News


£1,800 bill for bus stop that won’t be needed


A LACK of communication ap- pears to have cost Kent County Councilnearly £2,000 for abus stop in Maidstone that is no longer needed. The stop – near the Park and Ride


site in Willington Street – was in- stalled this year, at a cost of £1,820, but just fourmonths later it is stand- ing idle. A KCC spokesman said: “Arriva


introduced the No 9 onWillington Street in both directions in April 2017. “We subsequently received a re-


quest for a stop to help elderly and disabledpassengers access it. In July 2017, KCC looked at the feasibility of a bus stop and it was installed in March this year.” But, a reviewbyArriva of its net-


work just fourmonths later, resulted in the stop no longer being used. The spokesman said: “While we


do work closely with Arriva, we have no control overwhat commer- cial changes itmakes to services.”


ago, as the newArriva bus route by- passes it, and was told by Arriva it did not request the stop.” He saysArriva’s revisions to serv-


ices now provide Bearsted with a quicker journey time into town, but, at the expense of some afternoon services. The last bus back from Maidstone is at 2.40pm,unlessusers jump on the school days-only No 9 with pupils, which leaves the bus station at 4.03pm and arrives at Cross Keys at 4.30pm. Cllr Cuming said: “I am hopeful


The stop is now used by Kings


Ferry commuter coaches. Bearstedborough councillorMike


Cuming (pictured) has been follow- ing the route changes with some frustration. He said: “I questioned this bus stop a couple of months


that the increased frequency and re- routing will see an increase in pas- senger numbers on the No 11, but I am worried that by withdrawing most of the afternoon services, peo- ple will be dissuaded from using it at all. The reality is that the service needs to be used ifArriva is to con- sider improving it.” Arriva says itwill adda later jour-


ney toMadginfordfromSeptember; meaning the last journey from Maidstonewill be 6.11pm.


downsmail.co.uk ‘Harrods’ plan


for town store MAIDSTONE’s House of Fraser department store is part of a £90m deal which its new owner said he hopes will turn the chain into the “Harrods of the High Street” Controversial entrepreneurMike


Ashley's Sports Direct has agreed to buy theHouse of Fraser 59-store chain for £90m. The deal was announced on Fri-


day,August 10, just hours after the 169-year-old chain went into ad- ministrationwhen talkswith cred- itors failed to reach an agreement. The chain employs 16,000 people


– 5,900 of themdirectly and 10,100 in concessions.Administrators said jobs could be “preserved”. In a statement, Sport Direct said:


“The group has acquired all of the UK stores of House of Fraser, the House of Fraser brand and all of the stock in the business.” An earlier plan to close some


stores has nowbeen abandoned. Sports Direct already held an


11%stake in the chain. House of Fraser's administrators,


from accountants EY, said the chain had been in “a race against time to secure its future” since the Chinese firm C.banner pulled out of the deal earlier thismonth.


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