Services

Water

Water is supplied by Mid Kent Water plc, but there are no service reservoirs or water towers within the parish. However, part of the River Medway/Bewl Water pumped storage scheme is located to the south-west of the village. Buried pipelines are used to pump water to the Bewl reservoir in periods of high flow and the River Teise is later

used to transfer water back to a downstream abstraction point on the Medway.
As well as water from Bewl Water and the River Medway, Mid Kent Water also obtains supplies from a large number of boreholes (mostly located on the north side of Maidstone).

Electricity

Seeboard plc distributes electricity to the Marden area, although there are now many other companies that use this network to offer supplies to customers. Apart from those in the newer housing estates, the roads in the village centre are characterised by posts and overhead wires (both electric and telephone).

In some locations - such as the bends at the west end of Howland Road, for example - this can lead to a cluttered appearance. There is also a high voltage overhead line skirting the western fringe of the parish and passing through Chainhurst whose pylons can be conspicuous from certain viewpoints.

Gas

Just as for electricity, there are several companies using the distribution network to offer supplies to customers. In the outlying areas, gas users have to obtain supplies in bottled form or by tanker. Part of the former coal yard next to the station has recently been used as a bottled gas store.

Unlike many Wealden villages, Marden benefits from mains gas distributed by Transco (part of BG plc). This facility originates from the former Staplehurst town gas works that was superseded by the arrival of (North Sea) natural gas during the expansion of the national network.

Other Fuels

Traditional fuels such as timber and coal are still used by many people. Coal was traditionally delivered from yards near to the station and in Howland Road. Although deliveries by rail stopped in 1962, the station coal yard continued to be used as a distribution point into the 1990s.

Coal is now delivered from further afield, but timber is still available from local sources. Oil is also widely used where mains gas is not available, with users obtaining supplies by tanker to fill their storage tanks.

Sewers

Recent housing developments (both large and small) are putting further strain on the network. In the 1990s, Chainhurst was connected to the Yalding sewage works by a separate system. Both sewerage networks are operated by Southern Water Services (part of the Scottish Power group).

The built-up centre of the village is connected to mains drainage, although this has a history of problems. These have included flooding of some properties by raw sewage, failures of the pumping station at Roughlands Lane and bursts in the rising main leading to the Horsmonden wastewater treatment works.

Telecommunications

Marden still has its own telephone exchange in Howland Road, but this is incorporated into the wider Maidstone system. BT plc owns the local fixed line network and is still the main supplier although there are numerous other operators offering services to customers. The 1990s saw a massive expansion in the use of mobile telephones, and several masts are visible in the parish and surrounding areas.

Further expansion of the mobile telephone market is predicted and this is likely to increase the demand for further large masts to be erected. Several public telephone call boxes are located at various points around the parish, all of modern design.

Cable and Satellite Television

At present, there is no cable television available in Marden so satellite television dishes are visible on many buildings.

Digital terrestrial TV reception is currently generally poor.

Street Lighting

The Parish Council originally provided the street lighting in the village centre although developers subsequently provided the systems in the newer housing estates. During 1999, more modern and efficient high-pressure sodium lanterns producing a brighter orange glow replaced most of the previous low-intensity white light units.
The street lights are maintained by Maidstone Borough Council, acting as agents for the highway authority (Kent County Council).

Questionnaire Results

• Over half the respondents were satisfied with the street lighting
• though 33% thought it was poor (particularly Howland Road,
• Goudhurst Road, Albion Road and the Library car park)

Domestic Waste

However a height barrier has now been installed which prohibits vans and taller cars entering the site. Concern has been expressed that the introduction of charges by MBC for the collection of bulky domestic refuse and the restrictions at KCC’s Tovil Tip have increased fly tipping.

The collection of domestic household waste is the responsibility of Maidstone Borough Council (MBC). Collection is made by a private contractor, UK Waste, on behalf of the council on a weekly basis. Black bags were used until late 1999, however following the results of a pilot study, Wheelie Bins have now been introduced. MBC also operates other waste disposal services including the collection of garden waste in special green sacks, a freighter service operating at some weekends and a separate bulky item collection service. Kent County Council (KCC) operates a Household Waste Tip at Tovil where residents can dispose of domestic waste.

Questionnaire Results

• 90% of respondents thought the village refuse collection was good • or reasonable. (NB before introduction of Wheelie Bins)

Recycling

Recycling facilities are provided by Maidstone Borough Council at Marden Station Approach. These comprise green, brown and white bottle banks, newspaper and cardboard banks, a can bank, a Salvation Army Clothing bank and an Oxfam Shoe bank.

This site is administered by MBC but the recycling is undertaken by private companies and therefore all recycling must be commercially viable. Marden Scout Group provide a monthly service for collection of newspapers for those without a car.

Road Traffic

Waste bins are located through the village. These are provided by Maidstone Borough Council and emptied twice a week. Street sweeping is administered by the Parish Council which employs a private contractor, Sweepclean.This is partly funded by a grant from MBC and subsidised by the Parish Council. The village centre is swept on a weekly basis with surrounding residential roads on a regular cycle.

Questionnaire Results

• 37% of respondents felt there was poor provision of litter bins
• 63% of respondents felt satisfied with the street cleaning

Recommendations

• Future developments should contribute to an upgrade to the sewage treatment system.
• Further encroachment on the rural landscape by mobile telephone masts and electricity pylons should be resisted.
• Overhead electricity and telephone lines should be replaced by underground cables wherever possible.
• Modern-style telephone kiosks in the village centre should be replaced by a more traditional design.