Maidstone Borough Council’s August 2026 climate newsletter sets out a River Medway engagement event, Green Flag awards for five local parks, a new wildlife pond in Brenchley Gardens and a School Streets trial at Brunswick House Primary School.
Maidstone Borough Council published its Climate Change and Biodiversity Newsletter on 14 August 2026, covering a run of environmental and community activity across the borough. Last month a “Caring for the River Medway” engagement day at Coronation Square, Lockmeadow, saw volunteers pull more than ten bags of rubbish from three spots along the riverbank.
Five Maidstone parks have won Green Flag Awards this year — Brenchley Gardens, Clare Park, Cobtree Manor Park, Mote Park and Whatman Park (Millennium River Park) — as part of a record-breaking national haul of 2,391 UK winners. Brenchley Gardens picked up the award for the second year running.
That same park now has a new 2m x 3m wildlife pond, and camera footage near the water has already caught birds, foxes and other wildlife dropping in.
The council said it has become the first in the country to adopt the Rights of Nature framework, a legal approach championed locally by the Friends of River Medway — a group that brings together advocates, lawyers and scientists. Worth noting: only 14% of rivers in the UK currently meet good ecological standards.
Kent County Council is running a School Streets trial at Brunswick House Primary School, placing temporary restrictions on motor vehicles outside the main entrance at drop-off and pick-up times. The trial still allows access to the on-site gym, exempts emergency services, and lets residents apply for an exemption.
The borough’s monthly Repair Café met on 1 August, with the next session — themed around “Art” — set for 5 September. Switch Together Maidstone offers residents average savings of around 20% on standard energy rates. The newsletter described the Start at Home scheme, run by NESTA, as aimed at heating engineers looking to install a heat pump in their own property, with up to £7,500 of kit covered by the Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant.
Key information
- The Resident Survey 2026 takes 9–12 minutes and closes on 30 August 2026
- The Maidstone EcoHub runs across five dates in August: 15, 19, 20, 21 and 22 August 2026
- The next Repair Café is on 5 September 2026 with an “Art” theme
- Residents near Brunswick House Primary School can apply for a School Streets exemption through Kent County Council