News


downsmail.co.uk Finding more ranks for town’s cabs


COUNCILLORS have set them- selves the task of deciding what to do in a town that has more taxis than it has ranks. Maidstone has 48 licensed Hack-


ney cabs but just 36 spaces, of which only nine are near the busiest town centre spots. Now a group of taxi drivers, to-


gether with councillors and offi- cers, are to investigate whether the King Street rank – set up in 2013 –


is actually the best place for them to be.


Prior to the High Street refur- bishment, the taxi rank was near the Queen’s Monument in Jubilee Square, but Town Centre Manage- ment has recently argued it should be in the Lower High Street. Drivers complain that at night-


time, when trade is at its busiest, private taxis park in spaces allotted for the Hackney cabs, although li-


Pub back after being silenced


THE Queen Anne pub in Sittingbourne Road, Maidstone has re- opened under new management, just two months after itwas found to be playing copyrighted music without a valid permit. The pub claims to be the town’s only gay pub. In November


owner Caladium Ltd was ordered to bring its licence from Phono- graphic Performance Ltd up to date – and to stop playing music in the meantime. The company also had to pay £1,661 in costs after the case was


taken to the High Court in London. Mr Justice Norris ruled against Caladium and in favour of PPL


after hearing how an inspector visited the pub in July last year and heard music being played. Playing music in public without permission is an infringement


of copyright and pubs and clubs require a licence from PPL, which owns the rights to many chart hits. The pub, which closed the same month as Caladiumwas fined, is now back in operation and music is again being played.


censing officers are always on the look-out for offending vehicles. A report to Maidstone Council’s licensing committee argued there was much confusion among cus- tomers about the type and location of taxi cabs. Lorraine Neale, head of housing


and community services, said:“We could look at providing better pub- licity and signage for both drivers and the public, informing them of


where taxis can be found for hire.” The 36 spaces that currently exist


can be found in King Street, High Street, Pudding Lane, Barker Road, St Faith’s Street and Earl Street, as well as at both Maidstone train sta- tions.


Future options could include the


lower High Street – or even the spaces outside the NatWest bank, currently allocated for blue badge holders.


Date with Christian speaker


INTERNATIONAL Christian Science speaker Chris McElroy will be in Maidstone in March to share his take on religion. He will be at the First Church of


Christ, Scientist, inVinters Road, to present an interactive talk entitled The Real You – No Limitations on Thursday, March 19. The American university gradu-


ate, who worked in banking and as a prison chaplain in Los Angeles before becoming a Christian sci- ence practitioner, will discuss how an understanding of spiritual iden- tity can help overcome physical, emotional, and circumstantial chal- lenges.


Admission to the talk, which starts at 7pm, is free.


28


Maidstone Town March 2015


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48