‘CULTURAL DESERT’ CO £150K SURVEY - BUT W
Maidstone council is spending £150k on consultants to come up with plans to regenerate its town centre – seven years after a similar survey branded it a ‘cultural desert’. But what do residents of Kent’s County Town want to see happen? Alan Smith finds ou
Maidstone is “a bland cultural desert.” That was the verdict of a specialist agency seven years ago who were paid £6,000 by Maidstone council to look into the County Town’s artistic and cultural offering, and to come up with suggestions for improvement.
Nick Ewbank Associates delivered its report in November 2015.
The company found Maidstone “hid” its cultural offering and “placed four lanes of busy traffic between visitors and the River Medway – a spot that should be a key attraction.”
It found visitors could spend all day or night in Maidstone and not be aware of the rich cultural heritage they are surrounded by.
The consultants recommended the creation of a town centre and riverfront heritage zone and listed a number of action points, which included expanding the carriage museum – which has since closed to passing visitors and is now only open to prebooked groups of 10 people or more. We asked the council how it had used the Ewbank findings in the intervening years.
Among the achievements it listed were the holding of a local history day in which 10 local history groups took part, and a total of 14 events held at the previously under-used amphitheatre in River Walk, including a performance of Robin Hood that attracted 150 people. Also the installation of the dinosaur statue at Maidstone East Station and the creation of an ‘historic plaques’ digital walking trail through the town centre.
Among the recommended targets not yet achieved after seven years were the establishment of a new exhibition/ gallery space, however, and the creation of three “messy” units for use as artists’ workshops.
Both are regarded as “works in progress” as the council seeks to establish a new arts hub.
One abandoned through lack of funds was the installation of a piece of public art at the foot of Gabriels Hill.
Fast forward seven years and the council is splashing out again on consultants to help them form a “strategy” to improve the town centre. This time it is spending almost £150,000 to engage a London-based consultancy firm called We Made That to tell them how best to create a range of new retail, leisure and employment opportunities for Maidstone, as well as new education, health, and other infrastructure provisions.
Some critics have recently claimed that Maidstone no longer deserves its County Town status after Kent Police moved its headquarters to Northfleet, the government announced it would be closing Maidstone Barracks and KCC said it was considering pulling out of County Hall because of maintenance costs.
But council leader Cllr David Burton (Con) said: “In common with many other town centres throughout the country, the pandemic, changes in retail patterns and the way we use our town centres has impacted on Maidstone.
“Despite these pressures, our businesses and communities have responded well.”
He said: “We cannot be complacent. We must ensure that Maidstone is equipped to adapt and prepare itself for the next 30 years.
“This strategy will look at the varying demands on retail and how we can support our shops in changing times. “It will look at how the council and key partners can support the people who live and work in the town centre and critically, will be based on creating much-needed new investment and jobs, with new social and economic infrastructure.”
The consultancy is set to report back by the end of this year.
We Made That has previously produced town centre strategies for Folkestone, Margate, Colchester, Southend-on-Sea, and Bexleyheath. Founding partner Holly Lewis said:
“For Maidstone, we’ve been asked to look at lighting and greening the town and also ways to improve connectivity for both pedestrians and traffic.”
She said her company would be suggesting short, medium and longterm aims, that might range from installing a piece of public art to a new theatre.
She said: “We recently drew up a ‘Place Plan’ for Folkestone which they were able to use to access £20m of funding from the government’s levelling-up fund.
“Our ideas there included ways to improve the connectivity between the station and the town centre, and re-shaping the bus station – putting the bus stops on the street and reclaiming the Bouverie Square as a public open space.
“Our team is excited to start work on Maidstone.”
But what is it that the people of Maidstone would like to see to improve their town?
We decided to ask people out shopping in the town centre what they thought would improve the town’s offer and make it more attractive to visitors.
There was a variety of answers – some predictable, some surprising.
Several people mentioned they were put off by people riding e-scooters along Week Street, which they considered dangerous, as well as kids on bikes doing wheelies.
A problem that ought to be fairly easy to solve you might think.
Some of their suggestions were for actions not immediately in the borough’s control – several people mourned the loss of seeing a bobby on the beat. Most said PCSOs were a poor substitute.
Nearly everyone cited traffic congestion as a reason not to visit the town.
So perhaps the borough needs to co-ordinate its efforts with Kent Police and with KCC, the highways authority.
Barbara Hunt from Boxley Road, Maidstone, criticised public transport in the area.
She said: “People like me without a car rely on buses.
“Luckily I can walk into town, but others can’t. Yet I understand there are
going to be yet more service cuts next month. That’s not helping.
“We also need a proper theatre. Think of The Marlowe in Canterbury and then compare The Hazlitt – yet we are supposed to be the County Town!
“We also need a proper concert hall.
We have a fantastic orchestra in the town, but they have to play in a gym (at Maidstone Leisure Centre.)”
Mrs Hunt was one of many who voiced regret that Maidstone had not made the most of its river frontage.
She said: “The riverbank would have been the ideal place for a cultural centre.”
Jean Given, who uses a mobility scooter, said that lack of disabled access remained a major problem.
She said: “There are still a number of shops that I can’t get into – and there are no disabled toilets”
She and her husband Ken both agreed there should be more benches in the town and more done do more to remove chewing gum from the streets.
“It’s just not an attractive place to visit,” she said.
Gwyneth Tozer, who is 70, said the best thing the council could do would be to get M&S back in the town centre. She said: “There are lots of clothes shops – but none for people of my generation: M&S, BHS, Littlewoods – they’ve all gone.”
She said: “They must keep The
Hazlitt – there was move to close it a while ago. It’s a lovely place, nice and friendly.
“And we should make more of the river frontage!”
Daniel Brackenbury ,fromStLuke’s Road, wanted a greater visible police presence.
He said: “You only ever see the occasional police car parked up in Jubilee Square.”
He said the museum was a key asset and more should be done to extend its limited opening hours.
Mr Brackenbury said: “One thing that must be done, we must keep the banks in Maidstone.”
He said: “Too many branches are closing forcing people to bank online, but not everyone is online.”
His father, Andrew Brackenbury ,had different priorities.
He said: “First there are some positive things to say. The new look at Maidstone East Station and the development at Wrens Cross have done a lot to tidy up the town.
“But there are far too many closed shops and empty businesses. All we have are nail bars, hair salons and some clothing shops.
“The council needs to reduce business rates and encourage a wider range of retailers.”
He said: “The Power Hub should go. It may be a listed building, but its time is done. That area of town [St Peter’s Street] needs clearing up.” Mr Brackenbury from St Luke’s
Road was also concerned about traffic congestion. He wants to see action on decades-old proposals for a Leeds/ Langley bypass, as well as a new road bridge across the River Medway to circumvent the town centre.
Ian ‘Jockey’ Myckiw, from Lower Boxley Road, was one of those who wanted action over e-scooters.
He said: “They’re dangerous, but those wardens from One Maidstone see them and do nothing.”
Mr Myckiw said: “We need more police presence, especially in the evening.”
He was also a supporter of the Hazlitt Theatre, saying: “It must be kept open.”
Frans Donders was disappointed with Maidstone.
He said: “Compare it to how the town was in 2010, it’s far more dilapidated. “I’ve just seen three homeless people sleeping in shop doorways, which reflects what the town has become. “We’ve become a town of take-away food joints; there’s no retail as such.” He said: “There’s no community spirit. And you don’t want to be here late at night.”
Mr Donders also criticised the lack of parking, even for residents, but he agreed the town did have some good points.
He said: “There needs to be better publicity to make people aware of the good things going on and where they are.”
Spencer Pettit was a visitor to the town from Tonbridge.
He said: “More should be done to tackle the litter problem. It’s a few people who spoil it for the rest of us.” But he added: “The take-away businesses like McDonald’s should be made to take some responsibility – after all, the litter has their name on it!” Mr Pettit, who had used the bus to come to town, praised Nu Venture for running a good service, but he mourned the lack of overall bus provision.
He said: “There’s never been any interest in public transport from Maidstone council.”
‘We are a town of take-away food joints’