The draft Kent County Council budget for 2012/13 has been released. With the headlines reading a zero rise in Council Tax, many millions cut from the budget and more, there will be lots of detailed reading to do over the Christmas and New Year period in the run up to the Council agreeing the budget in February.
Following the Sandgate Community Trust's successful application for a £50,000 grant from Kent County Council I am delighted to tell you that communityUk has been chosen by the Steering Group to provide Sandgate with its WiFi broadband service. The monthly costs for this service will be:
At the Full Kent County Council meeting on 15th December, the Conservative run County Council voted to remove the post of Managing Director. In the debate on the proposal, which was voted against by the liberal Democrat and Labour groups, this is what I said:
There has (rightly) been a lot of press coverage of the departure of Kent County Council Managing Director Katherine Kerswell, including a few articles where I seem to have been quoted. Some links include:
If you have a hatch, batten it down.
Key parts of Conservative Shepway's Parking Strategy were torn to shreds by voters across Folkestone, Hythe and Sandgate tonight as massive majorities voted against the proposals to introduce parking charges and parking permits for local people.
At last nights Shepway Development Control meeting last night, I presented the views of Sandgate Parish Council against application Y11/0537/SH, described as:
Paul Carter, Conservative Leader of Kent County Council, has refuted suggestions in the press that KCC would like to see all Kent schools convert to academies. He made a statement in July 2011 saying that Kent did not want to see all schools change to academies.
There are Parish Polls / referendums across Folkestone, Hythe and Sandgate on Thursday 8th December with polls open from 4-9pm and NO polling cards or postal votes to be issued: you simply turn up to vote at your polling station. You can check where your polling station is at http://www.shepway.gov.uk/webapp/query/polling-stations/
Three parish polls about the proposed parking strategy will be held in Folkestone, Sandgate and Hythe. People on the electoral role who live in these areas can vote between the hours of 4pm and 9pm on Thursday 8 December.
An email arrives from Mike Gibson, Public Affairs Manager of Southeastern trains:
Sandgate Parish Council invite you to the Christmas Tree Lights Switch On at 6pm on Saturday 26th November on the village green at the junction of Sandgate High Street and Military Road.
