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Latest news - September 2023 |
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Tickets available for Maidstone’s first Literary Festival
Tickets are now on sale for Maidstone’s first Literary Festival brought to the town by Maidstone Borough Council (MBC).
Maidstone LitFest 2023 will run from 2-8 October in locations around the town centre and feature internationally bestselling authors such as Lisa Jewell, Dorothy Koomson and A F Steadman.
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Maidstone Mayor officially opens Mote Park Café
The Mayor of Maidstone officially opened Mote Park Café on
Thursday 14 September 2023.
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Mote Park Café wins building excellence award
Within just days of the official opening, Mote Park Café has been announced as the regional winner in a prestigious awards event open to local authorities across England and Wales.
The Local Authority Building Control (LABC) Excellence Awards 2023 has named MBC's project as the regional winner of the ‘Best Public or Community Building’, as well as a shortlisted finalist at the Grand Final on 19 January 2024.
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Maidstone Museum launches Young Artist Award 2024
Maidstone Museum is calling on local artists aged 25 and under to pick up their pens, pencils and paintbrushes for the chance to win up to £250 in the Maidstone Young Artist Award 2024.
Young people in the age categories 14 years and under, and 15 -25 based in the south east are invited to submit a piece of artwork with the theme ‘Metamorphosis (Changes)’ before the 24 November deadline. Winning entrants will not only receive a cash-prize but will also see their work displayed at the temporary exhibition galleries at the County Town’s Museum. The winner of the 15-25 years category will also be invited to sit on the judging panel for the 2026 awards.
What’s more, to help as many artists as possible take advantage of this opportunity, Maidstone Museum is offering assistance with the £10 per artwork entry fee and/or arts materials from The Arts Society Mid Kent.
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Fourth round of Creative Communities Grants opens for entries
MBC is urging arts and creative groups in the borough to submit their entries for the next round of Creative Communities Grants before the deadline on 30 November.
The grants were introduced by MBC to help encourage arts engagement and community cohesion in Maidstone town centre. Group and individual applications are invited, with grants of between £500 and £2,000 available.
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Maidstone skate park ramps get a revamp!
MBC has worked with a group of youngsters to revamp the skate park ramps at the Green Flag award-winning Whatman Park this summer.
Young people from Maidstone were invited by MBC to take part in a design workshop earlier this month where they came up with skate-boarding terms and themes for the new artwork. The art session was led by local street artist, Graham Upton, who taught basic techniques in how to create bespoke letters and designs.
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MBC clamping down on irresponsible dog owners
As part of its continued efforts to promote responsible dog ownership, MBC is introducing further measures to clamp-down on unacceptable behaviour.
The MBC Public Space Protection Order for Dog Control will be updated on 21 October 2023, and will enable the Council to issue Fixed Penalty Notices of £100 to irresponsible dog owners.
The Council is asking members of the public to report issues such as dog fouling, nuisance dogs, dog attacks, or dangerous dogs to them or to Kent Police.
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Have your say on ‘Main Modifications’ to Maidstone’s Local Plan Review
Residents and businesses in Maidstone are being encouraged to take part in a consultation which is open between Friday 29 September and Monday 13 November to have their say on the ‘Main Modifications’ to the Maidstone Local Plan Review.
The main part of the examination stage for MBC's Local Plan Review (LPR) has now finished and the independent Government Inspector has written to the Council recommending some changes that are necessary to allow the plan to be adopted. These are known as ‘Main Modifications.’
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