News


downsmail.co.uk £1.75mcost ofmodal shift plan


FRONTLINE council serviceswould losemore than £1.75mof funding if town hall aspirations to drivemotorists offMaidstone’s congested streets ever became a reality.


The Liberal Democrat-led bor-


ough council’s policy of modal shift, which would see drivers ditch their vehicles in favour of al- ternative transport, is regularly cited as an answer toMaidstone’s burgeoning traffic problems. But newFreedomof Information figures show motorists


(FOI)


bankrolledthe local authoritytothe tune of nearly £4mlast year. Drivers forked out more than


£2.6m on parking, nearly £400,000 on permits, and in excess of £770,000 in penalty charges. Much of that income, the council


says, is ring-fenced under law, and has to be reinvestedinparkingpro- vision such as ticketmachines and trafficwardens. But the council admitted: “In-


come relating to off-street parking charges is not covered by this legis- lation. For 2018/19 this was £1,751,495. This income is used to support frontline council services.” Former borough councillor John


Barned, who obtained the FOI fig- ures, toldDownsMail: “It’s amess. The councilneeds tostop, stepback


Focus on food


at park event MOTE Park is the venue for an- other festival this summer. The Maidstone Food & Drink


Festival returns to the town cen- tre park from Friday, May 31 to Sunday, June 2. A free event, it offers visitors a


chance to try street food from around the globe, as well as arti- san groceries. Award-winning cheeses and homemade cakes are just some of the locally produced foods on offer. Alongside the shopping experi-


ence and alfresco dining area, family entertainmentwill include children’s rides and slides; a live music stage, and the Famous Last Stand bar serving craft beers, cider,wine, and gin. Paul Kennedy, director of


Zoom Events, said: “We are de- lighted to be returning to Maid- stone and beautiful Mote Park, where our Food & Drink Festival receives such awarmwelcome.” The festival is open on Friday


from noon to 7pm; on the Satur- day from 10am to 7pm, and on Sunday from11amto 6pm.


4 Maidstone June 2019 Congested roads inMaidstone and right, former councillor John Barned


and take stock.We’re building our- selves into oblivion with much- needed new homes but no matching infrastructure.Andwe’re charging shoppers to park in the town when competitors, like Blue- water, are free.” MBC relies primarily on council


tax tofill its coffers. InApril, ithiked the levy by 3%. Thiswas above the rate of inflation, and themaximum increase allowedwithout a referen-


dumbeing required. Despite cars becoming a consid-


erable source of additional income, MBCinsists itwill forge aheadwith its policy of modal shift, which it has re-branded “modal choise”. A spokesman said: “As a council


we are promotingmodal choice by offering a range of services such as town centre parking both on-street and off-street whilst supporting Park and Ride and other transport


services through the Quality Bus Partnership. “Maidstone Borough Council


budgets are consideredandrevised accordingly as demand for its serv- ices change over time.” MBCaddedthat itsparkingfacil-


ities support local business, resi- dents


and visitors, with


“comparable tariffs to other town centre parking operators, offering a similar service”.


Fostering call


THE county council says it needs 150 newfoster parents for young- sters to meet a major shortfall in carers. KCC says in spite of having


more than 80 people offering homes for disadvantaged young- sters, more are still needed, with a national shortfall estimated at just over 9,000. Information pop-ups have been


Feeding youngminds


NEARLY 3,000 children from 53 schools in Maidstone and across Kent learnedhowtheir foodisproducedat the16thLivingLandshowatDetling. The behind-the-scenes look at howfarmers bring their food to the table


was provided by experts fromnearby businesses including the JohnDeere dealershipinStockbury (pictured)andRochesterBridge tenants fromBoar- ley Farmin Boxley. Youngsters aged seven to nine were able to seemachinery, including a


combine harvester, and ask questions about issues such as the importance of home-grown produce and foodmiles. Catherine Joules, of theMarden Fruit ShowSociety,was giving out slices


of apple, pear crisps and fruit bars. She said: “A lot of the children said they’d never tried an apple before, so it’s been great to introduce them.” Displays were also given, including one by the falconry team at Leeds Castle to demonstrate howthese birds are used by farmers to deter pests.


held across the county, including at Costa Coffee in Fremlin Walk, Maidstone, on May 21, in an ef- fort to plug the gap. Call Kent Fostering on 03000


420 002.


Bird bread ban MOTE Park staff have urged the public not to feed bread to the water birds. A spokesman for the park said:


“It’s the time of year we see a build-up on bread on the lake, a clue that you should not feed bread to water birds. It bloats their stomachs causing malnutri- tion and remaining bread on the lake spreads disease. “Feed them left over veg like peas, or duck food fromthe café."


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