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Maidstone even more blue MailMarks


FEW will forget the 2015 general election in a hurry. Itwas so dramatic – and massive uncertainties unexpectedly transformed to certainty within 10 hours. In Maidstonewe followed the English paern and the Conservatives now completely dominate the whole of Kent. Ukip and Lib Dem dreams in the county were shaered. The Lib Dems really targeted Maidstone


and theWeald, but their dreamswere built on a mixture of hard work, hope and arrogance. Personal aacks on Tory Helen Grant couldwell have been counterproductive and she played a straight bat in defence of her solid parliamentary and constituency record. She just about doubled her majority to


more than 10,000, and achieved a 4.69% swing from the Lib Dems. Jasper Gerrard was left to lick some deep wounds as his vote slumped more than 5,000 compared with the popular Peter Carroll five years ago.


The Lib Dems can be consoled that, as


the tide turned so unexpectedly against them nationwide, they still took second place with 24% of the votes. I expected, after its startling local successes in 2014, Ukip would challenge more strongly for second spot. Its candidate Eddie Powell came overwell at the Maidstone hustings meeting. But I anticipated the big Ukip bubble would


Billions of poundswasted


Dear Sir - The last Labour government got us into massive debt and the Tories have now increased this further, despite the alleged “cuts”, which only appear to have been levelled at the poorer members of our society (Benefit laws blamed for homelessness, Downs Mail, April). Meanwhile,we still have quangocrats – billionswasted in the NHS, hundreds of billionswasted in the MoD, billions going to the EU, billions going in fraud, billions in uncollected tax from the rich and a long list of otherwaste all governments refuse to do anything about, and over which there is a concerted conspiracy of silence. While this appalling waste continues and


our national debt reaches into the stratosphere, governments continue to look for somebody to blame and somebody to punish. Sadly it's not the real culprits, just the


weaker members of our society and while they suffer, the politicians may aswell burn the hundreds of billions they waste. Phil Granger, Alma Road,West Malling


Sad loss of historic house


Dear Sir – Although I live a longway from my home town of Maidstone, the decision


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burst when the electorate had to make the major decision between Ed Miliband and David Cameron – and it did.With 16% of the vote it is still a force – and more powerful than Labour, still hovering at about 10%. The other local seats consolidated the Conservatives’ very powerful position. Newcomer Helen Whately even increased the majority held previously by Sir Hugh Robertson in Faversham and Mid Kent; Tracey Crouch hugely increased her majority to 11,445 in Chatham and Aylesford; and Thomas Tugendhat built on the retired Sir John Stanley’s massive majority in Tonbridge and Malling. Itwas a very blue day.


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So close locally THE Lib Dems continued to punch


above theirweight in Maidstone borough elections and didwell to hold on to their 20 seats. But they still fell one more behind the Tories (25) and with the Independents (6), Ukip (2) and Labour (2) holding 10 between themwe still have a very hung council.


With the cabinet system now abandoned there will be some very lively and strongly contested issues at commiee meetings. Expect a few very close votes. My big hope now electioneering is over


(for a few months) is that minds can be fully concentrated on reaching agreement on the council’s local plan. The town desperately needs this policy document to protect itself against more outrageous development proposals. I do not underestimate the pressures –


tough decisions are ahead. Nationally the Tories, Labour and the Lib Dems all agree the country must build many more houses – and Government will have itsway. Locally, there is some very strong and understandable resident resistance. I hope Maidstone can find acceptable evidence to reduce the housing load on us, but I believewe are talking around the margins.


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Lost for words IWAS shocked when Kent Police said


it would no longer handle lost property – and offered social media or online instead. With the massive cuts in police budgets


I understand its view, butwe must have a central and efficient point for reporting and enquiring about lost property. Police cannot abdicate without a successor.


Russell Hotel, which had links to the Kray family) never went to Maidstone Council’s planning commiee. Instead, officers had delegated powers to


accept the planning application. Given there were 44 objections, it was entirely undemocratic for this decision to be given to unelected employees. However, because the decision was not


to demolish the elegant building (above) that oncewas the convent of the Sacred Heart, in Boxley Road, reached me. Iwent to school here during the war.


Deep shelters had been installed for the pupils’ safety and I remember siing in these long tunnels with books on my knees to continue the lessons underground. Several timeswewere turned away in the morning because there had been blast damage during a raid the night before. To erase this elegant building, which


could provide many apartments, and build only 14 houses is madness when more housing is desperately needed. I am surprised there have been only 44 objections and am also amazed that there was not a preservation order on the house. Beryl R Ross, Taunton, Somerset Beryl, you echo my thoughts entirely. What I find astonishing is that the decision to demolish this beautiful building, with such an intriguing history (it ended its life as the


“called in” by a local borough councillor – North ward members, Cllr Tony Harwood, Cllr Jenni Paterson and Cllr Thomas Long, all refrained – the planning application was never debated. In Maidstone Council’s defence, it is one of


the more democratic boroughs because it also allows parish councils to call in certain applications. Not all councils are as kind. Maidstone can also argue that a few weeks prior to the decision the site was studied closely by the scrutiny commiee, whose recommendation to approve the site for housing was then accepted by the cabinet. But when it comes to making the final decision the system needs to be changed to ensure that if a proposal draws a designated number of objections – certainly a figure lower than 44 – it must automatically come before elected members. Perhaps then somebody would have come up


with the much more sensible idea of converting this building into flats. Response by Stephen


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