Water we doing to make the best of our riverside?
As Maidstone council pledges to make the River Medway central to the County Town’s renaissance, we compare it to a thriving riverside in Worcestershire that is drawing in the tourists. Ben Austin reports...
The River Medway is a “missed opportunity” to attract more tourism to the County Town.
That’s the view of a Maidstone resident of 50 years after a recent visit to a Midlands river town blew him away with what could be done.
Three years ago, the Kent Messenger launched a campaign to do exactly that, and make more of the waterway.
We put forward a vision for bank-side walks and floating restaurants or markets, with the crown court building moved to land near Maidstone East station and that land redeveloped as smart new homes.
It’s something 74-year-old Joe Morris was reflecting on after a visit to Shrawley near Stourport-on-Severn in Worcestershire.
While there on a six-night break, he was amazed by how open the river was with amenities for families to spend the day together.
Stourport, which has a population of just 20,292 compared to Maidstone’s 173,100, features fun parks, a funfair, nature reserve, riverside meadows, skate park, pub The Port House, and boat rides.
The retired courier driver said: “Everything seemed to be aimed at the kids. You had a paddling pool, mini golf and a race track.
“There is a fun fair which has been there for many years – I was just impressed by the amenities along the river.
“Open spaces too for people to go and enjoy when there. I saw four separate families in the parks playing cricket having a great time – you couldn’t do that down the river in Maidstone.
“It’s the idea of using it to attract people there which is what Stourport have done.
“I looked around and thought ‘look at what an opportunity Maidstone could’ve had to bring people in’.
“But instead we got an Argos and The Range and the Travelodge toilet roll.”
Having lived in Maidstone for 50 years, the man from Park Way feels the town should endeavour to more like Stourport.
He continued: “As someone commented to me, you never hear anyone say ‘let’s go to Maidstone’ for this or for that.
“You look at the Carriage Museum and I’m not sure whether that’s still open or closed but that’s not pushed a lot, though it’s a lovely place to go.
“For a County Town I think it’s pretty dreadful. I think Ashford is far better now for people, with the outlet centre and such.”
Joe voiced his opinion on Facebook with many echoing his thoughts in the comments.
Anthony Money said: “If it was a similar sized European town, there would be cafés and restaurants alongside the river.”
Patti Burdett added: “I have lived in Maidstone for 46 years, and for 27 in the town centre.
“The river has been a missed opportunity. There are too many flats, abuse of disabled parking, lack of decent food shops and Week Street is a disaster area.”
Dave Mee commented: “When I moved to Maidstone in 1990, I was really surprised to see the law courts on the riverside. They should be tucked away somewhere out of sight.”
But Joe doesn’t expect much can be done in the future. He said: “I don’t think you reverse it now as there has been too much building.
“It would take a big decision to try to reverse it and open it up to things more family-friendly.
“Maidstone has some lovely old buildings but no one seems to promote it.”
Treasurer of Stourport Town Council, Graham Shaw said: “We’re the kind of town where people come on their bank holidays to visit and it’s been like this for as long as I remember.
“Stourport has its own character and sort of acts like a mini holiday resort or our very own small seaside town.
“People here have an old-fashioned style of enjoying themselves and that character has been built up over a many number of years.”
The town boasts Treasure Island – a permanent funfair – and Playland play park, which is small attraction filled with
rides and games for children.
It holds a small kart track and an area for mini-golf.
But if you just wish to spend a bit of time in the sun with family then along the river are a number of open green spaces where Joe saw people indulging in a spot of cricket.
According to the leader of Maidstone Borough Council, Cllr David Burton, changes are being discussed, however.
He said: “Maidstone Borough Council is currently establishing the framework for an ambitious strategy for Maidstone town centre over the next 30 years.
“This will seek to drive major new investment in commerce, leisure, retail, arts, culture, housing and the raft of new social and economic infrastructure needed to support this and to ensure that the town centre
acts as the heart of our borough, meets the aspirations of all of our communities and reasserts its role as the County Town of Kent.
“We completely recognise the importance of the River Medway as part of this strategy and expect it to play a very big part in the regeneration and renaissance of our town.”
On July 30, the town’s River Festival – which stopped in 2013, with much smaller revival events in 2018 and 2019 – will be back in earnest.
Chairman of the event, David Naghi, is hoping it can return to its former scale.
He said: “We don’t do anything on the river all year except for this.
“If there was money for something then we would, but we are putting on what we can when we can.
“This year’s river festival will be bigger than the last one held in 2019.”
Speaking when the KM released its vision for the waterside, Maidstone council’s then head of regeneration and economic development, John Foster, said: “It is great to stimulate ideas about the County Town and we welcome positive, constructive ideas for improving Maidstone town centre and the river area.
“I don’t think our riverside will be like Oxford’s or Cambridge with fields next to it, Maidstone’s will very much be an urban river, but it can still be appealing.”
He pointed out Maidstone and Kent County Council had already invested £3m on improving the tow path and cycle way running from Allington to Barming.