www.maidstone.gov.

uk
@maidstonebc
Update
East, July 2014
Borough
Maidstone Borough Council
Maidstones Civic and Freedom Day - Troops from 36 Engineer
Regiment and the Queen's Gurkha Engineers welcomed
Maidstones new Mayor, Richard Thick, and exercised their
right as Freemen of the Borough to march through the town
with colours flying and bayonets fixed.
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2 Maidstone Borough Council
If you dont drop it, you
wont cop it!
Youve probably seen Environmental Enforcement
Officers in Maidstone town centre keeping an eye out
for 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 Maidstones
residents wouldnt dream of dropping litter, so we
want to make sure that those who do know it isnt
acceptable and change their behaviour.
z If you dont drop litter you wont get a fine.
z People caught dropping litter are given a 75 Fixed
Penalty Notice if they dont pay this within 14 days,
we take them to court. We do, of course, support
people who are finding it difficult to pay.
z Our approach is working so many people now put
their rubbish in the bin instead of dropping it, that
weve had to get bigger bins!
z The money from the litter fines goes towards things
like 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 Saturday
Freighter Service at the times shown:
Saturday 12 July
07.45 - 08.15 Walderslade. Impton Lane/Spenlow
Drive
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 Hall
14.50 - 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 Road
12.50 - 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 is
open 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 their
cars makes our borough look untidy
and can be both dangerous and
costly to clean up. When it comes to
the fast moving roads in the
borough, such as the A249, our
street cleaning team has to work
with Kent Highways to put in place
lane closures at night so that they
can safely get to the verges and
central reservations, without
causing too much traffic disruption.
You can help keep these litter picks to a minimum by keeping
a carrier bag in your car for your rubbish and putting it in the
bin when you get home.
Litter Picks
1.5 million of
taxpayers money
is spent every year
on keeping the
borough tidy. This
covers emptying
bins, removing
fly-tipping and
cleaning the
streets whether
manually or using
machines. It also
pays for bins and
all of the street
cleaning
equipment.
Keeping Maidstone
clean
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Maidstone Borough Council 3
A Mini Farm, Birds of Prey and fabulous prizes were the attractions at
Maidstones Spring Market. Diana and Freya Bray (left) won VIP discount
vouchers for Frankie and Bennys at Lockmeadow, and Laura and
Charlotte Williams (right) won a family pass to the Kent Life rural heritage
experience. They are seen here with Aaron Mooring and a falcon from The
Hawking 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 an
enjoyable shopping experience for our residents. Please complete a quick
online survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/MaidstoneMarket and
tell us what you like and what you think should be improved. All entries
are anonymous and the information gathered will be used when shaping
future plans.
Maidstone markets winning experience
Maidstones new Mayor, Cllr Richard Thick,
will support three charities during his year
Heart of Kent Hospice, Maidstone Mencap
and Urban Blue Bus.
The Mayor was born in Chesham,
Buckinghamshire and moved to Headcorn in
1985. He was
elected as a
councillor for
Headcorn in 1998
and has served
on the Planning
Committee and
other council
committees.
Before he
retired he
worked as a
computer
systems
consultant in
America and
Europe and for a
major financial institution. When he is not
doing council work, he now spends his time
maintaining his historic home, volunteering
in Headcorn or singing in the church choir.
Maidstones
New Mayor
Love where you learn
Weve given five secondary schools in the borough a total of 8,000 from the litter
enforcement income so that students can come up with their own initiatives to
reduce litter and promote awareness in the schools. The impact has been fantastic
for example, litter picks at Oakwood Park school dropped by 70% after they
started their EcoScheme, and complaints about litter in the areas around the
school completely stopped!
Summer Fun Day at the Market
Mark 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 with
attractions for children to enjoy open from 10am. The popular mini farm will return
once again and visitors will be able to pet, hold and stroke a variety of animals. Entry
is free and all are welcome - keep an eye on the councils and the markets Facebook
pages for more details.
Kent County Councils road safety team is warning people not to blow it
this summer - any amount of alcohol will affect your ability to drive safely.
Driving at the legal limit means you are between two and five times
more likely to crash. If you drive at twice the legal alcohol limit you are at
least 30 times more likely to cause a road crash, than a driver who hasn't
been 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 or
drugs can lead to up to 14 years imprisonment, together with an
unlimited fine, disqualification from driving for at least two years and a
mandatory extended driving test.
Driving, or attempting to drive, while above the legal limit could lead to a
six month prison sentence, together with a fine of up to 5,000 and
disqualification from driving for at least 12 months - three years if
convicted twice in ten years.
After a drink drive conviction you could pay up to three times more for
car insurance.
DONT BLOW IT THIS SUMMER
Engage to find work
Maidstone Borough Council and
Tomorrows People are helping
Maidstones young people back into
employment, education and
training.
Engage Maidstone provides one to
one support for 16-24 year olds
who are Not in Employment,
Education or Training (NEETS).
Specialist youth employment
advice includes personal
development training and work
experience, and help with CVs and
job searches.
BU East July 14_Layout 1 02/07/2014 15:09 Page 3
Summer events
at Mote Park
4 Maidstone Borough Council
Visit Britain has released figures which
show that the number of overseas
visitors staying in Maidstone jumped
from 83,000 to 120,000 last year, putting
Maidstone 32nd in Britain and second
only to Canterbury in Kent.
The two main growth areas are:
z The number of people visiting friends
and relatives, mainly from France and
Europe, which increased 87% in 2013.
z Business visitors which increased by
65%.
Top fifty for tourists
Get involved
Maidstones overview and scrutiny committees challenge and inform the cabinet to
ensure that the council is run in an effective and efficient way.
Cllr Jenni Paterson (Lib Dem) chairs the Economic and Commercial
Development Committee, Cllr Fay Gooch (Ind) chairs the Strategic
Leadership 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 and
Development Committee.
The committees look at services and issues that are important to local
people. Councillors can refer any matter affecting their ward to
Overview and Scrutiny.
We can come to you and hold a meeting in your community and get the
right people around the table to achieve results. Reviews in 2014-15
will include:
Transport in Maidstone Borough Alternatives to using a car.
Health Overview for Maidstone Borough to include, health and
wellbeing boards, maternity services provision, child and adolescent
mental health services, and addressing the needs of an aging
population.
Meetings are held in public at Maidstone Town Hall and elsewhere in
the borough.
We welcome views and input - contact Tessa Mallett or Christian Scade
on 01622 602524/602523 or by email, osc@maidstone.gov.uk. Look out
for opportunities to be involved on Maidstone Borough Councils
facebook page: www.facebook.com/maidstoneboroughcouncil.
Cobtree sculpture trail
The new sculpture trail at Cobtree Manor Park is
now officially open! The sculptures Life of a
Leaf, Zebra Rock and Seed Stack have been
painstakingly produced since last September,
with Jason documenting his work at
http://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), picnic
tables, play areas, walking routes and the Run England 5k running route.
To book a
chargeable
event, please
call Maidstone
Leisure Centre
on 01622
220232/220233.
To book free
events, please email
ParksandLeisure@maidstone.gov.uk
21 July, 9:30am-3pm
Butterfly Study Day A talk about
the identification, life cycles and
behaviour of butterflies, followed
by a guided walk around Mote
Park.
18
24 July, 6:30pm-8:30pm
An introduction to our native trees
how to identify them and why
theyre so important to Mote Park.
2.50
4 August, 9:30am-12pm
Nature Detectives: Woodlands.
Explore the woodlands with
activities including bug hunting,
bark rubbing and shelter building
(activities weather dependent).
2.50
6 August, 10am-12:30pm
Pond dipping find out what lives
just below the surface!
2.50
14 August, 7:45pm
Bat evening a guided stroll in
search of the bats that live and
feed in Mote Park. Children must
be accompanied by an adult.
2.50
18 August, 9:30am-12pm
Nature Detectives: Meadows.
Explore the meadows with
activities including butterfly walks
and bug hunts.
2.50
19 August, 10:00-11:30am
Take a walk with one of our
volunteer rangers and learn more
about the park.
Free
20 August, 10am-12:30pm
Pond dipping.
2.50
23 August, 9:30am-3:30pm
Bumble Bee Study Day (classroom
and field). Course delivered by Dr
Nikki Gammans.
18
26 August, 7:45pm
Bat evening
2.50
Jenni Paterson
Cllr Fay Gouch
Cllr John Wilson
Cllr Val Springett
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Maidstone Borough Council 5
News in brief
Tackling Domestic Abuse
We worked with partners this
summer to provide a one stop shop
for domestic abuse victims in
Shepway. Statistics show a big rise
in domestic abuse during the World
Cup, so this clinic was set up in
addition to the regular Maidstone
Gateway clinic, to give people
another option if they needed help.
The clinic in Maidstone Gateway
takes place on Tuesday mornings
from 10am-12pm.
Love Maidstone?
Were now on Instagram
(@maidstonebc) so that we can
highlight the best of the borough
and share the councils work with
you. Tag us in your favourite
pictures of the borough and well
share the best ones! You can also
get involved on Twitter -
@maidstonebc - or Facebook -
maidstoneboroughcouncil.
On your bike!
Join an organised cycle ride to see
some of the borough and enjoy the
fresh air rides are available for
people of all levels of fitness. Visit
www.goskyride.com.
Getting Maidstone Working
Maidstone council received the
Community Support (large
employer) award at the Kent
Employer Partnership Awards in
April. The award recognised the
councils efforts to help people find
jobs, including jobs fairs with
Jobcentre Plus and Golding Homes,
and a highly successful work
experience and mentoring scheme
for young people.
Big Maidstone Switch
Many people could save money on
their energy bills by switching
tariffs or suppliers. Join the Big
Maidstone Switch from 5 August
and our partner, iChoosr, will do all
the hard work for you! Your last
annual gas and electricity
statements will have all the
information you need to sign up at
maidstone.gov.uk/bigmaidstoneswitch.
Maidstones Cabinet provides leadership at the top level of the council and
decides the council's priorities. It is responsible for the overall business
of the council and makes most decisions. All decisions must be in line
with the overall policy and budget frameworks set by the council and its
decisions are subject to scrutiny by a different group of councillors.
Maidstones cabinet 2014-15
Cllr Malcolm Greer (Conservative)
Cabinet Member for Economic and Commercial
Development (Deputy Leader)
Responsible for economic development, the visitor economy,
Hazlitt Arts Centre, Maidstone museums, regeneration,
commercial services, sustainable construction and Maidstone
market.
Steve McLoughlin, (Conservative)
Cabinet Member for Corporate Services
Responsible for people strategy, customer service, corporate
finance, legal advice, information technology, property and
procurement, council tax and housing benefit, and democratic
services.
Cllr Marion Ring (Conservative)
Cabinet Member for the Environment and Housing
Responsible for waste and recycling, air quality management,
climate change and carbon management, cleansing services,
environmental health, licensing, Maidstone crematorium and
cemetery, local biodiversity action planning, strategic housing
management and Cobtree Golf Course.
Cllr John Perry (Conservative)
Cabinet Member for Community and Leisure Services
Responsible for community safety, community development, parks,
open spaces and allotments, leisure activities, community
engagement and allocation and monitoring of grants.
David Burton (Conservative)
Cabinet Member for Planning, Transport and
Development
Responsible for the Local Development Framework, Development
Plan Documents, Development Management policies and
development briefs, Integrated Transport Strategy, Infrastructure
Delivery Plan, planning enforcement, land charges, building
control, parking, park and ride, and public transport initiatives.
Annabelle Blackmore (Conservative) is
the Leader of Maidstone Borough Council.
Following last months elections the political make-up of the
council 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 to
appeal to like-minded councillors on other groups when it comes to the
important issues in the year ahead: Last months elections were dominated
by 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 our
residents, the councillors from all groups who represent them, parish councils
and statutory partners. We will also be consulting residents on the councils
strategic 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 financial
strategy. She is an ambassador for the council and represents it on national
and regional bodies such as the Kent forum. Her cabinet is:
BU East July 14_Layout 1 02/07/2014 15:09 Page 5
6 Maidstone Borough Council
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 Council
Maidstone Borough Council is run by councillors who you vote
for at local elections. Councillors make decisions on behalf of
the community about local services, for example rubbish and
recycling collections and leisure facilities, and agree budgets
and Council Tax charges
They represent residents in areas, called wards, for four
years. The work of a councillor includes holding surgeries to
help local people, supporting local organisations, campaigning
on local issues, and developing links with all parts of the
community.
They are not council employees and are not paid a salary or
wages, but they are entitled to allowances and expenses to
cover some of the costs of carrying out their public duties.
The elected councillors provide the policies, and then paid
Dan Daley
Lib Dem
01622
672459
Cynthia
Robertson
Lib Dem
01622
753517
Belinda
Watson
Lib Dem
01622
750541
David Naghi
Lib Dem
01622
678410
Nikki
Fissenden
Lib Dem
01622
755494
Martin
Cox
Lib Dem
01622
202869
Stephen
Paine
Con
07906
271325
Alistair
Black
Con
01622
728481
Paul Harper
Lab
01622
763895
Clive
English
Lib Dem
07806
360476
Denise Joy
Lib Dem
01622
674063
Fran Wilson
Lib Dem
01622
673349
Jenni
Paterson
Lib Dem
01622
679630
Thomas
Long
Lib Dem
01580
893910
Tony
Harwood
Lib Dem
01622
677578
Chris
Garland
Con
07903
113571
Marion Ring
Con
01622
686492
Simon Ells
UKIP
01622
758442
Dave
Sargeant
UKIP
01622
750758
Malcolm
McKay
Lab
07879
357333
Bryan
Vizzard
Lib Dem
07957
442994
James
Willis
Lib Dem
01622
725161
Christine
Edwards-
Daem UKIP
07711
590775
Daniel
Moriarty
Ind
01622
754756
Derek
Mortimer
Lib Dem
07825
916930
Ian
Chittenden
Lib Dem
01622
630867
Mike
Hogg
Con
07964
160282
Town
Wards
David
Pickett
Lib Dem
01622
681889
James Ross
Con
07966
377292
employees, council officers, put them into practice.
You can attend most meetings of the council, although usually
you will not be able to speak at them. The council publishes a
'forward work plan' listing the decisions that will be taken over
the coming months. It also publishes meeting papers at least
five working days in advance, and afterwards the minutes of
the 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 of
the 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 North
Ward - there were elections and by elections.
A ALLINGTON
A E
B
G
C
D
F
H
K
J
I
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Maidstone Borough Council 7
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 Gooch
Ind
01622
726608
Peter Parvin
Con
01622
673209
Susan Grigg
Lib Dem
07706
052495
Daphne
Parvin
Con
01622
673209
Nick de
Wiggondene
Con
01622
208721
Gordon
Newton
Ind
01622
862330
Steve
Munford
Ind
01622
741310
Richard
Ash
Con
01622
730151
Val
Springett
Con
01622
737702
Mike
Cuming
Con
01622
738825
John A
Wilson
Con
01622
720989
Brian
Mortimer
Lib Dem
01622
746046
Dennis
Collins
Con
01622
820468
Derek
Butler
Con
01634
684854
Malcolm
Greer
Con
01634
862876
Wendy
Hinder
Con
01634
861579
Annabelle
Blackmore
Con
01622
833299
David
Burton
Con
01622
862595
Steve
McLoughlin
Con
07711
565489
Eddie
Powell
UKIP
01622
851983
Janetta
Sams
Ind
01622
859412
Richard
Thick
Con
01622
891224
Martin
Round
Con
01622
890276
Paulina
Stockell
Con
01622
842508
John Perry
Con
07770
734741
Vacancy
BOUGHTON MONCHELSEA
& CHART SUTTON
DETLING &
THURNHAM
NORTH
DOWNS
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
BU East July 14_Layout 1 02/07/2014 15:09 Page 7
Our current exhibitions
Age of Glamour and
Talons & Tiaras are in
full swing and will be
accompanied by an
number of events in July
and August. Hear from
the curators behind both
exhibitions, young people
can take part in a costume
design workshop, or come
along to an exciting
falconry day where you
can get up close to the
birds that inspired the
dresses in Talons &
Tiaras!
The Age of
Glamour
Whats On
12 July
Costume Design Workshop
8/6 concessions
Behind Talons & Tiaras
10/7 concessions
15 July
Join Director of the Cartoon
Museum for an insight into
the work of RS Sherriffs
10/7 concessions
28 July
Linocut Workshop
40
30 July
Collections in Focus:
Archaeology (Behind the
Scenes)
7
1 August
Fantastic Falcons
1 to hold a bird
9-10 August
WW1 Activity Weekend
Free some activities may
incur a small charge
27 August
Collections in Focus:
Collectors (Behind the
Scenes)
7/5 concessions
6 September
Artist Talk: Polly Morgan
10/7 students and
concessions
14 September
Behind the Scenes Tours
Free, booking essential
18 September
Lecture: Understanding and
Misunderstanding the Great
War
10/7 concessions
24 September
Collections in Focus: Fashion
(Behind the Scenes)
7/5 concessions
For information on lots of
activities for children,
please visit
www.museum.maidstone.gov.uk.
To book any of these events,
email
museuminfo@maidstone.gov.uk
or call 01622 602838.
Festival of
Archaeology
On 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 unique
opportunity to visit the Kent Archaeological Society Library housed within the
Museum.
A Teddy
Bear Story
The main focus of the summer will be
bears! Our latest exhibition -A Teddy
Bear Story - opens on 9 August and
we have a whole host of events
dedicated to our favourite furry friend!
Jane Hissey, author and illustrator of the
Old Bear and Little Bear Stories, will be
coming 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 bear
competition! Want more bears?
Then come along to a family
focussed event to learn about real
bears with experts from
Wildwood on 29 August.
News from the MUSEUM 8
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Shared ownership new build and re-sales
Depending on how much you can afford, shared ownership
allows you to buy a percentage share of a property while a
local housing association retains the other share.
It is sometimes known as part-buy part-rent because you
will then be charged a rental payment on the remaining
share owned by the housing association. In most cases
shared owners can choose to buy additional shares later on
to increase their equity.
Equity loans
The Help to Buy equity loan is designed to help you purchase
specific new-build properties priced up to 600,000 from
participating 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 or
move up it, there are a number of Help to Buy products
designed to make buying a home more affordable, including:
From 10 June, the way that people register to vote has
changed. Instead of one person registering everyone in
the house, people will now take responsibility for their
own registration to help reduce fraud. You can also now
register online, making it much easier to register.
What do I need to do?
If youre on the electoral register already, nothing well
write to you in July to let you know if youve been
automatically transferred to the IER register, or if we
need more information.
If you arent registered to vote yet, visit
www.gov.uk/register-to-vote youll need your National
Insurance number (if you have one) to register, and it
will take about five minutes. You can also call 0800 3 280
280.
Where can I find out more?
Visit www.gov.uk/yourvotematters for more information
Individual Voter
Registration
new-build home, so youll only need to provide a 5% cash
deposit and a 75% mortgage to make up the rest. You also
wont be charged loan fees on the 20% loan for the first five
years of owning your home.
Want to find out more?
bpha are delivering this service on
behalf of the Homes and
Communities Agency in the East
and South East of England. For more information please visit
www.helptobuyeastandsoutheast.uk.com or call 03333
214044
Affordable houses
Official government figures just released show that
Maidstone has provided more affordable homes than any
other district in Kent and many London boroughs.
The figures show that 1,050 affordable homes were built in
Maidstone Borough in the four years between April 2010 and
March 2014.
Maidstone Borough Council 9
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10 Maidstone Borough Council
www.maidstone.gov.uk Great People, Great Place, Great Opportunity
Maidstone Borough Council
Save the skin
youre in!
Before you expose your skin this summer, ask
yourself this... Are you being sun safe or are you
dying 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.
Kids
cook
quick
Use suncream with a minimum SPF15 for
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Whether it's a barbecue or a camping trip, there are a wide range of risks that everyone
needs to be alert to. Kent Fire and Rescue Service has some simple steps to reduce the
risk of fire:
z Never use accelerants such as petrol on barbecues
z Never leave a barbecue unattended
z Never cook or smoke inside tents
z Always make sure cigarettes are properly extinguished
z Never leave lighters or matches around they can be a temptation to children
For further information, visit www.kent.fire-uk.org/your_safety/safer_summer.aspx
Fire
safety
advice
Its summertime and theres no better time to think about
learning to swim, no matter how young or old you are. If youre
thinking about learning to swim, Maidstone has sports centres,
leisure centres and gyms offering lessons.
Whether you can swim or not dont take any chances with
Maidstones rivers and lakes this summer. Swimming in
waters not patrolled by lifeguards is extremely risky, and the
consequences can be disastrous not only for the individual
involved but also for others trying to rescue them.
Last year the council introduced or improved river safety
signs, lifebuoy stations, throw bags, recovery lines, ladders and
grab chains.
If you notice any are missing, please call Maidstone councils
Parks 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 by
trained volunteers in the local
community 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 and
abilities, provided in a safe and friendly environment. Just
turn up on the day:
z Tuesdays - Mote Park, 10.30am. Meet outside the Cafe in
the Park.
z Wednesdays - Cherry Orchard, 12.30pm. Meet at the
roundabout near Tesco Express, just off Hermitage Lane.
z Thursdays - Maidstone Town Centre, 11.00am. Meet outside
the Town Hall, Bank Street
Call 01622 602222 or email healthy.living@maidstone.gov.uk
for more information.
Learn to swim
BU East July 14_Layout 1 02/07/2014 15:10 Page 10
MAKE IT PROSPEROUS
USEFUL NUMBERS
Citizens Advice Bureau
01622 752420 or
01622 757882
Council Tax
01622 602003
Housing benefit and
general 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 the
recession and bring prosperity to the borough. We help residents with
housing and council tax benefits, heating and insulation grants, home
improvement grants, and by support for organisations which offer
money advice.
Working towards the standard will give you:
T A Kent Award linked to a nationally
recognised award scheme
T A local health at work advisor
T Expertise in health and wellbeing
programmes
T Free resources for a healthier business
Businesses can work at their own pace to
attain one of the three levels:
T Commitment
T Achievement and
T Excellence
Each level covers themes including:
leadership, attendance management, health
and safety, mental health and wellbeing,
physical activity, healthy eating,
environment and more.
Weve extended the deadline to
apply for business rates relief if your
business was flooded this winter
you now have until 1 September to
get your application form to us. Any
business whose property was
flooded is entitled to apply.
The Repair and Renew Grant to
put in place flood resistance and/or
resilience measures is also
available to businesses until 30
September.
Please visit the Flood Support
link at www.maidstone.gov.uk for
more details and application forms
for 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 Maidstone
Borough and other Kent Councils) is a free self-assessment framework aimed at
improving economic performance through people and environment.
Flood
Relief
Check out the list below and recommend
it to your staff and managers.
Have you improved your health in the
last 24 hours?
T Eaten several small nutritious low fat
meals
T Taken 20 minutes of aerobic exercise
T Breathed clean air
T Drunk clean, fluoridated water
T Driven your car safely or used public
transport
T Carried out satisfying work
T Had a variety of positive social
interactions
T Avoided chronic stress.
Tackling empty
shops in Maidstone
Kent Healthy Business Awards
Businesses moving into empty shops in the
borough will receive a 50% discount on
their business rates for 18 months. The
Business Rates Reoccupation Relief
Scheme aims to help boost business and
reduce 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 the
scheme, with the cost being met by the
Central Government.
Businesses looking to find out more
should visit www.maidstone.gov.uk or
phone 01622 602230.
BU East July 14_Layout 1 02/07/2014 15:10 Page 11
Kathy Hildige joined Maidstone council from
school in 1986. After five years in land charges
she joined the councils elections team and is now
acting Registration Services Manager.
Facts about electoral registration
and elections:
In Maidstone elections are held:
z Every four years for parish councillors.
z Three years out of every four for
borough councillors.
z Every four years for Kent County
Councillors.
z Every five years for European and UK
parliamentary members.
z Other types of elections are held for
Police and Crime Commissioner,
Neighbourhood Planning Referendums
and Parish Polls.
Maidstone has:
z 1 European Parliamentary Region
z 2 Parliamentary Constituencies
z 9 County Divisions
z 26 Borough Wards
z 35 Parish Councils
z 6 Parish Meetings
z 82 polling stations at 70 venues
z More than 112,000 voters
z More than 19,000 postal voters
12 Maidstone Borough Council
Follow us on Twitter
@maidstonebc
Like us on Facebook
www.facebook.com/
maidstoneboroughcouncil
Watch us on YouTube
www.youtube.com/
user/maidstonecouncil
Borough Update
This is your council newsletter,
produced up to four times a year
in the Downs Mail newspaper. It
is written, edited and designed
by the council's communications
team, Maidstone House, King
Street, Maidstone, Kent ME15
6JQ. Email:
pr@maidstone.gov.uk. Your
comments and suggestions are
always welcome. It is typeset by
AW design and printed by
Newbury News.
If you are visually impaired
and would like the newsletter
text in large print, please call
us on 01622 602807, and we
will be happy to send you a
copy.
To find out whats on in Maidstone Borough visit www.visitmaidstone.com Whats On!
W
o
r
k
in
g
for you
What attracted you to the job?
Its really important work. We work hard so people can
vote at elections and theres always a tremendous
buzz 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 sure
that election notices and ballot papers are correct or
that the ballot boxes and equipment are ready for the
polling station staff to collect the day before an
election.
Whats the worst part of the job?
When people realise too late that they havent
registered to vote and I cant help them.
What does good customer service mean to you?
Its doing everything I can to make sure that
people get a vote, either in person or by post.
Kathys job includes:
z Compiling the list of parliamentary and local
government electors, so that people are
registered and can vote at elections.
z Writing to everyone in the borough, every year, to
encourage them to register to vote.
z Updating the list of electors monthly and issuing
postal vote applications throughout the year.
z Organising elections everything from booking
polling stations, to printing ballot papers, through
to counting the votes cast.
BU East July 14_Layout 1 02/07/2014 15:10 Page 12