Council needs fresh vision

In I believe 2004/5 Maidstone Borough Council published a 20/20 vision that said by 2020 we would be a unitary type authority whose reputation and influence would extend throughout the south east.

The major themes were prosperity, lifelong learning, quality living, healthy environment, decent housing, and sustainable communities. The borough and its partners have achieved and delivered a lot of the vision but there is still a lot that has been left unfinished.

So it is strange how the council’s priorities have changed in recent years with little or no consultation and little or no formal decision making.

Where are the key priorities and the strategy today that drives forward a new vision?

As long as I can remember Maidstone Borough Council has had to make cuts year on year to ensure it balanced the books. There is always the challenge of capital expense and the ability to fund the running costs of any project. Yet with interest rates low the council seemed to have abandoned past criteria and gone on a borrowing and spending journey.

This started in a small way when houses were purchased for multiple occupation and it moved back into the council house business.

What has followed is something quite different with the purchase of the bingo hall and cinema, Granada House, the old post office headquarters in conjunction with Kent County Council and Lockmeadow.

All of which are in need of replacing or refurbishing.

Set this against the loss of police headquarters, the borough

John Twiselton

Minster council headquarters, Kent County Council’s headquarters. The last two to be replaced with a proposed £50 million new build premises.

Let’s add to that the loss of the University of Creative Arts, The Adult Education Centre Sittingbourne Road, and the Archbishop’s Palace if it is turned into flats. Plus the loss to come of the 36 Regiment barracks again proposed to become housing and the likely closure of Maidstone Prison which is effectively a listed ‘village’. Does this look like a plan that will put the county back into County Town? Let’s get back to basics and start real consultation with the community, a public debate, a big debate as we called it.

Let’s once more bring our partners together to drive forward the changes that we all wish to see.

Let’s produce a fresh vision backed by a coherent plan to deliver for everyone in the borough.

To make Maidstone the place we all value and are proud of.

Mike FitzGerald MBE

Laxton Drive, Chart Sutton