downsmail.co.uk Music festivalwelcome


Dear Sir – In response to Mr Hacke’s leer in the Downs Mail regarding the Ramblin’ Man Festival in July, I have to disagree. I also live in the surroundings of Mote


Park and on this particular occasion I am very happy to have this festival on my doorstep. I amlooking forward to taking my four-year-old to see the great bands. As for the noise, I do understand where


you are coming from, but I do not believe it is an outrage to have these events once or twice a year. In fact, it is a great opportunity to put Maidstone on the map and, if it is successful, I hope it is repeated year after year. These festivals do bring benefits to the town and for two to three days of loud music, I think it is acceptable. We are very lucky to have this great park


close to us. I believe it is important we make the most of it, and I ampositivewe do. Perhaps all the events and gatherings that take place in Mote Park do not suit everybody’s tastes or agendas, and I am sure that during the year there are more non-festival events that do generate a high level of noise aswell. But this is a park where individuals, groups and families gather together and have a good time, and this festival will not disappoint on that maer. Rock on! Brian Penaloza,Weavering


Less talk – more action


Dear Sir –My Downs Mail has just arrived. The local news makes enjoyable reading, but I have to comment on the proposed plan to ease traffic flow in the town. How much more of this traffic flow chaer arewe to get from Maidstone councillors? I’m old enough to remember a scheme to bring a road from the Wheatsheaf area in Suon Road through South Park and The Quarry down in to Tovil Road, over the river and railway to join up with the London Road (A20). Thenwe come to the next bright idea – to


widen Stone Street making two lanes, to take all heavy traffic away from Sheals Crescent.


Contact our team ...


Stephen Eighteen Editor stephen@downsmail.co.uk 01622 734735 ext 231


Diane Nicholls


Assistant editor diane@downsmail.co.uk 01622 734735 ext 232


Jane Shotliff Journalist


jane@downsmail.co.uk 01622 734735 ext 233


Wagingwar on dog mess


POSTERS have been put up in East Peckham in a joint effort by Ton- bridge andMalling Council and East Peckham Parish Council to reduce dog mess. The Keep Britain Tidy campaign


targets uses glow-in-the-dark posters stating “We’rewatching you”. Borough council staff were joined


by community warden Mandy Har- ris, PCSO Toni Matthew, borough Cllr Janet Sergison and chairman of East Peckham Parish Council StephanieWatson for a “bag and flag” event on the recreation ground.


In all, 84 depositswere bagged and flagged before being collected the fol- lowing morning by the borough council. Dog walkers said they were happy to see the campaign underway, adding that dog fouling had reduced since the posters had gone up. Further bag and flag events will


take place during the coming weeks to monitor the effectiveness of the campaign.Other local authority areas using the posters have seen a 46% re- duction in dog fouling. Cabinet member for environmental services, Cllr Brian Luker said:


“We’re very pleased that East Peck- ham Parish Council decided to take part in the scheme. Most people do clear up after their dogs but we want to send out a very clear message to the irresponsible few that we take a zero-tolerance approach to dog foul- ing and anyone caught failing to clear up after their dog will be fined and, if necessary, prosecuted.” For more about about the We’re


Watching You campaign, go to www.tmbc.gov.uk/lwyl,


email


waste.services@tmbc.gov.uk or call 01732 876147.


Malling March 2015 33 Dawn Kingsford


Journalist dawn@downsmail.co.uk 01622 734735 ext 233


Nowwe have another proposal – a £5.7m scheme which will mean Chatham-bound drivers can avoid the river bridge. Please note – it might start in 2016 with completion sometime in 2017, so do not get excited. My advice is: stop spending our money


on silly ornaments doed around the town, like the one that started off at the top of the High Street. It now stands on the river. Alan Lawrence, Church Road, Tovil


Kims coverage an advert


Dear Sir – Iwas confused when reading the February issue regarding the amount of space (front page and all of page 14) given to the private hospital (Kims). I understand that it is of local interest to


keep residents updated as to plans for expansion and change, but a whole page of free advertising seems extremely generous on the part of the Downs Mail. Everyone should have a choice of where/how to receive medical treatment but I feel promoting a private hospital in thisway is biased and misleading. As far as I amaware this is a private hospital, the purpose of which is to recoup the original investment and make profit for the investors and therefore not a facility which is available to a large proportion of the population and free at point of treatment. EMGreenwood, by email


Our feature led on an item of news: the announcement that Maidstone could be the first place in Britain to have the new neuro rehabilitation village. It was also felt timely to include an update on


Kims, given the previous advance publicity, and that lile had been wrien about it since the official opening last spring. Our decision coincided with the hospital’s own announcement that it had just carried out the first open heart surgery operation – again, a legitimate news item. It is not true to say that Kims is purely a


private hospital. The whole ethos behind it was to deliver a facility available for both private and NHS patients. The hospital has gradually


extended the scope of its provision and, from April, will become part of the NHS “choose and book” service, available to all. These articles were in keeping with the comprehensive coverage we give to NHS maers. Response by Stephen


Speed camera not for safety


Dear Sir – The speed camera inWillington Street, near the Church Lane junction, is in noway there for safety. It is set after passing the School Lane junction, not approaching it. Situated at the top of the hill, traffic


slows down and once past, they increase their speed and on approaching the boom of the hill (and seeing the hill in front of them) speed up. At the boom of the hill, where there are bollards in the middle of the road and where children, pensioners, and parents with prams cross, the traffic often hits speeds of 40mph plus. I contacted KCC, the police and Maidstone Council about three years ago and suggested that if the speed camerawas set near the boom of the hill, all traffic would slow down to 30mph and increase the safety of all. Iwas informed that they would look in


to this maer and get back to me; to date, not one leer, text, email or call. It appears children, pensioners and parents with prams and wheelchair-bound people do not maer, only making money, as most speed traps do. Huge lorries, buses and large vans are the worst culprits, as they need the momentum to get up the other side. As I told the police, KCC and MBC I am


more than willing to have a site meeting to explain and show them my reason for concern. I have had no reply from any of them. Iwas told in conversation that, occasionally, a mobile speed camerawas used there and my reply was only to make money, it did nothing to slow down large lorries etc. David Bolton, Tichborne Close, Maidstone


Comment


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