|
Respecting Maidstone Borough |
Enhancing Maidstone Town Centre |
Encouraging good health |
A clean and safe environment |
Good leisure and cultural attractions |
Promoting employment and skills |
Planning for sufficient homes to meet the borough’s needs |
Transport improvements |
Online & Postal |
12% |
13% |
10% |
18% |
11% |
11% |
8% |
17% |
Harrietsham School Adults |
6% |
6% |
13% |
21% |
17% |
15% |
10% |
13% |
Gateway |
13% |
9% |
11% |
14% |
10% |
13% |
14% |
17% |
Yalding Farmers Market |
12% |
9% |
14% |
17% |
10% |
11% |
6% |
21% |
Marden |
6% |
6% |
16% |
18% |
9% |
12% |
9% |
25% |
Morrisons |
4% |
7% |
15% |
19% |
11% |
14% |
9% |
22% |
Lenham |
14% |
13% |
12% |
12% |
9% |
8% |
17% |
15% |
Headcorn 11/10/14 |
19% |
6% |
14% |
18% |
7% |
10% |
11% |
15% |
Mid Kent shopping centre |
12% |
9% |
13% |
20% |
9% |
12% |
8% |
17% |
Mall 29/10/14 |
9% |
13% |
11% |
15% |
15% |
11% |
11% |
14% |
Coxheath |
5% |
4% |
13% |
14% |
14% |
16% |
17% |
16% |
Headcorn 2 08/11/14 |
16% |
3% |
7% |
32% |
9% |
8% |
6% |
19% |
The Mall 2 30/10/2014 |
6% |
10% |
14% |
22% |
11% |
13% |
9% |
15% |
Sutton Valence |
11% |
7% |
14% |
18% |
7% |
11% |
10% |
20% |
Staplehurst |
8% |
5% |
14% |
18% |
6% |
13% |
15% |
20% |
Online & Postal Comments
There were 31 comments received about the consultation, in summary there were three around reducing cultural services, nine about income generation, and four relating to reducing staff costs. Four comments have been categorised as management where the comments were about shared services and reviewing services and three were categorised as Homes and Planning, though each has a different focus within this category.
The full comments are shown in full below:
Response Text |
Run a Home Improvement Agency that takes fees from the customers who are able to pay. Many residents are uncomfortable with finding builders, choosing the right works, seeking quotes, knowing whether the price is reasonable and the quality of work is right, knowing when they should apply for Building or Planning consents. A Home Improvement Agency could help. |
Take more services ( e.g.transport & refuse) in house ,which should save money and increase locally based employment and achieve better service via more accountability |
reduce cultural & central services |
Cut unnecessary job roles in local government, reduce inefficiencies in delivery of services, outsource to the private sector where cost-savings can be made |
No new builds. |
We live in the Borough, but only come into Maidstone 2-3 times per year. The southern approach needs improving - we might come in more often then, pay parking, support businesses etc. Or you could save the money that you spend on the parks, river, Leisure Centre that we don't use because the traffic is so bad. Why don't you make all events, cultural, leisure facilities self funding - they have to break even. You could contract them out. |
Planning affects everyone but benefits a few. Increase costs of planning permission etc because this is costing a lot and the cost of planning next to the investment and return are minimal. Cultural services whilst more is spent it does benefit everyone and is raising income locally through tourism and events and makes it a vibrant place to live. What does central services include? |
Could we share a Chief Executive with another council? |
Charge for Car Parking |
Be more commercially aware |
Explore more shared services/resources with neighbouring boroughs. Look at corporate sponsorship/selling advertising space to increase revenue so that all services aren't effected by budget cuts. |
Do a comprehensive review of the council's services putting customers at the focus of the review - then cut out all the waste. |
MAKE MORE REVENUE FROM EMPTY BUILDINGS, UTILISE CURRENT PROPERTY MORE BY ALLOWING MORE EVENTS TO BRING MONEY IN, OPENING PLACES LIKE THE TOWN HALL UP TO OTHER BUSINESS TO USE AS MEETING ROOMS ETC, ENCOURAGE LOCAL SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES TO USE THE SERVICES MORE |
Bigger issues all infrastructure |
Focus on purpose. Think systemically. Be honest about the level of current failure demand inherent in every single service. |
Severe cuts to the allowances paid to councillors. They must feel some of the pain of this. |
Sack all employees paid over £60l pa |
Less money to be spent on cultural services |
To increase income: |
Make in house optimisations |
The council should be saying to the business community 'Maidstone is open for business' this is clearly not the case as we have recently seen with the J8 purposeful turned down. This will mean a reduction in business rates being collected and residents having to bear the brunt of cuts of increased council tax. Council tax should not rise above inflation any year. |
More fare paying attractions, e.g. Crazy golf in Mote Park (a really good one!); selling expertise to other councils on a consultancy fee basis; investing in property and becoming a market landlord |
Encourage well known brands into town who can afford to stay - no more cheap shops |
I believe building on the Commercialisation strategy to encourage income, look at outside funding as a way of supporting staff posts where possible and identifying where services are available and eradicating duplication in Maidstone where possible will all aid savings. |
Increase charging for advice and consent eg. Planning and other
professional services. |
Charge night venues more for licensing and fines for anti social behaviour and kebab shop fines for the litter and rubbish |
Set up, encourage and support local community volunteer groups, who
help keep their local communities clean and tidy. Litter picking etc. |
Privatise the museum, theatre and leisure centre. |
Reduce spending on the many services which are not your responsibility and concentrate on delivering core services efficiently. |
Increase Council Tax |
Sack the the deadlegs at the top |