News Homes cut hope


THERE is hope still Maidstone can reduce the huge Government target for new housing in the borough. This follows conversations last


month when no agreement on a re- duction was reached between coun- cil officers and the Ministry of Housing and Local Government. Government is currently demand-


ing more than 27,000 new homes in the borough in the extended Local Plan period ending 2037, of which about one-third have been built. But the council claims this demand is based on the borough’s housing need calculated in 2014 and later cal- culations prove a reduced figure. The borough council is reviewing its Local Plan and needs to prove its re- duced housing need for the overall Government target to be amended. Cllr Martin Cox, council leader, said: “Government makes clear it will not give any special preference to relieve Maidstone’s capacity problems but the reality of current mathematics may help us. “We welcome the Ministry has in-


vited us to discuss potential mecha- nisms for recalculating the borough’s housing target but we have no idea yet whether this will give us scope to reduce numbers.”


downsmail.co.uk


Wait for drain repair left family sharing bathroom


A MOTHER of two has expressed her dismay at utilities company Southern Water after waiting weeks to have a collapsed drain fixed.


Nicola Thomas (37), of Ayles-


ford, says her two young sons, Oliver (9) and Matthew (8), have been forced to share a bathroom with her grandmother Joan Weekes (89), who is receiving end- of-life care. Miss Thomas says she has “lost


all faith” in the water company which, she claims, is responsible for her predicament. She said: “Do I really want them digging up my driveway when they can’t even answer an email? “It has got to the point where


you would flush the toilet and smelly water would come out into the shower tray. We have had no choice but to all use the same bath- room downstairs. “It is a Southern Water drain, and although they accept it is their


stairs so my nan could have down- stairs to herself, because of Coron- avirus. That just cannot happen when we all have to use the same bathroom. “We think where my nan hasn’t


been able to get upstairs for so long, that the drain must have col- lapsed a long time ago. It has been a nightmare.” The water company, which is re- sponsible for collecting and treat- ing wastewater in Kent, says there was a “breakdown in communica- tion” with their contractor. A Southern Water spokesman


responsibility, I have been waiting weeks just to get a phone call back, despite trying every day for two weeks. “Four carers come in and out of


my house every day and my kids went back to school. Who knows what they are exposed to with ev- erything going on at the moment? “The plan was for us to live up-


added: “We are extremely sorry for the delay in repair to the collapsed drain near the Thomas family’s property and for the inconvenience it caused. “We have investigated the delay


and found that there was a break- down in communication between ourselves and our contractor. “We are pleased to say the work was completed over the weekend.”


@HPSMaidstone www.hpsmerchant.co.uk/


@MaidstoneHPS


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