Council - Wednesday 25 February 2026, 7:00pm - Folkestone & Hythe webcasting

Council
Wednesday, 25th February 2026 at 7:00pm 

Agenda

Slides

Transcript

Map

Resources

Forums

Speakers

Votes

 

Welcome to Folkestone and Hythe District Council's Webcast Player.

 

UPDATE - PLEASE NOTE, MEETINGS OF THE JOINT TRANSPORTATION BOARD AND FOLKESTONE AND HYTHE DISTRICT AND PARISH COUNCILS' JOINT COMMITTEE WILL BE STREAMED LIVE TO YOUTUBE AT: bit.ly/YouTubeMeetings. 


The webcast should start automatically for you, and you can jump to specific points of interest within the meeting by selecting the agenda point or the speaker that you are interested in, simply by clicking the tabs above this message. You can also view any presentations used in the meeting by clicking the presentations tab. We hope you find the webcast interesting and informative.

 

Please note, although officers can be heard when they are speaking at meetings, they will not be filmed.

 

At the conclusion of a meeting, the webcast can take time to 'archive'.  You will not be able to view the webcast until the archiving process is complete.  This is usually within 24 hours of the meeting.

Share this agenda point
  1. Microphone Forty
  2. Cllr Anita Jones
  3. Dr Susan Priest
  4. Cllr Anita Jones
Share this agenda point
  1. Cllr Gary Fuller
  2. Cllr Anita Jones
Share this agenda point
  1. Cllr Anita Jones
Share this agenda point
Share this agenda point
Share this agenda point
Share this agenda point
  1. Cllr Tony Cooper
  2. Cllr Anita Jones
  3. Cllr Polly Blakemore
  4. Cllr Anita Jones
  5. Cllr Tony Cooper
  6. Cllr Anita Jones
  7. Councillor Tony Hills
  8. Cllr Jim Martin
  9. Cllr Anita Jones
  10. Councillor Tony Hills
  11. Cllr Jim Martin
  12. Cllr Anita Jones
  13. Councillor Tony Hills
  14. Cllr Jim Martin
  15. Cllr Anita Jones
  16. Cllr Jennifer Hollingsbee
  17. Cllr Jim Martin
  18. Cllr Anita Jones
  19. Cllr Jennifer Hollingsbee
  20. Cllr Anita Jones
  21. Cllr Jim Martin
  22. Cllr Anita Jones
  23. Cllr David Godfrey
  24. Cllr Mike Blakemore
  25. Cllr Anita Jones
  26. Cllr Anita Jones
  27. Cllr David Godfrey
  28. Cllr David Godfrey
  29. Cllr Tim Prater
  30. Cllr Anita Jones
  31. Cllr David Godfrey
  32. Cllr Tim Prater
  33. Cllr Anita Jones
  34. Cllr Alan Martin
  35. Cllr Anita Jones
  36. Cllr Tim Prater
  37. Cllr Anita Jones
  38. Cllr Alan Martin
  39. Cllr Anita Jones
  40. Cllr Tim Prater
  41. Cllr Anita Jones
  42. Cllr Nicola Keen
  43. Cllr Jim Martin
  44. Cllr Anita Jones
  45. Cllr Nicola Keen
  46. Cllr Jim Martin
  47. Cllr Anita Jones
  48. Cllr Nicola Keen
  49. Cllr Anita Jones
  50. Cllr Nicola Keen
  51. Cllr Anita Jones
Share this agenda point
  1. Cllr Jim Martin
  2. Cllr Jennifer Hollingsbee
  3. Cllr Jim Martin
  4. Cllr Anita Jones
  5. Cllr Jim Martin
  6. Cllr Anita Jones
  7. Cllr Tim Prater
Share this agenda point
Share this agenda point
Share this agenda point
  1. Cllr Tim Prater
  2. Cllr Anita Jones
  3. Cllr Jennifer Hollingsbee
  4. Cllr Anita Jones
  5. Cllr Jennifer Hollingsbee
  6. Cllr Anita Jones
  7. Cllr David Godfrey
  8. Cllr Adrian Lockwood
  9. Cllr Anita Jones
  10. Cllr Stephen Scoffham
  11. Cllr Anita Jones
  12. Cllr Alan Martin
  13. Councillor Tony Hills
  14. Cllr Jeremy Speakman
  15. Cllr Anita Jones
  16. Cllr Mike Blakemore
  17. Cllr Anita Jones
  18. Cllr Jim Martin
  19. Cllr Anita Jones
  20. Cllr Paul Thomas
  21. Cllr Tony Cooper
  22. Cllr Anita Jones
  23. Cllr Nicola Keen
  24. Cllr Anita Jones
  25. Cllr Jackie Meade
  26. Cllr Anita Jones
  27. Cllr Clive Goddard
  28. Cllr Anita Jones
  29. Cllr Belinda Walker
  30. Cllr Anita Jones
  31. Cllr Tim Prater
  32. Cllr Anita Jones
  33. Ms Jemma West
  34. Cllr Anita Jones
Share this agenda point
  1. Cllr Anita Jones
  2. Cllr Anita Jones
Share this agenda point
  1. Cllr Anita Jones
  2. Cllr Rebecca Shoob
  3. Cllr Anita Jones
  4. Cllr Tim Prater
  5. Cllr Anita Jones
  6. Cllr Jackie Meade
  7. Cllr Anita Jones
  8. Cllr Nicola Keen
  9. Cllr Anita Jones
  10. Cllr David Godfrey
  11. Cllr Anita Jones
  12. Cllr Jennifer Hollingsbee
  13. Cllr Adrian Lockwood
  14. Cllr Anita Jones
  15. Cllr Tim Prater
  16. Cllr Anita Jones
  17. Cllr Stephen Scoffham
  18. Cllr Anita Jones
  19. Cllr Clive Goddard
  20. Cllr Anita Jones
  21. Cllr Rebecca Shoob
  22. Cllr Anita Jones
Share this agenda point
  1. Cllr Gary Fuller
  2. Cllr Anita Jones
  3. Cllr Nicola Keen
  4. Cllr Anita Jones
  5. Cllr Paul Thomas
  6. Cllr Anita Jones
  7. Cllr Connor McConville
  8. Cllr Anita Jones
  9. Cllr Jackie Meade
  10. Cllr Anita Jones
  11. Councillor Tony Hills
  12. Cllr Anita Jones
  13. Cllr Jennifer Hollingsbee
  14. Cllr David Godfrey
  15. Cllr Adrian Lockwood
  16. Cllr Mike Blakemore
  17. Cllr Anita Jones
  18. Cllr Laura Davison
  19. Cllr Anita Jones
  20. Cllr Tony Cooper
  21. Cllr Anita Jones
  22. Cllr Gary Fuller
  23. Cllr Anita Jones
Share this agenda point
  1. Cllr Tim Prater
  2. Cllr Anita Jones
  3. Webcast Finished

Microphone Forty - 0:00:04
If you would like to join in with these prayers, I invite you to say Amen after each one.
Let us pray.
Heavenly Father, as we gather and give you thanks for the beauty of this day and the
glimpses of spring we are beginning to see, may the sun's light have lightened the heart
of every resident in our district and been a beacon of life and hope, a sign of brighter
times ahead.
Amen.
As many Christians observe the season of Lent at this time,
we ask that whether we keep the season or not,
this would be a time of reflection, giving thanks for that which sustains us
day by day
and those who enrich our lives and the life of our community.
Help us Father to use this time
to appreciate what is important to us and share that which is not.
We pray too that as we look ahead
we would do so with joyful expectation of the good, the light and the life of the future.
Amen.
As we mark four years of war in Ukraine, we pray for peace this night. Send your spirit
of peace and reconciliation into the hearts of all those who would wage war. Deliver those
who cry out to you this night from the spectre of violence and the shadow of death. May those
Those who have fled the conflict and settled here in this district feel welcome here.
May they find peace here and we thank you for the myriad ways they enrich the life of
our district and give justice, Lord, to those victims of evil and give peace and hope for
a just and righteous future.
Amen.
And tonight we ask you to bless our meeting.
Inspire us always to work together for the wellbeing of our District's residents.
May we be united in our desire to see those we represent flourish and to advocate for
those whose voices are often forgotten.
Amen.
Thank you.
Thank you Michael.
Cllr Anita Jones - 0:02:14
So good evening and welcome to the meeting of full Council.
this meeting will be webcast live to the internet. For those who do not wish to be recorded
or filmed, you will need to leave the chamber. The members, officers and others speaking
at the meeting, it is important that the microphones are used so viewers on the webcast and others
in the room may hear you. Would anyone with a mobile phone please switch it off or to
silent mode as they can be distracting. I would like to remind members that although
we all have strong opinions on matters under consideration, it is important to treat members,
officers and public speakers with respect. And please feel free to sit or stand when
speaking. So item 1 on our agenda this evening, apologies for absence.
Dr Susan Priest - 0:03:02
Thank you, Chair, and good evening, good evening, councillors, colleagues and members of the
public. We've got apologies from two councillors this evening, councillors Zakuifukeli and
Thank you.
Thank you.
Cllr Anita Jones - 0:03:15
Item 2, declarations of interest.
Does anybody have any declarations of interest?

2 Declarations of Interest

Nope.
Cllr Gary Fuller - 0:03:27
I can't remember which item it is, but I live in Council housing.
14.
Thank you.
13.
Cllr Anita Jones - 0:03:35
So, Councillor Fuller and Councillor Cooper.
Thank you.
So, moving on to item 3, minutes, so to sign the minutes of the meeting held on the 28th

3 Minutes

of January, are we all happy with the minutes?
No.
OK, thank you.
Cllr Anita Jones - 0:04:19
So moving on to Chairs Communications, so thank you very much again to those of you
who were able to bring a donation to the Rainbow Centre this evening.
Every contribution, however large or small,
goes a long way to helping the wellbeing of a number of residents in our district.

4 Chair's Communications

So it's been an exceptionally quiet month for civic engagement,
so there isn't that much to report.
It has, however, given me an opportunity to focus on activities and projects in my own ward.
But the engagements that I did attend,
so I was pleased to support the mayoress of New Romney for her ladies' wellbeing afternoon.
This was a fantastic community event which had local artisan stalls, tai chi, singing
and flower arranging, and they were raising money for the mayor's charity, so a really
nice thing for New Romney.
I took part in a community meeting organised by the local police officer in Hyde.
This focused on actions that were being taken, prevention work and listening to residents'
concerns.
I attended the neighbourhood health pioneer programme update at the Lees -Clapel with the
total health excellence, East and West PCM.
And although we were presented with some challenging
statistics for health in our district,
I was reassured to hear that they're putting together
a plan to improve health outcomes
for our residents moving forward.
I was delighted to support our officers
in welcoming students from the Marsh Academy,
the Lighthouse and the Beacon this morning
to the council chamber with Councillor Paul Thomas
to talk about careers in local government.
Our council is one of the largest employers in the district
and offers a huge variety of roles and training opportunities.
And it was really inspiring to hear from our officers
how they came to work at our council
and how much they enjoy their jobs.
So thank you to those officers, an excellent event.
So moving on to petitions, we have no petitions.

5 Petitions

6 Questions from the Public

Item six, public questions, no public questions.
So we'll be moving straight on to councillor questions.

7 Questions from Councillors

We have nine questions from members.
So you're invited to read your question and then you'll be invited to ask a relevant supplementary
question and this cannot be a statement, just to remind everyone.
So we're going to start with question one from Councillor Cooper to Councillor Polly
Blakemore.
Thank you, Chair.
Cllr Tony Cooper - 0:06:38
Councillor Blakemore, due to dog farm complaints, we're threatening responsible dog owners.
Does the Council have any plans to pass a ban law requiring appropriate dog walkers
carry a bag, we will return that to pick it up.
Thank you.
Cllr Anita Jones - 0:06:54
Thank you for the question, Councillor Cooper.
Cllr Polly Blakemore - 0:06:58
The Council does not have any plans to bring in a requirement for dog owners to carry poo
bags, but this is for the following reasons.
A dog may already have defecated and the bag or bags being used when the cheque takes place.
There would be no way to prove that the owner had not already used the bags when the cheque
was made.
Legislation requires the dog owner
to clear up after their dog.
If poo bags have been used or forgotten,
it doesn't stop them using something else,
for example tissues, as long as they remove it.
I think this isn't too much detail for members.
Furthermore, most dog owners do follow the rules
and we would run the risk of alienating them
and losing their goodwill by checking
that they are carrying bags.
Also, officers are successfully catching
irresponsible dog owners,
and the public do tend to provide information
relating to repeat offenders
who allow their dogs to pout and walk away
without clearing up,
so allowing enforcement to follow up.
Finally, to cheque that every dog walker
is carrying dog poo bags
would take an inordinate amount
of enforcement officer time.
And of course, even if dog walkers are carrying poo bags,
That is absolutely not a guarantee that they intend to use them.
Thank you.
Cllr Anita Jones - 0:08:16
Do you have a supplementary question?
No, thank you.
Cheers.
Thank you.
Cllr Tony Cooper - 0:08:22
Cllr Anita Jones - 0:08:24
Moving on to question two from Councillor Hills to Councillor Jim Martin.
Thank you, Chair.
Councillor Tony Hills - 0:08:32
Following last week's Foulton High Beach Bathing Committee engagement meeting, would the leader
agree to write to Emma Reynolds MP, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs,
to ask for more resources to be given to the Environment Agency to delve deeper and identify
the ongoing underlying problems with water quality within Chiving Bay.
Councillor Martin.
Thank you very much for your question, Councillor Hills. As you know, this is something that
Cllr Jim Martin - 0:09:04
I am very passionate about, and I will certainly write to the Secretary of State on this matter.
It is important that the factors impacting on our bathing water are identified and resolved
as soon as possible.
This must be a priority for the Environment Agency, and it must be resourced accordingly.
I'll leave it at that.
We both know what we've got to do, and we'll just get on with it.
Thank you.
Do you have a supplementary question?
Cllr Anita Jones - 0:09:34
No, thank you.
Okay, thank you.
Councillor Tony Hills - 0:09:39
But we have question three also from Councillor Hills to Councillor Jim Martin.
Okay, thank you, Chair.
Following the storm in Goretty, can the leader arrange a meeting with the Environment Agency,
MOD and Natural England to discuss the concerns of residents looking to defend the Romy Marsh
and lid from flooding?
According to the Environment Agency,
the current position is the long -term plan
for this frontage, that's the range,
is to maintain the current alignment
to a standard protection of 0 .5 % AEP,
one in 200 years.
And in case anybody was asking, by the way,
I should say annual exceed probability is the acronym.
Due to the MOD requirements,
this will be until at least until 2045. Sometimes in the future, a new, relined defence further
inland may be required. This would also be a 0 .5 % standard protection to ensure that lid and the
wider area is protected. I believe that time is not on our side and the weather can be more extreme
due to our changing climate.
This is a matter of urgency.
Councillor Moulton.
Thank you very much for your question, Councillor Hills.
Just before I go into the—this is not an area of expertise of mine, and I am extraordinarily
grateful to you, Councillor Hills, for the surveys that you've been carrying out.
and this is of huge importance.
I've just, as an explanation to members,
after Storm Guaretti, the profile of this bank
changed substantially, and it's only been Councillor Hill
who's getting out there with his camera, or with his phone,
that has really alerted everybody to this problem.
So in terms of a formal answer, yes, I will endeavour
to arrange a meeting with the Environment Agency
and the other agencies that you mentioned.
I may also include this matter within the letter
to the Secretary of State that I mentioned
in my previous answer.
Cllr Jim Martin - 0:11:57
And I highlight, I think, yet again,
Councillor Hill's the...
How can I put this?
The way that you stand ready to defend the Marsh,
and I mean defend in a physical way,
is very, very much to your credit.
So thank you very much for all the work you do.
Cllr Anita Jones - 0:12:19
Do you have a related supplementary question?
Yes, I have, Chair.
It tours into that quite nicely, actually.
Councillor Tony Hills - 0:12:25
All I was going to say was, would the leader agree that this Council must do everything
in its power to protect Robbie Marsh?
Is the change required?
Councillor Moulton.
I would certainly agree.
And I make that commitment here tonight.
Cllr Jim Martin - 0:12:44
We will do everything that we can do to protect the Romney Martian,
and we are hugely grateful for all of the work that you do,
alerting us to the issues that may challenge us in the future.
Cllr Anita Jones - 0:12:58
Thank you. So moving on to question four from Councillor Mrs Jenny Hollingsby
to Councillor Jim Martin.
Thank you, Chair.
Cllr Jennifer Hollingsbee - 0:13:07
The Princess Parade site has laid dormant and fenced off for three years now, and 3 .5
million has been written off in this year's accounts as the original swimming pool project
was abandoned. When the Council put out a call for development sites, was Princess Parade
put forward as a possible option, and if not, what is the plan for its future use?
Councillor Jim Martin.
We're back on firm ground now, sir.
Or not that firm.
So thank you for your question, Councillor Hollingsby.
I can confirm that Princes Parade was not put forward when the Council put out a call
for sites for the new local plan.
The Council undertook a survey in early 2025 to gage the public views on the future of
the site.
The majority of those who complete the survey supported maintaining the current open space
and encouraging biodiversity.
Cllr Jim Martin - 0:14:08
Of nearly 1 ,500 responding, 64 % considered supporting biodiversity as very important
and 51 % rated maintaining the current open space as very important.
This Council therefore has listened to the public and will support these views.
I am pleased to inform you that the officers are currently putting a project scope together
for the refurbishment and improvement of the Seabrook play area which provides vital outdoor
space for local children and the Seabrook School.
And do you have a related question?
Yes, I do.
Cllr Anita Jones - 0:14:48
Thank you.
Cllr Jennifer Hollingsbee - 0:14:52
Can I just ask then, is this value for money of our assets?
Councillor Martin.
Cllr Anita Jones - 0:14:57
Well, I suspect that all depends on how you judge value.
Cllr Jim Martin - 0:15:04
I don't want to go back over ancient ground as it were,
but we, this chamber,
this chamber didn't stop the work on Princess Parade,
it was the previous administration,
simply because it was running into a financial chasm.
And so, you know, I won't reiterate all of the figures again,
but clearly from the survey results in my answer,
you can see that local people, the community of Hyde,
place a great value on the site as it currently is.
Thank you.
Cllr Anita Jones - 0:15:55
So moving on to question five from Councillor Godfrey
to Councillor Mike Blakemore.
Thank you, sir.
Cllr David Godfrey - 0:16:05
Councillor
membership fees for their youth teams in their Centre of Excellence training programme.
The sign -on fee has been increased from £45 to £200,
and the monthly fee from £45 to £70 over 10 months,
plus a total fee of £900 per annum per child.
These fees have proved too high for many families,
and many will no longer be able to afford them.
Access to grassroots football, as with all sports,
is an invaluable source of social and physical education for young people,
and access to smaller town and village clubs in the district is limited.
Whilst it is not limited to this council's gift to interfering the running of the club,
in the council's capacity as the landowner,
could I ask the cabinet member to open a dialogue with the owners, sponsors of Forbes, Fords and Victor,
Kent FFA and possibly Sport England to review these fees
and seek a way to mitigate the impact on the use of the district.
Thank you.
Councillor Baker.
Thank you, Chair. Thank you for your question, Councillor Godfrey. I completely agree that
Cllr Mike Blakemore - 0:17:17
Fodson Invictus Football Club is a welcome asset to our district and access to grassroots
football is an invaluable source of social and physical education for young people. You're
also correct that it's not within the Council's gift to interfere with the running of the
club. I have, however, already asked officers to get in touch with the club and the following
as a summary of their response. We recognise and value Focht and Invicta's role as a key
community asset within the district and fully appreciate the importance of accessible grassroots
football. It's important to clarify that the previous youth provision operating under the
Focht and Invicta name was delivered by a third party provider. We understand that this
provider will continue independently under a different name at the same prices and venues.
This is where it starts to get complicated.
Consider this a warm -up for the budget items that are to come.
The previous third -party model had an upfront joining fee of £70, with a monthly charge
of £45 over 12 months, £55 for older age groups.
This was a total annual cost of £610 per child.
This did not include playing kit, the teams did not train or play regularly at the stadium,
and training was not centrally delivered by the football club.
The new Centre of Excellence model does have a joining fee of £200 and a monthly charge
of £70 over 10 months of the year, giving an annual cost of £900.
This includes the provision of full kit, training and matches delivered at the stadium on the
new 3G pitch, UEFA qualified coaches, a structured player development pathway aligned to a senior
semi -professional club, video analysis, and food provision after all home games.
The club is also launching open mid -week and weekend grassroots training sessions from
September or hopefully sooner, which will be open to all ages and genders.
This will cost £8 .50 per session and be designed to provide accessible entry -level football
opportunities outside of the performance pathway.
The club would welcome dialogue with Kent County Council regarding participation in
the holiday activities and food scheme and other initiatives to support families facing
hardship.
This is a new structure delivered directly by Fokse and Invicta FC.
As with any new initiative, it will be reviewed and refined as it develops.
Demand for the new Centre of Excellence has been strong with 108 children currently registered
for trials at the end of April.
And do you have a related question?
Cllr Anita Jones - 0:19:44
No, I'm grateful for that answer and clarifications, thank you.
Cllr David Godfrey - 0:19:49
Cllr Anita Jones - 0:19:49
Thank you, very thorough answer there, thank you.
Question 6 from Councillor Godfrey to Councillor Pater.
Oh, Councillor Pater, the medium -term capital plan which will be discussed later this evening
Cllr David Godfrey - 0:20:04
contains provision for £6 million for the revert of pounds for the refurbishment of
pool of which $2 million will be required from potential borrowing in 26 -27.
Whilst the Conservative group is fully supportive of providing a pool in high, it
questions the wisdom of spending that large amount of money on an ailing pool
which is already cost for a substantial amount of sums annually, simply patch it
and keep it open with no income stream fully supporting it. Could the cabinet
improvise where members can review the business case and financial
justification including assumptions of capital funding, borrowing costs, projected income,
ongoing operating subsidies, projected lifetime and lifecycle maintenance. Thank you.
Thank you for your question, Councillor Godfrey. I am happy to have a warm -up for this evening.
Cllr Tim Prater - 0:20:53
Very pleased to be able to put forward a provisional sum of £6 million into the MTCP tonight,
which forms part of the balanced budget,
which will be considered by all councillors
during this evening.
Now as you'll know, because Alan would have told you,
officers presented the council's strategic leisure approach
to overview and scrutiny committee in January.
This included a capital grant contribution
to assist with the reopening of Folks and Sports Centre,
the refurbishment of Hyth Pool,
and consideration of the land available at Martello Lakes.
The report also noted that a future further provision
would be provided at Otterpool Park,
which is part of the planning permission and will serve the bigger catchment area.
Members of Overview and Scrutiny Committee are supportive of the strategic leisure approach.
So, at present, the £6 million that we'll discuss tonight for the high pool refurbishment
is just a provisional sum. There is a considerable amount of work underway with officers working
closely with leisure centre consultants to consider the options for the refurbishment project.
Those options will include like -for -like refurbishment, a value -engineered option,
and enhanced options.
All options will include replacing the plant and equipment
so it's not just a case of patching up what's already there.
Officers are also considering green technology
for the building, including air source
and ground source heating options,
and solar panels to improve the carbon efficiency
and reduce the running costs.
The work which is underway will include a full analysis
of the capital costs, the maintenance costs,
and the income streams to inform the business case that will be presented to overview
and scrutiny committee and to Cabinet later this spring.
That is when a decision on whether to proceed and the scope of those works will be made.
However, when they do, this budget would then give us the scope to look at a wide
range of different options and allow us to start in year.
I hope that helps.
And do you have a related supplementary question?
Yes.
Cllr Anita Jones - 0:22:51
Basically, we don't have all of those things just yet.
Cllr David Godfrey - 0:22:56
We have a wish list.
Can members be assured that the residents will not be exposed to escalating and unfunded costs over the future years?
Councillor Croato.
That's the question.
Well, like on Prince's Parade, we're looking at spending up to £6 million, not up to £4 million,
Cllr Tim Prater - 0:23:21
£45 million as the previous administration did and failed in their project. So we are
hoping that we will bring forward a pool for a very small percentage of the money that
you failed to do.
Cllr Anita Jones - 0:23:30
Moving on to question 7 from Councillor Alan Martin to Councillor Prater.
Cllr Alan Martin - 0:23:40
Thank you, Chair. The Cabinet has agreed to pay £2 .4 million in a grant to support Folsom
Sports Centre. Indeed, a one -off capital grant intended to make the facility more sustainable
is more acceptable than an ongoing commitment to subsidise, and most would agree that we
should support the pool reopening. It is, however, a significant concern that we should
be spending such a large amount of money to support an asset our council does not own
and without direct control over its management. Can Councillor Prater please share why the
Council is comfortable offering a grant rather than, for instance, a loan secured on land
owned by the charity and lay out a business case that demonstrates that the facility can
be run sustainably without risking the pool closing and the Council wasting its residents'
money.
Councillor Payser.
Cllr Anita Jones - 0:24:30
Thank you for your question, Councillor Martin, and it contains an error. The cabinet has
Cllr Tim Prater - 0:24:35
not agreed to pay £2 .4 million to anyone. As per my previous response to Councillor
Godfrey regarding Hive Pool, overdoing the scrutiny committee, as you all know, because
you were there, considered this matter as part of the wider strategic leisure approach
at its meeting in January. Members of that meeting, as you all know, because you were
there, agreed that it was important that we support the sports trust to get Folkestone
Pool open as soon as possible.
You'll be aware that previously we have paid a significant annual revenue grant, not alone
a grant to the Folsom Sports Centre for as long as I can remember. Possibly not as long
as Jenny can remember, but for as long as I can remember. However, now the council have
been approached regarding the possibility of a more substantial but one -off capital
grant. That allows them to make a major investment, including reducing their running costs and
with no request for ongoing subsidy. However, the budget within the capital programme, as
for Hivepool, represents an in -principle allocation. Cabinet will formally consider and decide
the matter at its meeting in March. Investments in any leisure facility will, of course, carry
a certain level of risk. Officers have been working hard to minimise these risks and address
these through the careful drafting of a grant agreement. That agreement will be considered
at that time to ensure it both enables the pool to open as soon as possible and ensures
that swimming remains there long into the future.
And I can also confirm that it has been agreed with the Sports Centre Trust that there will
be a charge put on the land in favour of the council for the period of the grant agreement
in which the pool must remain open, be available for swimming lessons, be available to swimming
clubs and schools. So that is designed to safeguard the interests of the council and
local taxpayers and will be a part of the consideration of the grant in March.
And do you have a related question?
Cllr Anita Jones - 0:26:26
I've said that actually, but...
So...
Cllr Alan Martin - 0:26:32
We'll just have one of them if that's okay.
I guess there's detail to come.
It's not clear in my mind how we can put attached to a grant,
a claim on the land in the same way you can secure a loan,
but I'll let you guys work out the detail of that
and we can look at that then.
I guess my question is,
from what you've seen from the charity,
do you believe the pool can be run sustainably
and we wouldn't be wasting 2 .4 million pounds
if we offer that as a grant,
as opposed to offering as a loan
and expect them to get that money back
at some point in the future?
Councillor Proater.
Cllr Anita Jones - 0:27:22
I'm going to wait until we've seen those papers at the cabinet meeting. I'm going to wait
Cllr Tim Prater - 0:27:27
until we've seen the agreement in place and that is being negotiated with officers. But
I do know that Shepway Sports Trust have got a now considerable history of delivering sports
and running facilities like this across our area. And I see no reason why they can't run
that one as well. But I look forward to seeing the details in March.
Cllr Anita Jones - 0:27:51
Thank you. So moving on to question 8 from Councillor Keene to Councillor Jim Martin.
Cllr Nicola Keen - 0:27:57
Councillor Martin, the Council and other interested bodies have begun legal action against Southern
Water. Can you tell us what progress has been made to date and that you can share with Councillors
and residents, please? Councillor Martin.
Thank you very much for your question, Councillor Keane. The Council has not begun legal action
against Southern Walter. We have previously discussed our legal options with other district
councils for the potential for legal action. We remain in contact with this group, but
Cllr Jim Martin - 0:28:36
But for any action to be effective, it would need to be supported by, and indeed probably
led by, the water industry regulator, Ofwat.
Do you have a related supplementary question?
Yes, I do.
Cllr Anita Jones - 0:28:49
Cllr Nicola Keen - 0:28:50
Should we go into legal proceedings against Southern Water?
Can I ask that the council, all councillors in this room are kept abreast of what's happening,
especially councillors that brought border on the sea.
You know, it's affecting everybody.
So can I ask that we have an update
of what's happening with Southern Walter
because it's gone very quiet.
Thank you.
Councillor Marston.
Thank you very much.
Councillor Keenan.
Cllr Jim Martin - 0:29:18
Well, last week we had the Southern Walter
Stakeholders Group meeting in the chamber.
Very, very well attended.
We had traditionally a very feisty meeting.
Councillor Cooper, Councillor Hills,
Councillor Thomas all attended.
And the discussion was very detailed,
I think the other councillors will agree,
very detailed and increasingly more and more technical.
I think they used this phrase, citizens' science.
and there's clear evidence in that group of the citizens
actually get a lot better at the science
and trying to hold Southern Water's feet to the fire.
It's extraordinarily difficult
because Southern Water will roll out experts
who will tell us stuff that we don't believe.
And so we're in this kind of loop with them.
With regard to the legal action,
this was something about 18 months ago
that was started by Wilden District Council.
This was following on from Ofwat
taking legal action against Southern Water
and fining them, you'll recall, 91 million pounds.
We had a meeting with Ofwat.
And then we had another meeting where we got legal advice.
This is a large group of, I think there were 15 district councils.
And the legal advice was that the messages coming out from Ofwat
was that they, having fined this enormous amount of money
to Southern Walter, that they were prepared to work with Southern Walter
rather than take their resources through fines
to work with Southern Water to try and see if they can make an improvement.
We certainly haven't seen any improvement here,
but legal action really isn't on the horizon at the moment,
but the group is still together.
So if it does, you know, become an option,
there will be a lot of people that are ready to take it.
So I hope that gives you a bit more info.
Cllr Anita Jones - 0:31:44
Thank you. And then question nine from Councillor Keane
Cllr Nicola Keen - 0:31:48
to Councillor McConville. The recent bad weather that we have experienced has seen a lot of
damage to the wooden beach huts. My question is, are wooden beach huts really fit for purpose
and should we as a council not look for a more sustainable material or better quality
wooden structures? Councillor McConville.
Thank you for your question, Councillor King. Storm Guretti was a freak storm for which
there was no warning.
We've experienced many storms here across the district,
none of which have ever affected our beach huts in that way.
This is largely due to the excellent work
that our engineering and buildings team carry out
with funding and support from the Environment Agency.
Following the storm, officers reacted quickly to assess the damage.
Five beach huts needed to be replaced,
you know, which is quite a low number considering the total number that we have.
Six more required some minor carpentry repairs
and approximately 15 needed to be re -sited
but did not sustain any damage.
The replacement beach huts and repairs
are subject to an insurance claim.
Wooden beach huts are used throughout the country
in all seaside locations and have been for over 100 years.
Other beach hut constructions such as concrete are available
but they are rarely used as they are not financially viable.
I do have a related supplementary question.
Cllr Anita Jones - 0:33:12
Cllr Nicola Keen - 0:33:13
Cllr Anita Jones - 0:33:15
Okay, thank you. So we'll move on to Item 8, announcements to the Leader of the Council.

8 Announcements of the Leader of the Council

So as ever, we'll have 10 minutes for the Leader and then five minutes for each opposition
response followed by five minutes for the Leader's right of reply.
Councillor Jim Martin.
Cllr Jim Martin - 0:33:32
Thank you very much, Chair. Good evening, members. I am in a lot better health this
this time around, so, and I had intended to try
and keep these announcements as short as possible
because we've got a lot on the agenda this evening,
but sadly I've failed.
But just to start with a quick piece of good news,
which is that we had notification from Network Rail today
that they have completed the purchase
of the Barking Goods Yard
to establish an intermodal transfer hub.
This will allow freight trains to travel from Europe through the Channel Tunnel and to the
Intermodal Transfer Hub in Barking.
This has the potential for reducing the lorries on the M20 by 140 ,000 lorries per year.
So for us in our geographical position, there's a very, very, very good news.
Storm Guaretti we've heard about and just to update members, the repair bill for Storm
Guaretti to us has just passed $110 ,000 and we think that the final cost may be $200 ,000.
Some of that is subject to some insurance claims but it's an expensive little storm
that's caused us some issues.
The Town of Culture expression of interest,
the government is inviting towns across the country
to express their interest in competing
for the title of Town of Culture 2028.
We will be expressing our interest.
Many individuals and organisations have been in contact
wanting to be involved and groups,
sorry, and the competition is already having a galvanising effect by giving so many different
groups a single objective to aim for.
We will be collating all of these community inputs and we look forward to being hugely
successful.
Moving on to local government reorganisation.
The consultation on local government reorganisation is now open and I would encourage everyone
to participate.
Members will recall this council voted to support option 3A which groups us in a unitary
with our neighbours Ashford, Canterbury, Dover together with Fannock.
As part of the ongoing LGR process, the government has recently announced a new wave of foundation strategic authorities
for areas without a strategic authority or MAIR, Kent and Medway have neither, nor an existing devolution agreement.
and expressions of interest are being invited by the 20th of March.
Throughout our LGR journey, I have kept members briefed
on our and the Kent and Medway -wide request to government
to secure devolution for Kent,
and numerous letters requesting this alongside LGR have been sent to ministers.
Indeed, I think as has been said before in this chamber,
the additional funding and finance that has been promised
to flow from devolution is the only reason
that we are all persevering with it.
The foundation strategic authorities are part
of the English devolution and community empowerment bill
and are the first rung on the ladder
towards greater devolution.
Strategic authority status and further
to mayoral strategic authorities,
sorry about this, foundation strategic authorities
represent the lowest level of the devolution framework.
So it's a first step on the ladder.
The sensible geography for the foundation strategic authority
is widely acknowledged as Kent and Medway.
While the precise scope of responsibility
has yet to be determined, it may have devolved powers
on such things as transport, adult skills,
planning, economic development, climate change,
health and wellbeing, public service reform,
and public safety.
So, while we have all written supporting the idea, we now have to make a formal expression
of interest which will begin to be reviewed by the Government from the 20th of March.
I anticipate the expression of interest will be county -wide through a submission made by
the Government leaders.
In terms of recent national planning announcements, alongside the foundation strategic authorities,
government has also announced spatial development strategies.
The duty for these in time will fall to the foundation strategic authorities.
In areas without mayoral devolution or a strategic authority, these need to be developed across
sensible geographies, the criteria for which is scale with a population of over 1 .5 million,
wherever possible, public service boundary alignment and ensuring no islands are created.
The consultation outlines this as being the Kent and Medway footprint.
Government will consult on introducing strategic planning boards in spring.
The secondary legislation for this is expected to be laid before Parliament by the summer
recess.
Current strategic planning authorities, such as Kent and Medway, will not be able to commence
formally on a strategic development strategy until the legislation is commenced, expected
in the summer of 2026.
However, preparatory work can now be undertaken in anticipation of the duty.
Currently there are lots of partnership work going on across Kent, Medway and the districts
in preparation for the development of a spatial development strategy and learning from other authorities.
With regard to both of these developments, I shall keep you all updated as more information becomes available
and the LGR cabinet working group will be fully briefed at their 24th of March meeting.
Essentially, these are the stepping stones towards devolution.
So I'm sorry it seems as dry as a desert.
Moving on to Otterfield Park.
Otterfield Park is at a critical stage.
The meetings, discussions and communications with Homes England are intense and much is
being discussed.
I am sure the Council will understand when I say there are a number of those discussions
that Homes England do not want me to repeat in public at this stage.
I can confirm that Homes England are resourcing the project intensively and at a very high
level.
I realise that members will be frustrated by my guarded comments and I fully understand
I will be convening the Otterpool Working Group shortly to update the Working Group
first.
Then it is my intention to hold an all -Counsellor Otterpool briefing when I am able to explain
more without being tied by confidentiality. I was delighted to hear that KCC intends to
finally commence the repair works to the Road of Remembrance and the cliff above it. The
road has been closed for two years but I understand the cliff stabilisation works will begin this
summer.
Southern Water, my discussions with Southern Water continue. We have taken over the chair
of the stakeholders group from Southern Walter.
We have had reason to write yet again
regarding the overwhelming amount of untreated sewage
Southern Walter had discharged into our seas
so far this winter.
The level of untreated sewage being discharged
into our sea is truly scandalous.
Work to separate FOLKA1 and FOLKA2
is to begin very shortly together with works to the roof,
window replacement and further stripping out works.
We anticipate signing an agreement
with the Integrated Care Board very shortly.
We are hosting our own Armed Forces event,
supporting our Armed Forces community
and celebrating the Focht and Nepalese Community Centre,
which is on Thursday the 5th of March, 10 .30 to two.
The purpose is to bring together all
of the local armed forces veteran groups and charities
to highlight what we're all doing in support
of our armed forces and veteran communities.
Just to bring you up to date with my attendance,
I've attended Kent leadership meetings,
East Kent leadership meetings.
I have attended meetings with developers
and businesses across the district.
This council is a good business.
I met with KCC on a variety of matters.
I have met on several occasions with both of our elected MPs, and I am speaking tomorrow
morning at the CALC conference in New Romney on local government reorganisation.
Thank you.
Just about made it in time.
Thank you.
Okay, so we're going to first of all hear from Councillor Lockwood.
Thank you, Chair.
Thank you Jim for the update and for the work you do for us and on behalf of our residents.
I'll keep this brief because we've got a very long agenda this evening.
Just on the town of Culture, absolutely delighted that we're going for that.
That's a fantastic opportunity for this town.
I think we all know what an amazingly creative and cultural town Fosun is
and we've got every chance of doing well in that competition.
It's a very tight turnaround.
I think it was only announced, was announced a few weeks ago,
opened a couple of weeks ago,
and we have to submit the expression of interest in four weeks time or something.
So very short.
Thanks to the Council for organising the workshops yesterday.
Lisa Kefaula managed to get to one of those.
It was brilliant.
Lots of energy in the room, lots of ideas.
So thanks for that.
and thanks for meeting so quickly on what's going to be quite complicated and difficult to bring together so quickly.
Just going to reiterate something I said at the last meeting that we all start to look forward to things opening instead of things closing.
We're bored and fed up with things closing, so good to hear updates on FOLKAR, the Road of Remembrance,
Fokeston Sports Centre, all of these things in action and will open at some point.
And also happy to work with fellow Fokeston town councillors to see if we can do something about the library as well.
And I just really wanted to mention the budget that we're going to talk about later.
I don't know if we'll have the opportunity to say this part about the budget, but what
most residents' interaction with what we're going to discuss later is the council tax
bill arrives on the doormat in a few weeks' time and guess what, it's gone up.
I don't ever remember council tax going down, so I don't think anyone's going to be surprised.
But my point is that the sheer amount of work that goes into putting these things together,
we've got 288 page pack tonight. Most of that is budget related around the housing budget and the council budget.
And that is a summary of the work that's been done by our officers and the team here.
You know, the council tax bills, what residents see,
they don't get, you know, all the government settlements,
the grants, the grants seeing grants out,
revenue, capital expenditure, reserves,
investments, policy, medium term planning.
There's millions of things that go on behind the scenes.
So I just wanted to thank the team,
particularly Alan and Jonathan here,
for all the work that they put in, and councillors across the country are all in the same boat,
and all the people that have put these things together so that residents can be confident
that the money's been spent properly. And that's what I'm going to say for this evening.
Thank you.
Thank you. So we'll move on to Councillor Mr Jenny Hollingsby.
Oh, Councillor Martin, could you just switch off your microphone, please? Thank you.
Cllr Jennifer Hollingsbee - 0:47:49
I'm just wondering how we go off piece in terms of the statement that Councillor Martin
has made. I take your point. Storm Goretti, I think we talked about that, expression of
interest in the town and culture. I think it's an excellent idea. I have to say I was
I was a bit nervous when the original memo came out
because I thought, what about resources?
How can we afford to do it?
But then I was very pleased to hear that this is not just us,
it is all groups within,
all groups who want to be involved in the area.
So I think that is really good.
I think one of the things I saw on television last night
in the news was Chatham are also applying.
We have competition with Chatham, but I don't think we have competition, have we?
On the local government reorganisation world, it just goes on and on and on, does it not?
I think we heard about the Foundation's strategic authorities at an early stage, actually.
and maybe the government are now thinking
that we ought to actually be a foundation.
And I think in terms of the spatial issue,
Kent and Medway is about the right population.
So it seems a sensible thing.
But on the consultation of the different models,
I was quite surprised, and I'm sure other people were,
that the single unitary was actually taken out
to consultation, because to my mind,
it didn't seem to actually meet any of the criteria.
But who can tell the government?
So I wait, and I look forward to the meeting of the working
group on the 24th of March.
but it will be interesting to work through those ideas.
Excuse me, Oth
confidential discussions that are taking place
and what the outcome of that is.
And I suppose one of the questions I want you to ask is,
Holmes England are, as you say here,
a resource in the project.
What have we got to put in to match?
Because I think from the budget,
we're putting about two million pounds in to match that.
So is that what Holmes England put in it?
I don't expect you to answer, but
I mean from what I read, we're actually also putting two million in and
you know, we keep spending money but we don't actually see
any outcomes and I'm really keen to see an outcome.
Roda remembers, I think we talked about that, I talked about that before anyway.
Southern Water we talk about all the time and I leave that to the
experts. The Armed Forces are absolutely lovely. I hope to make that meeting but I'm not sure
whether I will be able to. I would like to thank you for attending all the meetings you
do on our behalf. Thank you.
Thank you. Councillor Martin.
Cllr Jim Martin - 0:51:29
Thank you very much, Chair. Thank you both, Councillor Lockwood and Councillor Hollingsby.
just really going off piece, just to reiterate
Councillor Lockwood's thanks and analysis, I think,
that when it all boils down to a single figure,
there are few people who understand the amount of work
that it takes to get to that single figure.
And I genuinely promise Councillor Hollingsby
that I will reveal all as soon as I can.
So, I hope...
I hope...
Sure.
All right.
I will...
On article.
I will reveal all as long as a chief executive tells me I can.
Thank you.
Cllr Anita Jones - 0:52:20
So we'll move on to item...
Oh, no.
We need to propose in seconds.
Sorry.
Sorry, happy to move my announcements.
Cllr Jim Martin - 0:52:28
Thank you.
And happy to second.
Cllr Tim Prater - 0:52:31
Cllr Anita Jones - 0:52:31
Thank you, so Councillor Pottier to second.
All in favour?
Thank you.
So moving on to item 9, Portpolia Holder reports.

9 Portfolio Holder reports to Council

They're included in your pack.
Again, thank you to all of our excellent cabinet members for their reports.
Been working really hard on behalf of us and our residents.
So again, thank you for all your hard work and your detailed reports this evening.

10 Opposition Business

So moving on to Item 10, opposition business.
We don't have any, and then we don't have any motions on notice.

11 Motions on Notice

So we will move on to 12, which is our revenue budget, capital strategy, capital programme reserves, balances, treasury and investment strategy,
and medium -term financial strategy and council tax for 2026 -27.
That's quite a long sentence, isn't it?
Councillor Proater to propose.
Cllr Tim Prater - 0:53:24
Thank you. I'm naturally delighted to be moving the proposed 2026 -27 Revenue Budget
Capital Strategy Capital Programme Reserves and Balances Treasury and Investment Strategy
and Medium -term Financial Strategy alongside the Council Tax Requirement for 2026 -27. As
you'll see, that's on pages 27 to 190 of your packs, and as in previous years, I have five
minutes to do so. Thanks, Susan. Challenge accepted.
This is the third budget of this administration, and it's the third that I've had the privilege
to present. It's the third in a row that is a properly balanced budget, which is not funded
from general reserves. That's unlike, for example, the last budget of the previous administration
here that did use general reserves. It's unlike this year's budget from Kent County Council
too, because that also used general reserves to balance it. And without using those general
reserves, we are putting forward a sub -3 % council tax increase again, which is lower,
incidentally, than the council tax rise from Kent County Council again.
And that solid, responsible financial management has put us in a place where we can push on
with investing in our facilities, our residents,
and our businesses.
We started doing that at our last meeting,
and thank you for doing so.
We made our council tax reduction scheme more generous
to the lowest income working age families in our area.
In this budget, we're funding a five million pound investment
in new council owned temporary accommodation,
so that's emergency housing for those that most desperately
need our help.
The capital programme in front of you today helps fund the £13 million investment in
FOCA 2, which gets us a brand new combined medical and commercial centre, built and open,
with a business plan that pays for itself. It allows for, subject to future decision,
funding for a £2 .4 million grant to allow Shetway Sports Centre to get Folkestone Sports
Centre reopened this year with massively reduced energy costs and no ongoing cost to this council.
It allows for, subject to future decision, £6 million to rejuvenate high swimming pool.
It allows us to look at improving the facilities there and extending its lifespan for a fraction
of the price of a new pool. There's more money for grants for external organisations. The
business grants over the next three years. It allows for £100 ,000 into supporting the
Town of Culture bid for Folkestone, because that could bring over £3 million to the town
in 2028. It could bring countless visitors and a renewed sense of purpose.
So every budget line has been through. Everyone's been checked for inflation and realism and
cost pressures and expected to mop. And of course, I didn't do that. So my thank yous
are to Alan and to Jonathan and to Daniella
and the whole of the finance team
who've brought this budget together.
The council's accounts now are up to date and audited
and our budget before you today is robust
and our position is strong.
And it's the finance team that made that budget happen
and it's the scrutiny that that budget has gone through
that has got it here.
So I get to present it, but it's the blood, sweat
and hopefully only occasional tiers that make it work.
Now, I highlight a few specific points
that we'll be voting on this evening.
Recommendation three that approves the change
to MRP calculations.
Now, I know that sounds really dull
to everyone except Conor and myself,
and it's crystal clear for years
that both Conor and myself need to get out more,
but it is a fundamental and crucial piece of work from Alan
that makes a massive difference to our budget
over the coming years.
It's safe to say that this would be a very different position and a very different budget
without that work.
Recommendation 4 sets a council tax increase of under 3 % on the council tax that we set.
And Adrian's point is very well made.
Remember that our part of council tax is only around 13 % of the council tax bill.
The rest of it goes to Kent County Council, to the Police and Crime Commissioner, to Fire
and Rescue to Town and Parish Councils and to the Fochs and Parkes and Gardens special
expense. Our part of the council tax is only 13 % of the bill that people get through their
door.
Recommendation 7 reaffirms the second home premium and empty homes premium, which is
designed to try and encourage as many properties as possible locally into use as homes for
people. And it also helps us fund the council tax reduction for those on the lowest incomes.
Now, clearly every budget is about choices.
It's a 23 million -pound budget.
It's set across thousands of income and expenditure lines.
And it's just not every line is going to please everybody.
But I do hope that the intention and aspiration of this budget matches the intention
and aspiration of this Council.
We could have huge confidence in the future.
If only we weren't being abolished on the 1st of April 2028.
Ellen is unbridable.
Please do vote for this budget.
It's our budget and the good things that I've outlined in it are good things for this council.
Thank you, Councillor Poyter.
Cllr Anita Jones - 0:59:01
And do you have a seconder?
Councillor Jim Martin.
So this is now open for debate.
Cllr Jennifer Hollingsbee - 0:59:20
Thank you, Councillor Prita for that interesting speech yet again. I would just like to make
a comment. You made a comment about me earlier, perhaps about my age because I may be a little
by thanking the officers for all the work that they put into the budget.
I would particularly like to thank Alan and Jonathan,
who spent a lot of time with me this morning going through the budget
and probably thinking, what on earth are we doing here with her?
But they were very good, very useful, and thank you very much indeed.
And thank you very much indeed to the team that put the budget together.
Yes, it is a balanced budget without using general reserves.
But of course, there is quite a lot of earmarked reserves within that budget.
So, I understand that it's not general reserves, but we have used earmarked reserves,
and of course, that reduces those reserves.
And as said many times in the report, our reserves are adequate.
It doesn't say they are excessive.
Adequate is fine, but they are just adequate.
And we talk about on page 128 about the pressures on the budget.
There is a whole list there. You don't need me to read them out.
But please look at those pressures on the budget.
And we haven't got those reserves to cover all of those pressures.
Your mic has gone off, sorry.
Cllr Anita Jones - 1:01:17
Oh, sorry. The MRP, I like that as well.
Cllr Jennifer Hollingsbee - 1:01:23
I wanted it earlier when Otterpool was being considered
at a much earlier stage.
And I see that the new way of calculating it,
which means we can actually use it for last year,
or the current 25, 26, is that right?
And what does it do for 26, 27?
It produces 2 million pounds,
2 million pounds to be used in the budget.
So we've got earmarked reserves,
we've got 2 million actually,
that's been used in the budget.
No wonder we haven't used any general reserves.
We didn't need to.
So I have to look at my bullet points, sorry.
And yeah, so, and although Princes Parade,
the 3 .5 million write -off, is nothing to do with this budget.
I just want to mention it again, and I would say, like I said in the question,
is that site value for money for the council?
Is it a value of our assets?
I don't think it is, and I'm sure lots of other people don't think it is either.
Excuse me.
No funding has been proposed for any work or development
of the Princes Parade site, I asked the question why.
I may have answered it earlier, but I asked the question why.
Why has 6 million been proposed, and I know it's 2 million
one year and 4 million another year,
why is it being proposed for upgrading Hydepool when it needs to be replaced?
It does need to be replaced.
I think, I mean, under our administration,
that wasn't as bad as Councillor Pater makes out.
In fact, for a number of years,
of course we always had a balanced budget.
We had reserves as well.
Maybe we used them because we were able to use them.
And we had them.
And so when it needs to be replaced,
what happened to Nicholls Quarry site
that was such a good alternative?
Councillor Paretta constantly said about Nichols Quarry as a good alternative.
And I understand that no work will be undertaken at Highspool before the Sports Centre pool
is open.
So you know, the timeframe on that.
Otto Paul, I think I've probably said enough about that.
I mentioned here about the costs and how much we're actually putting into it.
I know it's only quite a small amount, but 61 ,000 for ottupool properties,
they should have been demolished, either developed or dealt with
and made fit for human habitation, or they should have been demolished.
Why are we going to pay 62 ,000 every year for council tax on these properties?
It doesn't seem sensible to me.
I'm sure it doesn't seem sensible to lots of other people.
I'm sorry, I'm going to have to ask you to finish there.
Thank you, though.
So, is there any other councillors that would like to speak?
Can I just say, can I just finish?
We've run out of time.
Unfortunately, in the current circumstances,
I cannot support the budget.
Thank you.
Cllr Anita Jones - 1:05:01
So, who else would like to speak, please?
Thank you.
Councillor Godfrey, you were first.
Thank you.
Do you want to try that?
Cllr David Godfrey - 1:05:17
Yeah, I begin by applauding the officers for all the work they do on these budgets.
Every year they work hard, they work very diligently on trying to get us this balanced
budget.
But in the 19 years that I've been on the council, I've always been able to phone
the balanced budget.
Always, because we have to.
And there are several ways of doing that.
One way is to increase your council tax.
I'm really delighted to see that we're going for the minimum possible here.
And that's great.
You can use earmarked reserves, you can use general reserves,
you can use reprofiling.
This is council speak for actually kicking the projects back down a few years,
so I hope we don't have to pay for them this year.
And you can use prudential borrowing.
Wonderful.
So let's look at reserves.
It says in Appendament Six that the council has prudently built up its reserve in recent years.
Actually, those were conservative years, no matter what council equator says.
And now we've begun to use those reserves, nothing wrong with that.
And they are now currently, as Councillor Hannon has said, currently at an adequate level.
So we've got to be a bit careful.
With its section of 106, the council does not hold sufficient capital reserves, Appendix
5, page 6.
Therefore the majority of the approved capital must be funded through prudential borrowing.
That includes this proposed huge spend on reflowaging Hyde's Pool.
I'm not going to go back over the Prince's Parade thing.
He'll always throw it up.
It's the only answer he's got.
However, I don't think this is good money.
The proposed six million is basis ottipool
for ottipool for opportunity tasks for the pool for FOCA.
However, it says quite clearly that ottipool park,
which was gifted to you by the Conservative administration,
and you've said that many, many times
since you've been in power here,
is going to be relied on to actually,
the basis of pending surplus assets disposal
and receiving the capital receipt.
In other words, we're more with Gene Autry Park.
But that keeps going down the back and back and back,
which really worries me.
So I'm really delighted that we are gonna get
some positive news, I hope soon,
because we're already two or three years delayed.
So, the S151 officer comments,
''Members should ensure themselves that they are comfortable
that the proposed budget meets the statutory legal requirements
whilst delivering value for money for regards to the districts.
I don't believe that this proposed $6 million is meeting that requirement,
and therefore I'm unable to support your budget.
Thank you.
Councillor Lockwood.
Thank you, Chair.
Councillor Godfrey, could you switch your microphone off, please?
Thank you.
Cllr Adrian Lockwood - 1:08:16
Thank you, Chair.
I'm going to disagree with my fellow Conservative councillors and say something different.
I'm just going to focus on one area, if I may, which is reserves.
Reserves are there for prudence and, as it were, a rainy day.
and we are currently at an adequate level of reserves.
I would say it's a comfortable level of adequate,
looking at the numbers and what the government recommends.
My point is that this will be the last budget we do
for a full year of this council existing.
We will set a budget next year for the remaining few months of this council.
And notwithstanding advice from Grant Thornton, our auditors,
statute, our obligations as keepers of council tax payers' money,
Reserves are there for what might happen next year.
The unknowns, the things you don't know are happening.
So I understand that, but given that you could say,
well, we're keeping this money to one side
because we don't know what's happening next year.
Well, this year is the first time, and only time, in this council's history that we know
exactly what's happening next year.
This council will come to an end.
So why are we carrying adequate reserves into that endpoint when we could arrive at that
endpoint with minimal reserves and use that money for the good of the people of Folkestone
and Hive, whether it's people struggling with the cost of living, struggling with housing,
anything we can do with that money to help our residents, I think we should.
Thank you.
Cllr Anita Jones - 1:10:45
Councillor Scofan.
Cllr Stephen Scoffham - 1:10:52
Yeah, I'd just like to pick up on some of the things which Councillor Prater said at
and making the point that it was a principled budget.
And I think that that is precisely what he outlined when he introduced it.
Just a couple of, it's going to be very brief, but just a couple of headlines.
One is the 5 million pounds for temporary accommodation and homelessness, which is hugely
important in alleviating the terrible conditions of people who are in those circumstances,
and there is a very good use of that money.
I think we should just acknowledge that.
It is wonderful to have a budget that has the scope to do that.
On an ethical level, if you turn to page 91, 92, you get the ESG, the environment, social
and ethical elements of our investment policy, our treasury and management strategy, which
is principled.
That sets a leadership for the district.
So we're showing on one level that we care for social justice and we care for the way that our money is invested.
So there is a budget that actually stands up for something which is worth standing up for.
How the figures are arrived at and the alchemy of balancing the books, wonderful to know that we are in good hands.
And thank you very much, we've said it before, but to Jonathan in particular and the whole team for producing the figures which do add up.
I'm very happy to support a budget which has principles behind it.
Thank you. Councillor Alan Martin.
Cllr Anita Jones - 1:12:29
Thank you, Chair.
Cllr Alan Martin - 1:12:36
So the budget balances, and as Councillor Prater identified,
largely due to technical adjustments and reprofiling,
Yes, we have used our reserves significantly,
although earmarked reserves,
and I have no real beef with that.
We've also made significant changes
to the minimum reserve provision methodology,
and of course, there's always lots of profiling
as projects slip backwards.
I don't really feel there's anything particularly new
going on outside of those technical adjustments
other than the leisure strategy,
which I'll come back to.
Just on the minimum reserve provision,
I do support these changes,
and I think it makes a lot of sense
in our current position ahead of the LGR changes
to look at things like how we structure our capital plan
and consider doing things a little bit differently.
It is, however, quite complex,
and it has a huge impact on the budget.
And I just ask that we provide some really clear communication and greater transparency
around this to councillors and to residents to actually explain why we've made the changes
and how it impacts the budget.
It's really important that councillors and residents understand the main drivers in a
budget and historically that's making savings to something or investing in something here.
it's a technical accounting thing
that's really driving the budget changes.
And I don't think many people out there
would really understand what's going on.
I think we should explain it to them.
As I mentioned a number of times in overview and scrutiny,
of course I was there, Councillor Prater,
I would like us as a council to better understand
the practises and financial position
of our neighbouring councils,
who of course will be joining in the future.
And I guess I'm heading in a similar direction to Adrian,
although I'm not suggesting we look to spend our reserves.
But I think the point is an important one,
that I'd like us to better understand how we compare
with our fellow councils.
And what do their numbers look like?
What are their MRP methodologies?
How do they look at capital management?
How does that compare to what we do?
Are we more bullish on some things?
Are we more cautious on other things?
And I think it's really important
if we're gonna put our best foot forward
and represent our residents in our decision -making
that we actually understand whether or not
there's a level playing field out there
and the extent to which maybe there is more
we could be doing or not.
In reality, on investing day,
Everything gets thrown into a big pot,
as we've been told a number of times now.
And it's really important that our residents
don't miss out now or in the future
from decisions that we make today.
Just briefly on the leisure strategy.
It's not really a leisure strategy.
It's what happens when you don't have a strategy.
If anything, it's just a repair bill.
The six million pounds hive pool,
I'm not sure this is something that we would be
thinking about spending six million pounds on
if we had either proceeded with a leisure sensor
in Princess Parade or, having decided to kill that,
come up with a viable plan B.
Now, fair enough, the administration killed off
Princess Parade, it was their right to do so,
having got elected on that ticket.
Three years have passed since then,
and I don't see a strategy, I just see us having to repair
and pick up the pieces from us having done nothing
for six years.
So it's a six million pound bill that comes from inaction
and us being forced to repair, maybe can't for printer,
pray to revamp somehow an existing pool.
I do have concerns around the swimming pool
and how that money gets spent and I look forward
to seeing the detail of that.
I'm not against us supporting the pool,
but we need to make sure that we don't waste,
we don't waste our residents' money.
Now, I heard Councillor Prater had a,
I think it was an overview and scrutiny subcommittee
recently, which I was also attending,
that this leisure strategy feels like pretty good value,
I think were his words, versus the alternatives.
I can see why he says that and I can see why he thinks that given the current situation
that we are in where we are in real danger of losing the two swimming pools that we have
in our district.
If the administration had worked proactively on a plan B, we wouldn't be in the situation
that we are now in.
It is for that reason I can't support this budget.
Thank you.
Just in time.
Thank you, Chair. I hadn't really intended to say much about this because I leave it
Councillor Tony Hills - 1:18:00
to my more learned people over here, though I do tend to agree with them, particularly
when it comes to higher swimming pool.
But, but there's an interesting line
where it says, we'll talk about that.
Juggle, yeah.
Yeah, what I was gonna say was that on 2 .4,
we actually talk about looking across
some of the challenges we're gonna face.
There was one, it says climate change,
adaptation and mitigation costs.
Well, if we should have learnt one thing, Storm Guretti came out of the blue, the EA had given us no warning whatsoever,
they didn't know what was going to happen, it really worries me because when I was involved at region,
we were very hot on this and I'm now getting a bit concerned that they're so hollowed out with manpower wise,
that they've got anybody there who knows what they're doing.
Historically, they were really good at this sort of thing.
Coastal surges are important to understand.
It's not simply high tides, it's not simply storm events, it's coastal surges and other
factors come into place.
And I would think we got a lot more prepared.
Our leaders said 200 ,000 estimate for what storm threat is going to cost us.
We've got to weigh lights.
It could be a lot worse.
We're entering by 2045 what I've read and spoken to Met Office people, into potential hurricanes.
So we have to be fit for purpose. But I take the point, come by 28, we won't be in existence anymore,
and it will be somebody else's problem. Hopefully it will be our problem, because I want this to make sure we actually
We protect our residents.
We actually make them more climate change resilient.
And that's what I'm coming for.
So funding, I'd like to see some more research going in
to where our threats are.
And a lot, this is fantastic amount of work's
going into this.
And I applaud everybody for doing that sort of work.
Even if I don't agree with it, I still applaud it.
But it's an interesting situation.
I think we've got a lot more work to do in this.
I really do, in preparing for what's coming.
I don't always sound like the voice of doom, if I normally do,
but it is happening.
You might not see it, but it's happening as we speak.
I mean, you should be aware of that.
But I can't support this budget if I need a high pool.
Thank you.
Councillor Speakman.
Yes, I mean, I will support the budget over.
I'm actually over a high pool,
Cllr Jeremy Speakman - 1:20:49
because I'm actually looking forward to a significant uptick in my popularity.
Because, I mean, probably not a week goes past when I say,
what are you going to do about Hive Pool?
It's been neglected for years and you've come in
and you're supposed to have done something about it and you haven't.
And now we're going to come up with, hopefully, a significant sum of money.
Not just to endlessly patch it up,
because it's now, I think, pretty much a museum piece, really.
It needs a complete makeover redone.
It's good to see that we're going to be looking at things like solar panels
and heat pumps and all of that.
I know that I'm going to have lots of very happy residents in Hyde,
thinking that at last somebody has listened to them, for once,
and we're going to do something about Hyde Pool.
So, great. Thank you very much.
Thank you. Councillor Mike Blackmore.
Cllr Anita Jones - 1:21:39
Cllr Mike Blakemore - 1:21:41
Yeah, I'd like to follow on from what Councillor Speakman said, because I think we're not just
listening to residents in HIVE, we're listening to residents across the district, and certainly
here in Folkestone where, just as Jeremy has had lots of questions about what he can do
about HIVE pool, so we have about Folkestone pool.
And I'm really delighted that the Sports Trust have brought the pool.
I was lucky enough to have a tour of the building on Monday in the dark, because the lights
are gone and it was very cold in there.
But their plans for it, the bit that we're giving our money to is the swimming pool,
but they have some very exciting plans for the rest of the site there.
And it will be a community facility, it will be a community asset.
Everything that they're doing, they are a charity after all, is with the community in
mind.
It's not making money, it's not making profit, it's serving the community.
And I'm really glad that we cannot saddle them with a loan, as somebody suggested, but
but give them this grant up front
so that they can deliver that for us.
Likewise with Hive Pool, it isn't just patching it up,
it is making Hive Pool fit for purpose.
Yes, you could say it would be lovely
to have a nice new leisure centre here.
Other districts are doing that
and they're borrowing huge sums of money to do so.
Princess Parade was never a leisure centre.
It was a small pool in a small site in the wrong place.
I'm surprised that Conservative College
are still talking about why aren't we building on the site,
I think the fact that they're not listening to the public,
that they don't want that, is the reason why I'm sat here
and they're sat over there.
But more than that, I'm also delighted that we're able to
reinstate the Green Grants Scheme for another year,
and that we'll, as Councillor Prater touched on,
expand our community grants programme.
I'm looking forward to us taking the details of that
to overview and scrutiny in April.
It's really important ahead of 2028
that we support and empower community organisations
in the way that we're doing the town and culture bit,
but in many other ways besides,
I was at one of our regular networking events
this morning in Hyde, tended by 50 community organisations.
And it's fantastic that we can support them
through ward grants, through community grants,
and in other ways too.
And I'm very proud that we're able to do that.
It's really important that we listen to
and support our community,
and that's what we're doing with this budget.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Councillor Jim Martin.
Cllr Anita Jones - 1:24:02
Cllr Jim Martin - 1:24:05
Thank you very much, Chair. Just really to pick up on a few points of discussion, I find
myself here again this evening agreeing with Councillor Hill's. But just to amplify his
point, we will have all noticed that we've had an enormous amount of rain recently. So
the biggest environmental flood issue going on at the moment is Southern Walter are doing
a 24 hour tankering operation from Newington and Pene
to discharge water into the canal.
This is fresh water because of the risk
of the nail -borne overflowing.
Now, you may say, well, rivers overflow all the time.
If the nail -borne overflows at Newington and Pene,
all of the sewers from Liming to Elam
down to Range Road in Hyde stop working.
Now, you know, believe me, people say,
well, what is the impact of global war?
What is the impact of climate change?
That's the impact.
You won't be able to use your toilet.
So, anyway, I just wanted to make the point
about the reserves.
Now, we have coming about to land on this
government initiative, the fair funding formula.
Now, we had prepared for the fair funding formula
and we thought we were okay.
But when it landed, we got a tap on the shoulder
that said it was gonna have a detrimental impact on us.
Alan, to his great credit, said,
all of my figures proved that it shouldn't.
We should have a neutral.
It should have no impact on us at all.
And went into bat very, very strongly for us.
A special arrangements interview with MHCLG
and discussed the issue and proved to them
that they had calculated this incorrectly.
And it's all about Councillor Godfrey's point,
earmarked and non -earmarked reserves.
So again, I find myself very grateful to our head of finance
who convinced the government agency, which is remarkable,
that we were right and they were wrong.
Now, just Councillor Martin quite rightly makes the point,
if you look at where we are
in terms of this fair funding formula,
in terms of the 12 district councils in Kent,
we are sort of top of the bottom third
in terms of indebtedness.
So we, compared with our fellows,
we do have some scope.
But, and you know, I'm very happy to admit it, all of those borrowings which come from,
largely from earlier administrations, are all based on assets.
They're all asset -based.
Whereas there are some other of our fellows who have borrowings that aren't asset -based.
So, we are in a solid position.
And while, you know, reserves up and down, EMR,
all the things you said, recrofiling, all that,
I'm very, very, very happy to support this budget
because I think it's a solid direction for the future.
Now, as other people have said this evening,
that future may not be that long.
and I agree with Councillor Lockwood's point about that we may have to rethink the way
that we look at the money available to us and what we do, but we still run the risk
of local government reorganisation not happening.
Literally, the government could stop it tomorrow if they wanted to.
So if we had prepared a budget on the basis of preparing
to maybe have a different budget,
we would be left looking very foolish.
So we've done the prudent thing.
We've looked forward.
We're running the type of budget that we would do normally,
but we will be taking all of your points on board.
And in fact, they've been discussed previously
because I think that will be a consideration that comes back to this council in the future.
So thank you.
Thank you.
Councillor Paul Thomas.
Cllr Anita Jones - 1:28:43
Thank you, Chair.
Cllr Paul Thomas - 1:28:48
I just want to pick up a couple of points that have been raised by residents with me
and things that are in this budget which will please them, actually.
So again, on section 7, as Councillor Praetor has already said, the last part of that premium
300 % for properties empty over 10 years.
We have a number of properties on Little Sown Sea Front
that despite the best efforts of our offices here,
we've not been able to get those back into general use.
So I'm really pleased that there's this financial penalty
for those people who choose not to work with us
to get those properties in.
I think that's a fantastic thing for our residents to hear.
Just in terms of Appendix 10,
where we look at fees and charges.
It is something that residents and local businesses
have commented to me on.
So in section 215, where we talk about fees and charges
going up by 3 .6 % by CPI,
it says in there that we'll continue to review that.
And I think it's really important
that that message gets out there
that we will continue to review that,
because increasing car parking charges, for example,
will directly impact local businesses.
Local businesses have been hit very hard with a number of different factors which have affected
their ability to remain in business. And for us to have viable high streets, it's really
important that we get that balance right between making it available for people to come and
visit our high streets rather than go to, say, stores that don't charge you for parking,
for example. So again, those businesses that have been hit by national insurance contribution
increases, by business rate increases. I think the fact in here we said we will continue
to review those charges and make sure they are reasonable is very positive. So I will
support this budget. Thank you very much, Chair.
Thank you. Councillor Cooper.
Thank you, Chair. First of all, I can say thank you to the second one, the Fire and
Cllr Tony Cooper - 1:30:44
Oil Officer Alan and Jonathan and the rest of the team and Tim for all the work that
you have done and the credit should be given, Chair. However, a third of this district complies
I'm going to endorse what Paul is saying, in respect of what local businesses and people have told him.
I've also been told there is nothing in this budget for them.
Whilst it is welcome, the increase, and we've all got it set, the council is set irrespective and everyone knows that,
it's welcome that it's less than 3%. That should be congratulated and celebrated.
However, as I say, there is a feeling on the march that this district council finishes
Nicole's land out. And to increase expenditures down that way, I would suggest that you actually
send people out there, do a couple of surveys, and provide some services. Because people,
whilst you understand the work pay for council tax, are not happy. That there appears to
a lack of investment, for example, in Folkestone.
We've got the Folkestone one, we've got the Folkestone two,
we've got the, we've got the, the,
we've got the thing going on and everything else.
And it doesn't appear to be anything like that
on the March unfortunately.
And whilst I'm not gonna agree with what the Conservative
groups say, might vote against,
but I'm not gonna support them, I'm afraid.
Thank you.
Cllr Anita Jones - 1:32:11
Cllr Nicola Keen - 1:32:12
Councillor Keene. Thank you. I'm really shocked that I'm agreeing with the Conservative
Councillor, but it's really sticking in my throat about the money that we are going to
be giving to a sports centre that we, before it went into administration, could have saved.
That pool has been used by children in Fokland for many years and it's a great loss to this
town and I'm not convinced as a councillor that the people of this town are going to
benefit from it going forward.
It will become a private health club, costs will be high and we're going to give them
2 .4 or 2 .5 million grand.
What we should have done is we should have used that money
before they went into administration.
We should have used it to bail them out
and taken that pool over as a district asset.
And I'm really disappointed that we've let down
the people of Folkestone, and I do totally agree
with what Councillor Martin says.
I don't think we should be giving that money
to a private enterprise, whether they're a charity or not.
That money could have saved that pool and it could have held it for this district, not
just for Folkestone, but I just get really tired of hearing what Hive gets. Folkestone
gets nothing and Hive gets it all.
Cllr Anita Jones - 1:33:40
Is there any other councillors who would like to speak? Councillor Meade.
Cllr Jackie Meade - 1:33:45
Sorry, is that on? Yes. Not quite as passionate in what I'm saying. First of all, I would
like to thank all the officers and everyone who's been involved in putting this budget
together. I was involved in alternative budgets at KCC for four years. I do realise how much
work goes into them. But what I also know is it's about choices. It's about the directions
that you want to go down.
And there is an awful lot to applaud in this budget
that I'm very, very happy to support the council tax help
and sort of like very of the other, what I regard as really positives.
But I do have concerns.
I do wonder why we are looking at giving a private enterprise
over two million pounds to get the swimming pool up and running when we
could have bought it for less and done it ourselves. That seems really short -sighted
to me and what we still don't have is genuine and clarified certainty.
We're called It's a Charity. Well, lots of things can be a charity but what we
haven't seen any clarity on is the pricing for local people, for local schools.
And I'm wondering if the reason why we're looking at the over two million
pounds is because where we were supporting them each year with a
hundred and fifty thousand pounds, which probably did help bring the prices down,
is if we've gone into discussions to give them a lump sum because we won't be
here in two years time. But where is the regulation or the agreement that once we
finish being here they won't then go cap in hand to the next part of the
authority when we become a unitary. That really really concerns me. I want a
swimming pool in Folkestone. I desperately want a swimming pool in Folkestone but I
just don't think giving 2 .4 million pounds of our taxpayers' money is the right way forward
to actually get this open. So I'm going to leave it at that because I've got quite a
lot to say about the housing and various other things that are coming up this evening. But
thank you.
Thank you. Councillor Goddard.
Cllr Anita Jones - 1:36:20
Thank you, Chair. I wasn't going to get too involved like my fine colleague, Councillor
Cllr Clive Goddard - 1:36:25
but Nicola sort of pressed my buttons and I like to...
You know, like our fine Chancellor said,
you know, this is third budget.
Like David, I've been here 19 years.
I was a wee boy when I walked through the door.
19 years later, grey hair.
But I do believe our administration
froze council tax many times, you know, in my early days.
But going back to Nicola, I love to agree with you, by the way.
Yeah, 2 .5 million, we should have bought the swimming pool, you're right,
and we wouldn't be in this position, but that's gone.
We can now look at possibly the £6 million that you earmarked for HIVE.
You know, we've already put 5 million for emergency housing and that,
perhaps that's 6 million, think how many council properties we can do with that.
You know, or emergency housing.
And then perhaps cut back on the HIVE swimming pool situation,
because that adds up six million for that,
two and a half million for the Piva Health Club,
and then Jacuzzi, et cetera, et cetera.
So, yeah, I'm a bit uneasy with that.
With the money there, I think we could have put that
more into housing, we need more housing.
The beach huts, we could build them in bricks and blocks.
And, you know, put the money in a better place.
So, unfortunately, I can't support the budget.
I like the money going into the emergency housing,
I'll give you that credit and I like the, obviously the ward budget, it's always banging
about now, that's good, helps the community.
First of all I like Adrian's idea about spending all the reserves, I like that.
Because we have, but I think somebody said, and I forget who, I don't believe this is
going to happen.
You know I think what we are now, the fifth government minister trying to push this through
since the lovely Angela left.
So you know that could still fall at the last hurdle.
So I understand what you're saying there, Leader, about being sensible in the money.
But I did like Aidan's idea first of all.
Spend all the money, then when it comes to, you know, there you go, we haven't got any
money left, bye bye.
But you've got to be sensible and unfortunately Aidan, I can't support our idea.
I did put a first for all, so.
But unfortunately I can't support this budget for those reasons and support Nicola's fine
show.
Thank you.
Are there any other councillors who would like to contribute?
Councillor Walker.
Cllr Anita Jones - 1:38:51
Just very briefly, again to say, this is a well -intentioned budget
Cllr Belinda Walker - 1:38:56
and I thank the officers and Jim for trying to work on it.
But I do want to pick up on Nicola's point about the Sports Centre.
It does sit within my ward.
A lot of older, slightly, people who don't do sport have used it in the past
and wanted to continue to use it.
So rather than it being a health club for the fit and healthy,
It's getting those supporting the way into sport for the first time.
And to pick up on Adrian's point earlier about the town of Culture,
one of the things that was discussed in this roundtable
was connecting the countryside and the sea
and using health and wellbeing as a way in.
The Sports Centre could be entitled to that,
but will we have any control over it?
Thank you.
If there's anybody else who'd like to speak, this is your opportunity.
Cllr Anita Jones - 1:39:44
Otherwise, I'll hand back to Councillor Proater.
Thank you.
I've been looking forward to this.
Cllr Tim Prater - 1:39:51
Thank you all for your comments,
some of which I agree with more than others.
A few of those comments I'll just quickly go through.
Yes, we are spending earmarked reserves
because that's the point of earmarked reserves.
You put money into a pot in order to spend it
on the thing that you want to spend it on,
and then you spend it on the thing.
That's the point of spending money.
have putting money into an earmarked reserves is to spend it on the earmarked
purpose. And we are.
Why are we looking at things like spending 2 .4 million pounds on getting Folkestone
swimming pool reopened, 6 million pounds on leaving Hithe pool in a state that people
would like to see, in looking at a new facility at Martello Lakes? That's Nicholls Quarry
in old money. Why are we looking at these? Because we are investing in the future of
the facilities of this district while we still exist, because in two years' time, decisions
will start to be taken outside this district, and they may not invest in Hyde Pool, and
it will stay in the condition that it is for now until they close it. They may not invest
in reopening Fergston Swimming Pool, so it will remain closed forever. They won't get
in place a contract which would ensure that there is reasonable price for swimming and
reasonable access to folks from Sunimple because they'll be doing it from Canterbury or Ashford
or somewhere else. This council has the opportunity now with this budget to invest in the facilities
which the residents of this area have wanted to see for years and will want to see for
decades to come. And the intention of this budget is it actually makes that investment
to allow us to have those facilities because we can do it in the time in the remaining
timeframe. Yeah.
I am coming back to Prince's Parade because, Alan, you weren't here. I'd love to say
Jim and I would love to say we killed the Prince's Parade development. We didn't.
It was dead in November, in December 2022. The scheme was paused.
It was financially and run out of money.
It couldn't proceed.
There was no way forward.
It was dead.
It fell to us when we formed this new administration
to bury it.
Tragically, it's a rubbish site to bury things in,
but we've done our best.
So refurbishing Hyde pool in its current location
for six million pounds, I said it's a bargain.
It's a bargain.
Because the scheme, when it became financially inviolable,
had gone to 45 million pounds on Prince's Parade
before it became inviolable,
and even the previous administration realised
we couldn't afford that.
So I'm gonna return to the recommendations,
because it was said earlier,
as Alan says on this budget,
and the robustness of reserves and things,
we're asked to note that in his opinion,
the estimates used in the production of this budget
are adequately robust and that has determined
that the level of reserves and balances
for 26, 27, inadequate.
They can't say that in all councils.
I sat in a county council meeting two weeks ago,
whereby the statement of that which tried to say that
without saying that took about 14 pages
and had more weasel words in it
than you wanted to think about.
This was a very clear, very positive,
and very Allen -like statement
in terms of the robustness of our reserves.
And it allows us to do the things that this council should want to do.
It will allow us to see folks from having a swimming pool
worthy of its name reopen again this year.
It will allow us to have Hyde Swimming Pool being rebuilt to a standard
that you want to go and swim in Hyde Swimming Pool,
just starting in this year.
We can do the town of culture bit.
We can get those grants into place.
And we can say that we did that.
As opposed to which you're going to turn around and say you voted to have the worst possible swimming facilities in Hyde
and you voted to have no new swimming facilities in Folkestone.
You're going to vote for that? That's weird.
So I'm just asking you to vote for this budget. I mean I would, wouldn't I?
But I'm doing it not just because it would make me happy, but because actually for voting for it you're making the things that would make this district better happen.
You're going to see swimming pools reopening. You're going to see kids swimming in their
own towns. You're going to see a town of culture bid coming forward. You're going to see new
green grants. You should be voting for the things that this council can do before this
council no longer exists. Please vote for this budget.
Cllr Anita Jones - 1:44:44
Thank you. So we're going to move to a vote. And because of council procedure rule 17 .4,
A recorded vote must be taken to set the council tax.
So Gemma, if you're going to leave that, thank you.
Councillor Mike Blakemore.
Ms Jemma West - 1:45:00
For.
Councillor Polly Blakemore.
For.
Councillor Butcher.
For.
Councillor Chapman.
For.
Councillor Cooper.
Abstain.
Councillor Davidson.
Abstain.
Councillor Fuller.
For.
Councillor Goddard.
Against.
Councillor Godfrey.
Against.
Councillor Holgate.
For.
Councillor Mrs Hollingsby.
Against.
Councillor Hills.
Against.
Councillor Jones.
For.
Councillor Keane.
The same.
Councillor Lockwood.
The same.
Councillor Alan Martin.
Against.
Councillor Elaine Martin.
for Councillor Jim Martin for Councillor McConville for Councillor McShane
abstain Councillor Mead Councillor Prater
Councillor Scoffin Councillor Scoffin for Councillor Shoebe for Councillor
speakman for councillor Thomas for councillor Walker abstain
councillor wing for
Cllr Anita Jones - 1:46:55
So, 16 have voted for, five against, and there are seven abstentions, so that has passed.
Thank you.

13 Housing Revenue Account Revenue and Capital Original Budget 2026/27

Cllr Anita Jones - 1:47:18
Cllr Anita Jones - 1:47:23
I think we're going to just adjourn for a few minutes just to give everybody a small
and then we will come back as soon as you are ready.

13 Housing Revenue Account Revenue and Capital Original Budget 2026/27

Cllr Anita Jones - 1:47:30
Capital original budget 2026 -27.
So, Councillor Shubh, you are proposing?
Thank you.
Cllr Rebecca Shoob - 1:47:41
I am delighted to recommend this HRA budget to full Council.
I would like to thank the finance and housing officers
who have worked so hard to put this together
and ensure that we have a budget that will deliver this Council's
ambitious 30 -year HRA business plan. This will allow us to build and acquire more council
homes, as well as invest in our current homes and provide the best possible landlord service
to our tenants.
I would like to speak briefly about the revenue budget. You will see that the rents are proposed
to go up in line with the rent standard of CPI plus 1 % with affordable rents capped at
the local housing allowance rate.
And this is in line with the agreed HRA business plan.
The service charges are proposed
as per the recently agreed depooling project,
which is the full cost recovery along,
and it will be implemented alongside
the Tenant Support Fund.
I hope and trust everyone is aware
of the excellent year on year results we've had
with the tenant satisfaction measures.
And this revenue budget underpins the day -to -day
running of our landlord service and of our homes.
In the face of the ongoing housing crisis,
and with over 1 ,200 households on our housing register,
we know that there are many more affordable homes
needed throughout the district.
And so I'm absolutely delighted that we have
just under 8 .5 million in the proposed capital budget
for additional affordable council -owned homes.
And just as a reminder of what's currently been delivered
or in the very near pipeline,
so last month we took on the first 10 completed homes
at Risborough Barracks,
and we should have the remaining 34 completed by the autumn.
Other schemes due to complete in the coming year
We include 26 homes in Boundary Road, Hyde,
19 homes in Liming and Romley Marsh,
and we're also working to secure up to an additional
20 properties for use as temporary accommodation,
which should help relieve significant pressure
on the general fund.
I'd like also to highlight the significant ongoing provision
for energy efficiency improvements across our stock.
These measures not go towards not only bringing down individual tenant bills, but, crucially,
should bring about improved living environments and greater comfort and welfare for our tenants.
So, to sum up, this budget aims to further increase the number of affordable homes available
to people across the district, and at the same time, maintain and improve our existing
stock and make sure we continue to provide the best possible service to all our tenants.
So I hope you can support the budget and I'd like to move the recommendations. Thank you.
Cllr Anita Jones - 1:50:57
Thank you. And do you have a seconder? Councillor Proater? So this is now open for debate. Councillor
Mead.
Cllr Tim Prater - 1:51:01
Cllr Anita Jones - 1:51:02
Thank you very much, Chair. As I said, this is the part of the budget setting that I tend
Cllr Jackie Meade - 1:51:09
to get on my high horse a little bit every single year.
Because one of the biggest caseloads that I have
is to do with the absolute desperate state
of our housing stock.
And we continually bring this to our housing department.
Continually.
There's mould, there's damaged properties
that are not getting fixed.
There are roofs that are leaking and these are, you know, homes for vulnerable people
with children. There's damp. You can go into some, I know some of my councillors here recently
have been, and if you touch the bed, it's soaking wet. And yet, we're going to put their
council tax up, or their rent up, over the cost of inflation. That's adding insult to
injury and I'm sorry I cannot support that at all. And I'd also like to pick up, and
I know you're not used to me sounding so passionate about some of these things, but this is a
real bug there for me. The heating charges in sheltered housing. These are the sheltered
housing that hails some of our most vulnerable people. You're going to put that up by 10%.
Now you've only got to look at the news today on the TV. Heating costs are coming down.
Yeah? But we're going to put it up by 10%.
We put it up, I believe, last year and the year before
on top of a council tax increase and on top of something around the region of 7 % rent increase.
How are these people supposed to manage?
The rents that we're charging are quite often above the level
that if they're having to claim the benefit,
it's actually over.
They're having to top this up
for properties that aren't in decent condition.
So we're not looking at the right place to spend this budget.
So I'm sorry.
We need to completely revisit this
and start looking after our existing housing
before we go for affordable.
and let's remember affordable is 80 % of market value.
And with the increases of the local rents,
especially in Folkestone,
that's out of so many people's range.
They can't even get into private because it's too high.
And we're saying, oh, we're buying affordable housing.
It's not affordable.
So we're relying on our council housing and it's falling apart.
So I've got off my soapbox now, thank you very much.
Thank you. Councillor Keane.
Cllr Anita Jones - 1:54:18
She's lent me that soapbox because like Councillor Meade,
Cllr Nicola Keen - 1:54:21
not a week goes by when I'm not asked to go to a house that we own
that's part of our housing stock that there isn't something wrong with.
It took me well over a year to get double glazing in the house.
I'm not going to say the road, but I think everybody in my group know about it.
Affordable, what is affordable?
Affordable is 80 % of the market rent.
Most of the people in my world don't earn that kind of money.
They certainly can't afford affordable housing.
What I want to know is don't keep banging a drum about affordable housing.
When are you going to build some more stock, some more council housing, social housing?
because I'm sick of hearing affordable because it's not affordable.
Anybody can go out and have an affordable house,
but in Fodestone, you've got to jump through hoops to get a council house
and quite frankly I'm sick of hearing it.
But, you know, don't keep telling me about affordable because I'm getting tired.
Are there any other councillors who would like to add?
Cllr Anita Jones - 1:55:23
Councillor Godfrey.
Thank you. I have a lot of sympathy with my colleagues on the left who said, because I
Cllr David Godfrey - 1:55:34
know full well that there's a lot of the properties that are not up to standard, but I would say
to you that if we had not bought it back in house under the previous administration, you'd
be in a worse state, a much worse state. There isn't enough money to go around. And I can
recall one of the first things we did was Ross Way. It's the only time I think Councillor
said to me, well done, we improved those flats and got them up to a standard that they are
now. There is enough money to go around, we need to find more money to go around. And
therefore I will support this budget but I do believe that Councillor Goddard was right
in saying that £6 million for Hyde Hall would have been better spent on more homes. Thank
you.
Thank you.
Are there any other...
Oh, Councillor, this is Jenny Hollingsby.
Cllr Anita Jones - 1:56:23
Thank you.
I'd just like to say I agree on the affordable housing.
It is very difficult.
Cllr Jennifer Hollingsbee - 1:56:31
We hear about affordable housing all the time, but we do know that it is actually 80 % of
the value, so it's not really affordable.
But that's not really what I wanted to say.
I just wanted to mention Evry's cult.
I couldn't go without actually mentioning it,
because the residents in my ward are very keen
and still very keen to have a community facility there.
I know the arguments for having the five flats,
I quite understand, but they are,
I just thought I need to raise it and say
that if there are any opportunities
for community facilities in living, that would be great.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Councillor Lockwood.
Thank you, Chair.
I just wanted to say a few words about service charges, if I may.
Cllr Adrian Lockwood - 1:57:24
This is the year in which we de -pool service charges so that people pay what they're building
costs rather than a fixed amount across the piece.
We're one of the last councils to do this.
Nearly every other council did this years ago.
Because we're doing it now, it's going to be quite difficult for some of our residents
because the difference between what they have been paying and what they're building costs,
in some cases, is a big jump.
And I know a couple of points I'd like to make.
Firstly, thank you to all the people who've worked on this, because getting things like
utility bills lined up and so on is a nightmare.
And it's taken, I think, two years to get to a point where we can do this, because those
things take time. So thank you for the staff who have gone through that tortuous process
of doing that. And thank you to this council for finally taking the mantle here and making
sure that people are paying for what they're receiving in terms of in their particular
The reason this is quite difficult for some people is because of the size of the gap.
And the reason that gap is so big is because previous administrations in this council kicked
the can down the road.
They thought this is too difficult to do.
We won't face it, and there's going to be a big rise in service charges if we do it.
So the can was kicked down the road.
This administration has taken the mantle, done the work, sorted it out, and it's happening
now and includes a scheme that pays for, I think, up to 75 % of the people who are being
hit the hardest. So we're supporting people through this and finally having fair service
charges for something that should have been done many, many years ago. I just wanted to
make that point.
Thank you. Councillor Pater.
Cllr Anita Jones - 1:59:52
Cllr Tim Prater - 1:59:54
Thank you. I think there's been a misunderstanding on some of this. Where there was discussion
and there was a press release under the picture of Rebecca earlier this week, bringing
in the first 10 new houses from Shoncliffe, where that says affordable, that means LH8
rates. That means council house prices. They are being added to our council house stock,
and they are being rented on the same basis as the other council houses.
It's not 80 percent of normal rent.
It is council house stock being added to council house rents.
The next 34 that come on will also be added to that.
The ones in Hyde will be added to that.
The ones in Minnich, maybe, will be added to that.
There will be added to that.
We're talking about new council houses.
When we're talking about the HRA budget and the increase which is in here for council
that's right, to council rents,
that increase helps us fund the work
to improve the existing houses.
And there's a limited budget to do that,
but if we don't put the rents up at all,
then there's an even more limited budget to do that.
It helps us fund buying those new houses
at council house rent prices,
kept to the LRA,
so that people can actually afford to live there.
I accept the point that when people talk about commercially affordable rent, it ain't affordable.
These aren't that.
What this council is buying, what the HRA budget today allows us to buy, are council
houses for people who need them.
And that's what this budget allows.
Thank you.
Councillor Scoble.
Cllr Anita Jones - 2:01:38
At the risk of going off a little bit of a tangent, I just wanted to pick up on the point
Cllr Stephen Scoffham - 2:01:43
of Councillor Hollingsbury's point about community facilities in Liming.
I am recognising completely the difficulties around Everest Court and the need for it to
be converted to housing for the benefit of people who desperately need it.
I too would be pleased to see community facilities supported in Liming.
which I recognise as one of the five councillors
in the North Downs area,
that we don't have so much of a voice, as it were,
in this council.
I'm very pleased we hear from our councillors
from Romany Marsh on a very regular basis,
but the North Downs area represents
an almost equal population,
about 20 % of the population in our district,
and the community facilities in the North Downs area are important, and so I'm very
pleased that you raised that, Councillor Hollingsby.
Thank you. Councillor Goddard.
Cllr Anita Jones - 2:02:44
Cllr Clive Goddard - 2:02:49
Thank you, Chair. Thanks for that clarity, Councillor Price, on those houses. I did understand
that as what was happening inside. I'd asked Neil on 100 extra council houses with the
than the other houses being added all to be on the council list and to be council houses
with council rents, et cetera, et cetera.
You know, I do like this.
I understand why they're going.
I don't like putting things up, obviously, but I understand why they're going up to reinvest,
et cetera, et cetera, to do it.
Appreciate the houses for Romney Marsh and Liming also.
Liming was mentioned 19 with Romney Marsh.
I think it was one of the first towns to get council houses several years ago.
So we're the flagship obviously of the district.
But I must thank Councillor Shueb.
I've had a couple of housing issues in my ward.
I've emailed Councillor Shueb and her terms dealt with it very efficiently and I thank
you for that.
So I will support this and wish all the best.
Thank you.
If you could just switch off your microphone,
that'd be lovely.
Is there anybody else who'd like to speak on this?
Cllr Anita Jones - 2:03:59
So back to Councillor Shoe, please.
Thank you.
Cllr Rebecca Shoob - 2:04:05
Just pick up a couple of points that have been raised.
Picking up on Councillor Godfrey's point
about the housing coming back in house,
I do just want to highlight enormous credit
due to the team for really turning around the service
since it came back in house.
I don't think that can be underestimated.
Councillor Prater has explained the,
yeah, when we talk about affordable rents
in the council homes, it is capped,
capped significantly below what is permitted
to be affordable.
I would, just picking up on the heating charges,
which are listed for some of the sheltered schemes
that have communal heating at the moment,
I have been assured that no one pays anything like the cap.
It's, you know, there's, it's,
There's very little control over the heating,
so people can use as much as they want,
and there's no incentive to sort of,
you can open the window, turn the heating on,
there's sort of no incentive to really look at
what's been spent.
And that's why we're investing particularly
in the sheltered schemes,
so that we can have individual metering
and a much more efficient schemes
so that we can bring down people's costs.
But I just want to assure you that, yeah,
those numbers are high, but it's not reflecting
the reality of what people are actually paying.
I would just say, if you have visited homes,
you mentioned you've visited some recently
with issues, then please, please do give me a list of those
so that we can get the team to look at those,
see if there are any issues that need rectifying.
The, yes, we need more, I think everyone agrees,
we need more council homes, we need more affordable,
properly affordable homes.
The local housing allowance has been frozen.
That's not going up this year.
And that means everyone that is still relying
on the private sector, we know that there's a complete
mismatch between the local housing allowance
and what you have to pay in the private sector.
So the more council homes we can have,
we can offer those homes to more people
who are having to rely on extremely expensive
private sector accommodation.
And finally, yeah, I think if there's,
yes, we absolutely want to build more homes
and this budget allows us to do as much as we can
within the sort of prudential borrowing, et cetera, et cetera
but if the Labour government would like to give us
more support so we can build the number of homes we really need to. I would be very happy
about that. Thank you. I would like to move the recommendation.
Cllr Anita Jones - 2:07:48
Thank you. We will move to a vote. This is by a show of hands. Those in favour of the
Those against.
and nobody abstaining.
So 20 people have voted in favour of it.
We have nobody against and six abstentions.
So that is passed.
Thank you.
We are going to move to item 14. We will wait for our councillors to come back again. Welcome
back. We definitely need Councillor Fuller for the next item.
Item 14, the customer access strategy and Councillor Fuller, would you like to propose
this?

14 Customer Access Strategy

Cllr Gary Fuller - 2:09:15
Thank you, Chair. Yes, I would like to propose it. I am really pleased to be presenting the
new customer access strategy. Serving residents is fundamental to our role as a Council, so
it is vital that we have the right strategy to support people to access the services that
we offer. I would like to thank every officer involved in supporting our residents and in
developing the strategy. The strategy outlines the Council's approach to making sure that
Everyone can access services in the way that best suits them
with a focus on digital by choice, inclusivity
and continuous improvement.
Our previous customer access strategy
took a digital by default approach,
which turned out to be quite important during COVID.
We saw significant improvements to our digital offering
with the introduction of hundreds of online forms
and an impressive my account take up of over 81%.
I was really pleased when we successfully reached
the 80 % target, which I think makes us an exemplar.
And again, I commend the hard work of officers
in achieving that target.
However, the cost of living crisis and housing pressures
have significantly increased the number of residents
who need that more personalised and in -depth support
that we can offer.
It's become clear that there's a real need
for alternative ways for residents
to get the support they require, including those who can't engage with us digitally.
To address those needs, the strategy places emphasis on three key areas.
Supporting our customers, so we're strengthening what's called the multi -channel approach to
ensure that our services are flexible, tailored and are accessible not just by digital routes,
but also by telephone, face -to -face and so on. Inclusivity and accessibility,
So we're committed to ensuring all residents,
including those with disabilities, language barriers,
or limited digital literacy, can access services
in ways that suit them.
A simple example of this is actually where we're going,
where we're producing easy read versions
for various documents and so on.
But there's obviously much more to that than just that.
And also enhancing digital services,
which is where we'll, basically we'll continue
to make improvements, A, based on the feedback of residents,
but also looking at things like app functionality
and real -time updates, which is something
I'm particularly keen to see, having used housing online.
We're also exploring AI search and chat,
though it's very early days for these.
And obviously, we're keenly aware of the security
and ethical issues involved in using AI.
But ultimately, this strategy builds upon our existing strengths, such as our excellent
My Account Take -Up, while reaffirming our commitment to a multi -channel approach, ensuring
our residents receive comprehensive help irrespective of their level of need or chosen method of
getting that support.
I therefore ask the Council to approve the customer access strategy and thank you for
considering.
Cllr Anita Jones - 2:12:28
Thank you. And do we have somebody to second that? Councillor Proater. This is now open
for debate. Councillor Keane.
Cllr Nicola Keen - 2:12:36
What I would like to say is I would like to thank our staff. We have got some of the best
staff at district level in the whole of the county, but I think my biggest bug there is
is the fact that our staff are only available
to our residents between 10 and four.
I don't understand how we feel that people
fit into that box of 10 till four.
It also, when people ring, they're on the phone for ages.
I sat with the lady who was spending housing.
She was on the phone for an hour, over an hour.
And in the end, I had to leave
because I was on my lunch hour,
and I promised to go round and speak on her behalf
if she needed it.
10 till four is not adequate for council service,
I'm sorry, it really isn't.
From the moment I sit down at my desk in the morning,
my light goes on, whether I'm going out that day or not,
as soon as I sit down or turn my laptop on,
I'm available for members of the public to speak to me.
That's from half past seven if I'm sitting at my desk,
but generally it's eight o 'clock.
I don't think 10 till four suits everybody,
and it certainly doesn't suit a lot of our residents,
and the biggest bugbear is they can't get through
between 10 and four because there are so many people phoning.
We are cutting down the amount of time that staff,
we can, they work flexibly,
so have staff start and finish early
so that those phones can be manned from 8 .30 till five.
It's just not working until 10 .4. I'm sure the customer surveys are coming back that
are marvellous, because the ones you speak to are fantastic, but 10 .4 just isn't suiting
the residents of Folkestone. We need a service that is open from 8 .30 to 5 .30, like every
other council in Kent.
Thank you. Councillor Paul Thomas.
Cllr Anita Jones - 2:14:36
Yes.
Thank you, Chair.
Cllr Paul Thomas - 2:14:42
I support the strategy, but I think what we've seen over the years, particularly from rural
areas, is the fact that we've seen this rollback of services.
Sorry, should I use another mic?
Yeah, if you use the other mic.
Thank you.
Cllr Anita Jones - 2:14:56
Cllr Connor McConville - 2:14:59
A rollback of services, so just taking you on as a case in point, we used to have a one -stop
shop.
We had a period of time where we had a member of the customer team
that would come down to New Romley on a Wednesday morning
and provide immediate support to local residents.
That got rolled back then to a little kiosk that we had installed at the town council.
That's now been rolled back.
So my concern is that where we're in a digitally deprived area,
like we are, we've got an ageing population,
I support the strategy providing we also make sure that we're actually influencing as best we can
Those people who provide broadband services those people who provide the digital services to our residents in the district are doing
Everything they possibly can to make sure that we give people the best digital connexion that's available
And I have to say in in on Romney Marsh and particularly near Romney. I'm sure there's other places as well
of the other rural areas where we're not getting that service from those service providers.
So again, I think it's great that we've got this strategy.
I think it fits an awful lot of our customer base, and I'm fine with that.
But please, can we make sure that we really do push these service providers, provide us
with something which is fit for service, fit for purpose, and fit for the 21st century?
Thank you very much, Chair.
Thank you. Is there anybody else who would like to speak?
Councillor Meade.
Thank you very much.
Cllr Anita Jones - 2:16:34
Cllr Jackie Meade - 2:16:36
I used to have this argument an awful lot when I was at KCC
about services and broadband and all living in a digital age.
Well, guess what? We're not.
I obviously represent East Folkestone.
We are one of the poorest wards.
And as much as the marsh can't get a signal,
East Folkestone can't afford a signal.
And this is the honest truth.
We've seen it time and time again. And the reason
that you're getting good feedback on your customer services
is because the people who can't get online
to try and talk to people aren't giving you feedback,
they're giving up. And this is the problem. This is why they're contacting
local councillors because they feel that we can get through
where they can't. So there's something not working. And we've also got a very,
very high level of elderly people. And I actually classed myself in that now,
because I'm working with a lot of younger people and their IT skills,
their IT skills are just, they blow my mind. Now, I can work general, but I'll
you another example, trying to book a visitor's parking slot in your CPZ area. It's never
taken me less than half an hour to try and find my way through the system. That's not
good. We cannot rely on the digital. We are a people service. People want to talk to people
and preferably face to face.
And where we used to have a service desk
where you could crop up and, you know,
there'd be a line of people waiting to see certain people
and people would come down from the housing department
or from the council tax department.
If you turn up now, they're all working from home.
So there's something not going right.
So I'm sorry.
And I apologise, guys,
because I know how much work you've put into this,
but it doesn't work for me.
Thank you.
Cllr Anita Jones - 2:18:49
Councillor Tony Hills - 2:18:55
Thank you, Chair. I totally agree with Jackie, young Jackie Mead. It's a problem with elderly
people. Where I come from in Lid, we're not the richest place in the world. We don't have
a very good phone system in the sense of the signals and everything else. It is a problem.
So we need more simple systems. I see more paper used.
Sorry about being up here.
But it's a case of people can read and whatever.
Online isn't the solution to everything.
But can I just say one thing, which has worked exceedingly well.
Our officers are really good at this.
Whenever I've thrown up emergency situations to get an officer,
like 9 o 'clock in the Saturday morning, they're there.
and they're really responsive and they're reassuring, they'll get something onto it as soon as they can.
Now that's a great lifeline, particularly for councillors.
Without that we have a real problem, because you're quite right, no one's there until Monday morning.
So basically it's rude for improvement, but I do appreciate the amount of work being done on this.
I'm not against it, I just want to make it more open.
So, seven out of ten?
Cllr Anita Jones - 2:20:08
Cllr Jennifer Hollingsbee - 2:20:11
I just wanted to endorse what Councillor Paul Thomas has said in terms of the signal, even
though we are perhaps a little richer area in some areas. I don't know if any of you
have tried the e -consult. We are all supposed to do e -consult now. How many people have
had local residents ask them for help with the e -consult,
it's quite amazing.
People who you think would use social media
and online services are actually asking me
to help them with e -consult.
I mean, I've run out of the time,
and as I say, we're not the poor area of the district,
so it shouldn't perhaps be quite so difficult as it is,
I'm happy with the strategy, but I do think to take in mind that there are a lot of people
who need some help with digital.
Thank you.
Councillor Godfrey.
Thank you.
All the points that are being made are very valid.
Cllr David Godfrey - 2:21:16
This is an emerging strategy and will continue to be a strategy to try and improve.
That's all we can do is try and improve.
from that, I think there's a genuine attempt to improve here, we'll still always all need
some personalised services. What concerns me most is how do we stack up with those potential
partners we're going to get in bed with in a couple of years' time? Are they doing the
same thing? And if they are, are we now setting the gold standard? And I think that's what
concerns me more, that it would get worse as we get a bigger authority trying to deal
with this. Thank you.
Councillor Lecwood.
Thank you, Chair.
Cllr Adrian Lockwood - 2:21:58
I just wanted to follow on from the point about digital exclusion, and we've heard about
people who can't get a signal or are not able to access the technology for various reasons,
but I'm in the same ward as Councillor Meade, and what we have there is digital poverty.
So we have people who have top -up accounts,
and when the data runs out on that account,
that's it for the month.
They're stuffed, they're offline.
Some of these people used to go to the library
and use the internet connexion there,
but that's been taken away.
And so I don't feel like this strategy
is properly capturing that.
There's a lot of really good stuff in here.
A lot of thought's gone into it.
I'm not dismissing that.
I just think it could go a lot further.
I think maybe we should have another look at it.
That's just my thought.
Councillor Mike Blaitmore.
Yeah, I do agree, and I've argued myself,
Cllr Mike Blakemore - 2:23:10
about digital exclusion and things like bringing back
your district today, it's very important that you provide things to people who don't have
access to online.
But that's not what this strategy is doing.
We're moving away from a digital by default to one that looks at the needs of residents
individually and tries to find the right solutions for them.
So I think we are moving in exactly in the right direction, possibly we've much further
to go, I'm sure we have.
If this was a strategy that was suggesting digital firsts, digital normal things,
I've worked in organisations before where that's been pursued often for reasons of cost,
but I don't think that's what we're looking at here, and I'm happy to support it.
Thank you. Councillor Davidson.
Yeah, thank you.
Cllr Anita Jones - 2:23:58
And I commend the work that's gone into this and that Gary's put into it.
Cllr Laura Davison - 2:24:00
I think it's something that people feel strongly about
because obviously we're dealing with residents all the time
and there can be frustrations
in terms of trying to get issues resolved.
I was pleased to see a review of the customer access point
and whether the way that's operating at the moment
is the right way because having accompanied people
into to use those points, I'm not persuaded
that it is working the best way at the moment.
People have really busy lives.
They are operating at all different times of the day.
The ways that we can maximise people's ability to contact the council in different ways that
work for them, I think would be really positive.
I think as it stands, my group isn't supporting the strategy.
I would agree with Councillor Lockwood's suggestion that maybe we could have some more time to
look at it and develop it because I think it is a really fundamental policy to how residents
view us and the role that we play in the lives of residents is how they can contact the council
and get things sorted out.
Thank you and Councillor Cooper.
Cllr Anita Jones - 2:25:16
Cllr Tony Cooper - 2:25:21
Thank you, Chair. Can I draw members' attention please to the page 223 of the report. While
I think Gallaudet you should be given credit for all the work that you have been put into
this. Can I just refer you to paragraph 1 .5? And it says there basically, this includes,
but not limited, to the viewing screen reader compatibility, hearing -group systems, translation
of language services, as well as physical access to council offices. We've got an issue.
If someone's got an issue with the council, for example, 8 o 'clock, we can't get any council
offices because the doors shut until 10. And 99 times out of 100, this is an observation,
by the way, no criticism.
99 times out of 100, when you get through to the door,
the member of the staff you need to speak to
is young enough here.
Because, for example, if someone came in
over the planning matter, some of the planning officers
are not in any work from home.
Now, I think we need to look at this again,
because there was an issue last year, if you remember,
over the consultation,
respecting what people's needs were.
I would suggest that we actually consult with the people,
with the disabled groups, for example, and other groups, and see what their needs are.
Unless we know what their needs are, I don't think we can make assumptions.
And as I say, with what Councillor Davidson has said and Councillor Lockwood, I think it should be reviewed to include other people.
The document in front of the whole is good, but it's just got a couple of flaws in it. Thank you.
Thank you. Are there any other councillors who would like to add to the debate? It's
Cllr Anita Jones - 2:26:54
a good debate again. Thank you. We're going to go back to Councillor Fuller to round up.
Cllr Gary Fuller - 2:27:06
Thank you, Chair. I'm glad no one else commented on that. That's not the way to look at these
things, are they? I think, A, there's some very good points here. I think the crux of
is down to how we make it easier
for people to access council services,
which is the aim of this strategy.
There's issues around online access
in terms of both financial and infrastructure abilities,
as it were.
And I take the point about things
like the customer access point
and how we need to review that
and look at times and so on,
timings and indeed facilities.
I will just mention on the discussion on calls,
the most recent figures I have for the year to date,
our average call wait times are one minute and 39 seconds.
And we're answering 95 % of calls.
Those are the figures I've been presented with.
I have no reason not to believe them.
So just on things like the affordability
of online access.
That's obviously not something we can solve,
but I will just mention that there are things now
like the UK National Data Banks and things
that are not as well publicised as they should be,
to be fair, and it's something I have mentioned before,
actually, which are aimed at supporting people
on low incomes with basically free data,
because I think it was Councillor Lockwood
said that there are people that are very much reliant
on free data.
In fact, there was a study on the South Coast,
I think in 2015, 16, that talked about how
most single parent families in a particular council area
were accessing council services via mobile phones
using pay as you go.
So I'm totally aware of that, I totally understand that.
And this strategy won't solve that underlying problem,
but what it is doing is recognising that
we can't solve everything by just going,
pushing everyone to go online,
which was effectively the previous strategy.
I think in terms of sort of the elderly
and in terms of the sort of difficulty
of using the system, some of that has been recognised
in the sense that we are reviewing how my account works,
for example, and looking at making,
Although it's useful to have it, we're looking at making it possible to do things like complete
forms without having to have access to my account and things like that because that
does add an extra layer of complexity.
On e -consult, I can't really help with that, Danny.
I'm sorry.
I use it myself.
I totally understand your point on it, but yeah, I'm not responsible for the NHS.
Maybe one day.
God, I hope not.
God, I hope not.
In terms of how we stack up with other councils,
my understanding is that in terms of my account,
we're actually doing really well.
I went to a conference even last year,
possibly the year before now,
where a council was being lauded
for having 70 % take up for my account.
So I quite enjoyed sitting there smugly
knowing that we were 10 % higher.
In terms of moving beyond the sort of access to digital,
whether it be financial or through lack of broadband
or whatever, A, the library should be coming back this year
and B, Sandgate Library's still there,
so that is an option.
It's not ideal, but it is an option.
Coming back to the customer access point,
that is being reviewed.
That includes, we are actually looking at new
sort of technology solutions in there as well
because the stuff that's being used in there
is getting a bit dated.
In terms of the consultation that Councillor Cooper mentioned
to my knowledge we did consult with
various voluntary organisations,
including disability organisations.
But that doesn't mean we should stop, as it were.
That should be an ongoing process,
especially around disability.
Because not least, we have that equality duty
that requires us to, when it comes to adjusting for people with disabilities, to be proactive
in making reasonable adjustments.
So I can't say I disagree with any of the points that have been made. I'd like to think
that the strategy is beginning to recognise those things and is going to move us towards
dealing with those. Yes, I can't put in place broadband infrastructure, although I can certainly
a shout out broadband companies if you want me to.
No, I can't control the NHS.
But what I can do is take your feedback,
put it to the officers that we've worked with
to build this strategy and hope that the strategy
improves as we go.
So, I hope that everyone will support the strategy.
Thank you, so we're going to move to a vote
and it's by show of hands.
Cllr Anita Jones - 2:32:28
So those in favour of the customer access strategy in front of you, please raise your hands.
Those against.
Any abstentions.
So we have 21 in favour, seven against and no abstentions.
So that's passed.
Thank you.
So we will move on to Item 15, Pay Policy Statement.
And I believe Councillor McConville will be proposing this.

15 Pay Policy Statement

Thank you.
Yes.
Very happy to move that we adopt the statement.
Cllr Connor McConville - 2:33:27
It's a statement that we need to adopt as a council annually.
If you see on the track changes,
the changes from the existing policy and statement are minimal,
merely changes to dates and some figures relating to minimum wage, etc.
Very minor changes.
The personnel committee had no issue with the policy and hope you adopt it.
Thank you.
And do you have a seconder?
Councillor Martin.
And it's now open for debate.
Cllr Anita Jones - 2:34:00
So if there's no debate, we will vote with a show of hands.
Those in favour of adopting?
Okay.
I think that's unanimous, so thank you.
And lastly, item 16.
That is lastly, isn't it?
It is, yes.

16 Review of Committee Seat allocations

The review of committee seat allocations and I believe Councillor Prater is proposing this.
Thank you.
Move it as written.
And would somebody like to second it?
Cllr Tim Prater - 2:34:32
Councillor Jim Martin.
Cllr Anita Jones - 2:34:35
And would anybody like to speak on this?
So we'll vote with a show of hands.
Those in favour?
Let's see.
Oh, no.
Thank you.
Any abstentions?
That is 27 in favour, one against, no abstentions, so that is passed.
Thank you everyone and thank you officers for a good meeting.