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Get on with our local plan MailMarks
WITH just a few days until the
elections on May 7, I stick to my forecast that no one party will have control of Maidstone Council. Myfervent hope is that all councillors
will bring a new determination of co- operation to Maidstone’s greatest need – agreeing a local plan. National government, whatever the political colour, will insist on a massive growth in residential development throughout the country and Maidstone will have no option but to meet a set target. Currently the evidence-based figure is 18,600 for a period up to 2031.A Government inspector willwant to see where those houses will go – or acceptable evidence for a lower total – before approving Maidstone’s local plan. And KCC is saying it cannot, in any case, provide much of the additional vital infrastructure to support this growth. Maidstone’s local plan has been a mess
for such a long time. Policy has proved largely impossible to set due to these pressures, and when individual applications come before Maidstone’s planning commiee, national policy-based recommendations from planning officers are often overturned by politicians.
No more abstentions Dear Sir – I have noticed a number of times
when the planning commiee has abstained from voting for no good reason. These councillorswere elected to represent
the people of Maidstone and are on the planning commiee to vote either yes or no to any given application – it is not acceptable to abstain from voting to save the council from having to defend an appeal, or for political or other reasons. They are not there to agree with planning officers, but to make an informed choice according to the recommendations, both for and against. Recentlywe have seen the Bridge Nursery, Allington and Clock House Farm, Coxheath planning applications blighted by abstentions. The planning system needs a good shake-
up and if councillors don’t have the courage to vote they should not be on the commiee. A Polei, Allington
Traffic plan won’t work
Dear Sir – I am writing with regard to your story about South Maidstone Action for Roads and Traffic (Smart) group. Having spent more than 40 years in
traffic engineering and planning I do not think I have ever read such tosh. The leader of the Lib Dems, Cllr FranWilson, showed maturity with her carefully-chosen comments. Damning with faint praise! “Let’s have a shared space at the
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Stephen Eighteen Editor
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38 Maidstone Town May 2015 Diane Nicholls
Assistant editor
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Jane Shotliff Journalist
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Dawn Kingsford
Journalist
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DENNISFOWLE President
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The cost to us taxpayers of expensive planning appeals can be massive – and without an agreed local plan in place developers will expect many victories. Maidstone Council now reverts from the cabinet system to commiees. I believe this is more to do with politics than speed and efficiency and I amnot sure the perceived greater democracy for all elected councillors will speed up the local plan procedures. I fear not. I hope there will be real urgency among
both Maidstone Council and KCC to take the tough decisions which will lead to real progress before the end of this year. Mywish is to see evidence to reduce that
18,600 figure and perhaps KCC can be influential due to massive problems of providing infrastructure. But I thinkwe are only talking around the margins. The one significant answer is a new sustainable North Downs community close to Maidstone’s key transportation structures – the M20 and the main rail line.
Wheatsheaf junction as it works in Ashford,” the report says. The scheme in Ashford is on a road that probably carries less than 20% of the traffic of the junction of the A229 and A274. It has been condemned by uninvolved professionals and organisations representing the visually and mobility impaired. As for a roundabout at Linton Crossroads, thiswas suggested in the 1980s and rejected as being unworkable on the traffic levels of 30 years ago. How would the crossing movements of schoolchildren be safely provided for? “Let’s have a park and ride at Linton and
10 buses per hour to increase the use of the bus lane on Loose Road,” the report says. What bus lane on Loose Road? Park and ride would be of lile use to the 50% of people who drive on the A229 to get from south of the town to north of it. However, the authors did get one recommendation right. Maidstone has needed a southern relief road for the past 40 years, yet all such proposals from county and borough officers have been vetoed by our elected representatives. Malcolm Bulpi, Bray Gardens, Loose
No choice on Jubilee School
Dear Sir – Iwas appalled that the planning commiee felt it could not reject the Jubilee School application because national policy leans towards the free schools being
Sporting successes
I think a big new parish of “Downsview” could be a very popular place to live.
Deplorable dirt IALWAYS feared the general election
for Maidstone and TheWeald would be one of the dirtiest around. Some of it has been very devious – but recognisable. I stick to my forecasts – the Tories to hold Maidstone and TheWeald and Faversham and Mid Kent – and another hung Maidstone Council.
IT has been a good winter for top Maidstone sports clubs. Pride of place must go to Maidstone United for topping the Ryman League and winning promotion to National League South (currently Conference South). The turnaround in the past three years has been magnificent and the folk of Maidstone have turned out so strongly in support. Could Football League soccer ever return? It is a mighty challenge but the dream lives on. How good too to see Maidstone Rugby Club climbing back. They won promotion after an unbeaten season in London 2 South East. It is a long haul back for a return to the National League – but what a promising stride.
allowed to do as they please. Worried about an appeal, the best they
could come up with was a deferral. Hardly democracy. Itwas felt that the building is unsuitable, not needed in the catchment area and its location a cause for traffic concerns. The planning/highways department says it has to approve applications for free schools, even if the standard of building or location is poor. So a free school can move into a derelict building with limited playground area and no safe drop-off or pick-up points and the Government says that is ok, but it would not be approved for a state school. It does not bodewell when the school
was informed that it could not reveal the location of the building until almost after the term had started. A supposed consultationwas done in the
area prior to opening with no mention of the location of the building. The first time residentswere aware of whatwas going on was on the first day of term with all the traffic chaos, and subsequently at a meeting instigated by a local councillor a month after the school opened. It is a flawed application and should be rejected. Only the threat of government sanctions is impinging on the democratic process. We should set a precedent to reject the change of use of the building to a free school. Who will have the courage to speak out and let common sense prevail? Barbara Skinner, Fant resident
Comment
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