borough update july 2014

5/23/2018 Borough Update July 2014

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www.maidstone.gov.uk@maidstonebc

UpdateEast, July 2014

Borough

Maidstone Borough Council

Maidstones Civic and Freedom Day - Troops from 36 EngineerRegiment and the Queen's Gurkha Engineers welcomedMaidstones new Mayor, Richard Thick, and exercised theirright as Freemen of the Borough to march through the townwith colours flying and bayonets fixed.


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2 Maidstone Borough Council

If you dont drop it, youwont cop it!

Youve probably seen Environmental EnforcementOfficers in Maidstone town centre keeping an eye outfor the minority of people who choose to drop litter.Theyre part of our zero tolerance approach to litter we know that the great majority of Maidstonesresidents wouldnt dream of dropping litter, so wewant to make sure that those who do know it isntacceptable and change their behaviour.

If you dont drop litter you wont get a fine.

People caught dropping litter are given a 75 FixedPenalty Notice if they dont pay this within 14 days,we take them to court. We do, of course, supportpeople who are finding it difficult to pay.

Our approach is working so many people now puttheir rubbish in the bin instead of dropping it, thatweve had to get bigger bins!

The money from the litter fines goes towards thingslike providing the enforcement service, new bins,and litter education schemes in schools.

Most Saturdays Maidstone councils refuse lorries

collect bulky household rubbish from locations in

your area. Take your refuse to the SaturdayFreighter Service at the times shown:

Saturday 12 July

07.45 - 08.15 Walderslade. Impton Lane/SpenlowDrive

08.25 09.00 Walderslade. Impton Lane/Olivine Road

09.15 10.00 Bredhurst. Hurstwood Road

10.15 11.00 Stockbury Village Hall

12.00 - 12.45 Detling Village Hall14.50 - 15.45 Sandling. Tyland Lane

Saturday 19 July

12.00 - 12.55 Vinters Park. Snowden Parade

13.05 - 14.05 Vinters Park. Hampton Road

Saturday 2 August

12.15 13.00 Grove Green. Provender Way

13.10 14.00 Grove Green. Shepherds Gate Drive

14.10 - 15.10 Madginford. Merton Road

15.15 - 15.45 Bearsted. Ashford Road/

Rosemary Road

Saturday 9 August

09.05 - 09.45 Senacre. Woolley Road

09.50 - 10.20 Senacre. Betsham Road garages

Saturday 30 August

07.45 - 08.30 Frinsted Church

08.40 - 09.20 Wormshill. The Street

09.30 - 10.10 Harrietsham. Church Lane

10.20 11.00 Harrietsham Primary School

12.00 - 12.40 Lenham. Douglas Road12.50 - 13.30 Lenham. Ham Lane/Cherry Orchard

Estate

13.40 - 14.20 Lenham. Honeywood Road

14.30 - 15.10 Platts Heath. Green Lane

15.15 - 15.45 Grafty Green. Church Lane

We cannot accept garden waste, very large bulky

items and electrical or hazardous items. You can

dispose of these items through our paid for bulky

collection service or at the household waste recycling

centre at Burial Ground Lane, Tovil, Maidstone. It isopen Monday to Saturday, 8am to 4.30pm, and Sunday

and Bank Holidays, 9am to 4pm. For more

information about our bulky rubbish services,

including paid for doorstep collections, visit

maidstone.gov.uk or call the cleansing hotline on

01622 602162.

Free bulky rubbish service

People throwing rubbish out of theircars makes our borough look untidy

and can be both dangerous andcostly to clean up. When it comes tothe fast moving roads in theborough, such as the A249, ourstreet cleaning team has to workwith Kent Highways to put in placelane closures at night so that theycan safely get to the verges andcentral reservations, withoutcausing too much traffic disruption.

You can help keep these litter picks to a minimum by keepinga carrier bag in your car for your rubbish and putting it in thebin when you get home.

Litter Picks

1.5 million oftaxpayers moneyis spent every yearon keeping theborough tidy. Thiscovers emptyingbins, removingfly-tipping and

cleaning thestreets whethermanually or usingmachines. It alsopays for bins andall of the streetcleaningequipment.

Keeping Maidstoneclean


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Maidstone Borough Council 3

A Mini Farm, Birds of Prey and fabulous prizes were the attractions atMaidstones Spring Market. Diana and Freya Bray (left) won VIP discount

vouchers for Frankie and Bennys at Lockmeadow, and Laura andCharlotte Williams (right) won a family pass to the Kent Life rural heritageexperience. They are seen here with Aaron Mooring and a falcon from TheHawking Centre. Lauren McCourt won a half day falconry experience.

Tell us what you think!We want to hear your views about the market to help us deliver anenjoyable shopping experience for our residents. Please complete a quickonline survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/MaidstoneMarket andtell us what you like and what you think should be improved. All entriesare anonymous and the information gathered will be used when shapingfuture plans.

Maidstone markets winning experience

Maidstones new Mayor, Cllr Richard Thick,

will support three charities during his year Heart of Kent Hospice, Maidstone Mencapand Urban Blue Bus.

The Mayor was born in Chesham,Buckinghamshire and moved to Headcorn in1985. He waselected as acouncillor forHeadcorn in 1998and has servedon the PlanningCommittee andother councilcommittees.

Before heretired heworked as acomputersystemsconsultant inAmerica andEurope and for amajor financial institution. When he is notdoing council work, he now spends his timemaintaining his historic home, volunteeringin Headcorn or singing in the church choir.

MaidstonesNew Mayor

Love where you learnWeve given five secondary schools in the borough a total of 8,000 from the litterenforcement income so that students can come up with their own initiatives toreduce litter and promote awareness in the schools. The impact has been fantastic for example, litter picks at Oakwood Park school dropped by 70% after theystarted their EcoScheme, and complaints about litter in the areas around theschool completely stopped!

Summer Fun Day at the MarketMark it in your diaries now! A special family fun day will take place at the market(Barker Road, Maidstone) on Tuesday 12 August from 7.30am 1.30pm withattractions for children to enjoy open from 10am. The popular mini farm will returnonce again and visitors will be able to pet, hold and stroke a variety of animals. Entryis free and all are welcome - keep an eye on the councils and the markets Facebookpages for more details.

Kent County Councils road safety team is warning people not to blow itthis summer - any amount of alcohol will affect your ability to drive safely.

Driving at the legal limit means you are between two and five timesmore likely to crash. If you drive at twice the legal alcohol limit you are atleast 30 times more likely to cause a road crash, than a driver who hasn'tbeen drinking, and 50 times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash.Around one in six of all road deaths involve drink drivers.

Causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink ordrugs can lead to up to 14 years imprisonment, together with anunlimited fine, disqualification from driving for at least two years and amandatory extended driving test.

Driving, or attempting to drive, while above the legal limit could lead to asix month prison sentence, together with a fine of up to 5,000 anddisqualification from driving for at least 12 months - three years ifconvicted twice in ten years.

After a drink drive conviction you could pay up to three times more forcar insurance.

DONT BLOW IT THIS SUMMER

Engage to find workMaidstone Borough Council andTomorrows People are helpingMaidstones young people back intoemployment, education andtraining.Engage Maidstone provides one to

one support for 16-24 year oldswho are Not in Employment,Education or Training (NEETS).Specialist youth employment

advice includes personaldevelopment training and workexperience, and help with CVs andjob searches.


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Summer eventsat Mote Park


Visit Britain has released figures whichshow that the number of overseas

visitors staying in Maidstone jumpedfrom 83,000 to 120,000 last year, putting

Maidstone 32nd in Britain and secondonly to Canterbury in Kent.

The two main growth areas are:

The number of people visiting friendsand relatives, mainly from France andEurope, which increased 87% in 2013.

Business visitors which increased by65%.

Top fifty for tourists

Get involvedMaidstones overview and scrutiny committees challenge and inform the cabinet toensure that the council is run in an effective and efficient way.

Cllr Jenni Paterson (Lib Dem) chairs the Economic and CommercialDevelopment Committee, Cllr Fay Gooch (Ind) chairs the StrategicLeadership and Corporate Services Committee, Cllr John Wilson (Con)chairs the Community, Leisure Services and Environment Committee,and Cllr Val Springett (Con) chairs the Planning, Transport andDevelopment Committee.

The committees look at services and issues that are important to localpeople. Councillors can refer any matter affecting their ward toOverview and Scrutiny.

We can come to you and hold a meeting in your community and get theright people around the table to achieve results. Reviews in 2014-15will include:

Transport in Maidstone Borough Alternatives to using a car.

Health Overview for Maidstone Borough to include, health andwellbeing boards, maternity services provision, child and adolescentmental health services, and addressing the needs of an agingpopulation.

Meetings are held in public at Maidstone Town Hall and elsewhere inthe borough.

We welcome views and input - contact Tessa Mallett or Christian Scadeon 01622 602524/602523 or by email, [email protected]. Look outfor opportunities to be involved on Maidstone Borough Councilsfacebook page: www.facebook.com/maidstoneboroughcouncil.

Cobtree sculpture trail

The new sculpture trail at Cobtree Manor Park is

now officially open! The sculptures Life of aLeaf, Zebra Rock and Seed Stack have beenpainstakingly produced since last September,with Jason documenting his work athttp://thecobtreesculpture.blogspot.co.uk/.Cobtree Manor Park is open every day from

6.30am until dusk, with entry from Forstal Road, Aylesford.Other facilities include free parking, the Cobtree Cabin Caf (open Monday to

Saturday 8am 4pm, Sunday 9am 4pm, Bank Holidays 9am 2pm), picnictables, play areas, walking routes and the Run England 5k running route.

To book achargeableevent, pleasecall MaidstoneLeisure Centreon 01622220232/220233.To book freeevents, please [email protected]

21 July, 9:30am-3pmButterfly Study Day A talk aboutthe identification, life cycles andbehaviour of butterflies, followed

by a guided walk around MotePark.18

24 July, 6:30pm-8:30pmAn introduction to our native trees how to identify them and whytheyre so important to Mote Park.2.50

4 August, 9:30am-12pmNature Detectives: Woodlands.Explore the woodlands withactivities including bug hunting,bark rubbing and shelter building

(activities weather dependent).2.50

6 August, 10am-12:30pmPond dipping find out what livesjust below the surface!2.50

14 August, 7:45pmBat evening a guided stroll insearch of the bats that live andfeed in Mote Park. Children mustbe accompanied by an adult.2.50

18 August, 9:30am-12pmNature Detectives: Meadows.Explore the meadows withactivities including butterfly walksand bug hunts.2.50

19 August, 10:00-11:30amTake a walk with one of ourvolunteer rangers and learn moreabout the park.Free

20 August, 10am-12:30pmPond dipping.

2.5023 August, 9:30am-3:30pmBumble Bee Study Day (classroomand field). Course delivered by DrNikki Gammans.18

26 August, 7:45pmBat evening2.50

Jenni Paterson

Cllr Fay Gouch

Cllr John Wilson

Cllr Val Springett


5/12


News in brief

Tackling Domestic AbuseWe worked with partners thissummer to provide a one stop shopfor domestic abuse victims inShepway. Statistics show a big rise

in domestic abuse during the WorldCup, so this clinic was set up inaddition to the regular MaidstoneGateway clinic, to give peopleanother option if they needed help.The clinic in Maidstone Gatewaytakes place on Tuesday morningsfrom 10am-12pm.

Love Maidstone?Were now on Instagram(@maidstonebc) so that we canhighlight the best of the boroughand share the councils work with

you. Tag us in your favouritepictures of the borough and wellshare the best ones! You can alsoget involved on Twitter -@maidstonebc - or Facebook -maidstoneboroughcouncil.

On your bike!Join an organised cycle ride to seesome of the borough and enjoy thefresh air rides are available forpeople of all levels of fitness. Visitwww.goskyride.com.

Getting Maidstone WorkingMaidstone council received theCommunity Support (largeemployer) award at the KentEmployer Partnership Awards inApril. The award recognised thecouncils efforts to help people findjobs, including jobs fairs withJobcentre Plus and Golding Homes,and a highly successful workexperience and mentoring schemefor young people.

Big Maidstone SwitchMany people could save money ontheir energy bills by switchingtariffs or suppliers. Join the BigMaidstone Switch from 5 Augustand our partner, iChoosr, will do allthe hard work for you! Your lastannual gas and electricitystatements will have all theinformation you need to sign up atmaidstone.gov.uk/bigmaidstoneswitch.

Maidstones Cabinet provides leadership at the top level of the council anddecides the council's priorities. It is responsible for the overall businessof the council and makes most decisions. All decisions must be in line

with the overall policy and budget frameworks set by the council and itsdecisions are subject to scrutiny by a different group of councillors.

Maidstones cabinet 2014-15

Cllr Malcolm Greer (Conservative)

Cabinet Member for Economic and CommercialDevelopment (Deputy Leader)Responsible for economic development, the visitor economy,Hazlitt Arts Centre, Maidstone museums, regeneration,commercial services, sustainable construction and Maidstonemarket.

Steve McLoughlin, (Conservative) Cabinet Member for Corporate ServicesResponsible for people strategy, customer service, corporatefinance, legal advice, information technology, property andprocurement, council tax and housing benefit, and democraticservices.

Cllr Marion Ring (Conservative) Cabinet Member for the Environment and HousingResponsible for waste and recycling, air quality management,climate change and carbon management, cleansing services,environmental health, licensing, Maidstone crematorium andcemetery, local biodiversity action planning, strategic housingmanagement and Cobtree Golf Course.

Cllr John Perry (Conservative) Cabinet Member for Community and Leisure ServicesResponsible for community safety, community development, parks,open spaces and allotments, leisure activities, communityengagement and allocation and monitoring of grants.

David Burton (Conservative) Cabinet Member for Planning, Transport andDevelopmentResponsible for the Local Development Framework, DevelopmentPlan Documents, Development Management policies anddevelopment briefs, Integrated Transport Strategy, InfrastructureDelivery Plan, planning enforcement, land charges, buildingcontrol, parking, park and ride, and public transport initiatives.

Annabelle Blackmore (Conservative) isthe Leader of Maidstone Borough Council.Following last months elections the political make-up of thecouncil is - Conservative 24 seats, Liberal Democrat 19,Independent 5, UKIP 4 and Labour 2, with 1 vacancy.Mrs Blackmore leads a minority conservative

administration and she acknowledges that she will have toappeal to like-minded councillors on other groups when it comes to theimportant issues in the year ahead: Last months elections were dominatedby the local plan. We will be taking a close look at the results of the

consultation to see where changes can be made to meet the wishes of ourresidents, the councillors from all groups who represent them, parish councilsand statutory partners. We will also be consulting residents on the councilsstrategic plan to make sure it continues to meet the needs of the borough.Fran Wilson (Liberal Democrat) is the Leader of the Opposition. The leaders

of the other groups on Maidstone Borough Council are - Cllr Fay Gooch,Independent; Cllr Eddie Powell, UKIP; and Cllr Malcolm McKay, Labour.As the Leader of the Council, Annabelle Blackmore is responsible for the

sustainable community strategy, strategic plan and medium term financialstrategy. She is an ambassador for the council and represents it on nationaland regional bodies such as the Kent forum. Her cabinet is:


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D HIGH STREET

G BRIDGE H SHEPWAY SOUTH

J HEATH K PARK WOOD

I SOUTH

E NORTH F SHEPWAY NORTH

B EAST C FANT

Representing your views on Maidstone Borough CouncilMaidstone Borough Council is run by councillors who you votefor at local elections. Councillors make decisions on behalf ofthe community about local services, for example rubbish andrecycling collections and leisure facilities, and agree budgets

and Council Tax chargesThey represent residents in areas, called wards, for four

years. The work of a councillor includes holding surgeries tohelp local people, supporting local organisations, campaigningon local issues, and developing links with all parts of thecommunity.

They are not council employees and are not paid a salary orwages, but they are entitled to allowances and expenses tocover some of the costs of carrying out their public duties.

The elected councillors provide the policies, and then paid

Dan DaleyLib Dem01622672459

CynthiaRobertsonLib Dem01622753517

BelindaWatsonLib Dem01622750541

David NaghiLib Dem01622678410

NikkiFissendenLib Dem01622755494

MartinCoxLib Dem01622202869

StephenPaineCon07906271325

AlistairBlackCon01622728481

Paul HarperLab01622763895

CliveEnglishLib Dem07806360476

Denise JoyLib Dem01622674063

Fran WilsonLib Dem01622673349

JenniPatersonLib Dem01622679630

ThomasLongLib Dem01580893910

TonyHarwoodLib Dem01622677578

ChrisGarlandCon07903113571

Marion RingCon01622686492

Simon EllsUKIP01622758442

DaveSargeantUKIP01622750758

MalcolmMcKayLab07879357333

BryanVizzardLib Dem07957442994

JamesWillisLib Dem01622725161

ChristineEdwards-Daem UKIP07711590775

DanielMoriartyInd01622754756

DerekMortimerLib Dem07825916930

IanChittendenLib Dem01622630867

MikeHoggCon07964160282

TownWardsDavidPickettLib Dem01622681889

James RossCon07966377292

employees, council officers, put them into practice.

You can attend most meetings of the council, although usuallyyou will not be able to speak at them. The council publishes a'forward work plan' listing the decisions that will be taken overthe coming months. It also publishes meeting papers at leastfive working days in advance, and afterwards the minutes ofthe meeting, summarising the decisions made.

Maidstone has 55 councillors and holds elections in thirds -elections are held in three years out of four, with one third ofthe seats on the council up for election at each election.

This year elections were held in 18 of Maidstones 26 wards.In two wards - Harrietsham and Lenham Ward, and NorthWard - there were elections and by elections.

A ALLINGTON

A E

BG

C

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F

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9 HEADCORN 10 LEEDS 11 LOOSE 12 MARDEN & YALDING 13

2 BEARSTED 3 4 BOXLEY

6 7 8

14 STAPLEHURST 15

5 COXHEATH & HUNTON

1 BARMING

Fay GoochInd01622726608

Peter ParvinCon01622673209

Susan GriggLib Dem07706052495

DaphneParvinCon01622673209

Nick deWiggondeneCon01622208721

GordonNewtonInd01622862330

SteveMunfordInd01622741310

RichardAshCon01622730151

ValSpringettCon01622737702

MikeCumingCon01622738825

John AWilsonCon01622720989

BrianMortimerLib Dem01622746046

DennisCollinsCon01622820468

DerekButlerCon01634684854

MalcolmGreerCon01634862876

WendyHinderCon01634861579

AnnabelleBlackmoreCon01622833299

DavidBurtonCon01622862595

SteveMcLoughlinCon07711565489

EddiePowellUKIP01622851983

JanettaSamsInd01622859412

RichardThickCon01622891224

MartinRoundCon01622890276

PaulinaStockellCon01622842508

John PerryCon07770734741

Vacancy

BOUGHTON MONCHELSEA& CHART SUTTON

DETLING &THURNHAM

NORTHDOWNS

DOWNSWOOD& OTHAM

SUTTON VALENCE& LANGLEY

Rural

Wards

KEY

Conservative

Liberal Democrat

Independent

Mixed representation

HARRIETSHAM

& LENHAM

2

4

6

G

3

12

15

10

13

11

14

7

9

8

1

5


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Our current exhibitionsAge of Glamour andTalons & Tiaras are infull swing and will beaccompanied by annumber of events in Julyand August. Hear fromthe curators behind bothexhibitions, young peoplecan take part in a costumedesign workshop, or comealong to an excitingfalconry day where you

can get up close to thebirds that inspired thedresses in Talons &Tiaras!

The Age ofGlamour Whats On

12 JulyCostume Design Workshop8/6 concessionsBehind Talons & Tiaras

10/7 concessions15 JulyJoin Director of the CartoonMuseum for an insight intothe work of RS Sherriffs10/7 concessions

28 JulyLinocut Workshop40

30 JulyCollections in Focus:

Archaeology (Behind theScenes)7

1 AugustFantastic Falcons1 to hold a bird

9-10 AugustWW1 Activity WeekendFree some activities mayincur a small charge

27 August

Collections in Focus:Collectors (Behind theScenes)7/5 concessions

6 SeptemberArtist Talk: Polly Morgan10/7 students andconcessions

14 SeptemberBehind the Scenes ToursFree, booking essential

18 SeptemberLecture: Understanding andMisunderstanding the GreatWar10/7 concessions

24 SeptemberCollections in Focus: Fashion(Behind the Scenes)7/5 concessions

For information on lots ofactivities for children,please visitwww.museum.maidstone.gov.uk.To book any of these events,[email protected] call 01622 602838.

Festival ofArchaeologyOn 19 July, well be celebrating the Festival of Archaeology! Meet an archaeologist,have a go at digging, learn more about our collections, and take up a uniqueopportunity to visit the Kent Archaeological Society Library housed within theMuseum.

A TeddyBear Story

The main focus of the summer will bebears! Our latest exhibition -A Teddy

Bear Story - opens on 9 August andwe have a whole host of events

dedicated to our favourite furry friend!Jane Hissey, author and illustrator of theOld Bear and Little Bear Stories, will becoming to the museum on 22 August for

our Teddy Bears Picnic. Craft activities,face painting and a bear hunt will run

all day as will our best dressed bearcompetition! Want more bears?Then come along to a familyfocussed event to learn about realbears with experts from

Wildwood on 29 August.

News from the MUSEUM8


9/12

Shared ownership new build and re-salesDepending on how much you can afford, shared ownershipallows you to buy a percentage share of a property while alocal housing association retains the other share.

It is sometimes known as part-buy part-rent because youwill then be charged a rental payment on the remainingshare owned by the housing association. In most casesshared owners can choose to buy additional shares later onto increase their equity.

Equity loansThe Help to Buy equity loan is designed to help you purchasespecific new-build properties priced up to 600,000 fromparticipating registered developers with as little as a 5%deposit.

The Government lends you up to 20% of the cost of your

Help to buy

The Government created the Help to Buy scheme to help hard-

working people like you take steps to buy your own home.Whether you are looking to get onto the housing ladder ormove up it, there are a number of Help to Buy productsdesigned to make buying a home more affordable, including:

From 10 June, the way that people register to vote haschanged. Instead of one person registering everyone inthe house, people will now take responsibility for theirown registration to help reduce fraud. You can also nowregister online, making it much easier to register.

What do I need to do?If youre on the electoral register already, nothing wellwrite to you in July to let you know if youve been

automatically transferred to the IER register, or if weneed more information.If you arent registered to vote yet, visit

www.gov.uk/register-to-vote youll need your NationalInsurance number (if you have one) to register, and itwill take about five minutes. You can also call 0800 3 280280.

Where can I find out more?Visit www.gov.uk/yourvotematters for more information

Individual VoterRegistration

new-build home, so youll only need to provide a 5% cashdeposit and a 75% mortgage to make up the rest. You alsowont be charged loan fees on the 20% loan for the first fiveyears of owning your home.

Want to find out more?

bpha are delivering this service onbehalf of the Homes andCommunities Agency in the Eastand South East of England. For more information please visitwww.helptobuyeastandsoutheast.uk.com or call 03333214044

Affordable housesOfficial government figures just released show thatMaidstone has provided more affordable homes than anyother district in Kent and many London boroughs.

The figures show that 1,050 affordable homes were built inMaidstone Borough in the four years between April 2010 and

March 2014.



10/12


www.maidstone.gov.uk GreatPeople,GreatPlace,GreatOpportunity

Maidstone Borough Council

Save the skinyoure in!

Before you expose your skin this summer, ask

yourself this... Are you being sun safe or are youdying to get a tan?

Skin is for life, not just for summer.

13,300 people diagnosed with melanoma in the UK each

year

Second most common cancer in women aged 15-34 years

Most common site for melanoma is a womens leg

Most common site for men is their trunk

Seek shade between 11am and 3pm.

Kidscookquick

Use suncream with a minimum SPF15 for

adults and SPF50 for children.Cream

up

Wear a t-shirt, hat and sunglasses.Coverup

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Whether it's a barbecue or a camping trip, there are a wide range of risks that everyoneneeds to be alert to. Kent Fire and Rescue Service has some simple steps to reduce therisk of fire: Never use accelerants such as petrol on barbecues Never leave a barbecue unattended

Never cook or smoke inside tents Always make sure cigarettes are properly extinguished Never leave lighters or matches around they can be a temptation to childrenFor further information, visit www.kent.fire-uk.org/your_safety/safer_summer.aspx

Fire

safetyadvice

Its summertime and theres no better time to think about

learning to swim, no matter how young or old you are. If yourethinking about learning to swim, Maidstone has sports centres,leisure centres and gyms offering lessons.

Whether you can swim or not dont take any chances withMaidstones rivers and lakes this summer. Swimming inwaters not patrolled by lifeguards is extremely risky, and theconsequences can be disastrous not only for the individualinvolved but also for others trying to rescue them.

Last year the council introduced or improved river safetysigns, lifebuoy stations, throw bags, recovery lines, ladders andgrab chains.

If you notice any are missing, please call Maidstone councilsParks Hotline on 01622 602747.

Maidstone has some great parks,countryside and river walks to enjoy.There is no better way to socialise,meet new people and to get fit.

Maidstone Health Walks are led bytrained volunteers in the localcommunity and supported by

Maidstone Borough Council.They are free short walks which

people can do at their own pace and are open to all ages andabilities, provided in a safe and friendly environment. Justturn up on the day:

Tuesdays - Mote Park, 10.30am. Meet outside the Cafe inthe Park.

Wednesdays - Cherry Orchard, 12.30pm. Meet at theroundabout near Tesco Express, just off Hermitage Lane.

Thursdays - Maidstone Town Centre, 11.00am. Meet outsidethe Town Hall, Bank Street

Call 01622 602222 or email [email protected]

for more information.

Learn to swim


11/12

MAKE IT PROSPEROUSUSEFUL NUMBERSCitizens Advice Bureau

01622 752420 or01622 757882

Council Tax 01622 602003

Housing benefit andgeneral housing advice 01622 602557

National debtline freephone 0808 808 4000

Energy Saving Trust -0800 512 012

Jobcentre Plus 01622 702700

MAKE IT MAIDSTONE

Maidstone Borough Council is working to fight the effects of therecession and bring prosperity to the borough. We help residents withhousing and council tax benefits, heating and insulation grants, homeimprovement grants, and by support for organisations which offermoney advice.

Working towards the standard will give you:

A Kent Award linked to a nationallyrecognised award scheme

A local health at work advisor

Expertise in health and wellbeingprogrammes

Free resources for a healthier business

Businesses can work at their own pace to

attain one of the three levels: Commitment

Achievement and

Excellence

Each level covers themes including:leadership, attendance management, healthand safety, mental health and wellbeing,physical activity, healthy eating,environment and more.

Weve extended the deadline toapply for business rates relief if yourbusiness was flooded this winter you now have until 1 September toget your application form to us. Anybusiness whose property wasflooded is entitled to apply.

The Repair and Renew Grant toput in place flood resistance and/orresilience measures is alsoavailable to businesses until 30September.

Please visit the Flood Supportlink at www.maidstone.gov.uk formore details and application formsfor both schemes.

Staff sickness costs UK business 9 billion every year according to Government research.

Other research by PwC has also shown that staff turnover can be reduced between 10-20% and employee job satisfaction increased by workplace health and wellbeing schemes.

The Kent Healthy Business Awards (promoted by Kent County Council through MaidstoneBorough and other Kent Councils) is a free self-assessment framework aimed atimproving economic performance through people and environment.

FloodRelief

Check out the list below and recommendit to your staff and managers.

Have you improved your health in thelast 24 hours?

Eaten several small nutritious low fatmeals

Taken 20 minutes of aerobic exercise

Breathed clean airDrunk clean, fluoridated water

Driven your car safely or used publictransport

Carried out satisfying work

Had a variety of positive socialinteractions

Avoided chronic stress.

Tackling empty

shops in Maidstone

Kent Healthy Business Awards

Businesses moving into empty shops in theborough will receive a 50% discount ontheir business rates for 18 months. TheBusiness Rates Reoccupation ReliefScheme aims to help boost business andreduce the number of empty shops.

Any business is eligible for the reduction,as long as its moving into a shop that has

been empty for 12 months or more.

Maidstone council will administer thescheme, with the cost being met by theCentral Government.

Businesses looking to find out moreshould visit www.maidstone.gov.uk orphone 01622 602230.


12/12

Kathy Hildige joined Maidstone council fromschool in 1986. After five years in land chargesshe joined the councils elections team and is nowacting Registration Services Manager.

Facts about electoral registrationand elections:

In Maidstone elections are held: Every four years for parish councillors. Three years out of every four for

borough councillors. Every four years for Kent County

Councillors. Every five years for European and UK

parliamentary members. Other types of elections are held for

Police and Crime Commissioner,Neighbourhood Planning Referendumsand Parish Polls.

Maidstone has: 1 European Parliamentary Region 2 Parliamentary Constituencies 9 County Divisions 26 Borough Wards 35 Parish Councils 6 Parish Meetings

82 polling stations at 70 venues More than 112,000 voters More than 19,000 postal voters


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Watch us on YouTube www.youtube.com/user/maidstonecouncil

Borough UpdateThis is your council newsletter,produced up to four times a yearin the Downs Mail newspaper. Itis written, edited and designed

by the council's communicationsteam, Maidstone House, KingStreet, Maidstone, Kent ME156JQ. Email:[email protected]. Yourcomments and suggestions are

always welcome. It is typeset by

AW design and printed by

Newbury News.

If you are visually impairedand would like the newsletter

text in large print, please callus on 01622 602807, and wewill be happy to send you acopy.

To find out whats on in Maidstone Borough visit www.visitmaidstone.comWhats On!

Workingforyou

What attracted you to the job?

Its really important work. We work hard so people canvote at elections and theres always a tremendousbuzz in the office as we get to election day.

What is the best part of the job?

Working under pressure to get the job done.Sometimes working late into the night to make surethat election notices and ballot papers are correct orthat the ballot boxes and equipment are ready for thepolling station staff to collect the day before anelection.

Whats the worst part of the job?

When people realise too late that they haventregistered to vote and I cant help them.

What does good customer service mean to you?

Its doing everything I can to make sure thatpeople get a vote, either in person or by post.

Kathys job includes: Compiling the list of parliamentary and local

government electors, so that people areregistered and can vote at elections.

Writing to everyone in the borough, every year, toencourage them to register to vote.

Updating the list of electors monthly and issuingpostal vote applications throughout the year.

Organising elections everything from bookingpolling stations, to printing ballot papers, throughto counting the votes cast.

borough update july 2014

Documents

borough update

litter fines

maidstone borough councilif

bulky household rubbish

bulky rubbish services

puttheir rubbish

litter education schemes

grove green