The Liberal Democrat group on Shepway District Council have tabled a motion for the next full Council meeting on 21st January to ensure that the V.A.T. reduction from 17.5% to 15% is passed on fully to Shepway residents and service users, or where this is not possible, the windfall extra income passed to local charities or communities.
New recycling boxes issued by Shepway Council are no longer supplied with lids according to their customer services department, but ARE according to their own web site!
British Energy have announced a series of public meetings to explain their plans to nominate land next to the existing Dungeness B Nuclear Power Station for a new nuclear power station. The meetings are open to the public, and British Energy say they are to "hear about our plans and raise any issue you feel British Energy needs to consider."
A missing "Give Way" sign in North Road at the junction with Military Road has been reported by Cheriton Town and District Councillor Tim Prater to Kent Highways. With no warning of the junction and poor road markings, drivers who don't know the area could miss that they are joining a busy road and do not have priority.
On a regular check of streetlights in Cheriton, Folkestone, Councillor Tim Prater has found and reported over 30 broken street lights and lit road bollards. Amongst others, there were lights out of action in Military Road, Church Road, Royal Military Avenue, Naseby Road, Fairfax Close, Cheriton High Street, Shaftesbury Avenue, Roman Way and Horn Street.
Shepway Lib Dem Councillor Tim Prater is calling on Shepway Council to follow the lead of Sainsbury's in Folkestone in encouraging people to park and shop in the town. Sainsbury's currently offer 30 minutes free parking to any user in its Folkestone Town Centre store (with up to 2 hours free for Sainsbury's shoppers) and free parking after 5pm. Shepway run car parks charge for any length stay.
Official figures show that Southeastern Trains 8% average rise in regulated fares in 2009 is the highest of any operator in the country. The rise has been slammed by passenger groups such as Passenger Focus, who say the fare increases were set in the summer when inflation was much higher than it is now.
Britain is facing a difficult year. Every day, 200 families are now at risk of losing their homes, and three million people could be out of a job. The government got us into this mess and haven't got the right ideas to get us out of it. The Conservatives want to do nothing - they wouldn't lift a finger to help.
Firstly, I would like to wish all of you a Happy New Year, and hope that you enjoyed the Christmas break in the company of family, friends and loved ones.
Cheriton Councillor Tim Prater met with St Martins Primary School Headteacher Kate Love and a representative of Kent Highways in Horn Street, Cheriton before Christmas to discuss the issues of speeding and traffic in the road.
A true friend is someone who's prepared to tell you when you're wrong or you've made a mistake - even when they know that message may not immediately help your friendship. With its current massive attack on Gaza, Israel is clearly wrong. Worse still, it's in danger of making a historic mistake.
Shepway Liberal Democrats wish all readers, family and friends a very happy Christmas and an enjoyable new year.
