News | Election 2019


downsmail.co.uk Legal action’s ugly shadow


THE issue of Maidstone Borough Council’s doomed High Court action against Kent County Councilwill rear its head before polling day,we can reveal. TheMBC bill at the point of set-


tlement was £48,554, and Downs MailunderstandsKCCspent in ex- cess of £55,000. Both bills will have to be paid


fromthe public purse. The Conservative opposition


group at the town hall is bound to pounce on the issue in the run-up to the local elections on May 2 as council spending comes under the microscope. MBC launched proceedings


againstKCClast summer to secure a judicial review over the county council’s use of £200,000 in devel- oper contributions for studies into a Leeds-Langley relief road. The borough’smanagement and


Lib Dem leadership wanted the cash (S106 money) for changes to the highways in light of amassive house-building programme. Lib DemleaderMartin Cox and


MBCchief executiveAlisonBroom claimed the legal action was to


It’s all to play


for in borough THE current make-up of the council is: CON..............................24 LIB DEM......................21 INDS...............................5 LAB ................................3 INDM’STONE ............2 The Lib Dems are in control of


the council despite being the sec- ond largest party at the town hall because they have a power-shar- ing arrangement with smaller groups. It does mean, however, they


willhave to retainall their seats to stay in charge but,more crucially, the Tories will have to do the same and perhaps gain four or fivemore. SomeTory insiders think it un-


likely this time round, but may put themselves within touching distance by 2020 when another tranche of winnable seats will come along. Elections take place in the fol-


lowing wards: Allington, Bearsted, Boxley, Coxheath and Hunton, Detling and Thurnham, Downswood and Otham, East, Fant, Harrietsham and Lenham, High Street, Leeds, Loose, Mar- denandYalding,North,Shepway North, South, Staplehurst, Sutton Valence and Langley.


10 Maidstone May 2019


achieve “clarity” on the disburse- ment andspending of the S106div- idends. There are major concerns that


southMaidstone’s roadwill not be able to cope with the extra traffic when 25,000 new homes are built in the borough. County councillorGaryCooke, a


candidate in Downswood and Otham, said: “Of course, this is an election issue – people have a right to know. This administration has


wasted 10 months and tens of thousands of pounds of taxpayers’ money forwhat?Nothing. “Whathasbeenagreedcouldand


shouldhave beenagreedroundthe negotiating table. But I amglad it is going forward at long last.” Opposition groups may seek to


highlight £60,000 of public funds spent byMBC on a slick brochure to sell plots of private land for up to a thousand town centre homes. And the Tories are pressing for


elections every four years, rather than annually, which, they claim, could save taxpayers £300,000. When MBC backed down from


theHigh Court action, the author- ities agreed a seven-point list of outcomes. They include both sides agreeing to bear their own costs and KCC agreeing not to use S106 money for relief road studies, but for highwaysmitigation. Also in the pipeline is the estab-


lishment of a Maidstone Strategic Board to discuss major projects and the employment of a “trans- port planner” fundedbyMBC, but working for KCC. Despite years of poor relations


betweenMBC and Tory-run KCC, the two authoritieswillwork “col- laboratively”, particularly for the Local Plan review, set for adoption in three years. The review will bring 8,000more houses on top of 17,600 in the Local Plan passed in 2017.


Dealing with the Brexit factor


THE one topic every party activist is keen to swerve on the doorstep is the one beginningwith “B”. Most have been trying to avoid


the subject of Brexit, while trying to steer the subject towardsmore local issues. But ToryMPHelenWhately, after


canvassing support in Downswood and Othamward, summed up frus- trations in that part ofMaidstone in a Tweet onMarch 30. It read: “Views on the doorsteps:


had enough of Brexit / just get on with Brexit / let’s just leave / it’ll have tobeacompromise ...butover- all, just get onwith it.” Labour activist Malcolm McKay said: “People are fed upwith politics


and fed up with politicians. It is pretty negative across the piece …but it is early days and a lot will happen between nowand then.” Liberal Democrat candidate


RichardWebb(pictured), standingin Coxheath and Hunton, said: “I’ve been trying to stay away from the Brexitword and keep to local issues. “It does have a local impact, of


course, but it is not something a member on Maidstone Borough Council can control.” Leader of the opposition Tory


group at the town hall, Cllr John Perry, said: “We’ve had some very positive feedback. But some people have told us they’ll never vote again.”


Targeting the crucial postal votes


THE postal votewill probably de- cide the balance of power on Maidstone Borough Council on May 2. Activists will hope to have a


leaflet or personal communication on the voters’ doormats on or be- fore the postal vote slips come in. A Labour party worker said:


“Some wards have a 50% postal vote, so those contestswill be de- termined prior to polling day.”


At a time of disillusionment


with politics andwhen turnout is expected to be low, keeping the message localwill be key. A Tory activist said: “You’d


think we would be getting stick over Brexit, but we’re not. People can see these elections are about local issues such as housing, lack of roads and the awful traffic. “But they’ve had enough of pol- itics and getting themout onMay


2 could be hard. So postal votes are a guarantee that pledges will convert to votes.” TheConservatives have numer-


ical superiority over the Liberal Democrats but the latter can de- liver aworkingmajority,with the help of independents. The postal vote is attractive to


the elderly or infirm. Postal vot- ers have to register first and post the slip back before polling day.


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