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Charge idea to beat congestion


X Factor date


X FACTOR star Louisa Johnson has been lined-up to headline the Big Day Out to be held in Maid- stone in July. The singer, best known for the hit


A COUNCIL-funded investiga- tion into battling pollution in Maidstone has suggested the in- troduction of congestion charges on buses, taxis and lorries. The four-month study, which


Best Behaviour, will take the stage at Mote Park on July 1. She announced the gig on Twit-


ran from December to April, dis- covered that Upper Stone Street has some of theworst air quality in the country. In a drastic attempt to remedy


ter, saying: “Big news! I’ll be head- lining the @BigDayOutUK Festival in Maidstone this July! Can’t wait to see you all there.” Also on the bill are Diversity,


who won Britain’s Got Talent, and girl band Atomic Kitten, who have Kerry Katona in their line-up. Louisa (19) won the X Factor in


this, the report suggests a raft of measures, including congestion charges and the creation of a no- stopping red route, to prevent idling traffic from pumping out fumes in the centre of town. Its authors recogniseLibDem-led


MBC’s aspirations of “achieving modal shift towalking, cycling and public transport”, but propose moves that could see bus and taxi services torpedoedbyhighcharges. The report suggests buses and


coaches could be hit with £50 bills to access centralMaidstone, while taxiswould face £8 charges.


2015, after singing with mentor Rita Ora in the final.


Assault case A MAIDSTONE woman has been charged with wounding after an al- leged stabbing in Shepway. Nicola Goslitski (40), of Sutton


Road,was arrested after policewere called to a report of an assault in Westmorland Road on Sunday, April 30. Officerswere told that two women had made theirway to hos- pital with arm injuries. They are be- lieved to have known the suspect. Goslitski has been charged with


two counts of wounding with in- tent and one of possessing a knife in a public place.


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Princess Royal meets charity shop workers


THE PRINCESS Royal received a warm welcome from charity vol- unteers when she visited the Save The Children shop in Maidstone. Acrowd of onlookerswaited out-


However, members of the bor-


side the store in Union Street to see Princess Anne. She was greeted by dignitaries including the Mayor of Maidstone Cllr Derek Butler, the charity’s retail manager Cheryl Adams and voluntary shop leader, Karen Elphick, before going inside to meet shop workers. The Princess, who has been presi-


dent of the charity since the 1970s, spoke of her appreciation of the con- tribution the shop makes to the work of the charity at home and abroad. She also presented certificates to Dennis Foad, Brenda Harris and Sylvia Thomas in honour of their long service to the charity. Seven-year-old Daisy, the daugh-


ough’s strategic planning and in- frastructure committee, who discussed the findings at their July meeting,were less than enthusias- tic about congestion charging. CllrPatrikGartensaidthat, faced


with a £50 bill, someHGVswould try to squeeze through Leeds, in- steadofusing thedesignatedtruck route throughMaidstone. He said: “I prefer the red route


option… all that would take is a public consultation, a couple of metal boards and a pot of paint.” The report’s authors, Arcadis


ter of shop volunteer LoraMaxwell, presented the Princess Anne with a posy and a card she had made. The card had a picture of a horse be- cause Daisy had researched on the internet and found that the Princess


Sell your unwanted items


and Integrated Transport Ltd, be- lieve congestion, the carriageway’s gradient andthe “canyon” effect of buildings lining the road are be- hindUpper Stone Street’s poor air quality results. Councillors say they have noted


the report’s findings, and have asked borough officials to gauge KCC’s thoughts on introducing a red route.


Illegal lorrymounts footpath


THIS is themoment the driver ofan HGV sparked outrage in Leeds vil- lage. Not only was the Reed Boardall


The Princess Royal is greeted by Cheryl Adams, the mayor and Karen Elphick


loved animals. Among the dozens of onlookers


who watched the Princess depart was 88-year-old BettyWarren who hadwaited for nearly an hour to see her andwas given a chair and a cup of tea outside the shop. The charity shop opened in Union


Street in 1980 when the building was bought for £12,000. Thirty- seven years later, its success contin- ues, with the volunteers having


lorry defying theweight restriction, which outlaws trucks on theB2163, the driver then tried to take a right turn into a tiny country lane at about 5.45pmon July 20. One witness said: "People were


shouting at him and asking him what on earth hewas doing. “It was so dangerous. The driver


had mounted the footpath at the entranceof Forge Laneandrealised there was no way he could get


through. “He reversed back into the village and went on his way up to- wards Langley. "He didn’t seem in the least bit


raised £40,000 for the charity last year.


apologetic or embarrassed. All in a day’swork.” A spokesman for Reed Boardall


are alwayswelcome at the tiny shop which is packed with goods ranging from clothing, children’s items, kitchen ware and a collector’s cor- ner. There is also a “wanted board” for people who are looking for something in particular and the vol- unteers will keep an eye out for them.


said: “We take public safety very se- riously and will be looking into the matter further with the driver con- cerned. “We can only apologise and reas-


sure residents that this contravened our rigorous guidelines and we will do all we can to ensure that it does not happen again.”


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