Issue - meetings

That the Council welcomes boat owners to Maidstone to enjoy the town and all it provides. It will be pleased to consider a proposal for a river festival or regatta when the organisers provide a fully prepared and costed events plan which must be cost neutral to the Council and comply with the Council’s Festival and Events Policy. Our policy can be found on the council’s website and the Maidstone Culture and Leisure Team will be pleased to answer any questions in relation to it.

Councillor M Burton gave a presentation to the Committee on the reason for the call in. Councillor M Burton explained that the signatories to the call in would welcome a family oriented River Festival returning to Maidstone. But they felt that the wording of the decision at the moment could leave the council exposed to risks and costs that had not been properly considered.

The Committee considered the call in and referred to the Festival and Events Strategy, which outlined that the council would only financially support two events and these were Proms in the Park and Maidstone Mela.

The Committee expressed their desire for the festival to return to Maidstone, but confirmed that any new festival proposed for Maidstone needed to be properly planned and cost neutral to the council – including in officer time.

RESOLVED: That the Council welcomes boat owners to Maidstone to enjoy the town and all it provides. It will be pleased to consider a proposal for a river festival or regatta when the organisers provide a fully prepared and costed events plan which must be cost neutral to the Council and comply with the Council’s Festival and Events Policy. Our policy can be found on the council’s website and the Maidstone Culture and Leisure Team will be pleased to answer any questions in relation to it.