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The council may also appoint a “champion” to drive forward an ini- tiative to boost retail and tourism business in the evening. A survey of the town found that


late night shopping – with the ex- ception of Christmas – did not work and most cafes closed when the shops did, at about 6pm. But officers believe the evening economy can be harnessed in a sim- ilar way to the town’s night-time economy, encouraging residents and visitors to make more use of the town’s activities and attractions. They have been to Canterbury to


see how the city makes best use of its facilities and hope to put some of the ideas to work in the county town. The council is to look at trialling


the use of park and ride bus tickets on local services in the evenings, starting with the London Road car park, which has most bus services. The idea is that the park and ride


car parks stay open in the evenings after the bus service has ended – but users hop on a local bus to get to and from the town.


Making most of ‘twilight zone’ Launching a Bid


ice had not proved cost effective in the past and thiswas seen as a sim- pler solution and something which workswell in Canterbury. Cllr Jenni Paterson (pictured), chair of Maid- stone’s eco- nomic development scrutiny com- mittee, said: “Much is in place already, for example our excellent


restaurant offering and an early evening dining experience. “This can be built on not only by


the retail sector in the town centre, but by leisure and cultural facilities such as the Hazlitt Theatre and the museum. “The borough council can play a critical part by making the town a welcoming and attractive place and offering a supportive and encourag- ing hand when requested. I believe that, given the will and a concerted effort by us all, Maidstone can have


Use your phone to find yourway


VISITORS could soon be exploring Maidstone with the use of a smartphone app. The council believes it could re-work the MyCanterbury app for


use in Maidstone, enabling users to see local promotions and offers. The app can distinguish between visitors and residents and build


up a picture of each user based on their previous purchases, allowing businesses to tailor their messages to their target audience. The council is to look at the costs and possibility of bringing this to Maidstone, with a particular focus on the twilight economy business.


Tourism figures increasing


TOURISM in Maidstone continues to thrive with more than four mil- lion visitors to the county town, ac- cording to recent figures. According to research commis-


sioned by Visit Kent, the total eco- nomic value of tourism in Maidstone was £252m in 2013 – an increase of 4%. Overall visitor numbers rose by


9% compared to 2011, while the total number of jobs rose by 3%. A spokesman for Maidstone Council said: “It is great to see an increase in the number of people


Star spectacular


THEMaidstone Stargazing spectacular drew a staggering 3,400 visitors between 1.30pm and 9.30pm,making it the biggest event of its kind in the whole of the UK this year.


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coming to and enjoying Maidstone and the wealth of excellent attrac- tions and amenities on offer here. Tourism continues to be incredibly important to the local economy, bringing a lot of money into the borough and creating a lot of em- ployment.” Kent was the third most visited destination outside London for for- eign visitors, with overseas staying trips up by 7%. The countywas the eighth most visited in the country (excluding London) for domestic overnight trips.


Hi-tech solution


MAIDSTONE Town Centre Man- agement is working with the coun- cil to tackle the problems of vagrancy on the town’s streets. Newsoftware and input from the town’s traders – including those at Lockmeadow – is enabling officers to share information and look at the best possible options going for- ward.


a vibrant twilight economy that will be to the mutual benefit of every- one.”


Wonderland nightclub owner


John Barnes brought the poor street lighting to the council’s attention back inOctober.Hesaidmanylights were out and suggested the river- bank could be more attractively lit. The proposed regeneration of Earl


Street, Week Street and Gabriel’s Hill should improve the appearance of the town centre and more evening events could be held in Ju- bilee Square. The cabinet member for economic


and commercial development Cllr Malcolm Greer has been asked to make the regeneration project a pri- ority and also liaise with the county council to ensure broken street lights in the town centre are repaired quicker than the current 28 days. He is also being asked to encour-


age businesses to invest in flood- lighting of appropriate buildings and work with the business com- munity to find someone who could be a champion for the twilight hours. This could be the new town centre manager or a representative of the business community. Cllr David Burton, the cabinet member for planning and transport, has been asked to ensure there is ap- propriate lighting at the approaches to town centre car parks and negoti- ate for park and ride tickets to be valid on local bus routes. The cabinet accepted the report,


which will be progressed by the new strategic planning and sustain- able transport committee.


for better service THE council believes the appoint- ment of a new town centre man- ager will provide an opportunity for engagement with local busi- nesses – and the chance to create a new Business Improvement Dis- trict, or Bid. A Bid is a defined area within


which businesses have to pay an additional levy to fund projects within the district’s boundaries. For a Bid to come into being, a


ballot of businesses in the area must take place. To win the ballot, more than 50% of businesses by rateable value as well as by num- ber, must be in favour. This ensures support from both independent businesses and na- tional chains. Both Canterbury and Croydon


have Bids and funds go towards things such as extra street clean- ing, floral displays, Christmas lights and street ambassadors, who liaise with levy payers and statutory authorities, help resolve issues and meet and greet visitors. The Bid also provides energy consultations to help local busi- nesses save money on their en- ergy bills. The activity is not designed to


replace the responsibilities of the local authority, but to provide ad- ditional services above and be- yond what would normally be received.


County show line-up


TICKETS are now on sale for this year’s Kent County Show, which takes place at the Detling Showground on July 10-12. Ahighlight will be the flypast


by the Red Arrows, the RAF’s aerobatic team, at 2pm on the opening day. More than 200 trade stands are already booked and local attrac- tions exhibiting this year in- clude Port Lympne Reserve, the Spa Valley Railway and Mar- lowe Theatre. Stands by Kent County Coun-


cil, Hadlow College, Kent Com- munity NHS Foundation Trust and HM Prison Service will be at the show and representatives will meet the public. The BBC will have an interac-


tive dome where visitors can have a go at being a newsreader, participate in a radio drama and youngsters can meet some of the most popular characters from


CBeebies. In the large agricultural area, visitors will find agricultural machinery, animal breed soci- eties and plenty of experts will be on hand to help and inform both farmers and amateurs who may have questions about live- stock and farming. This year will also see a num-


ber of charities exhibiting at the show including Demelza House, Heart of Kent Hospice, Dogs Trust, Retired Greyhound Trust and KentWildlife Trust. The Kent County Show starts


at 8am and stays open until 6pm, although some of the food stands stay open later. The online ticket system is


now open to purchase dis- counted tickets for the 2015 show. An adult ticket costs £18.50 (£22 on the gate) and a child’s ticket £5 (£6 on the gate). Go to kentshowground.co.uk.


Maidstone South May 2015 27


BRIGHTERlights and better buses could be brought in to help boostMaidstone’s “twilight economy”. Extending the park and ride serv-


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