Council scorecard
Maidstone Borough Council
- Type
- borough
- Population
- ~174k
- Council website
- maidstone.gov.uk
Scorecard
Methodology published 2026-05-18. Pending cells reflect data collection in progress, not methodology uncertainty — they will populate as the underlying data is gathered.
Refuse collection
Missed bin reports, recycling rates, complaint resolution time
Partial Metric 1 score reflecting recycling rate (component 2 of 4, 30% weight) only; the three other components (missed-bin reports per 100k, complaint resolution time, service consistency) remain pending data ingest. Maidstone 2023-24 recycling rate 51.1% — second-highest in Kent, well above the Kent average (41.7%) and the England average (~44%). Strong on recycling component.
as of 2024 · source
Complaints handling
Volume, response times, LGSCO upheld findings
Score pending — data collection in progress per the published methodology (2026-05-18)
FOI response
Average response time, refusal/exemption rate, compliance with 20-day statutory deadline
Score pending — data collection in progress per the published methodology (2026-05-18)
Financial health & budget discipline
Revenue budget variance, capital programme delivery, reserves + Section 114 risk, external auditor VfM judgment, council tax positioning + trajectory vs national
Partial Metric 4 score reflecting council tax positioning (component 5 of 6) only; the five other components (revenue budget variance, capital programme delivery, reserves + Section 114 risk, external auditor VfM judgement, multi-year tax trajectory) remain pending data ingest. Maidstone Band D total 2026-27: £2,454.24 (an increase of approximately £97 / 4% from prior year — close to the legal max for districts). District-only precept rose £9. Total positioning above the Kent district-tier mid-point.
as of 2026-02 · source
Transparency
Open data publication, councillor expenses, contract register, committee paper publication
Score pending — data collection in progress per the published methodology (2026-05-18)
Planning
Application approval ratios, appeal-overturn rate, determination time vs statutory targets
Score pending — data collection in progress per the published methodology (2026-05-18)
Education & children's services
SEND/EHCP statutory processing, SEND tribunal LA-loss rate, children's services Ofsted rating, school transport delivery (county + unitary only)
Education and children's services are not a district/borough function. The county council (or, for Medway, the unitary authority) holds this remit.
Safeguarding & LADO
LADO referral handling, multi-agency safeguarding (MASH) timeliness, Section 47 enquiry compliance, independent safeguarding audit findings (county + unitary only)
Safeguarding is the statutory function of the county council or unitary authority via the LADO (Local Authority Designated Officer) and multi-agency safeguarding hub.
Manifesto delivery (Trust)
KLN tracks what the controlling party promised at the most recent election vs what was actually delivered. KEPT/PARTIAL/BROKEN/PENDING/OUT_OF_SCOPE categorisation.
Trust score: 2 judged pledges + 3 categorised public issues, averaged.
as of 2026-05-21
Top public issues for Maidstone residents
This is editorial assessment, not a metric score. Each issue carries an alignment tag — ALIGNED (council in step with residents), MIXED (some action falls short), COUNTERACTING (council against residents on this), or SILENT (no clear position). KLN-curated. Council positions added verbatim where provided. Right-of-reply opens with initial publication.
- 🟢Aligned
Pollution + climate resilience for the borough
Air quality concerns along key town corridors; flood + extreme weather resilience for the borough.
Council position
Coalition commits to reduce pollution + prepare borough for climate change.
KLN assessment
Aligned with residents' concerns; symbolic commitments (Rights of Nature framework adoption) delivered. Substantive air quality + flood resilience metrics pending.
- 🟡Mixed
Town centre vitality + parking access
Maidstone town centre faces footfall pressure from out-of-town retail + parking cost concerns from town-centre residents.
Council position
Lib Dem-led parking pricing reform (£90/yr night-time season tickets) addressed one specific resident concern. Broader town-centre strategy ongoing.
KLN assessment
Mixed: specific parking-cost concession is aligned; broader town-centre vitality programme needs measurable outcomes.
How this scorecard works
Each metric is scored 0-100 and banded A through F. We do NOT aggregate to a single overall ranking — combining unrelated performance areas would mislead. See the methodology page for full details, thresholds, and data sources.
Spot an error or have data we should add for Maidstone? editor@kentlocalnews.co.uk.