. As both the council and the
TCM want to encourage greater use of Jubilee Square for events, TCM has now asked the council to extend the limit to 60 days a year, starting in 2015.
DOWNS Mail readers are once again helping to shelter Maid- stone’s homeless during the cold- est winter months. They are giving time, food, money, gifts and skills to Maid- stone Churches’Winter Shelter. Sponsors are needed for about
Maidstone High Street ward Cllr
Clive English agreed that the council should not have closed most of its public toilets five years ago. He ac- cused senior management at the bor- ough council and the police of being complacent and not using the pow- ers they already had. GraemeWyles, of the town centre management committee, said: “Some of the things that have been reported are horrific. A lot of these would be preventable if the toilet fa- cilities in the townwere better and I think that’s the challenge to council- lors to do something about it.”
Festivemarket called off Your help for the homeless
120 beds with sleeping bags and pillows (£40 each). The shelter plans to provide dinner, company, entertainment and a bed and breakfast for up to 15 homeless people every night
MAIDSTONEand TheWealdMP Helen Grant, who helped launch the shelter last year, will be among the helpers on Christmas Eve.
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