Agenda item

Question and Answer Session for Members of the Public

Meeting of Council, Monday 10th November, 2014 6.30 pm (Item 79.)

Minutes:

Questions to the Leader of the Council

Mr Elliot Dean asked the following question of the Leader of the Council:

The Borough of Maidstone is shut for business. The shocking and damaging statement sent out to the business community by Members of this Council who refused permission for the Waterside Park J8 site (planning ref: 14/501895) put forward by ADL and Scarab two local businesses, who both need to relocate in order to continue to grow. This will see the direct loss of 300 high quality jobs from the Borough. Currently I work for a successful multi million pound business started and still based in Maidstone; I know the pros and cons of operating in the Borough very well.

With the current approach to attracting more business and expanding current capacity in Maidstone, how will the Council ever be able to offer an adequate supply of high quality jobs and apprenticeships for residents?

The Leader of the Council responded to the question.

Councillor Mrs Wilson, the Leader of the Opposition, Councillor Newton, on behalf of the Leader of the Independent Group, Councillor Powell, the Leader of the UKIP Group, and Councillor McKay, the Leader of the Labour Group, then responded to the question.

Mr Dean asked the following supplementary question of the Leader of the Council:

I work for a business in Maidstone that has had £8m of investment put into it which is directly benefitting the Maidstone economy. Does the Leader of the Council agree that this is a positive thing and that we should be looking at ways to expand that?

The Leader of the Council responded to the question.

Mr Patrick Golding asked the following question of the Leader of the Council:

As Operations Manager at Scarab Sweepers I attended the Planning Committee meeting on 16/10/14 and listened to the debate about Waterside Park, an application by Scarab, ADL and Gallagher. The application was refused by the Committee against the Officer recommendation, and I was concerned with many aspects of the debate and Chairing of the meeting; Members appeared more concerned with politics and playing to the gallery with little or no attention given to the economic needs of the Borough and of the people living here.

Planning and development in Maidstone has quite clearly become a political battleground with certain politicians making decisions for self-indulgent local party reasons; I therefore ask the Leader:

How does Maidstone Borough Council intend to ensure the long term economic prosperity of the Borough, its business community and all its residents in the face of stiff competition from neighbouring authorities?

Councillor Burton, the Cabinet Member for Planning, Transport and Development, responded to the question on behalf of the Leader of the Council.

Councillor Mrs Wilson, the Leader of the Opposition, Councillor Newton, on behalf of the Leader of the Independent Group, Councillor Powell, the Leader of the UKIP Group, and Councillor Harper, on behalf of the Leader of the Labour Group, then responded to the question.

Mr Golding asked the following supplementary question of the Leader of the Council:

Am I to understand that the Council would rather put an emphasis, in its Plans and its future prosperity, on lower skilled tourism and service industry jobs as opposed to higher skilled manufacturing jobs?

Councillor Burton, the Cabinet Member for Planning, Transport and Development, responded to the question on behalf of the Leader of the Council.

To listen to the responses to these questions, please follow this link:

http://live.webcasts.unique-media.tv/mbc292/interface