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16 December 2024 by Stuart Jeffery
The Green Leader of Maidstone Borough Council, Cllr Stuart Jeffery, has blasted the devolution proposals as centralisation of power and damaging to democracy but he has vowed to work with other councils and parties across Kent to make sure the changes work best for Kent residents. Cllr Stuart Jeffery (Green Leader of Maidstone Borough Council): […]
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24 June 2024 / 30 June 2024 by Stuart Jeffery
14 June 2024 / 30 June 2024 by Stuart Jeffery
Maidstone Greens have welcomed Maidstone first Pride event in the town. Pride celebrates LGBTQIA+ people, welcomes diversity and protests against inequality. Local Greens joined the march through the town and joined the main event in Lockmeadow. Cllr Stuart Jeffery said, “We are all really grateful for the organisers and all who took part in Maidstone’s […]
17 May 2024 / 17 May 2024 by
The Green and Independent Alliance and the Liberal Democrat group on Maidstone Borough Council have signed an agreement to form a partnership to run the Council for the next four years. The new Cabinet will be confirmed at the Council’s AGM on Saturday 18th May. The new Cabinet will deliver a significant programme of change […]
5 May 2024 / 5 May 2024 by
Maidstone Greens are delighted with the results of the Borough Council elections, after more than trebling our seat count. Gains were made in Allington & Bridge, Barming Heath & Teston, Bearsted & Downswood, Coxheath & Farleigh, Fant & Oakwood, High Street and Marden & Yalding wards. In addition Stuart Jeffery and Stephen Thompson both retained their seats in Allington […]
8 April 2024 / 8 April 2024 by Stuart Jeffery
Maidstone Greens have accused the Conservatives of being “missing in action” over massive failure in bin collections following the change of provider from Biffa to SUEZ. The Greens have singled out Cabinet Member for Environmental Services, Conservative Cllr Patrik Garten, as being absent from communications to residents. Nearly a third of bin collections were missed […]
8 April 2024 / 8 April 2024 by
Greens stand highest number of candidates ever in Maidstone with bid to become the largest party on the council. The Greens have 35 candidates, the second largest ‘slate’ in the Borough elections and have high hopes for many wards. Green Cllr Stuart Jeffery, “We have an excellent chance of being the biggest group on the […]
21 March 2024 / 21 March 2024 by Stuart Jeffery
Maidstone Greens and the independents in our group led the fight against the Conservatives’ Local Plan at the extraordinary Council meeting in Maidstone last night. The Greens proposed deferring the decision until after the election so that the councillors who will be responsible for its implementation would get to vote on it but the amendment […]
5 March 2024 by
Local Greens have reacted angrily to news that Kent County Council are selling off the former Adult Education Centre in Maidstone. The building on St Faiths Street is up for auction later this month. The Greens have been pushing for an arts hub in the town and Cllr Derek Eagle, Maidstone Green Party’s spokesperson on […]
5 March 2024 by Stuart Jeffery
In their submission to KCC’s Minerals and Waste consultation, Maidstone Greens have expressed further concerns about KCC’s failure to understand the climate emergency. The Greens have called the draft plan a charter for environmental destruction. The draft KCC strategy supports exploration for fossil fuels in Kent and has implicit support for the destruction of the […]
26 February 2024 / 26 February 2024 by
Following claims that Headcorn has become the wild west(1) by Conservatives, local Greens have hit out at their failure to tackle the antisocial behaviour and their lack of a real plan. The Greens have called for a Headcorn Task Force, an approach that has been successful in other parts of the Borough(2). Green Councillor Derek […]
14 February 2024 / 14 February 2024 by
Maidstone Greens are disappointed to hear the news that Maidstone Borough Council has not prosecuted any fly tippers for the past three years – despite Maidstone having the highest amount of fly tipping in the county. Mick Summersgill, Marden & Yalding Campaigner says, “This is a complete failure by the Conservative-run council. Other councils are […]
1 February 2024 / 1 February 2024 by Stuart Jeffery
Local Greens have reacted with amazement at the shortfall of infrastructure funding for Maidstone’s Local Plan. New documents provide an estimate of around £400m for just half of the necessary new infrastructure required for the planned addition 20,000 homes yet the funding for schools, roads and community centres that is available is just £26m. When […]
26 January 2024 by Stuart Jeffery
Local Greens have expressed disappointment at Maidstone Borough Council’s cabinet for deciding that there is no need for a task force to tackle the problems in our local rivers, particularly pollution and biodiversity. The plan, conceived six months ago, reached its final decision point at the Cabinet meeting in Maidstone last night where it was […]
22 January 2024 by Stuart Jeffery
Maidstone Greens have launched their campaign to stop the closure of the seven branch libraries in the Borough. County Hall’s Conservative chiefs let it slip last week that they wanted rid of branch libraries and would be reviewing them for savings over the coming year. Cllr Mick Summersgill, Green Party campaigner for Marden and Yalding: […]
12 January 2024 by Stuart Jeffery
Kent County Council (KCC) have proposed to stop passing part of the savings that they make as a result of Maidstone’s high recycling rate to Maidstone Borough Council. KCC saves millions each year because of the recycling by Maidstone residents and KCC has, until now, shared those savings with us. On Thursday their Environment committee […]
18 December 2023 by
Green councillors and campaigners joined around 200 protestors in Maidstone to add their voices to the call for a ceasefire in Palestine. The latest violence has killed nearly 20,000 people in the region, a huge proportion of which are children. Green Cllr Stuart Jeffery, who spoke at the rally, said, “We condemn Hamas’s action in […]
Local Greens have called on the owners of Mid Kent Shopping Centre in Allington to reverse their decision to throw shop workers out of their car park unless they each pay £600 per year. The decision by LCP Properties has angered staff and local residents. Green Party campaigner, Rachel Rodwell, “I have written to the […]
1 December 2023 by Stuart Jeffery
Local Green campaigner, Mick Summersgill, has reacted angrily to news from KCC that the Marden’s Children’s Centre is set to close despite the increasing number of families in the village. Many residents signed Mick’s petition as he fought the closure and now there is deep concern in the village about the impact of losing the […]
30 November 2023 by Stuart Jeffery
Greens in Maidstone were celebrating after victory at the full Council meeting in Maidstone last night as their motion against the quarrying of Oaken Wood was supported by a majority of councillors. Oaken Wood is a huge and nationally recognised ancient woodland on the outskirts of the town. The motion was brought to the full Council after […]
7 November 2023 by Stuart Jeffery
Green Party campaigners have welcomed the decision by KCC to keep Tovil Tip open. Local Green Claire Kehily had amassed over 4000 signatures on her petition on the back of public anger at the initial move by KCC to close it. Local Green campaigner Claire Kehily said: “There has been a huge amount of pressure on KCC […]
22 September 2023 by Stuart Jeffery
Two councillors in Maidstone have called for the suspension of Maidstone Borough Council’s new policy to charge residents for replacement bins introduced by its Conservative led administration. The two councillors state that the policy has not been discussed by councillors despite it having a significant impact on residents. The policy was introduced as a savings […]
8 September 2023 / 8 September 2023 by Stuart Jeffery
After a protest outside the Town Hall organised by Green campaigner Rachel Rodwell, speeches from residents and visiting councillors and a long debate by the Planning, Infrastructure and Economic Development Policy Advisory Committee on Wednesday 6th September the right decision was made to recommend that Cllr Cooper, the Conservative Cabinet member for Planning and Infrastructure […]
7 September 2023 / 7 September 2023 by Stuart Jeffery
Local Greens are delighted that Maidstone Borough Council’s Infrastructure committee recommend that the Hermitage Quarry expansion be opposed. The decision was made at a council committee meeting last night (6th Sept). The committee will now recommend to the cabinet member that the quarry expansion should be strongly opposed. The meeting was preceded by a large […]