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


42 Malling 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.





downsmail.co.uk Parking a risk to life


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


THE parking situation on Ware Street in Bearsted to the west of the golf club entrance has become increasingly worse. This now often consists of several


vehicles, creating a completely blind bend by blocking the view, and forcing cars in to the path of oncoming vehicles, and, less importantly, causing huge delays. I have witnessed two minor collisions,


and narrowly avoided a head-on collision myself, purely because I was on a motorcycle. This has been going on since at least 2016,


with a Facebook post by Bearsted Parish Council stating that they are “looking at options”. However, having checked the minutes of every meeting since January 2017, this issue has not been discussed once, giving way instead to seemingly more important items such as fireworks displays and market stalls. As concerned residents, we need to get


this issue resolved, as someone is definitely going to get seriously hurt, or worse when the cars block the pavement (there isn't one on the opposite side). No-one seems to want to accept


responsibility, with Bearsted Parish Council noting cost as a limiting factor. This is unacceptable when safety is the primary concern, with the danger easily removed by the application of lines. I would welcome your support in


bringing this issue to the parish’s a�ention in the hope of ge�ing it resolved, instead of waiting another two years with fingers crossed that no-one gets hurt. Ray Davies, via email


Mental health unit not risk


HAVING read your recent front page article on the proposed new mental health unit to be built at the Kent Medical Campus, off Ware Street, I was astounded and dismayed by the reactionary comments made by some of your contributors to this piece. Anyone would think that a Rampton-


type, secure mental hospital was being built in our midst, with no security in place, if the views aired by them are to be believed. The use of emotive language, such as


“lunatic asylum” and the repetition of rumours that suggest that the “criminally insane, paedophiles and rapists” might be treated there is juxtaposed with the fact that two schools could be built on a nearby site. The implication is that pupils/school staff may be endangered because of their proximity to these perceived threats. All primary and special needs schools, as


far as I am aware, are securely fenced and gated during working hours, so any intrusion or contact from outside would be very difficult and unlikely to go unnoticed. The jaundiced view that all those


suffering from mental health problems should be isolated from the rest of the community is outdated and does not deserve repetition from those who, one would think, possess a more enlightened view of society. The provision of this facility for low-level


mental health sufferers should be welcomed, not derided, as it will afford much-needed help for of patients who will benefit from community-based services. R J Mayes, Bearsted


Horrified by language


AFTER reading the article in this month’s Downs Mail, felt I had no option but to reply. I am absolutely horrified to see that, in


2018, a hospital for mental health patients is described by Dennis Spooner as being a “lunatic asylum”. This terminology has no place in the modern world. Mental health patients have no choice but


to live with their condition and, if they are lucky, receive treatment for it. Why is it a subject of debate what their conditions are and what may have led to their hospitalisation? This does not happen with any other illness. As a mental health professional who has


also had experience of having a family member with a serious mental illness, I feel that it is a positive step to have a local facility where patients can be treated with compassion, empathy and the opportunity for them to lead a full and productive life. Perhaps Mr Spooner should visit a mental


health unit and see the work that goes on to help patients do just that. Kim Terry, via email


Schools plan is flawed


I NOTE the concern in your article about the KMC development in Bearsted Road. One of 10 objections is the siting of a


“mental home” near proposed schools. Has nobody noticed the mental home in Vinters Road next to several schools? I am not aware of any problems. In any case, it could be argued that the


school proposal is flawed, as the area is already overwhelmed with traffic. Two schools can only exacerbate the problem. Roy Martin, Maidstone


Ignorance is staggering


I AM writing about the front page article in your East edition for April. The level of ignorance shown by your correspondent and local community leaders quoted is quite staggering. I fear that you have all been reading far


too many Batman comics. People with mental health difficulties are not the Joker. They deserve to be treated and cared for in as sensitive a manner as people with any other health complaint. I speak as somebody with a family


member with severe difficulties with mental health. With support from local health services and her family, she has coped well, but has at times needed support in a residential se�ing. Such se�ings do not belong in isolated


locations that are completely removed from the community and the support network of the patient. Out of sight, out of mind is not the answer for mental health patients, their loved ones or their communities. Furthermore, I would like to address the


specific fears that you chose to whip up quite needlessly around the location of facilities near schools. Despite your “research” taking you to


Sevenoaks for an example to support your editorial position, it didn’t manage to help you find the facilities on Vinters Road, within yards of East Borough, Invicta Girls and Valley Park schools. Nor did it lead you to the Trevor


Gibbons Unit, on the same site as a pre- school facility at Maidstone Hospital. Rob Field, Maidstone


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