Maidstone Borough Council’s refusal to answer questions in public has been branded as undemocratic by local Greens
Donna Greenan has been refused the opportunity to ask the council how it is delivering on part of its Strategic Plan to make streets usable by all and to encourage walking. She asked to put the question to the full council meeting this week but has been told that her question has been rejected. Public questions to the council should be allowed under council rules. The Council has suggested that residents report vehicles blocking the pavement to Kent Police using the 101 number
Donna Greenan, Bridge Ward campaigner: “I am appalled at the council’s attempt to silence me. Pavement parking is a huge problem that puts lives in danger as pedestrians are forced into the roads and as emergency services struggle to access homes.
“The council claims that they want to encourage us to make journeys by foot and then they refuse to answer questions on what they are doing about this. They claim that they don’t have the powers to take enforcement action against pavement parking but have they requested these powers and what else are they doing to prevent the problem.
“As their own vehicles have been photographed parked on pavements, it is quite clear that MBC are completely disinterested in pedestrians, disinterested in their own strategy, disinterested in being held to account and keen to create additional work for the police through their own poor planning decisions.”
