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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 […]
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31 August 2023 by
Following political shenanigans by the Lib Dems at the last Council meeting, Green Cllr Stuart Jeffery has put forward a new proposal to the Council for a ‘River Task Force Committee’ based on the Lib Dems amendment that they proposed with very mixed motives. The Green’s improved plan covers all the rivers in the Borough […]
31 August 2023 / 31 August 2023 by
A Green Party councillor has called on Maidstone Borough Council to improve toilet signage in the town centre, and to improve the facilities in parks following a survey which showed that none of the main town centre signs tell people where they can have a pee and which revealed the dire state of toilet blocks […]
Local Green campaigner Rachel Rodwell has hit out at Conservative run Maidstone Borough Council’s support for the proposed extension of the Hermitage Quarry. The Greens have criticised Conservatives comments that ancient woodland can be reinstated stating that they demonstrate a complete lack of understanding about the nature of ancient woodland. Green Party campaigner, Rachel Rodwell […]
10 August 2023 by Stuart Jeffery
Green Party campaigners have expressed shock after learning that almost all of the rock from Gallagher’s quarry is used for schemes such as road construction. They say that this is in direct contrast to narrative of a need for heritage restoration. They have reiterated their calls for the new quarry which will destroy 50ha of […]
1 August 2023 by Stuart Jeffery
Local Greens have welcomed comments from leaders at Maidstone Borough Council have agreed to revise their local transport strategy and commence liaison meetings with local bus companies. The announcements were made at the Executive Committee on 28th July and follow repeated calls by Greens. Green Councillor, Stuart Jeffery, said, “I have been calling for a new […]
20 July 2023 / 20 July 2023 by Stuart Jeffery
Local Greens are delighted that Maidstone Borough Council acknowledged that the River Medway has rights and that they need to consider these rights when they make decisions. The motion to the full Council meeting was proposed by the Greens who were pleased with the outcome despite some amendments being made. Cllr Stuart Jeffery, Green Party: […]
30 June 2023 / 30 June 2023 by
Green Party campaigner, Rachel Rodwell, has welcomed the new campaigning by the Woodland Trust against the expansion of Hermitage Quarry in Barming and has handed in a petition of over 400 signatures to KCC. Green Rachel Rodwell said, “There is an ecological emergency unfolding around us yet KCC and Gallaghers seem to think it is […]
24 June 2023 / 24 June 2023 by
Maidstone Greens have welcomed the news that the Nu-Venture Bus 78 has been resurrected and now cover the number 8 route between Queens Road, Barming, Upper Fant Road and Maidstone Town Centre. Green Cllr Stuart Jeffery had been in contact with local bus companies and KCC chiefs to try to stop the closure. The service […]
We are dismayed to hear that The Hermitage Quarry, off Hermitage Lane, could be expanded by a further 96 hectares, to allow its operators, Gallagher Aggregates Ltd, to extract a further 20 million tonnes of ragstone. We must not lose any more ancient woodland or farmland, particularly for a quarry extracting stone that we don’t […]
5 June 2023 / 5 June 2023 by Stuart Jeffery
Following the sad news of the death of Cllr Dan Daley, Maidstone Green Party have announced that Cllr Stuart Jeffery will be the Green Party’s candidate for the Maidstone Central division on Kent County Council. The election is on 6th July. Cllr Stuart Jeffery said, “I am delighted to have been chosen to contest this […]
22 May 2023 / 22 May 2023 by Stuart Jeffery
A petition to save the Tovil recycling centre started by Green Party campaigner for Coxheath, Claire Kehily, has attracted over 700 signatures in its first two days showing the strength of feeling that the centre must not close. Data show that Maidstone already has a high level of fly tipping and the Greens are concerned […]
11 May 2023 / 11 May 2023 by
Maidstone Green Party campaigner, Rachel Rodwell, has become increasingly concerned about antisocial behaviour on the river with people dangerously using ribs and dinghies, threatening other river users and firing catapults at wildlife. Rachel has been working with local services to improve the safety. Green Rachel Rodwell: “Over the past weeks, I have been involved with […]
11 May 2023 / 11 May 2023 by Stuart Jeffery
Green Councillor, Stuart Jeffery, has accused KCC of putting savings before safety after the lack of subway lights in Maidstone hit their six month anniversary. Cllr Stuart Jeffery, Green Party: “While we can all see the dire state that KCC are in, made blindingly obvious by the state of our roads, I am really quite […]
Last week’s elections were tremendous. Green Councillors Derek Eagle (Sutton Valence and Langley) and Stephen Thompson (Detling and Thurnham) joined me on Maidstone Borough Council and we will be working with three like minded independent councillors too. We had very near misses in Marden and Yalding where Mick Summersgill’s 35% was just 5% behind the […]
11 April 2023 / 11 April 2023 by
Maidstone Greens will be hoping to build on last years election success at the upcoming Maidstone Borough Council Elections on May 4th. This time we will be fielding 16 candidates across 18 seats, and endorsing the Independent candidates in the other 2 wards. For the latest information, including details of who is standing in your […]
22 March 2023 / 22 March 2023 by Stuart Jeffery
Green campaigner for Allington, Rachel Rodwell, has started a petition to KCC to get the proposed bus service from Hermitage Park moving after learning that they have been sitting on these funds for this for seven years. Rachel Rodwell, Green Party campaigner for Allington: “It is simply unbelievable that KCC can drag their heels for […]
5 March 2023 / 5 March 2023 by Stuart Jeffery
Green campaigner Rachel Rodwell was shocked to hear that the council do not intend to make public the number of people who are refused a vote due to a lack of ID in the local elections. The refusal came to light at the Council meeting on 22nd February where she asked what measures were to […]
25 February 2023 / 25 February 2023 by Stuart Jeffery
Green Campaigner Stephen Thompson has hit out at Maidstone Borough Council’s lack of engagement with local bus operators that came to light following his questions at the Council meeting on 22nd February. Stephen Thompson (Green Party campaigner for Detling and Thurnham): “Good quality, local and cheap bus services are the backbone of public transport so it […]
At Wednesday’s full Council meeting Cllr Jeffery (Green) called for increased fines and enforcement for fly tippers and for landlords who let out substandard homes. Cllr Jeffery also proposed a working group on sustainable transport across the Borough. All three suggestions were rejected by the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats however they were fully supported by […]
10 February 2023 / 10 February 2023 by Stuart Jeffery
With announcement of further cuts to local Arriva bus services in Maidstone, Greens have reiterated their calls for government at local and national level to intervene. Last month local Greens wrote to Grant Shapps demanding to know when money promised for bus services in Kent would be provided, so far there has been no response. […]
23 January 2023 / 23 January 2023 by Stuart Jeffery
Greens across Maidstone have reacted angrily against the potential closures of children centres with Marden being particularly badly affected. The local Green councillor, Mick Summersgill, has started a petition and is calling on KCC to scrap the closure plans. Cllr Mick Summersgill, Green Campaigner for Marden and Yalding Ward: “Marden cannot afford to lose this […]
17 January 2023 / 17 January 2023 by Stuart Jeffery
Maidstone Greens have welcomed many of the comments from the Planning Inspector following his inspection of the Local Plan but have warned that housing targets are politically and economically driven rather than being based on need and the entire plan is ecologically unsustainable. Cllr Stuart Jeffery (Green Party): “While I was pleased to see the […]
10 January 2023 / 10 January 2023 by Stuart Jeffery
Following a question by Green councillor Stuart Jeffery, to Maidstone’s Joint Transportation Board last week, it was confirmed that funding to support bus services across Maidstone and Kent has not been received by Kent County Council, nine months after funding was agreed with the Department for Transport. Cllr Stuart Jeffery (Green on Maidstone Borough Council): […]
