Jobs, education and investment are key to post-Covid recovery
A bold vision for the County Town’s future aims to make Maidstone the ‘Business Capital of Kent’ by 2030.
This is the ambition outlined in a new draft economic development strategy drawn up by planning and development consultants Lichfields on behalf of Maidstone Borough Council.
A “state of the nation” document supporting the longterm vision reveals the scope of the challenges faced - the initial hit to the local economy from the Covid-19 pandemic could be equivalent to £575 million and 4,000 jobs across the borough in 2020.
The draft strategy, which was approved for public consultation by the borough council’s economic regeneration and leisure committee last week, sets out five key areas where attention will be focused as part of an initial five-year plan.
These include developing Maidstone into a destination for visitors both in the daytime and at night, capitalising on growth in the green economy, and helping to develop a thriving rural economy away from the borough’s urban centres.
Viticulture - the wine growing industry - is a particular opportunity, according to the draft strategy, with Kent increasingly growing a global reputation for the quality of its produce and the opportunity for wine tourism. Richard Balfour-Lynn, who
co-founded the Hush Heath Estate winery in Staplehurst with wife Leslie, told us he welcomes the recognition of the role his industry can play in creating more jobs in rural communities.
However, he warned that more must be done to invest in skills and infrastructure if young people locally are to benefit from this growing sector.
“There’s a huge tension of opening a business like ours in a very rural area,” he said. “There’s a huge tension between people living in the area who don’t want change, who will try and block
licences or planning permission, so I think there is a balance to be had.
“I think the Government are helping enormously by creating lots of land for homes, creating tension in local communities, but the facts are kids have got to live somewhere. “It’s the same with businesses, if you are going to encourage businesses into rural areas then help getting planning permissions, help getting licences, all those things are really important, within a controlled environment if it’s all done properly. “Where I think the council can help, and where I think central government can help, is more apprenticeships for kids, aged 16 to 18, to learn viticulture. We were having conversations with Mid Kent College prior to Covid, we will take them up again after that. “But again, providing funding for people who want a vocational training when they come out at 16 as opposed to A-levels and university. I
think those are things that are really positive.
“If we are going to be at the heart of a new industry in this area of English wine and viticulture then we need educational establishments, local colleges, actually saying this is something they want to put on.”
Mr Balfour-Lynn believes the flourishing wine industry will do much to help bring extra spending into the local economy through increased tourism, benefitting not just the producers themselves but also others in the hospitality and tourist trade.
“What we have done is team up with six other major Kent wineries and created the Wine Garden of England network,” he said.
“The seven of us are acting as a tourist destination, really promoting wine tourism into Kent as a whole. So you can come down for three or four days, maybe visit three or four wineries, but also see other local attractions.
“The wine industry has a huge number of benefits to the local rural community...”