GREEN politicians have criticised plans to hold Radio 1's Big Weekend in a town centre park.

DJ Chris Moyles announced last Friday that the event will be held in Mote Park, Maidstone, on May 10 and 11.

But Wendy Lewis, of Maidstone Green Party, has called on Cllr Dan Daley (Lib Dem), Maidstone council's cabinet member for leisure and culture, to reconsider the venue.

She said: "We believe that Mote Park is the wrong place to hold it. We have asked him why Leeds Castle or Detling Showground have not been proposed, as both these venues are set up to cope with this type of event."

Last week the council said that extra parking, traffic management and marshalling will be top priorities in the preparations for the event. The council hopes to run a Park and Ride service, and meetings will be held with residents near the park in the coming months.

But Mrs Lewis added: "Mote Park and its surrounding streets will not support over 20,000 people travelling to the event each day, there is only one main entrance to the park and the roads to this are minor ones.

"Public transport links to the park are poor, but let us hope that the councillors are considering some form of park and ride. As for people cycling and walking to Mote Park for the event, people are highly unlikely to do in sufficient numbers."