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News


downsmail.co.uk ‘Cash cow’ drivers fined onM20


THE government agency tasked to prepare the M20 in advance of Brexit next March has been accused of cashing in on speedingmotorists. The roadworks, which aim to


Dover MP Charlie Elphicke (pic-


tured)usedFreedomof Information legislation to discover that £300,000 worth of tickets have been dished out to motorists in the 50mph road- work zones. Nearly 3,000 ve-


hicle drivers have been hit with £100 fines


since the


Highways England-commissioned work started. Some motorists say they have


been penalised in the dead of night when there is nowork going on, vir- tually no traffic and noworkers. Overnight tickets account for


roughly a third of the total, says the independentMP.


Being shops


against trend THE number of gambling estab- lishments in the centre of Maid- stone has remained steady in the past eight years, despite growing concerns in other parts of the coun- try. There are currently 15 bookies’


shops in the county town,which is the same as 2011, although the Of- fice for National Statistics (ONS) reports a 4% drop across the UK. There had been growing con-


cerns, particularly in deprived areas, that betting premises have been the only growth area on the high streets. If a vote gets through Parliament


next year and fixed odds gambling machines are restricted to a maxi- mum bet of £2, rather than £100, some companiesmay pull out.


Spooky sights


POPULAR Maidstone attraction Kent Life is holding a Halloween “Spooktacular”. The event fromOctober 20 to 28,


will include evening entertain- ment, “Kent Life After Dark”, on Tuesday, October 23. There will be family friendly


Halloween events from 10am to 5pm, such as pumpkin carving, spooky farm rides, daily fancy dress competitions and a creepy cuddle corner. There will also be shows in the Big Top. The “Kent Life After Dark”


evening sessions include exploring the spooky sights, a guided tour and a ghost train.


30


manage traffic flowspost-Brexit, cre- ate four lane zones around Maid- stone anda newjunction atAshford, all have a 50mph speed limit 24 hours a day. Mr Elphicke revealed a third of


the 2,969 fines, equalling to £124,200, were handedout overnight between 8pmand 6am. He said: “Drivers are already pay-


ing a high price for having to crawl through roadworks on the M20. Now more than 1,000 people have been fined while driving at night, when there is nowork. “Highways England needs to


hurry up and finish these road- works. And the government needs to spend the funds raised through


fines on improvingKent’s roads and fixing potholes.” When the MP raised the issue


with Highways England, he claims hewas told the cameras are in place in protectworkers. He added: "Of course, it’s impor-


tant that people drive safely and workers areprotected.Yet at the cur- rent rate 26 people are caught every day, costingmotorists nearly £1mil- lion every year. “It’s important that Highways


England ensures motorists are not treated like a cash cow.” From May 15 to September 13,


2018 between junctions 9 and 11, some 2,505 fines were handed to driverswith1,604happeningduring the day and 901 overnight.


The roadworks at theM20 inAsh-


ford andMaidstone are expected to end in the first half of 2020. Highways England said: “Road


workers face one of the most haz- ardous working environments in the country and we are committed to keeping themsafe. “Reduced speed limits also pro-


tectdrivers,where narrowlanes and frequently changing roadlayouts af- fect safe speeds. “Highways England receives no


revenue from speed cameras – our sole interest is in encouraging driv- ers to stick to the speed limit and keeping our roadworks safe.Wemet withMr Elphicke lastweek and are responding to him in detail on the pointswe discussed.”


School award


A SPECIAL school for children with learning difficulties has been recognised as a “happy and pro- ductive learning environment”. Bower Grove School has been


given the Centre of Excellence Award from the Inclusion Quality Mark (IQM). The IQM is an independent re-


viewing body which assesses ap- plicants on their positive teaching and work with students. Assessors wrote: “The school


New direction for troubled Pilot


A PUBwhichwas badly damaged in a fire is set to reopen. The Pilot in Upper Stone Street,


Maidstone has had a turbulent year, starting back inMarchwhen the pub had to close its doors following the departure of the licensee. Later, the windows were boarded up. In mid-July, the former 2008


CAMRA Pub of the Year was in the news again when firefighters had to tackle a blaze at the rear of the building. It was feared the pub would be


closed for good, but nowa newman- agement team has come in and started a renovation project with a new bar, kitchen and cellar. Downs Mail has learned an esti-


mated £50,000 has been put into the restoration project, and the Pilot will be returning as a traditional pub that aims to serve good beers and ales. Hopes were that the Pilot would


be back serving pints in early Octo- ber, but the scheduled reopening date has had to be pushed back.


Free flu vaccination details


KENT County Council (KCC) is urging key groups of people to take up the offer of a free flu jab as part of the StayWell ThisWinter cam- paign. With the coldweather setting inmore people could be susceptible


to flu and KCC is hoping that the most vulnerable groups will take advantage of the free flu jabs that are available to avoid becoming ill this winter. The free flu vaccination is available to people over the age of 65, pregnantwomen, children aged two to three years old and those suffering fromlong termhealth conditions.


Maidstone East November 2018


presents as a happy and produc- tive learning environment with children interested in their learn- ing andmaking good progress. “Staff are passionate about the


work they do and ensuring that pupils, who may not have had a good start in their education else- where, catch up and begin to enjoy their learning in a school setting.”


Seamemories


THE Sailors’ Society charitywants to hearMaidstone people’smemo- ries of the sea. The 200-year-old maritime or-


ganisationworks internationally to provide practical and emotional support to the world’s 1.6m sea- farers. CEOStuart Rivers said: “During


the heatwave, many people from Maidstonewill have headed to the beach to creatememories. “Whether you spent childhood


holidays at the beach, or working at sea, we’d love to hear your sto- ries.” Go towww.theseaandme.org for


details.


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