downsmail.co.uk


Medway merger on cards? MailMarks


IF our borough of Maidstone, faced with


devolution challenges, decided it must be part of a local authority merger which direction would you choose? Your options could be:  SOUTH/WEST – with TunbridgeWells, Sevenoaks, Tonbridge and Malling.  NORTH – with Medway, Swale, Grave- sham, Dartford.  EAST – with Ashford, Canterbury, Thanet, Shepway, Dover. Sadly, this is no hypothetical question.Gov- ernment is set on a nationwide devolution programme and supports in many ways (in- cluding increasing financial support and local powers) Local Enterprise Partnerships based on “functional economic areas”. Maidstone, with its population of about 160,000, is likely to be too small, and opinions grow that we will have to seek neighbouring partners. Talk across Kent is well-advanced. Many Kent district councils are already suf-


fering seriously frommajor reductions in gov- ernment grants. Maidstone is among them, and as our coun-


Put bus routes together


IAMwriting to you to state what I believe to be the obvious. Downswood is suffering from a lack of medical facilities and the public services to access them. The Number 19 bus route is suffering


from incredibly poor reliability…. as is sometimes the case with the number 8 service.


Looking at the map of the services,


would it make common sense to combine the two routes? A half hourly, or even an hourly RELIABLE service along a route, that is, Maidstone – Downswood – Cross Keys – Tesco - Downswood – Maidstone would be an improvement for the Number 19 users and a massive improvement for Downswood residents for both medical/Tesco access, aswell as a potential saving in labour for the bus company. The bus company must guarantee that


the new bus route is a priority route, meaning that rather than not run a bus, a driver from one of the “very frequent” routes is diverted onto the new priority route, or is this idea beyond modern day management? Any arguments?


Peter Smith, Downswood resident


Pupils often left waiting IWAS most interested to read the article in January's edition of the Malling Downs Mail regarding Arriva buses and find it incredible that its spokesman suggests that the non-arrival of a bus service is an unusual occurrence. I have been complaining to Arriva since September 2015 about the poor performance of the 577 and the 77 services fromWest Malling to Tonbridge, which regularly either run late or do not turn up at all and often without any explanation on the website. The usual excuses are heavy traffic, roadworks or breakdowns or, one


46 Maidstone March 2017


DENNISFOWLE President dfowle2011@aol.com


cil faces the challenges of the grant soon dis- appearing altogether – at a time when it can- not increase its share of the council tax above 2% – the cuts are becoming very painful and affecting our standard of life. Things will get worse. Government says: “It is for places to deter-


mine how best to grow their local economies and government to devolve freedoms and flexibilities.” That is what Kent is trying to do now. Our historical towns are reluctant to give up their independence and old enmities and jealousies with neighbours come to the fore. But most accept that the status quo is not


really available – and their taxpayers and towns are likely to lose out seriously if they


memorable time, the bus ran out of petrol! When the bus breaks down it is extremely rare for Arriva to send a replacement – usually the children have to simplywait for the next service to come along, which sometimes can be over an hour later.


Complaining appears to have no beneficial effect, as it seems that Arriva have no contractual responsibility to perform to a beer standard as they get reimbursed the full fare of all school children whether they operate a good, bad or indifferent service. Their customer service is as poor as their


bus service. I think you would find that if you spoke


to any parent whose child uses Arriva services travelling in any direction, then their thoughts would be the same as mine. Clare Innes, via email


Hospital out of reach


THE area manager of Arriva Buses stated that as from April the service will no longer go to Pembury. How are people who do not drive meant


to get there? Taxis are very expensive. George Croer, Bearsted


Shop bonus for crafters


RECENTLY, the kniers and stitchers of Maidstone lost a really valuable asset in SewA Good Yarn, which has closed down. However, I have found a really good substitute in Hop, Stitch and Jumper and wanted to share the news. This shop is in the Royal Star Arcade and is run by the Symbol Trust, to give young adults with learning difficulties experience in the retail trade.


Besides stocking all the usual sewing and kniing things, they also run workshops for adults and craft sessions for children. So, sewers, kniers and craft people of Maidstone, you know where to go to get what you need aswell as help and advice. S Johnson,West Park Road, Maidstone


dig in their heels. Sadly, there has been little love lost over the


years between Tonbridge and Malling and Maidstone and this could be a barrier in Maidstone looking west and south. Tonbridge worries about Maidstone’s


claims on Aylesford, Ditton, Larkfield, Her- mitage Lane and Coldharbour etc. They are so obviously linked to Maidstone


– and Tonbridge development right on our boundary is not going down at allwell, espe- cially off Hermitage Lane. The choice facing towns is trying to form fully-governing unitary authorities or linking in other approvedways while retaining some powers and identity.





Time to cherish THE current Graham Clarke exhibition


(until March 17) at Maidstone Museum is not to be missed. His work always leaves me feeling happy! What an imagination and sense of humour. It is a time to cherish the talent of our local artist.


Stop playing with lives


SO THERESA May now claims to back EU citizens’ right to remain in the UK after Britain leaves the bloc, but only as part of a reciprocal agreement that guarantees the rights of Britons resident in the EU. Might I suggest that Mrs May seizes the opportunity to put a stop to this unedifying gamesmanship, that sees people's lives reduced to bargaining chips, and state unequivocally that EU nationals, who have contributed so much to the South East and the UK economically, socially and culturally, will have their rights upheld post-Brexit? In doing so, she will restore some goodwill towards the UK aswe begin the process of exiting the EU, which can only be of benefit to UK citizens resident in other EU countries. It is time for some common decency and to end the awful uncertainty blighting the lives of those EU citizens, their families, employers, and communities, who have made Britain their home. Keith Taylor, Green Party MEP for the South East, European Parliament, Brussels


History could inspire pride


IT IS possible that the defacing of the memorial to Captain Louis Nolan – who died in the ill-fated Charge of the Light Brigade – in Maidstonewas perpetrated by feral youngsters ignorant of the life and times of this brave soldier or of the other Maidstone notables who influenced our country by their talents, intellect and character. William Hazli andWilliam Alexander


come to mind. If such local historywas taught in schools it would surely go a long way to providing that sense of pride which is the antidote to yobbery and social disaffection and would be a contrast to the steady diet of football “celebrity” and sexual pap fed to them by the media. Anne Clarke, Maidstone


Comment


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48