Borough of Maidstone

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Borough of Maidstone
Jubilee Square, High Street, Maidstone - geograph.org.uk - 5241030.jpg
Jubilee Square, Maidstone
Maidstone UK locator map.svg
Maidstone shown within Kent
Coordinates: 51°16′24″N0°31′20″E / 51.27333°N 0.52222°E / 51.27333; 0.52222
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Constituent country England
Region South East England
Non-metropolitan county Kent
Status Non-metropolitan district
Admin HQ Maidstone
Incorporated1 April 1974
Government
  TypeNon-metropolitan district council
  BodyMaidstone Borough Council
  Leadership Committees [1] (No overall control)
   MPs Helen Whately
Helen Grant
Area
  Total151.9 sq mi (393.3 km2)
  Rank87th (of 296)
Population
 (2022)
  Total180,428
  Rank117th (of 296)
  Density1,200/sq mi (460/km2)
Ethnicity (2021)
[2]
   Ethnic groups
List
Religion (2021)
[2]
   Religion
List
Time zone UTC0 (GMT)
  Summer (DST) UTC+1 (BST)
ONS code 29UH (ONS)
E07000110 (GSS)
OS grid reference TQ7588156056

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.

Contents

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. [3]

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
Maidstone Borough Council.svg
Type
Type
History
Founded1 April 1974
Leadership
John Perry,
Conservative Party
since 18 May 2024 [4]
Stuart Jeffery,
Green Party
since 18 May 2024
Alison Broom
since June 2010 [5]
Structure
Seats49 councillors
Political groups
Administration (26)
  Liberal Democrat (12)
  Green (10)
  Independent (4)
Other parties (23)
  Conservative (13)
  Labour (6)
  Fant & Oakwood Ind. (2)
  Independent (2)
Length of term
4 years
Elections
First past the post
Last election
2 May 2024
Next election
4 May 2028
Meeting place
The Old Town Hall, Maidstone 2.jpg
Town Hall, High Street, Maidstone
Website
www.maidstone.gov.uk

Maidstone Borough [6] represents the second tier of local government, being one of the local government districts of Kent. The Borough Council consists of 49 councillors, representing voters from 22 wards. Twelve of those wards are within the urban area of Maidstone: they are Allington; Bridge; Downswood & Otham; Fant; Heath; Grove Green and Vinters Park; High Street; North ward; Park Wood; Penden Heath; Shepway North; Shepway South; and South ward. The remaining 14 wards cover rural districts. [7]

Political control

The council has been under no overall control since 2023. Following the 2024 election, a coalition of the Liberal Democrats, Greens and four of the independent councillors formed to run the council, led by Green councillor Stuart Jeffery. [8]

The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority before coming into its powers on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been held by the following parties: [9]

Party in controlYears
No overall control 1974–1976
Conservative 1976–1983
No overall control 1983–2008
Conservative 2008–2014
No overall control 2014–2021
Conservative 2021–2023
No overall control 2023–present

Leadership

The role of Mayor of Maidstone is largely ceremonial, usually being held by a different councillor each year. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 1987 have been: [10]

CouncillorPartyFromTo
Paula Yates [11] Liberal Democrats 19871992
Dan Daley [12] Liberal Democrats 19921999
 ? ? 19992001
Mick Stevens [13] Liberal Democrats 20012006
Eric Hotson Conservative 20062007
Fran Wilson Liberal Democrats 20072008
Christopher Garland Conservative 20087 Jun 2014
Annabelle Blackmore Conservative 7 Jun 201423 May 2015
Fran Wilson Liberal Democrats 23 May 201519 May 2018
Martin Cox Liberal Democrats 19 May 201822 May 2021
David Burton Conservative 22 May 20217 May 2024
Stuart Jeffrey Green 18 May 2024

Composition

Following the 2024 election, the composition of the council was as follows: [14] [15]

PartyCouncillors
Conservative 13
Liberal Democrats 12
Green 10
Labour 6
Independent 6
Fant and Oakwood Independents2
Total49

Four of the independent councillors sit with the Greens as the 'Green and Independent Alliance', which forms the council's administration with the Liberal Democrats. The other two independents sit with local party the Fant & Oakwood Independents as the 'Independent and Fant & Oakwood Independents Group'. [16] [17] The next election is due in May 2028.

Elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2024, 49 councillors have been elected from 26 wards, with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years. [18]

Premises

Maidstone House, King Street, Maidstone: Council's offices. Maidstone Gateway, King Street, Maidstone - geograph.org.uk - 4404945.jpg
Maidstone House, King Street, Maidstone: Council's offices.

Council meetings are held at Maidstone Town Hall in the High Street. The council has its main offices at Maidstone House (formerly called Maidstone Gateway) on King Street in the centre of Maidstone. [19]

Parishes

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):[ clarification needed ]

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.

Media

Television

The area is served by the regional news programmes:

Radio

Radio stations that broadcast to the area are:

Newspapers

The area is served by the local newspaper, Kent Messenger . [20]

Mayors

[21]

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References

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  2. 1 2 UK Census (2021). "2021 Census Area Profile – Maidstone Local Authority (E07000110)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics . Retrieved 5 January 2024.
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