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downsmail.co.uk


Demonised by lack of democracy MailMarks


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DESPERATE Maidstone is being demonised by absence of Government democracy. And it is getting worse. Last month I complained about: l unrealistic Government demands for yet more house building; l proposed reduced local planning protections; l threatened end of Maidstone Borough Council through a merger with other borough councils. Now add crazy overnight changes made to King Street and Earl Street, funded by Transport Minister Grant Shapps, who said it must be introduced at great pace without need for local consultation.


That’s not to mention Conservative backbenchers forcing Government to bring to Parliament COVID-19 restrictions, now seriously imposing on our long-established liberties. We need Government to govern – but on all issues above it must have a feel for reasonable public consent. At the moment, it even lacks consent from so many of its own MPs. Opinion polls increasingly reveal what voters think. Local amazement and anger about King Street and Earl Street are overwhelming. The minister put up the money and KCC and Maidstone Council were quick to take it to pursue their desire for more walking, cycling and use of public transport (so-called modal shift).


The minister said if the cycle lanes, extra footpaths and more were not working they could be removed (that’s our public funds being wasted). So KCC and MBC asked no one – but we


Badgers source of stress


I HAVE just seen the letter published in your edition 282 by Peter Dean, with regard to “out of love with badgers”. My wife and I, along with many residents who live in South Maidstone, have been plagued with these “lovely nocturnal” animals for over 15 months. They have smashed through our fences, dug up lawns, plants and most disgustingly have excavated latrines then left defecated matter all over the ower beds.


It has been a stressful 15 months for all of us over the damage caused by these creatures. We have contacted the West Kent Badger Group, East Kent Badger Group, the Environment Agency councillors, Police, RSPCA, Nature England, Helen Whately MP who passed my letter to the minister responsible, all to no avail. We still have the problem of occasional nocturnal visit from the badgers, I say them because we know of at least three in our area.


DENNIS FOWLE President dennisfowle28@gmail.com


are telling them now. Much needs to go, especially in King Street. It beggars belief what has been done, especially at the pinch-point in King Street, where the new short one-way system causes traffic jam chaos at busy times in both directions. There are serious safety issues desperate for proper discussion.


I think many support the principle of more cycling, walking and use of public transport, but this has to respect the great importance of cars to most of us. It is not an easy mix – and Maidstone is now sad evidence of this.


a


Peep at our future WE now have a strong view of the potential Maidstone of the future with proposals in the Local Plan Review (see the supplement in this edition). It brings a mixture of excitement and deep concerns. I welcome thoughts of a new look for


the riverside to replace retail warehouses, NHS thoughts on improving our GP surgeries, improving many key services, developing an integrated transport plan, a different future for the old town centre cinema site…


But the possible good news is overshadowed by the vast number of


Peter, we whole heartily understand your frustration, you spend hundreds if not thousands on your garden, only to have it decimated by what has now become a pest. They have been driven from their rural


settings by the unrelenting pressure for new homes into urban areas. They are now becoming just as big a problem as the urban fox, with no way of controlling them. It is illegal to remove, harm them or destroy their setts.


D & B Elphee, South Maidstone


Don’t feed nocturnal pests WITH regard to your correspondent who complained of a badger problem, I have to agree. I see little cuddly or welcome about their nightly excursions into my garden. They are perhaps more persistent and aggressive than foxes when it comes to relieving you of your chickens. Once you have become part of their trail, they’ll wreck anything in their way. Badgers are best tolerated in setts in the middle of the countryside, but because people feed them and think they’re cute,


new houses Government is demanding in our borough, and how much of our cherished countryside must disappear. We have a much better idea where Maidstone Borough Council will, with great reluctance, be siting much of this development (may be up to 34,000 more houses by 2037).


The plan is for four large new garden villages, with Lidsing and Marden rated by consultants as “suitable” and Lenham Heath and Leeds/Langley corridor considered “suitable for investigation”.


More than 100 “call for sites” offers


have been recommended as suitable for consideration by the council, but it seems about 200 will not be progressed at this stage – better news for homes now suffering planning blight.


a Village relief


THERE is much relief in farming East Farleigh that large agricultural sites in the centre are not recommended for housing. Most worrying was Court Lodge Farm now owned by Trinity College, Cambridge, which produced an excruciatingly-long transport plan with four access points to serve their proposed 200-plus houses and larger business park.


They knew the traffic chaos of narrow


Lower Road, Vicarage Lane and Forge Lane leading to the “Maidstone bypass” of medieval single-lane Farleigh Bridge/railway level crossing was a challenge. In the end, developers even suggested building a second Farleigh bridge – but that was a senseless bridge too far.


they have become accustomed to human kindness as a means to get by. Badgers are as lazy as we are, but by giving them handouts we are damaging their populations by allowing them to grow beyond the available territories. There is no shortage of these creatures, and their only predator is the unwitting kind with four wheels. M Keane, via email


Town street a hazard


KING Street is now a dangerous, almost one-way street and three well-used, disabled bays have been removed. Previously, disabled people were able to park opposite Boots, attend for sight and hearing tests or to collect medication. There is now one bay further up the road in a highly dangerous place, in a traffic lane where the driver’s door opens to oncoming traffic. Vehicles are now often backed up to Church Street and to the Sittingbourne Road, causing even more pollution for the older, retired residents of King’s Lodge.


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