The Meeting That Dare Not Speak It's Name: 19 June

Kent County Council are in the process of setting up working arrangements called "Locality Boards" across the County. They are intended to be meetings where the area's District and County Councillors can consider issues that relate to both councils and make localised recommendations and decisions to meet a particular areas needs, and where a top down County approach would not have the local information needed.

Kent County Council, for example, provides edication, library, social care, highways and childrens services across the area. When decisions relating to these are required, the Locality Boards are intended to be a place to discuss the local impact, look at alternatives, make suggestions for improvements and bring together district and county decision making. it may even explore joint funding of projects or working with other groups. At least, that's the theory.

Liberal Democrats on Kent County Council have welcomed the theory of locality boards, but want all such meetings be open to the public, public agendas in advance, public minutes and have clear terms of reference (saying what they can and cannot decide, and how). Some areas in Kent, such as Dartford (to their credit), already have these provisions in place for their Locality Boards.

In Shepway, there is some nervousness about the concept, especially from the District Council. They seem concerned that these meetings may represent undue interference from Kent County Council in Shepway. As such, the meetings here are specifically NOT allowed to be called Locality Boards (I've had an email telling me that!), have no specified terms of reference, do not publish agendas publically in advance, are not open to the public and have no decision making powers (or even as far as I can see the ability to even make proposals as a group to Kent County Council or anyone else!).

Personally, I see Councils working together as a Good Thing - and indeed, would like to see the Locality Board idea not just rolled out in Shepway (in public) but also to have real input from our Town and Parish Councils as well. It's important to get the structure right so all local councillors can have an input - but I'd prefer to see decisions that effect Shepway made as locally as possible, with as much input as possible.

I've received the agenda for the next "Not a Locality Board" meeting in Shepway: although the Council have not published them publically, there is no embargo on me doing so that I can see, so I have published it below. Instead of calling it a Locality Board or similar, you'll see the snappy title is "Meeting between the cabinet of Shepway District Council and the Kent County Council division members" (maybe "MBCSDCAKCCM" for short?).

The meeting is not to be held in public (although, as it has no decision making powers, it'll just be a series of briefings for Councillors) and there are some limited papers for the "No Use Empty" item (scheme to bring empty houses back into use) and the local Authority Mortgage Scheme item (a jointly funded Shepway / KCC scheme to make it easier for first time buyers to buy a property in Shepway). Let me know if you would like more details of those items: and I await the briefing on the "Romney Marsh NRDF" proposals (aka the Shepway Nuclear Dump) with interest!

Meeting between the cabinet of Shepway District Council and the Kent County Council division members

Council Chamber - Civic Centre, Castle Hill Avenue, Folkestone

Date: 19 June 2012

Time: 4.00 pm - 6.00 pm

AGENDA

1. Briefing on Romney Marsh NRDF (the chief executive of Shepway District Council will brief members)

2. Update on "no use empty"

3. Briefing on local authority mortgage scheme (LAMS)

4. Items for future discussion.