Maidstone Borough Council’s cabinet has approved its plans for improvements at the Lockmeadow Leisure Complex, declining recommendations from the council’s own scrutiny committee, which had asked for the Tuesday and Saturday market to keep trading while the future of the market hall was decided.

At its meeting on 16 September 2026, cabinet noted the Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s recommendations but did not agree them, according to the council’s published decision notice. It approved the proposed improvements with one amendment: that community engagement and events at the site should place an emphasis on youth provision, with the aim of providing a dedicated safe space for young people in Maidstone. It also gave the Director of Finance and Resources delegated authority to procure the works using funds already allocated in the council’s budgets.

What scrutiny had asked for

Cabinet first took the decision on 22 July 2026. It was called in by Councillor Parfitt, who argued that market traders had not been consulted sufficiently and that further evidence was needed to justify giving them notice.

On 10 August the Overview and Scrutiny Committee referred the decision back to cabinet with three recommendations: to separate the decision on the market hall building from the Tuesday and Saturday market, so the market could continue trading until a strategy for the town market was finalised; to run a public consultation on future options for the Lockmeadow area; and to bring a future options report through the Policy Advisory Committee system.

At that meeting the Leader of the Council said further consultation with traders would be carried out and that notice would only be given to traders after other options for the space had been explored. The Director of Finance and Resources said consultation drop-in sessions would be held with stallholders, tenants of Lockmeadow and members of the public.

The council’s case

The decision notice says the council has owned Lockmeadow outright since November 2019, when it bought the remaining leasehold of the leisure complex. The site has a net asset value of £16 million in the council’s accounts and is budgeted to generate net income of around £1 million this financial year. Footfall so far this year is 4.4% higher than in 2025, the notice says.

The decision notice records that the decision is not subject to call-in.

Sources

Illustrative AI-generated image. This is not a photograph of Lockmeadow Leisure Complex or any real location.