Delight at drop in house numbers

In line with Cllr Brian Clark we are also delighted the government inspector tasked with examining Maidstone’s Local Plan has reduced the housing numbers.

We have continually argued the proposed number of 18,560 houses was too high and did not take into account legitimate infrastructure constraints.

And, unlike Cllr Clark, who along with his fellow Liberal Democrat Councillors voted en masse to support the numbers in Local Plan, we voted against it when it came before Maidstone Borough Council. Cllr Louise Brice (Con) and Cllr John Perry (Con) Staplehurst Ward, Maidstone council – that’d be too much like a trade union report.

It has been a bit quiet on the devolution front in Kent but things may be about to get interesting if not exciting.

A report on creating a “super council” in east Kent is to be published by the end of the month.

Meanwhile, we expect to see much more joint-working initiatives between councils as they collaborate to save money.