Maidstone Borough Council has unveiled a package of environmental measures including biodiversity-boosting bus shelters, heat-relief Cool Zones, a food waste trial and over £19,000 in gum-litter funding.
Bus shelters with planted living roofs — designed to support bees and other pollinators — are coming to Maidstone as part of a raft of climate and environment initiatives outlined in the council’s September 2026 newsletter. The shelters, supplied by Bauer Media Outdoor UK under the Landmark II range, will also carry low-energy LED lighting with sensors that cut power when nobody’s around, trimming both energy use and light pollution.
The council has also pocketed over £19,000 from the Chewing Gum Task Force for the second year running. An independent study of last year’s campaign found gum litter dropped by up to 86% in targeted areas after two months, with reductions still visible six months on. Funding is administered by Keep Britain Tidy and will back further removal work and behaviour change campaigns across key public areas.
Eco Hub returns in October
The summer Eco Hub ran for two weeks in August 2026, drawing stallholders including Maidstone CAN, South East Water and Kent Wildlife Trust, alongside talks from The Kent Owl Academy and hands-on workshops. Mayor of Maidstone, Cllr Brian Clark, announced the winners of The Great British Bug Off Art Competition — each picking up an Owl Experience at The Kent Owl Academy.
An Autumn Eco Hub follows on 3 and 4 October 2026 at the Mote Park Education Space, next to the café, running 10am to 4pm each day.
Food waste trial seeks volunteers
The council wants five Maidstone residents for a three-month food waste trial starting October 2026. Specifically households that have access to but don’t currently use the food waste collection service. Participants will log data on waste quantities, shopping costs and what ends up in their black bins, and they’ll be given caddies, liners and a dedicated support contact.
Cool Zones, Repair Cafés and WeRoam
Six Cool Zones are now open across the borough under Maidstone’s Climate Resilience framework — indoor spaces where residents can escape extreme heat. Locations include Maidstone Museum’s Library Room, Fusion Healthy Living Centre in Park Wood, St Luke’s Church on Foley Street, Holy Cross Bearsted on Church Lane, The Mall Maidstone on Pads Hill, and Creative Maidstone at Granada House on Gabriel’s Hill.
Repair Cafés run across five locations — Bearsted, Maidstone, Tovil, Yalding and East Malling — where volunteers fix everything from clothes and jewellery to coffee machines and furniture. The Maidstone one runs on the first Saturday of every month, 10am to 2pm, at Lockmeadow Market Hall on Barker Road.
And Kent County Council has launched WeRoam, a free active travel app built with Active AI Ltd and funded by the UK Government. Available on iOS and Android, it rewards walking, wheeling and cycling, and connects to smartwatches and fitness trackers to log activity automatically.
Key information
- Autumn Eco Hub: 3 and 4 October 2026, Mote Park Education Space (next to the café), 10am–4pm each day
- Food waste trial: Five Maidstone residents needed for October 2026 start — email recycling@maidstone.gov.uk to register interest
- Repair Cafés: Running monthly across Bearsted, Maidstone, Tovil, Yalding and East Malling — check individual venues for dates and times
- WeRoam app: Free download on iOS and Android for Kent residents
Maidstone rolls out living-roof bus shelters, Cool Zones and Eco Hubs in climate push Quiz
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