Next at Home goes up

This is a very sore point with us and many other people. Next pursuaded Maidstone Borough Council that the store we really wanted in the Borough was one of their Next at Home stores. The Council were delighted but that was the end of the good news. Despite there being many suitable sites in the town centre Next wanted to build on an out of town site adjacent to the motorway. If they couldn't go there, then they would take their store elsewhere. So the Council gave in and granted permission and believe it or not within days there were roadworks at the site putting in traffic lights to control entry and exit to the site.

The site in question is a business park and even these buildings were out of character for the location - tall office blocks dominating the skyline. The Council said the land would only be used for business not for retail. So they have gone back on their word.

Added to this Next will be closing their store in Maidstone town centre which will have a further impact on its viability. Furthermore just behind this shed is another retail area which houses a garden centre, pub and other shops, for which a proposal has been made to redevelop the site, building a Waitrose, Debenhams, a new garden centre with other shopping units. Again to the detriment of the town centre and causing congestion around the junction.

Some wag from the development company pointed out that the proposals could benefit the town centre as the Park and Ride is next door and once people had completed their shopping at the new facilities they would hop on a bus and travel to the town centre. There's more chance of a snowball surviving in the Sahara that that happening.