Mid Kent

Maidstone, Aylesford and Mid Kent

The county town and its industrial hinterland along the Medway valley: Aylesford, Larkfield, Parkwood and the M20 junctions 5 to 8.

The patch

Maidstone and the sites it holds

Maidstone is Kent’s county town and administrative centre, home to Kent County Council, Maidstone Hospital and Mid Kent College. It sits on the M20 between junctions 5 and 8, about nine miles east of Wrotham, and the borough is one of the county’s largest housing growth areas, with major residential schemes on its northern and southern edges.

The industrial base runs along the River Medway to the north-west of the town. Aylesford, Larkfield and New Hythe hold paper, packaging, distribution and manufacturing sites on land that has been industrial for a century; Parkwood and the 20/20 business park serve the town itself; and the quarries and aggregates works of the Medway valley supply the county’s construction sector.

Enforcement is split as everywhere in England: the HSE for construction, manufacturing and the quarries, Maidstone Borough Council for the town’s offices, retail, warehousing and hospitality. Kent Fire and Rescue Service is headquartered in the borough.

Typical site types

Large residential developments
Paper, packaging and manufacturing plants at Aylesford and New Hythe
Aggregates and construction materials in the Medway valley
Distribution sheds and light industry on the M20
Town-centre retail and commercial fit-out

Sectors

The sectors that matter around Maidstone

Construction and housing developmentClients, principal contractors and contractors on commercial and housing projects, from demolition and groundworks through to completion, under CDM 2015.Read more Fabrication and process operationsWorkshops, fabrication shops and process plants: machinery, hot work, hazardous substances and the management systems that hold up on the shop floor.Read more Civil engineering and groundworksGroundwork and reinforced-concrete-frame contractors on highways, footings and deep excavation works, from a background in plant operation.Read more Retail fit-outFit-out projects from shell and core through to Category B: short programmes, trading neighbours and the public a hoarding away.Read more

Disciplines

The disciplines these sites call for

Questions about Maidstone

How far is Maidstone from Stephen’s base?

About nine miles east along the A20 and M20; Wrotham sits at junction 2 and Maidstone town centre is reached from junctions 5 to 7.

Which body enforces health and safety in Maidstone?

The Health and Safety Executive for construction, manufacturing, quarrying and the NHS; Maidstone Borough Council’s environmental health team for offices, shops, most warehousing and the hospitality trade. Kent Fire and Rescue Service enforces the Fire Safety Order.

What are the main industries around Maidstone?

Public administration and health in the town, paper, packaging and manufacturing at Aylesford and New Hythe, distribution along the M20, aggregates and construction materials in the Medway valley, and a large construction sector driven by the borough’s housing growth.

Go deeper

The sectors and disciplines that matter most around Maidstone, and the neighbouring patch.

The construction and housing recordClients, principal contractors and contractors on commercial and housing projects, from demolition and groundworks through to completion, under CDM 2015.How CDM 2015 and construction was deliveredSpecialist support to clients, designers and principal contractors under CDM 2015, on commercial and housing projects from groundworks to completion.Where it was done: SevenoaksStephen’s home patch: Wrotham, Sevenoaks, Borough Green and the M20/M26 corridor, with its residential developments, business parks and rural estates.Who delivered itStephen’s career, qualifications and memberships, in his own record.