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September Newsletter

Last chance to visit Maidstone's Eco Hub

If you visited Maidstone's Eco Hub this summer please complete our quick survey

The Eco Hub visitor survey takes no longer than five minutes to complete.
Please only complete this survey if you have visited the Eco Hub.

Be in with the chance of winning an Eco Hub Goody Bag by making sure you sign up to our follow up survey at the end of this initial survey.

Solar Together - cut carbon
emissions and save on energy bills

Maidstone Borough Council (MBC) is offering residents the opportunity to take part in a community-led initiative to boost local renewable energy generation,
cut carbon emissions and save on energy bills.

Solar Together is a group-buying scheme where Maidstone residents can come together to invest in renewables through solar panels and battery storage. Residents from across the borough of Maidstone can join the group-buying scheme which offers solar panels with optional battery storage and EV charge points, as well as retrofit battery storage for residents who have already invested in solar panels and are looking to get more from the renewable energy they generate and increase their independence from the grid.

The scheme is free to register and there is no obligation to go ahead with an installation. MBC is working in partnership with Kent County Council’s independent experts iChoosr, to make the transition to clean energy as cost effective and hassle-free as possible.

Get listed in the Sustainable
Business Directory for Maidstone

MBC is creating a ‘Sustainable Business Directory’ of local organisations which can provide environmentally-friendly solutions and services to residents across the borough and is inviting companies to be included.

The aim of the directory is to create a comprehensive list of local companies offering sustainable solutions like heat source pumps, insulation, and double glazing and promote eco-friendly practices and solutions already on the market being offered in Maidstone.

To create the directory the Council’s Climate and Biodiversity Team is asking for any local, sustainable businesses to get in touch if they would like to be listed.

We are particularly interested in raising awareness of businesses which can help our residents reduce their carbon footprints, save money and lead a more sustainable life. The MBC Sustainable Business Directory is not to recommend one business over the other, but to provide a resource for residents and other businesses and organisations to adopt energy-efficient technologies, reduce costs, support the local economy, and save energy.

Any companies that would be like to be included in the Sustainable Business Directory for Maidstone should contact: climateandbiodiversity@maidstone.gov.uk

Get Around for £2 extended

The £2 Single Bus Fare Cap scheme
has been extended until
31 October 2023.

To find out more about the bus routes included in the £2 bus cap click here.

Contamination of recycling loads in Maidstone has cost taxpayers across Kent £25,000 in the past two months alone.

MBC is asking every household to take care when they throw away their rubbish to make sure they do not contaminate their
green recycling bins with the wrong materials.

Dirty nappies, black sacks and plastic bags are the most common items incorrectly placed in recycling bins. These must all be put into your main household black bin and cannot be recycled. 

We also find food waste incorrectly placed in the recycling bin, this needs to go into the separate food bin for weekly collection.

If waste collection crews see the wrong materials put into the green recycling bins, they will not empty them and will place a sticker on the bin to say it is contaminated. 
However, to help people understand what can and cannot be recycled, we will be hanging bin hanger guides on green recycling bins in Maidstone over the next few weeks.

The majority of Maidstone residents do recycle correctly, as we have one of the best recycling rates in Kent at 50%, which is higher than the national average of 44%.
Thank you to those residents who are helping us to maintain this.

To check what can or cannot be recycled in the borough, please visit: www.maidstone.gov.uk/mybin or if you have a specific question, please email recycling@maidstone.gov.uk

Grants and Funding

Branching Out Fund

The Tree Council grants programme, 'Branching Out', is now OPEN for applications from community groups, schools, small registered charities, and Tree Warden Networks that are seeking to establish trees, hedgerows, and orchards in the 2023/24 planting season.

'Branching Out' provides grants ranging from £250 to £2,500 in value, with a streamlined process resulting in quicker decision-making for those seeking funding below £500.

Deadline for applications:
Sunday 3 December 2023

Landscape Recovery Funding
for Farmers

Farmers and landowners can now apply for funding for projects which aim to create new habitats for wildlife, help protected sites and boost efforts to reach net zero, as well as increase sustainable food production.

£15 million will be made available to support up to 25 large scale projects (at least 500 hectares) that create or enhance woodland including temperature rainforest, peatland, nature reserves and protected sites such as ancient woodland, wetlands, and salt marshes.

The deadline to apply is midday on Thursday 21 September 2023.

The £1 million 'Save Our Wild Isles Community Fund'

The 'Save Our Wild Isles Community Fund' is here to help community groups across the UK to protect and restore nature in their local area.

Whether you’re working together to plant community gardens, support local wildlife, or anything else you do to help nature near you, the fund will give you £500 to kickstart your project and £2 for every £1 you raise to help your project reach its fundraising target quicker.

To apply for the 'Save Our Wild Isles Community Fund', your project needs to be focused on taking action for nature in one of the following three ways:
- Nature restoration
- Nature connectedness and
pro-environmental behaviours
- Community cohesion and connection

Electric Vehicle
Chargepoint Grant

The EV chargepoint grant provides funding of up to 75% towards the cost of installing electric vehicle smart chargepoints at domestic properties across the UK. Only landlords and individuals that own or rent a flat can apply for this grant.
You can apply for this grant if:

- you own and live in a flat (this includes flats bought through the shared ownership scheme), or you rent a residential property
- your home has its own private off-street parking space
- you own an eligible vehicle

Get Involved

Calling all budding gardeners 

Involve Kent, supported by Maidstone Borough Council, is looking for volunteers to help transform a number of 'green spaces' identified in Maidstone town centre.
This is an opportunity to get involved in your local community and improve your well-being through gardening.

All training and equipment will be provided.
Please get in touch at grow@involvekent.org.uk to find out more and to sign up.

This project is funded by the Government’s Shared Prosperity fund.

Sutton Valence Conservation Area Extension

Maidstone Borough Council wants your views on a proposed extension to Sutton Valence Conservation Area. Your feedback will help us understand your views on the proposal and whether there is anything else to consider in terms of relevant local history.

The Borough's Conservation Areas have special value for the community; they are visible links with our past and offer attractive contrasts to modern environments, and so it is important to ensure the special character of these areas are protected and sympathetic enhancements encouraged. This local distinctiveness can provide a catalyst for regeneration and inspire well designed new development. The Council has a duty to review existing Conservation Area designations from time to time to ensure they are up to date and relevant.

Tell us what you think about the proposed extension to Sutton Valence Conservation Area by completing our survey.

We want to hear from you!

Are you an individual, business, community group, charity or other organisation that has been taking action to respond to climate change? Have you got climate change or biodiversity events that you want to spread the word about? We want to hear from you.

Email us at climateandbiodiversity@maidstone.gov.uk and tell us what you have been up to and, if you are comfortable, we will share your events, successes and lessons learnt to help others take action too.

Upcoming Events

‘Wild About Maidstone Celebration'

Everyone is invited to come along for a bright and colourful
‘Wild about Maidstone Celebration’ on Saturday 9 September from 1pm to 4pm
in Coronation Square at Lockmeadow Entertainment Centre.

The Wild about Maidstone arts carnival, organised by MBC, was sadly cancelled due to bad weather conditions in July, and the new celebration event has been arranged as a wonderful tribute to the work that went into it.

The magnificent Firebird puppet will be wandering around the Square and the stunning ’big builds’ originally made for the carnival will be on display. The lively Old School Samba Band will also be entertaining crowds along with dance schools MEPA and Dance Dynamics, and members of the Hazlitt Youth Theatre.

There will be free family craft workshops taking place between 1.30pm to 3.30pm, just drop in and have a go! We want to encourage everyone who was due to take part in the parade to come down in their carnival costumes and join in the celebration.

Medway Valley Countryside Partnership (MVCP) works with various organisations to promote, enhance and protect local wildlife and landscapes.

Why not join upcoming FREE events to immerse yourself in nature and find out more about our local areas?

Wellbeing Wildlife and History Walk at Cobtree Manor Park
 Wednesday 6 September, 10.30am -12pm

Wildlife Wellbeing Walk at Manor Park, nr West Malling
Friday 26 September, 10.30am-12pm

Bearsted Climate Action Network:
'Have our Fish had their Chips?' 

Date: Wednesday 11 October 2023
Time: 7.00pm for 7.30pm meal
Location: Holy Cross Church, Bearsted

Mediterranean meal with after dinner speaker.

Come for good conversation with friends in the beautiful surrounds of the medieval Holy Cross Church. Enjoy your choice of a Mediterranean meal, prepared by The Yeoman Mediterranean Restaurant, for £15.00.

This will be followed by an informative talk on the health of our oceans -
'Have our Fish had their Chips?'

If you have an upcoming event that you would like to promote through the Climate Change & Biodiversity newsletter please email climateandbiodiversity@maidstone.gov.uk

Thanks for reading our Climate Change and Biodiversity update. Why not sign up to our other newsletters to find out more about what’s going on across Maidstone Borough.

What’s On in Maidstone – for all events

News – keep up to date with news in the borough

Consultations – share your views

Visit Maidstone – the best places to visit and stay 

Environmental Services – parks, open spaces and waste services 

Business in Maidstone – workshops, events and business support 

We want to improve our communication and engagement with you around climate change & biodiversity in Maidstone. If you want to contact us please email climateandbiodiversity@maidstone.gov.uk 

If you have enjoyed reading our Climate Change & Biodiversity update, why not forward this email onto your friends and family so they can 'Stay Connected' to news from Maidstone Borough Council.