Heath Ward

Image produced from the Ordnance Survey electionmap service (www.election-maps.co.uk). Image reproduced with permission of Ordnance Survey (www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk) and Land and Property Services (www.lpsni.gov.uk).

Heath ward covers an area from Oakwood Park in the North east down to East Barming in the South

News from Heath and your local councillors

Heath ward campaigners

Jenni Sharp

Julia Batt

Bryan Vizzard

Jenni Sharp

jenni62@hotmail.co.uk

Local resident and campaigner, Jenni Sharp, has been selected as the Liberal Democrat candidate for Heath ward in this year's Council elections.

Jenni has lived in Heath for sixteen years and knows the area very well indeed. She hopes to take the place of Julia Batt who is not re-standing.

Julia said "I have much enjoyed representing the residents of Heath and am sorry that family commitments - and a new business venture - have made it necessary for me to stand down. I know that Jenni will make an excellent Councillor. She really cares about the area where she and her family have lived for so long; you can rely on her to fight for you.'

Julia Batt

Princes House, 4 Tarragon Road, Maidstone, ME16 0NG

01622 721432

juliabatt@maidstone.gov.uk

Julia has been an active part of her local community since moving to Heath Ward in early 2001. Julia was elected in May 2006 to Heath Ward and works alongside Brian Vizzard and Jenni Sharp dealing with issues in our area.

Julia is vice chair for the PTA for Brunswick House School where her daughter attends and is also a Guide leader at Barming guides. In her spare time she is a keen pianist.

Bryan Vizzard

1 St Andrews Close, Maidstone ME16 9LP

Bryanvizzard@maidstone.gov.uk

News from Heath and your local Councillors

• Apr 28, 2010:
  • A Litter Disgrace
    Under Lib Dem leadership Maidstone Council was widely respected for its tough enforcement against litter louts and fly tippers. Sadly, Maidstone Council's position as being at the vanguard of tough enforcement has been squandered under weak Conservative leadership. Under Lib Dems litter louts were slammed with 261 fixed penalty fines in a year but under successive Conservative administrations the council only handed out 16 in 2008/9 and just 22 in 2009/10. Lib Dem Campaigner Jenni Sharp was amazed at the steep fall in enforcement of fines for litter louts and stated "I am shocked and appalled by this Conservative Council's failure to punish the litter louts and fly tippers. It goes a long way towards explaining the recent increase in litter and fly tipping so evident across our town and countryside." Lib Dem Cllr Clive English added: "This shameful reduction in the policing of littering and fly tipping under the Conservatives is all the more shocking because we actually provided increased funding to ensure even tougher zero tolerance enforcement. They have squandered this investment and made our Borough scruffier and more unkempt!". Published and promoted by Maidstone & The Weald Lib Dems 56 Bower Mount Road Maidstone ME16 8AU. The views expressed are those of Maidstone & The Weald Lib Dems, not of the service provider. Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY
• Apr 7, 2010:
  • Lib Dems launch local manifesto
    Lib Dems have launched their 10 promises for this year's local elections The Lib Dem group have today launched their local manifesto. Key highlights include: A cast iron guarantee that the Church Street Public conveniences will be re-opened That the weekend freighter service will be maintained That Mote Park is safe in Lib Dem hands For more information and detail on these and the other promises from your Lib Dem team, please visit the 2010 pledges page. Related Links Lib Dem 2010 10 promises Published and promoted by Maidstone & The Weald Lib Dems 56 Bower Mount Road Maidstone ME16 8AU. The views expressed are those of Maidstone & The Weald Lib Dems, not of the service provider. Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY
• Dec 7, 2009:
  • Rail Cuts are "Ill-Judged and outrageous"
    Malcolm Robertson, KCC Liberal Democrat Opposition Spokesperson on Transport matters and Maidstone Borough Council Railways Champion is outraged by the Government's decision to axe Maidstone and West Malling's vital direct commuter rail service to London Canon Street and Charing Cross via London Bridge. District and County Liberal Democrats have campaigned on this issue and also strongly supported the local commuter Rail User Groups in their campaign to keep these vital trains. Norman Baker MP, national Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Spokesperson, wrote to the Minister in support of retaining the service. Norman Baker MP and our local MPs have all been snubbed by this deplorable and ill thought-through decision. Malcolm Robertson has said: "This is a decision that affects a substantial number of real people's lives. Elsewhere in Kent people are now being offered the opportunity of paying money to spend more time at home with their families by using the new HST commuter services, and take-up is very high. Maidstone commuters receive no benefit whatsoever from these new HST services and are now being dealt the dreadful blow of having to endure an ADDITIONAL 20 minutes or more in travelling time on every journey to and from work. This is quite inhuman and is resulting in additional pressures on families which may even lead to some people having to move house." Maidstone is the County Town. It is a very successful shopping destination and it is both a Regional Transport Hub and a Government designated Secondary Growth Point. It is being expected to accommodate 11,000 new houses by 2026. Cllr. Robertson added: "It seems ridiculous that in travel time, Maidstone is now as far from London as Folkestone and yet it is less than half the actual distance. How can Government in all conscience then go ahead with this appalling cut in services which makes matters even worse and inflicts such harm on local families? Your Liberal Democrat representatives will continue to fight this injustice with every means open to us." Published and promoted by Maidstone & The Weald Lib Dems 56 Bower Mount Road Maidstone ME16 8AU. The views expressed are those of Maidstone & The Weald Lib Dems, not of the service provider. Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY
• Nov 30, 2009:
  • Clarification on Maidstone Downs Mail December 2009 Story: Parkway Rail Station Would Cut Journey Times
    Malcolm Robertson, Lib Dem County Councillor for Maidstone Central, wishes to clarify the following points raised in this newspaper article: • The positive proposal for establishing a Maidstone Parkway Station is contained within the recently released KCC draft consultation document, "Growth Without Gridlock, an integrated transport strategy for Kent". The KCC Conservative Cabinet Member, Mr Nick Chard, has clearly authorised the release of this document for consultation. • The KCC proposal does not name a site but the High Speed Rail line, HS1, is essentially only in the Maidstone area between the tunnel portal at Cossington (Bluebell Hill) and Hollingbourne. The number of possible practical sites is very limited. A good highway connection would be needed. • The Downs Mail article mixes quotations from me with journalistic editorial opinion and fails to distinguish between the two. • I am opposed to KIG. I have made no statements that link KIG with the KCC proposed Maidstone Parkway Station. I know nothing whatsoever about possible employment numbers at KIG and have made no comments on such matters. Any such comments in the article are journalistic. • I am Maidstone Borough Council's Railways Champion. In that capacity, I do welcome any opportunity to investigate ways to improve the County Town's connectivity with the national railways network. That is all this is. I certainly have many caveats in my mind, but the proposal must be fully examined. • There are other proposals such as the Network Rail Kent Route Utilisation Strategy (RUS) option to bring a future HST service into Maidstone West station from Ebbsfleet on the classic rail lines along the Medway Valley. Such a service, whilst adding to passenger comfort, would not cut journey times substantially. However, it could probably be established much quicker than a Maidstone Parkway Station. There is currently limited car parking near Maidstone West. Published and promoted by Maidstone & The Weald Lib Dems 56 Bower Mount Road Maidstone ME16 8AU. The views expressed are those of Maidstone & The Weald Lib Dems, not of the service provider. Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY
• Jun 5, 2009:
  • Lib Dem victory in Maidstone Central
    Malcolm Robertson wins second seat in Maidstone Central The Liberal Democrats have taken the second seat at the Maidstone Central County Division from the Conservatives. Lib Dem candidate Malcolm Robertson beat sitting councillor Jeff Curwood by a handsome margin of 1242 votes. Lib Dem Councillor Dan Daley retained his seat by an even bigger margin (1958 votes) over the Conservatives. Ian Chittenden also retained his seat in the North East Division with an enhanced majority. Clearly there is dissatisfaction with the Conservatives in Maidstone after one year of their control of the Borough Council. Newly elected County Councillor Malcolm Robertson said, "I would like to say thank you to everyone in Maidstone Central. This was a hard fought election, and I'm delighted to have won so decisively. I will do my best for the area and look forward to working at Kent County Council as a part of the Lib Dem group who are now the official opposition on the County Council". Related Links View full results for Maidstone Central View full results for Maidstone North East Published and promoted by Maidstone & The Weald Lib Dems 56 Bower Mount Road Maidstone ME16 8AU. The views expressed are those of Maidstone & The Weald Lib Dems, not of the service provider. Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY
• Apr 21, 2009:
  • More rail misery for Maidstone commuters
    Southeastern trains has decided to stop the off-peak fast service between London Cannon Street and West Malling and Maidstone. Maidstone and the Weald Liberal Democrats are stunned that this announcement comes at a time when Maidstone stands to gain nothing from the new high speed commuter trains. Unlike practically all other main towns in Kent where journey times to London are being dramatically slashed, Maidstone will be left with only slow trains to London Victoria where journey times can be as much as 1hr 20 minutes. Malcolm Robertson, Lib Dem Transport Champion said, " It is disgraceful for the train operator to treat the County Town in this cavalier way. It will lead to real hardship for many long suffering commuters and no account seems to be being taken of this. People Power has to now be harnessed to change this harsh and unfair decision. Myself, Councillors Dan Daley, Ian Chittenden, and all the Liberal Democrat Group are supporting the users in raising a petition against this change. I am also seeking, with the support of the Maidstone Cabinet Member, a meeting with the Minister to discuss these issues. Ann Widdecombe has agreed to help facilitate this. To sign the petition visit www.keepourtrains.com Published and promoted by Maidstone & The Weald Lib Dems 56 Bower Mount Road Maidstone ME16 8AU. The views expressed are those of Maidstone & The Weald Lib Dems, not of the service provider. Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY
• Sep 20, 2008:
  • Councillors lead call for cuts
    Heath Ward Cllrs Julia Batt and Bryan Vizzard are calling for urgent action to cut back overhanging trees on Queens Road. The Cllrs often walk the route themselves and believe that the overhanging trees are a significant road safety hazard. Cllr Batt said, 'Like many residents, I find myself having to step out into the road to avoid these trees. This risks walking straight out into the path of passing traffic.' Cllr Vizzard said, 'I've reported this situation to the Council and have asked for urgent action to be taken' Published and promoted by Maidstone & The Weald Lib Dems 56 Bower Mount Road Maidstone ME16 8AU. The views expressed are those of Maidstone & The Weald Lib Dems, not of the service provider. Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY
• Oct 1, 2007:
  • Weekly refuse collections
    From February the first 20,000 properties will receive weekly rubbish collections and an improved fortnightly recycling collection. Maidstone councillors have agreed funding to keep weekly rubbish collections for kitchen waste, disposable nappies and other things that cannot be recycled and introduce an improved fortnightly recycling collection for plastics, paper, card and cans. Another 20,000 homes will get the extra collection in October and the rest in February the following year. Cabinet Member, Tony Harwood, said: "This scheme will give residents the recycling services that they demand and maintain the weekly refuse collection that they have told me that they want. It also makes sense environmentally and economically. I am not looking to recycle purely for the sake of recycling and I have considered in detail the environmental merits of the new recycling scheme. I will be placing equal emphasis on waste minimisation and re-use so that our service will have a reduced impact in terms of harmful climate change." Most households will be getting a new 180 litre grey bin for their weekly rubbish collection. Residents will be asked to use their existing green bins for their fortnightly recycling collections. Large families will be offered a larger bin and special arrangements will be made for people who don't have wheelie bins or space for a second bin. Although all 63,000 Maidstone homes will be getting a new fortnightly recycling collection some 14,000 will lose the kerbside glass collection. Cllr Harwood explains that this service does not make sense environmentally or economically. "Glass collected from the kerbside is crushed and used as aggregate in roads construction. If residents take it to a bottle bank where it is sorted by colour it is recycled into glass bottles and jars. Whereas, ever since the opening of the Allington waste to energy plant, if they put it into the normal refuse it is saved, crushed and used as aggregate in roads construction. So it really doesn't make sense to pay for an extra vehicle to collect it for no extra environmental benefit." Council Leader, Fran Wilson, is urging everyone to use the new services: "We have listened to the residents and we will be keeping a weekly collection for rubbish and kitchen waste. Residents should not feel forced into using the recycling collection but I am asking everyone to enthusiastically back the service they said they wanted and really start recycling and do their bit for the environment. There are those who say high recycling rates only come through moving to alternate weekly collections. I hope Maidstone Borough residents will help me prove those pundits wrong." Published and promoted by Maidstone & The Weald Lib Dems 56 Bower Mount Road Maidstone ME16 8AU. The views expressed are those of Maidstone & The Weald Lib Dems, not of the service provider. Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY
• Jul 30, 2007:
  • Call for a crack down on reckless licence holders
    Dan Daley calls for crack down on irresponsible and negligent licence holders In the debate on the Future of Public Health in Kent at County Hall, Dan Daley, Member for Maidstone Central called on Authorities to be tougher on those found guilty of supplying alcohol to under-age teens. He reported the recent withdrawal of an alcohol licence at his local Tesco Express. His concern is with the damage that young people are doing to their health which will lead to serious medical conditions in later life. "It is all very well having the good intentions shown in the document we are debating here today about promoting Good Health in our population, but unless there is a much stronger approach to the control of alcohol misuse in our young people then we shall all be paying an extremely high price in years to come". Dan was calling for the government, police, trading standards and licensing authorities to be far more pro-active in detecting the misuse of the licences held by Pubs / Clubs, Supermarkets and Garages. "Binge drinking is seen as the root cause of most of the anti-social behaviour problems being faced in many neighbourhoods. It is now far too easy to buy alcohol" Dan informed the Chamber. "We need more licences to be suspended when breaches have been detected as at Tesco in Allington this week. Failure now will inevitably mean more costs to the Health Service in a few years with liver failure, depression and drink addiction being at the forefront of the problems". Dan calls on members of the public and local community groups to be far more proactive in informing Licensing Authorities of any breaches witnessed to assist them in a crack down on irresponsible and negligent licence holders. Published and promoted by Maidstone & The Weald Lib Dems 56 Bower Mount Road Maidstone ME16 8AU. The views expressed are those of Maidstone & The Weald Lib Dems, not of the service provider. Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY
• May 25, 2007:
  • Environmental Awareness Scheme awarded grant
    Kent County Councillor, Dan Daley has opened the batting for Grants this year with a grant of £1140 to enable the startup of an environmental awareness scheme at Astor of Hever Community School Maidstone. The scheme, which is part of the BBC's 'Breathing Spaces' project will enable small green spaces on the school campus to be established for wildlife but also for people of all ages to sit and enjoy peaceful surroundings. The wildlife encouragement element will include bird nesting and bat boxes, butterfly and squirrel feeders, binoculars and books to identify the various species. Included in the grant is money to buy the necessary tools and equipment to start the work and for bushes, trees and compost. Dan Daley said "I believe that this is a very important way in which people, young and old, can get to enjoy the wide variety of wildlife that is really abundant in our urban areas. This is a first-class project, and I am pleased to be able to give it encouragement by providing the pump-priming money from my County Council devolved budget allocation". Published and promoted by Maidstone & The Weald Lib Dems 56 Bower Mount Road Maidstone ME16 8AU. The views expressed are those of Maidstone & The Weald Lib Dems, not of the service provider. Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY
• Dec 8, 2006:
  • Parking on verges - more action needed
    Councillor Malcolm Robertson calls for existing Act to be enforced The issue of cars parking on grass verges in the borough was addressed by Councillor Malcolm Robertson at a meeting of the Joint Transportation Board. Councillor Robertson urged the use of an existing County of Kent Act to prosecute offenders. He said, "The way to prevent this problem is by embarrassing people by publicity. We have an act in place but nobody seems to know if there have been any prosecutions. We should use the tools we have got and take action." Published and promoted by Maidstone & The Weald Lib Dems 56 Bower Mount Road Maidstone ME16 8AU. The views expressed are those of Maidstone & The Weald Lib Dems, not of the service provider. Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY
• Oct 30, 2006:
  • Liberal Democrat Councillors demand action on roads in Maidstone
    Albany Road, Maidstone As highway budgets have been cut, many urgent and sometimes dangerous problems on roads and footpaths have been left for months before repairs are undertaken leaving local residents at risks. Examples include Albany Road where major trip hazards and dangerous walls have been left unrepaired since reported by us in April. If you know of any dangerous potholes, trip hazards or just where the condition of the footpath or roads are in extremely poor condition, please let us know. Published and promoted by Maidstone & The Weald Lib Dems 56 Bower Mount Road Maidstone ME16 8AU. The views expressed are those of Maidstone & The Weald Lib Dems, not of the service provider. Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY
• Oct 28, 2006:
  • County Highways Cost Chaos
    Tories turn £3m saving on highways budget into £17.7m loss to the Taxpayer. Escalating Highways service costs have once again raised serious questions about the state of the Roads in Maidstone, and in particular, maintenance and repairs. In 2005, the Tory controlled Kent County Council, against strong objections from many District Councils, including Maidstone, cancelled the joint arrangements and centralized control using the excuse that a saving of £3m would be achieved. Since then, maintenance budgets have been cut and Kent County Council have revealed that the cost of the reorganisation to the taxpayer could be as high as £17.7m. Councillor Dan Daley questions escalating costs of highways service At the recent Highways Advisory Board, Maidstone Liberal Democrat County Councillor Dan Daley said, "the figures are getting more than bizarre. When the County decided to take back the highways function from the Districts, we were told one of the objectives was to save money. We have since need told that the cost would be £5m, then £7m, then £10m and now it's £17.7m. I wonder where it will end". Published and promoted by Maidstone & The Weald Lib Dems 56 Bower Mount Road Maidstone ME16 8AU. The views expressed are those of Maidstone & The Weald Lib Dems, not of the service provider. Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY
• Oct 21, 2006:
  • Maidstone Borough Council deals with litter complaints
    Following requests by Julia Batt and Peter (Heath ward) to investigate the numerous complaints of litter dropping by students from the Oakwood complex, officers of Maidstone Borough Council have carried out a comprehensive survey. The findings showed that whilst students were seen dropping litter, they were not the only cause, and the main recommendations were to install more dustbins around this area. They would also ensure that the bins would be emptied more frequently. Street scene officers will closely monitor the areas where specific complaints have been made. Published and promoted by Maidstone & The Weald Lib Dems 56 Bower Mount Road Maidstone ME16 8AU. The views expressed are those of Maidstone & The Weald Lib Dems, not of the service provider. Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY

Heath Ward - Casework