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Transport |News


serving county councillor Gary Cooke to fight the crucial seat while former Tory and Ukipper, PaulWooding,who campaigns for a ringroadfor the countytown,has endedmonths of speculationtode- clare himself an independent can- didate. They will take on fellow inde-


Roads will be hot topic at polls Wooding: Ring


road campaign FORMER soldier Paul Wooding who has declared himself a candi- date in Downswood and Otham will put his call for a ring road at the cen- tre of his campaign. He told Facebook followers: “ (I


pendentCllrGordonNewton,who has a majority of just 33. Labour may play an important role in the outcome if the right-of-centre vote splits three ways. It is unknown if Ukipwill field a candidate. Cllr Cooke, a passionate cham-


pion of a by-pass to ease the grow- ing congestion on south Maidstone’s highways, said: “I believe that we need Maidstone Borough Council and Kent County Council to be working more closely together. I’d hope, if I am elected, with my experience Iwould be able to do amuch bet- ter job for the people of Downswood and Otham on a local andwider level. I’ll continue to challenge the causes of traffic congestion on the country roads,


KCC Cllr Gary Cooke and Wendy Young will stand as MBC candidates


the need for a relief road for south Maidstone and to oppose the Lib- eral Democrats’ disastrous policy ofmodal shift.” Modal shift isMBC’s answer to


the expected 30,000 plus extra ve- hicles on the roads as a result of the Local Plan’s 17,600 new homes by encouraging people to walk, cycle or take the bus. Cllr Newton, who is repsected


and well-regarded in political cir- cles, said: “I shalldowhat Iusually do if I get in, and if I don’t, I get


Park and Ride faces ‘death by stealth’


THE man who created Maid- stone’s Park and Ride has slammed transport chiefs for in- flicting a “death by stealth” on the service. DavidHall claims the borough


council has been reducing the scheme’s scope for years, adding: “The deterioration is plain to see”. He told DownsMailmotorists


once queued to get into the four car parks originally designated for the service. Today there are just two, and neither is full. In addition, he said, double


decker buses ran every seven minutes at peakChristmas times, and the 1,500 spaces took 1,000 workers’ vehicles off the streets every day. “The scheme was so success-


ful, it led tomany towns copying the approach and coming to Maidstone to see how it had


been achieved,” he said. MrHall,whowas recruited by


the borough 30 years ago to launch Park and Ride, spoke out after Downs Mail revealed the council’s last-ditch plans to find a commercial operatorwilling to take the loss-making service off its hands. “Park and Ride does not run it-


self,” he said. “It requires careful management, knowledge and close liaison with the bus opera- tor to ensure reliability. “This expertise has been grad-


ually lost and, together with the removal of full-time attendants, the creeping perception of serv- ice deterioration has led to re- duced use.” He added: “It is difficult to see


how Maidstone Park and Ride can survive. This approach goes against the strategy of many large towns and cities across the


UK. It has suffered death by stealth. “With diminishing use, it will


deteriorate to the point where Maidstone BoroughCouncilwill disconnect the lifeline. But I doubt if there is a realistic plan to accommodate the vehicles that still use the service in the town centre.” His comments come just days


after borough councillor Denis Spooner told Bearsted Parish Council he was sceptical Maid- stone could find an operator to take the scheme on.


“I think Park and Ride will


close in May when the current contract expires,” he said. Last year, the service cost tax-


payers £242,000 in subsidies, with this year’s figure expected to top £310,000. The council introduced a suite


of measures during the summer to prop it up, including the in- troduction of a cashless “pay-to- park” system. But detractors claim the moves have exacer- bated Park and Ride’s difficul- ties.  See Letters, page 46


Maidstone East January 2019 19


my life back!” Wendy Young, of the Leeds-


Langley Relief Road Action Group, will stand in Sutton Va- lence and Langley. Mrs Young, a former Langley parish councillor, said: “This is all new to me but I know how important the issue of trafficvolumes is topeoplewholive here. “As for the election, Iwill be tak-


ingabsolutely nothing for granted. If I get in, I will do my absolute best for everyone.”


am) a staunch campaigner for a complete southern Maidstone ring road to help ALL of the county town, and as all previous feasibility stud- ies include data that shows a stand- alone Leeds LangleyRelief Road will NOT help all communities like Downswood and Otham as claimed, I will continue to fight for a scheme that actually will. “I am hard working, straight


speaking and would relish the op- portunity to take residents’ concerns straight to the heart of MBC. “I would be a positive contributor


in the upcoming review of the Local Plan and integrated transport strat- egy, (plans which have been instru- mental in the lack of foresight to house building and adequate sup- porting infrastructure).”


ROADS and transport will become the hot issues at next May’s borough council elections with the key marginal of Downswood and Otham being the ward to watch. The Conservatives have chosen


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