Crunch time over building society's HQ

Mike Lazenby
Mike Lazenby

THE boss of one of Kent's best known businesses threatening to pull out of the Medway area is planning to confront councillors on Thursday night.

Mike Lazenby, chief executive of the Kent Reliance Building Society, has filed two questions to the full meeting of Medway Council about the controversial changes to the Chatham road system.

He has threatened to close the building society's head office in Medway Street, Chatham, if the council pushes ahead with the demolition of the Sir John Hawkins flyover later this year.

He plans to ask Cllr Phil Filmer, the highways portfolio holder, how much it will cost, whether there are any advantages that justify it, and why there is what he claims is more council secrecy over the plan to consider introducing a temporary right turn from Globe Street into Medway Street.

Speaking earlier this month, Mr Lazenby said the future of the society's HQ at Sun Pier was being threatened by the chaos caused by Chatham's new two-way traffic system.

But his questions to councillors could be blocked by time limits.

There are 13 questions being put by members of the public to the council. Most concern the traffic changes in Chatham.

Among other questions, a former Mayor of Gillingham, Diana Smith, is demanding to know how many trips outside Medway have been made by councillors and officers in the past year, to where and at what cost to the council.

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