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Your views on Brexit campaign MailMarks


 TWOmonths ago I explained in this col-


umn why I shall be voting for Brexit. It in- spired an unprecedented number of responses from readers and I will highlight a few.


 I encourage generations in my family to discuss the EU and with help from your articlewe all agreed the dark hand of the EU will cause increasing damage to our lives. The younger generations, all in small businesses,welcome the opportunities and challenges sovereignty will bring. PD, Bearsted.


 I’m out. Immigration is ruining our overcrowded country – a month for a GP appointment; hospitals under great pressure; granddaughter cannot get her preferred school place; Maidstone traffic problems grow every year; the country’s welfare bill is crippling so many of our vital services (elderly care, road maintenance etc). I love Europe – not the EU. J Taylor – email.


 Increasingly I do not recognise my lovely old Maidstone. Just travel along the Suon Road and gaze at the massive and intensive development. The local plan being enforced on us nationally means it will get much worse. This is all down to population growth


fired by the huge number of immigrants. In off-peak times I used to drive around the town with few delays. Now I question if Iwant to face these slow journeys at any time. I amrelieved when I hear people


Hope article sways votes


Dear Sir – Iwas so pleased to read Dennis Fowle’s article regarding the EU, and that you plan to vote to leave. It is good that people who have not made


their minds up will read your view and it could help them make their choice. I’m like you; I reallywant to leave the EU but I am sad when I see so many lies from people on the news, sayingwe need to vote to stay in. It’s the only chancewe will get to vote


out, and it would be fantastic ifwe do get out. I’m so disappointed that David Cameron is trying to keep us in the EU. He is on the wrong side. I’m sure the Queen, if she could say,


wouldwant out.We can close our borders, we will save so much money,we can choose whowe let inwe can stop importing other countries’ criminals, and the moneywe save can be used to make Britain great again. Australia and America don’t let in criminals, so why shouldwe?We won’t have so many people using our NHS that we pay into and they don’t, so thank you for your article. John Maplesden, by email


Contact our team ...


Simon Finlay Editor simon.finlay@downsmail.co.uk 01622 734735 ext 231


34 Maidstone East May 2016 Diane Nicholls


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


Jane Shotliff Journalist


jane@downsmail.co.uk 01622 734735 ext 233


Dawn Kingsford


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


DENNISFOWLE President dfowle2011@aol.com


speaking English in my own town centre. Britain MUST CONTROL ITSOWN BORDERS.DWebb – email.


 The EU has so many intractable and growing problems that member nations will be expected to increase very high subscriptions to this troublesome, expensive club whose accounts are never certificated at audit. Let us get value for our precious money in Britain through sovereign control. Ex-pat Michael Raine, Athens.


 I cannot accept that ifwe vote for Brexit the rest of Europe will not wish to trade with us on sensible terms. I anticipate close co-operation still with our European friends – those are the messages reaching me from my many European contacts. I have always supported David Cameron – but the current vibes are not good. His stance is losing him so many friends. I think he is in for a devastating shock – he should now be preparing Britain for just that. RJT, Maidstone.


 I love our countryside and nature – but so much is set to be destroyed by the demands of immigration and population growth. So many friends see it thisway –


Lower Thames Crossing


Dear Sir – I note that KCC prefers the Lower Thames Crossing Option C coupled with widening the A249 as a beer long- term option than using the A229. I agree with this suggestion but only if KCC rectifies a long-standing deficiency in Kent strategic highway routing. KCC has been well aware for some time


that the A249/M20 interchange is already at peak capacity at certain times of the day because traffic which needs to bypass Maidstone to the East also uses this junction, in addition to the main traffic route of A249/M20. KCC has, by default, utilised the residential route of Bearsted Road, New Cut Road, Ashford Road,Willington Street and Suon Road as a heavy goods route instead of constructing a Leeds/Langley bypass from the Suon road directly to M20 Junction 8. This already creates major delays from M20 Junction 7 along this residential route to the industrial Park Wwood area and the agricultural businesses serving south, south east and east of Maidstone. This will only get worse because of the vast amount of housing


as I suspect do most of the 10m who watch BBC’s Countryfile everyweek. I thinkwe are the heart of Britain – and will be voting LEAVE. – Brenda Jones, Maidstone.


We knowwe cannot win a vote against other EU nations – so let’s get out and do our own thing. We will still have a seat at many highly significant international tables and our Commonwealth seems more stable than ever. TDJ,West Malling.


 Brexit wins two-and-a-half to a half in my book. The key issues are: controlling our own borders and limiting immigration (one point); regaining sovereignty to make our own decisions (one point); the immediate economic welfare of Britain, a controversy still to be decided (half point). Lionel Martin, TunbridgeWells.


Afterwe have voted to Leave, let’s make June 23 Britain’s Independence Day – with an annual public holiday to replace one of the two on the colder May days. Future generations will have good cause to celebrate. Emily French, Maidstone.


And one to Remain


 As a farmer my employer survives through grants from EU. Unless our Government assures farmerswe will receive replacement support I must vote to remain. I amsurprised so many of my farming friends tell me they will vote to leave. Michael J, Maidstone.


already under construction and planned for the future in these areas. S Russell, Matfield Crescent, Maidstone


Crossing will affect traffic


Dear Sir – I note from your recent edition that Maidstone Council has given a view on the Lower Thames Crossing, secure in the knowledge that it "will not affect the borough in any way". May I suggest that this is totally naive.


The scheme is being located in such a position to cater for traffic from the south east – in this case mainly Europe – travelling to the north and being able to avoid the congested Dartford Crossing. This will mean a substantial volume of


traffic including large lorries using junction 6 of the M20 to leave the motorway via a tight slip road, queue to enter and then use Running Horse Roundabout, travel under the motorway then up to the next roundabout before joining the A229 to climb up Blue Bell Hill. At the top these vehicles have to join the


M2 via an even more complicated junction, where there is already regular congestion. Although the return journeys are a lile


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