Borough of Maidstone

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Borough of Maidstone
Non-metropolitan district
Maidstone shown within Kent
Maidstone shown within Kent
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Constituent countryEngland
RegionSouth East England
Non-metropolitan countyKent
StatusNon-metropolitan district
Admin HQMaidstone
Incorporated1 April 1974
Government
 • TypeNon-metropolitan district council
 • BodyMaidstone Borough Council
 • LeadershipCommittees[1] (Shared)
 • MPsHelen Whately
Helen Grant
Area
 • Total151.9 sq mi (393.3 km2)
 • Rank100th (of 309)
Population
 (mid-2019 est.)
 • Total171,826
 • Rank115th (of 309)
 • Density1,100/sq mi (440/km2)
 • Ethnicity
97.3% White
1.1% S.Asian
Time zoneUTC0 (GMT)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+1 (BST)
ONS code29UH (ONS)
E07000110 (GSS)
OS grid referenceTQ7588156056
Websitewww.maidstone.gov.uk

The Borough of Maidstone is a local government district with borough status in Kent, England. Its administrative centre is Maidstone, the county town of Kent.

The borough was formed on 1 April 1974 by the merger of the Municipal Borough of Maidstone with the rural districts of Maidstone and Hollingbourne, under the Local Government Act 1972.[2]

Position

The borough covers an area generally to the east and south of the town of Maidstone: as far north as the M2 motorway; east down the M20 to Lenham; south to a line including Staplehurst and Headcorn; and west towards Tonbridge. Generally speaking, it lies between the North Downs and the Weald, and covers the central part of the county. The M20 motorway crosses it from west to east, as does High Speed 1.

Geologically, the Greensand ridge lies to the south of the town. The very fine sand provides a good source for glass-making. The clay vale beyond, through which flow the three rivers which meet at Yalding; the Medway, the Beult and the Teise; and the chalk North Downs all provide raw materials for paper- and cement-making; which are also local industries.

Governance

Maidstone Borough Council
File:Maidstone Borough Council.svg
Type
Type
History
Founded1 April 1974
Preceded by
Borough council
  • Maidstone Municipal Borough Council
Rural councils
  • Hollingbourne Rural District Council
  • Maidstone Rural District Council
Leadership
Mayor
Derek Mortimer,
Liberal Democrats
since 21 May 2022[3]
David Burton,
Conservative
since 22 May 2021
Chief Executive
Alison Broom
Structure
Seats55 councillors
Maidstone Borough Council composition.svg
Political groups
Administration (28)
  Conservative (28)
Opposition (27)
  Liberal Democrat (12)
  Independent (9)
  Labour (5)
  Green (1)
Length of term
4 years
Elections
First past the post
Last election
2 May 2019
Next election
6 May 2021
Meeting place
Maidstone Borough Council composition
Town Hall, Maidstone
Website
www.maidstone.gov.uk
See also: Maidstone local elections

Maidstone Borough[4] represents the second tier of local government, being one of the local government districts of Kent. The Borough Council consists of 55 councillors, representing voters from 26 wards. Twelve of those wards are within the urban area of Maidstone: they are Allington; Bridge; Downswood & Otham; East ward; Fant; Heath; High Street; North ward; Park Wood; Shepway North; Shepway South; and South ward. The remaining 14 wards cover rural districts.[5]

From 1983 to 2008 no party had a majority on Maidstone Borough Council, but the Conservative party gained a majority at the 2008 election. The council reverted to No Overall Control in 2014.[6] As of February 2019 the council has 24 Conservative, 21 Liberal Democrat, 5 Independent Maidstone, 2 independent and 3 Labour party councillors.[5]

The council is based in the town centre having replaced its many small offices with one large building called Maidstone Gateway. The shopfront appearance is intended to make it easier to access information and services.

The third tier of local government is the civil parish; in Maidstone some of the parishes have neither a parish council nor a parish meeting, as indicated (1) :

Transport

Water

The River Medway was the earliest form of transport through the area. It was navigable for cargo-carrying craft as far upstream as Tonbridge, and it was only in the 19th century that the railways brought any change. More recently, various works have been carried out to control the frequent flooding in the clay vale upstream of Maidstone.

Roads

Maidstone, as its importance warranted, has been the hub of roads for many centuries. It lies very close to the Pilgrims' Way; and two Roman roads met south of the town: one from Rochester to Hastings the other branching off to the East Kent coast and Dover.

In the 18th century came the turnpiked roads. One of the earliest in the county – that to Rochester and Chatham – was opened in 1728.

In modern times, two motorways – the M2 and the M20 – pass to the far north of the borough and just north of the town centre of Maidstone respectively.

Railways

The earliest line through Kent was built by the South Eastern Railway. It was not, however, built to pass through Maidstone: instead, a station was built at Paddock Wood railway station, then named Maidstone Road, some six miles away. It was only in the period between 1844 (when that main line was connected by a branch line to Maidstone) and 1884 that Maidstone became a hub once more, although with local trains only, to Strood, Ashford and via Swanley Junction to London.

Mayors

[7]

  • 1974–75 Martin Corps
  • 1975–76 Horace Ashton
  • 1976–77 Emil Marchesi
  • 1977–78 Veronica Roscow
  • 1978–79 John Wood
  • 1979–80 Dick Woods
  • 1980–81 Ernest Flood
  • 1981–82 Clifford Playford
  • 1982–83 Gordon Bonner
  • 1983–84 Charles McKenna
  • 1984–85 Michael Nightingale
  • 1985–86 Rosemary Graham
  • 1986–87 Sarah Haskett
  • 1987–88 Douglas Milner
  • 1988–89 Jeremy Hindle
  • 1989–90 John Banks
  • 1990–91 Mary Black
  • 1991–92 Daphne J Parvin
  • 1992–93 Madeline Blackham
  • 1993–94 Paul Oldham
  • 1994–95 Fred Winckless
  • 1995–96 Ron Sterry
  • 1996–97 Malcolm Robertson
  • 1997–98 Jenefer Gibson
  • 1998–99 Robert Judd
  • 1999–00 Frances Brown
  • 2000–01 Dan Daley
  • 2001–02 Paulina Stockell
  • 2002–03 Patricia Marshall
  • 2003–04 Morel D'Souza
  • 2004–05 Peter Hooper[8]
  • 2005–06 John Horne[9]
  • 2006–07 Mike FitzGerald[10]
  • 2007–08 Richard Ash[11]
  • 2008–09 Denise Joy[12]
  • 2009–10 Peter Parvin[13]
  • 2010–11 Eric Hotson[14]
  • 2011–12 Brian Mortimer[15]
  • 2012–13 Rodd Nelson-Gracie[16]
  • 2013–14 Clive English
  • 2014–15 Richard Thick
  • 2015–16 Daniel Moriarty
  • 2016–17 Derek Butler
  • 2017–18 Malcolm Greer
  • 2018–19 David Naghi
  • 2019–21 Marion Ring
  • 2021–22 Fay Gooch
  • 2022– Derek Mortimer

Political control

Locations

Maidstone Borough Council is based at Maidstone House on King Street, Maidstone.[17] Meetings are also held at Maidstone Town Hall.[18]

References

  1. ^ "Agenda and minutes. Council Wednesday 10th December, 2014". Maidstone Borough Council. Item 102.
  2. ^ The County of Kent (Electoral Changes) Order 2004 Archived 10 November 2004 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ "Council minutes, 21 May 2022". Maidstone Borough Council. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  4. ^ Maidstone Borough Council website
  5. ^ a b "Your councillors". Maidstone Borough Council. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  6. ^ Alan Smith (23 May 2014). "Maidstone Borough Council vote: Conservatives lose control after Ukip surge and Labour gains". Kent Online. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  7. ^ "Past Mayors".
  8. ^ "MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL MEETING OF MAIDSTONE BOROUGH COUNCIL" (PDF). Maidstone Borough Council. 23 June 2004.
  9. ^ "MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL MEETING OF MAIDSTONE BOROUGH COUNCIL" (PDF). Maidstone Borough Council. 18 May 2005.
  10. ^ "MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL MEETING OF MAIDSTONE BOROUGH COUNCIL" (PDF). Maidstone Borough Council. 17 May 2006.
  11. ^ "MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL MEETING OF MAIDSTONE BOROUGH COUNCIL" (PDF). Maidstone Borough Council. 16 May 2007.
  12. ^ "MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL MEETING OF MAIDSTONE BOROUGH COUNCIL" (PDF). Maidstone Borough Council. 14 May 2008.
  13. ^ "Agenda and minutes - Council". Maidstone Borough Council. 20 May 2009.
  14. ^ "Agenda and minutes - Council". Maidstone Borough Council. 19 May 2010.
  15. ^ "Agenda and minutes - Council". Maidstone Borough Council. 18 May 2011.
  16. ^ "Agenda and minutes - Council". Maidstone Borough Council. 16 May 2012.
  17. ^ "Maidstone Borough Council: where we are located". Retrieved 30 December 2020.
  18. ^ "Maidstone Borough Council events page". Retrieved 30 December 2020.

Video clips

Coordinates: 51°16′33″N 0°31′19″E / 51.27596°N 0.52192°E / 51.27596; 0.52192

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