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News Pitching in for sport in Kent


A MASSIVE blueprint for the future of sport in Maidstone is now emerging at Maidstone Bor- ough Council, following two years of local and national consultations, writes Dennis Fowle.


In linewith government require-


ments, the council has commis- sioned and received two major reports – one titled “Sports Facili- ties Strategy” and the other “Play- ing Pitch Strategy” – which are being considered by council com- mittees. Once agreed, they will provide


evidence for reviews of the bor- ough’s now-adopted Local Plan and will be significant in the coun- cil’s development decisions, future budgeting needs and grant funding applications. The Playing Field Strategy will need regular reviews and updates. The demand for sporting activi-


ties is expected to increase asMaid- stone’s population expands by an estimated 22,380 by 2031. Fitness and swimming feature


highly in public preferences, in a borough where general participa- tion rates in sport and physical ac- tivity are higher than county and regional averages. Almost 27% of the population belong to sports clubs (national average: 22%). The reportsmake detailed assess-


ments of “the quantity, quality, ac- cessibility and availability” of Maidstone’s outdoor and indoor fa- cilities, forecast needs for new and improved facilities to 2031 and set out options. The council aims to approve the


final strategies, following consulta- tions, in the next year and include recommendations and action plans. Facilities needed are shown as:


out after crash ASETof traffic lights at apedestrian crossing were flattened when they were hit by a van near Springfield Roundabout on theA229 Royal En- gineers Road. The damage was


overnight on June 27,when the van, which was towing a generator, ploughed into the lights and rail- ings, leaving a man with injuries which are not thought to be serious. The road was shut for just over


four hours and the lights were re- placed a little later. A Kent Police spokesman said:


“Officers and South EastCoastAm- bulance Service attended the scene and amanwas treated for injuries. “The roadwas closedwhile emer-


gency services dealt with the inci- dent and highways officers cleared oil fromthe carriageway.”


 Swimming pools – one 25m four-lane pool;  Health and fitness – 187 equip- ment stations.  Football – four adult pitches; four youth 11 v 11 pitches; four youth 9 v 9 pitches; two mini-soc- cer 7 v 7 pitches; twomini-soccer 5 v 5 pitches; a 3G turf pitch;  Sports halls – four badminton- sized sports halls (meeting Sport England requirement formaximum flexibility);  Cricket – three grass pitches (or three artificial turfwickets, perhaps on existing sites);  RugbyUnion – 1.5 pitches (arti- ficial pitch to be considered);  Rugby League – 1.5 pitches;  Hockey – artificial grass pitches (perhaps resurfacing South Park pitch and look at providing an extra pitch);  Lacrosse – a grass pitch and arti- ficial grass pitch. The report says there are no pro-


jected additional facility needs for: squash, indoor and outdoor tennis,


indoor and outdoor bowls, athletics tracks andAmerican football. Some school sites could see


greater use. The highly-detailed, 150-page


Playing Pitch Strategy takes a very close look at the pitches and facili- ties across the borough for these seven sports: football, cricket, rugby, rugby league, hockey, American football and lacrosse. It also puts forwardmany signif-


icant proposals for the sports, indi- vidual clubs and their sites, several of which are very costly in local sporting terms. They are also pri- oritised: highmediumor low. The report suggests capital and


revenue costs of newfacilities could be provided through various means, including S106/Community Infrastructure Levy from new de- velopments locally and also from grant funding.


Traffic lights Mayor launches pontoon to keep cadets afloat caused


MAIDSTONE Sea Cadets are de- lighted to have finally realised their ambition of opening a newpontoon on the river, after years of financial constraints. Former town mayor Cllr Malcolm


Greer made it his ambition to raise the money that has eluded the cadets formore than 30 years. On July 7, he attended the official


opening ceremony, along with 100 guests, including the current mayor of Maidstone, Councillor David Naghi. CouncillorGreer said: “It has been


the aspiration of this Sea CadetUnit for over 30 years, to have their own pontoon, to enable them to take to the watermore frequently. “I decided to take on this project and while it has been very hard


Sea cadets and officials gather for the launching of the new pontoon


work, the culmination of several months of hard work has finally come to a wonderful conclusion, with over 100 guests present to wit- ness the launch. “It ismy hope that this facilitywill greatly enhance the experiences of


this Sea Cadet Unit, and attract more young people to join them.” Councillor Greer raisedmore than


£100,000 for his chosen charities of the Blackthorn Trust, Kent Lung Awareness and the cadets during his year asmayor.


Maidstone August 2018 19


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