The leader of Maidstone council has a fight on his hands if he wants to be returned to represent East Ward at the borough elections in May.

Martin Cox, a Liberal Democrat, has represented the ward for the past 10 years. At the last election that he fought, in 2016, he was returned with 987 votes, more than double that of his nearest rival, Conservative Steven Sheppard on 464.

But back then, Ukip was splitting the Tory vote.

Furthermore, this time, Cllr Cox has a new adversary.

Kate Hammond, a vocal critic of Maidstone Borough Council's massive housing programme, is standing as an Independent.

A married mother of two, Mrs Hammond is the chairman of the Save Our Heathlands group, which is opposed to the council's plans for a 4,000 home garden village at Lenham Heath.

She might more readily have been expected to stand for election in Lenham, but Maidstone is only a electing a third of its councillors this year, and there is no election in Lenham.

Mrs Hammond said: “There is no better seat to contest than the council leader’s.

"As leader, Cllr Cox will have to defend the council's record.

"The crazy house-building in the borough is being mismanaged alarmingly, but I’m not convinced that any of the other political parties

would do any better.

"It is time for change, we need to put people back in control of their destinies.

“I’ve seen in Lenham what 4,000 houses might do to a community and this is a council which no longer listens to people."

She added: "I have never belonged to a political party and I have nothing against Martin Cox personally, but he's the guy in charge and he has to be

held accountable."

Mrs Hammond can be contacted under the tag IndieKate

Other candidates contesting East Ward are Harprit Dogra (Con), Marlyn Randall (Lab) and James Shalice (Green).

Polling will be in Thursday, May 6.

Here is the full list of candidates in the 19 wards being contested for Maidstone Borough Council:

Allington

Steven Cheesman (Green)

Stan Forcast (Con)

Diana Lewins (Lib Dem)

John Randall (Lab)

Barming and Teston

Andrew Catley (Con)

Fay Gooch (Ind)

Dennis Luchman (Lab)

Kimberley Milham (Green)

Bearsted

Jim Grogan (Lab)

Ciaran Oliver (Green)

Denis Spooner (Con)

Boughton Monchelsea

Karen Chappel-Tay (Con)

Caroline Hessel (Green)

Bob Millar (Lab)

Steve Munford (Ind)

Boxley

Heidi Bryant (Con)

Ian McDonald (Green)

Mike Thompson (Lib Dem)

Marsha Todd (Lab)

Bridge

Tom Cannon (Con)

Donna Greenan (Green)

Ben Webster-Whiting (Lib Dem)

Coxheath & Hunton

Claire Kehily (Green)

Peter Lewis (Lib Dem)

Simon Webb (Con)

East

Martin Cox (Lib Dem)

Harprit Dogra (Con)

Kate Hammond (Ind)

Marlyn Randall (Lab)

James Shalice (Green)

Fant

Mitu Chowdhury (Con)

Patrick Coates (Lab)

Christopher Turner (Green)

Headcorn

Sarah Barwick (Lab)

Susan Parr (Green)

Martin Richards (Lib Dem)

Twiz Stripp (Reform UK)

Ziggy Trzebinski (Con)

Heath

Jo Burns (Lab)

Peter Homes (Con)

Stephen Thompson (Green)

Bryan Vizzard (Lib Dem)

High Street

Gemma Battrum (Green)

Sanjiv Brajkishore (Con)

Richard Coates (Lab)

Denise Joy (Lib Dem)

Marden and Yalding

Natalie Allen (Lab)

Stephen Goffredi (Lib Dem)

Justin Randall (Reform UK)

Claudine Russell (Con)

Mike Summersgill (Green)

North

Derek Eagle (Green)

Scott Hahnefeld (Con)

Michelle Hastie (Lib Dem)

David Reay (Lab)

North Downs

Patrik Garten (Con)

Stuart Jeffery (Green)

Theresa Lyons (Lab)

Zeina Toric-Azad (Lib Dem)

Park Wood

Andrew Cockersole (Lib Dem)

Lewis McKenna (Con)

Dan Wilkinson (Lab)

Shepway North

Gary Butler (Ind)

Paul Cooper (Con)

Joe Higson (Lib Dem)

Lesley McKay (Lab)

Stephen Muggeridge (Green)

Shepway South

Tay Arnold (Lib Dem)

Maureen Cleator (Lab)

Gary Cooke (Con)

Eddie Powell (Ind Maidstone)

Lawrence Rustem (The Foor Britain Movement)

South

Will Dinley (Con)

Simon Milham (Green)

Kim Roberts (Lab)

Paul Wilby (Lib Dem)

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