downsmail.co.uk WE all knowsomething needs to be


done aboutMaidstone’s inadequate roads and traffic congestion – but I cannot go alongwithMaidstone Council’s plans for our diminished park- and-ride service (nowonly two sites instead of four) and heftily-increased town centre parking charges. I fear itwill be another critical blowfor


our town centre economy, unpopular withmany residents and discriminatory against elderly and disabled peoplewho cannot use their free bus passeswhen parking at park-and-ride sites, or even paywith cash. The councilwants to persuade us from


our cars on to buses – but I think it is a losing ba�le. It’s a political hot potato too –with influential Conservatives and former Ukippers strongly opposed to a predominately Lib Demproposal. Our cars have toomuch going for


them: readily available door to door; normallymuch faster than using public transport; a carrier of our families, shopping and other luggage; comfort with entertainment of our choice, easy for


Shifting the blame


FROMthe comments in yourApril edition, onewould never realise that the housing numbers forMaidstonewere imposed on the council by the government’s methodology and the Local Plan implementing these figureswas reluctantly supported by themajority of councillors of all parties. For cynical reasons, certain election


candidates are pretending that the Conservative Party did not support this plan, and that they are not taking part in running the council. They are also blamingMBC for the state


of the town’s roads and for the vexed policy of “modal shift”. Iwould point out that it is Kent County


Council (KCC)which is the highway authority, it is KCCwhich could have built the relief road years ago. Just as it could have built the southern approach road. The policies ofmodal shift are policies


KCC itself supports in its own policy documents and are strongly pressed on councils by the current government. It has beenmade very clear by the Plan Inspector thatwithout such policies, the Local Plan would have been turned down and the governmentwould have taken over and put in its own plan. No one believes thatwould have led to


less development. Instead of pretending that the current


situation is all a “Lib Demplot” and that voting in a newcouncil leader can magically change government policies, perhaps our local Conservativesmight like to discusswhatwe actually do to progress solutions. For example, finding away to build the Leeds/Langley bypass that does not require funding fromdeveloper


46 Maidstone East May 2018


Body blow for town centre MailMarks


DENNISFOWLE President dfowle2011@aol.com


moving fromone venue to the next…. My belief is that, formost, the choice


will be paying the extra town centre parking charges or driving to places where parking is free or cheaper. Thiswill be good news formany of the


big supermarkets and out-of-centre stores – andMarks and Spencerwill not be able to get their newEclipse Park store up and running quickly enough. I expect any growth in use of


Maidstone’s park-and-ridewill be small. Theremay even be a reverse if the army of bus pass holders rebel, and I know some alreadywhowill. The current threats to high street trade across the country and the veryworrying


contributions fromnewhousing. Because if it does end up being funded by such contributions, then the amount of development needed to fund the road couldmore thanwipe out any improvement to traffic conditions. Councillor Clive English,Maidstone Borough Council


Glad to have Theresa back


IT IS good that DownsMail ran an article on Bearsted Library, but a real shame that therewas nomention of ourwonderful librarian ,Theresa, who has nowreturned to us. Itwas also a shame that therewere no


pictures of the children’s room,which has been very a�ractively presented for such a small space. The article gave a very good explanation of the issues around the old library having to close, but itwould have been good, I think, to have shown the new one fromthe inside. We are very, very glad to have Theresa


back. She is alwayswelcoming, enthusiastic and helpful – a real asset to Bearsted. Marion Robson, via email


Park and ride injustice


HAVING just read in the borough council’s “Borough Insight” about the £2.50 parking charge for the park and ride coming into action on June 1, I amabsolutely fuming. Firstly,we did not knowabout this


consultation, or itwas kept very quiet, and were not given an opportunity to voice objections. The article simply gives it as a decision alreadymade. This is certainly not democracy in action.





decline arewell documented and the signs are increasingly evident in Maidstone. I fear thiswill all escalate. The council haswisely decided to


reviewthe changes in the autumn. Iwill be surprised if evidence suggests continuing the trial period beyond the initial year.


Talk Tables ROTARY clubs in theMaidstone area


have been introduced to an interesting newcharitywhich promotes Talk Tables in cafes, restaurants etc. The idea is these establishments reserve


and promote a Talk Tablewhich clients are invited to join if they sowish. There theymeet other sociable people


to talk andmake newfriends. Users are encouraged to donate £1 ormore to this newcharity.A list of charities supported can be found on Talk Table’s Facebook page. One of themis Flat Spaces,which provides unique and sensitive holiday accommodation for peoplewith disabilities (info@flatspaces,co.uk).


Secondly,why on earth still give us our


pensioner bus pass ifwe too nowhave to pay? I have arthritis and could not possibly walk fromWare Street and back. If every other bus passenger is now


travelling free, is this just a cynical ploy to get rid of bus passes for pensioners?My instinct tellsme this is correct. Thirdly, have you ever actually travelled


on the 501? Yes, it is often fullwith bus pass pensioners. Butwhy?Arewe just going intoMaidstone to look at the architecture? No,we are going into town to shop and spend our pensions, thus supporting the town economy. On return journeys, almost every


“greyhead” is carrying at least two large bags of shopping. Very fewof uswould then be able to carry these bags home. I certainly couldn’t. So you have nowputme between a rock


and a hard place. Either I still use the park and ride and pay £2.50, even if only going into town for a fewhours, or a visit to the optician etc (I have a very small pension and I cannot afford this charge) or I try to shop online, thus further damaging the already rather poor shopping choice.As to car-sharing,many already do this. Fourthly, often it is often very hard to


find a parking space, especially since the park and ride atM20 junction sevenwas closed, so if you intend that people working inMaidstone to use this facility, and their cars are parked all day, thiswill make the lack of spaces evenworse. I believe that those of us entitled to the


senior bus pass ought not to be charged for parking, or itmakes a complete nonsense of thewhole structure. I amtruly disgusted by this a�ack on


those least able to defend themselves. Jean Beaton, via email


Comment


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