News Maidstone Mayor’s Inaugural Civic Parade – Saturday 18 May

This Saturday – 18 May, residents are invited to join the incoming Mayor Elect of Maidstone, Cllr John Perry, for his Mayoral parade in the town centre which will take place after the annual Mayor Making ceremony.

The Civic and Freedom of the Borough Parade incorporates the inauguration of the new Mayor of Maidstone and 36 Engineer Regiment and The Queen’s Gurkha Engineers exercising their rights as Honorary Freemen of the Borough to march through the town with bayonets fixed.

On Saturday morning the military assemble in front of County Hall and civilian contingents assemble in Earl Street from 10.45am.  The Civic Parade led by the British Army Band, Tidworth, steps off at 11.30am from Week Street and makes its way to All Saints Church for the civic service.

The Mayor and Mayoress of Maidstone, John and Jan Perry will lead the Mayoral procession in a horse drawn landau carriage, supplied by Acorn Carriage Hire.

Road closures will be put in place between 10am and 1pm using rolling closures where possible, although roads will be reopened once the procession has passed. The roads are:

Sandling Road (junction with White Rabbit roundabout)

Station Road

St Faiths Street

Week Street

High Street

King Street

Wyke Manor Road (junction with King Street)

Gabriels Hill (junction with High Street)

Bank Street

Pudding Lane (junction with High Street)

Lower High Street (junction with High Street)

Mill Street

Bishops Way

Knightrider Street

College Road

Old College Horseway - road closure from 6am to 1pm

Jubilee Square and Bank Street - road closure from 9am to 1pm

Roads will only be closed to allow the formation and safe passage of the parade and will not be closed for the full length of time. In order to allow for contingency time on the day the road closures cover a longer time period than it is anticipated may be required. There are security implications with this event and parking restrictions along the route of the Parade will be tightly enforced.

As part of the event, entertainment will be provided in Jubilee Square by one of the largest most versatile samba bands in Kent and the South East - Bloco Fogo who will be performing between 12noon and 12.45pm

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