Overview and Scrutiny Committee - Tuesday 7 April 2026, 6:00pm

Overview and Scrutiny Committee
Tuesday, 7th April 2026 at 6:00pm

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Start of webcast

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Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly

1 Apologies for Absence

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Mr Jake Hamilton
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly
Cllr Rich Holgate

2 Declarations of Interest

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Declarations of Interest

Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly

3 Minutes

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4 Minutes of the Finance and Performance Sub-Committee

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Minutes , 10/03/2026 Finance and Performance Scrutiny Sub-Committee

5 Community Grants Schedule 2026/27

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Jyotsna Leney
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly
Councillor Tony Hills
Jyotsna Leney
Councillor Tony Hills
Jyotsna Leney
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly
Cllr Rich Holgate
Jyotsna Leney
Cllr Mike Blakemore
Jyotsna Leney
Cllr Rich Holgate
Jyotsna Leney
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly
Cllr Paul Thomas
Cllr Mike Blakemore
Mr Ewan Green
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly
Cllr Mike Blakemore
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly
Jyotsna Leney
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly
Cllr Paul Thomas
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly
Jyotsna Leney
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly
Cllr Bridget Chapman
Mr Ewan Green
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly
Cllr Mike Blakemore
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly
Cllr Alan Martin
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly
Cllr Mike Blakemore
Jyotsna Leney
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly
Cllr Alan Martin
Mr Ewan Green
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly
Cllr Laura Davison
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly
Cllr John Wing
Cllr John Wing
Jyotsna Leney
Mr Ewan Green
Cllr John Wing
Mr Ewan Green
Cllr John Wing
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly
Cllr Rich Holgate
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly
Councillor Tony Hills
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly
Cllr Mike Blakemore
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly
Cllr Mike Blakemore
Mr Ewan Green
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly

6 Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme 2026-27

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Mr Ewan Green
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly
Cllr Paul Thomas
Mr Ewan Green
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly
Cllr Alan Martin
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly
Mr Ewan Green
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly
Councillor Tony Hills
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly
Cllr Laura Davison
Mr Jake Hamilton
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly

7 Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report 2025-26

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8 Cabinet Member updates

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Cllr John Wing
Cllr James Butcher
Cllr James Butcher
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly
Cllr Paul Thomas
Cllr James Butcher
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly
Councillor Tony Hills
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly
Cllr Rich Holgate
Cllr James Butcher
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly
Cllr Rich Holgate
Cllr James Butcher
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly
Cllr Laura Davison
Cllr James Butcher
Cllr Laura Davison
Cllr James Butcher
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly
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Disclaimer: This transcript was automatically generated, so it may contain errors. Please view the webcast to confirm whether the content is accurate.

Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:00:02

Good evening. Welcome to the meeting of the overview and scrutiny committee. This meeting

will be live to the internet. For those who do not wish to be recorded or filmed, you

will need to leave the chamber. For 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 to silent mode as they

can be distracting.

I'd 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.

1 Apologies for Absence

So we'll start with our first item,

apologies for absence, are there any?

Mr Jake Hamilton - 0:00:46

Thank you, Chair, we have apologies from Councillor Jones,

but I will also note that Councillor McConville

has given his apologies, and he was supposed to be present

for his cabinet member update,

So any questions that arise, I will forward them

and then provide an update into your course.

Thank you very much.

Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:01:04

Next, declarations of interest.

Are there any declarations of interest from members?

Thank you.

Item three, minutes.

To consider and approve as a correct record,

the minutes of the meeting held on the 26th of February

and another one on the 3rd of March, 2026.

Can I have a proposal please?

Councillor Martin.

And are you happy to be a seconder

or do you have a question?

I'm so sorry, I just had a question on interest.

Cllr Rich Holgate - 0:01:34

I don't know whether it is one,

but to flag, I was the previous portfolio holder

2 Declarations of Interest

for Councillor Butchers portfolio.

I don't know whether that's relevant.

No, okay, sorry, I just had a back of my thought.

Otherwise I will happily second.

Thank you very much, Councillor.

Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:01:48

And can we have a vote for the show of hands?

Thank you very much.

3 Minutes

4 Minutes of the Finance and Performance Sub-Committee

Okay, next item, minutes of the Finance and Performance Subcommittee. To consider and

approve as a record, a correct record, the minutes of the meeting held on the 10th of

March, 2026. Can I have a proposer? Councillor Thomas, a seconder? Who's that? Councillor

Wing, that's fine. Okay, and a vote for a show of hands, please. Thank you very much.

5 Community Grants Schedule 2026/27

The next item is item five, community grant schedule 2026 to 27.

This item will be introduced by Joyce Lenny, the community partnership manager.

Yes.

Oh, no.

Jyotsna Leney - 0:02:49

Thank you.

As it states there, they provide essential support

across a whole host of issues impacting local communities.

Whether we're looking at health outcomes, social inclusion,

resilience in our communities, and very much provide

a strategic investment that improves and strengthens

our neighbourhoods.

And by intervening early and supporting vulnerable people,

we're actually reducing pressure on our statutory services.

So very much in line with all of our corporate objectives

on community, improving people's health and wellbeing,

and sense of community.

The grants link to these corporate plan themes,

just so that you can see the relevance.

And what they do is,

Whilst some of them give core funding to some groups,

we do prefer additionality in what they're already doing,

some of the voluntary organisations,

because that provides for immediate needs

and a more responsive intervention

that's needed in the community to support issues

that are happening right now and where trends are rising,

for example, mental health issues,

if they're rising and the need to support something there,

then that additionality is preferred.

And in terms of future reliance on funding,

that is difficult, but we do try and support

year on year, wherever we can, each budget setting cycle.

So just overall in terms of the grant,

what I'll do is I'm just going to go through

this presentation first, and then I'll go through

the actual schedule, and you can have a look at them

in more detail that way.

There's allocations for areas of work

that I don't actually cover.

So there's the Town of Culture bid,

and there's the removal of that annual revenue grant

that used to go to F

orks and Sports Centre.

Now they've got their 2 .4 million, haven't they,

for the capital works.

So there's been a change to the way in which we're looking

at the sports grants, which I'll go through in a moment.

Significantly, the increased award member grants

of an additional 60 ,000, meaning you each get 5 ,000,

It enables districtwide, much more districtwide

spread of activity to happen and more resilience

in local communities, especially if a group of board members

combined their grants, that's a significant amount of money.

So we'll look at that in a moment as well.

And you will be aware of the council motion

that went forward around supporting vulnerable people

through the cost of living crisis and the fact that

we'd lost the UK shared prosperity funding,

which was a three year programme,

then it got extended for another year.

Well, now, coming into this new financial year,

that money won't be available.

So we've allocated funds to support the programmes

and projects that were going on through that.

Again, you will see that in a bit more detail in a moment.

This is just setting the scene for you.

We've reprofiled a range of small projects

that used to go mainly to the Sports Trust,

but also to Fopeson Sports Centre when that was open.

So things like Fit for Sport,

there was little projects on holiday activities,

coaching at the urban sports park,

and something called Little Athletes,

which was a valuable programme.

But what we're doing is putting that into a single pot.

And the Sports Trust can still apply

for that funding through this pot.

but looking at a wide distribution so that there's access to different parts of the district for sports development.

But also focusing very much on a programme for sport and active lifestyles on the marsh.

Mainly around the fact that we have some very poor health outcomes, both in terms of activity levels, obesity and other health conditions.

So an active lifestyles programme that can make some of these,

not necessarily sport, but other types of active programmes available to a wider range of communities,

targeting specific communities and using the Marsh Academy and in particular the leisure centre there

to act as a hub for 50 ,000 and it includes things like sports bursaries, for example,

or talent spotting amongst young people,

but also targeting those families

who couldn't normally afford to go to the sports centre

and do some of the activities there.

And also projects or activities

that young people would like to see,

things that really float their boat.

They may not want to play football,

they might want to do something else.

So listen to their needs and wants as well.

And then there's a project

that's gonna be led by Sunflower House, John O 'Connor there,

to look at, in terms of like just for one year,

what, how the VCSC needs to be made more resilient

and is ready for the move to local government reorganisation

and what that might look like for them,

you know, as we become a combined authority

with other areas.

So that's a piece of work that's also been looked at.

So what we'll do is go through the schedule now,

which you have in your papers.

I mean, I can put it up on the screen,

but it'll take a little bit of jittery -poke

for you to get to it.

If you bear with, I can try and find it.

So we're primarily focusing on the 2627 allocation.

This one, and this one.

I'm not sure if it's gonna come up actually.

It's proven difficult, is there anybody

who doesn't have access to it?

Who can't see it, doesn't have notes,

or it's on their laptop?

So everybody seems to have it,

if it's proven difficult we can just.

Watch it now, there, there you go.

Oh excellent, well done.

There we go.

So the first one is the board member grants

an increase of 2 ,000 pounds each.

So the change in terms of the 90 ,000

that was available in 2526, gone up by 60 ,000.

So it's really great news for each member

to look at programmes.

And I'm sure people will want, you know,

with the changes now and things like fuel costs

and whatever else, costs are gonna go up.

and I know of projects that people want to pursue.

And we will be saying, well, go to the board, Councillor,

see whether there's any capability and availability there.

Citizens Advice Bureau, they always had 57 ,000

from the general fund.

That's topped up by 10 ,000.

That's the loss in the UK SPF money.

And they were getting 10 ,000 to do some additional support

around cost of living and debt and energy efficiency in homes in particular.

So that's why that's showing us a 10 ,000 increase.

But they also had HRA 10 ,800 as part of their normal grant.

That grant is actually a two -year grant agreement, so it's already kind of in the budget for 27, 28.

But going forward, we want to see a longer -term agreement if possible.

Then there's some community grants there that are straddling to financial years.

They've been given to the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust Project and the District Food Network

at coordination activity.

And they run till June, but really those programmes ought to continue in terms of activity through

26, 27 and going forward.

So that's what that community set of grants is.

The Folkestone Rainbow Centre,

that's not my one homelessness service,

but the allocation remains 20 ,000.

Then the next one is the Mobile Food Service.

Again, UK SPF funding, which was 15 ,000.

And so that enables our mobile food service

to continue to operate.

It's operating from five sites at the moment,

right across the district,

but we're looking at adding another site on the marsh.

And it really is well used.

And the mobile food service,

the pantry service is really proving popular.

And people who were getting free food bags

want to transfer onto the supermarket model,

which is a good kind of sustainable throughput.

People have a little bit of pride

and they're paying for their food, albeit at lower level,

but it really is proving very popular

and it's supporting a lot of families across the district.

Then we've got a series of costs showing

against the community hubs.

So you have Folkestone Community Hub,

Hyde Community Hub and Romley Marsh Community Hub.

They are the ones that have some core funding.

So the 5 ,000 is their core funding that enables them

to continue with the signposting service

that we asked them to carry out.

Digital support, they do drop -ins, various other things.

But then they also got 8 ,000 pounds to help

with running warm spaces through the winter.

And that includes the provision of the warm space

as well as a host of vouchers for food and fuel,

that kind of thing.

So each of them have got 5 ,000

and then the additional new 8 ,000.

We also added, after the first year of UKSPF,

we added Sunflower House and the Nepalese Community Centre

as strategic community spaces to carry out

additional warm space work for us.

They were so grateful for that,

and they've been really busy as well

in supporting people through cost of living.

And they all see footfall, high footfall,

but they also see people staying for longer,

almost the whole day when the warm spaces are running.

So that's those series of costs.

So the 8 ,000 was the UK SPF money.

And then what's left, the 6 ,500 cost of living food vouchers.

Again, we always used to use the welfare team.

So they would potentially get the 6 ,500.

Again, they were doing their home essentials fund,

so carpets, cookers, well it was mainly air fries

and things like that, to support people who literally

were like, just didn't have anything to cook their food on,

for example.

So they will be very grateful for that,

because it really will help.

I think the Crisis Resilience Fund is covering things

like oil costs, that kind of thing,

and the detail of the Crisis Resilience Fund

isn't yet known, so at least this will give

some kind of backup and support.

So when we talk in the report about some of the

sort of community empowerment and resilience work,

everything around supporting voluntary sector groups

really does, this funding really does support

and impact that.

So we utilise Sarah Thomas, who used to work for Red Zebra,

but she's been working in our community

for quite a few years now, and she sets up

some amazing networking events for our voluntary sector

groups, she runs Meet the Funders event,

which is sold out every year, and people would love

to see that happen more than once a year.

But in September, we run, it's almost like

a speed dating event, four voluntary sector groups

to meet each funder.

They learn about how to apply for the funding,

the best possible bid that they can put forward,

the criteria, that kind of thing,

and learn about what funding opportunities

there are available anyway.

So that's a real support to our communities,

and it brings in additional funding

to projects in our communities.

And then she runs various themed networking events,

and we probably will want to run one on health

and creative arts this coming financial year.

Then the wonderful Excellence in Volunteering Award Scheme.

We haven't changed the funding there.

We've kept it to 5 ,500.

It got increased by 500 because we asked them to do more

in terms of the videography work.

We've got some amazing videos now,

which you should see actually.

We've sent the links to them.

some lovely videos of projects,

and we're now running those videos in other settings,

so they were played at a health meeting,

and the GPs and clinicians absolutely loved it,

because they could actually see the support

that was going on out there for both elderly communities

and younger groups as well.

So these are the sorts of things that we can do

to improve the Excellence in Volunteering Award scheme

year on year.

There's been a new ask from the Kent Medway

safeguarding adults board for contribution.

This will move into a service code

and not into this grouping.

You'll see some more similar things in a moment.

2500 is a joint chief exec's agreement.

So we are going to have to pay that each year.

And they do amazing work actually,

safeguarding adults board.

And then there's that VCC readiness pilot.

So a commission for a piece of work to look at

and that whole enabling the voluntary sector community

to be resilient through LGR.

So it's a 25 ,000 commission.

And then there's a small amount of seed funding

for the feasibility study on a sustainability hub

that the Hawkins Community Centre are looking at.

Money towards Armed Forces Day, 5 ,000 pounds.

There's the money for the Town of Culture bid, triennial.

Quarter House have their 25 ,000 pounds,

so they also provide the free use days for community events.

And we have made use of those in the past as well

for various things.

In fact, the first Excellence in Volunteering Awards

was held there.

Folks in the Festival Bandstand,

which gets funding every year.

What's happening now is we're beginning to get a series

of community events that are needing to be funded

regularly each year.

So Strange Cargo, Shari -varieday is one of those,

Folkestone Town, the music in May,

and there's another one coming down,

which is the 10K Coastal Run.

I've already had the invoicing for that.

Ewan.

The Active Sport for Kent 3K Grant Agreement,

I can't tell you how important that one is.

So, active support for Kent is kind of like a KCC initiative, but it runs separate to KCC.

And they have given a lot of support to small -scale clubs, schools, new talent,

lots of different grants for different types of activity levels.

They link to national and regional activity as well.

They provide support to our local football foundation plan.

That's about things like where we need 3G pitches in the future in our district, links

across the planning matters.

They do all of the surveys to look at activity levels in adults and children, and they have

a local champion that helps to signpost activities across the district.

I'd recommend looking at their website.

So that's a small amount of funding for quite a lot of stuff that we actually get from them.

There's that 1 ,250 for the Coastal 10K.

Again, annual sponsorship to that.

Then we're showing the new piece of work

that we want to enable much wider activity on the Marsh,

Sport on the Marsh initiative,

and there's a list there of things that we want to see.

Introduction to new sports,

an adult health and wellbeing sport programme,

skills training, sports leadership,

support for STEM provisions, so targeting groups,

community events, celebration programmes.

It's very wide and it's very inclusive for the community and sports bursaries as well.

And then the money that was profiled for the Sports Trust in the past and some additional

going into a single pot for sports development across the district.

Then there's a small discretionary pot there, £20 ,000 for community -based projects.

Now whilst there's no current allocations, I often do need a fluid pot because things

crop up through the year.

For example, we ran the armed forces event recently,

and that needed a small amount of money.

So a certain amount of flex is needed in all of this.

Somebody's costs may go up, and we might need to top up.

So there's 20 ,000 there, but obviously we

can look at any ideas that you have,

keep a list up our sleeves, because ideally we

want this money committed by the end of the autumn,

certainly by December, so that we can get money out

and people can be delivering through that last quarter

and we meet the end of financial year returns.

So give me your list and we'll have them up as lead.

Then we go into all the money that's been re -profiled

and also money that's ended because, for example,

this crowdfunding platform that KCC used to host for us,

that money is finished and they will be stopping hosting

that themselves, so that's ended.

But then there's a service budget there of 1 ,500

for the Kent Safeguarding Children's

multi -agency partnership safeguarding work.

1 ,500 that has always been, again,

it was a joint chief execs agreement,

so the 2 ,500 for Kent SAB will go into this as well.

There is a budget that we use for all of our

reporting and recording work for safeguarding,

because this is a GDPR -compliant system, cloud -based,

and a number of other local authorities have that.

So again, when we can become a combined authority,

it'd be really useful if we're all using the same system

for safeguarding reporting and recording,

and we can get sort of reports from that,

that we give to you on a yearly basis anyway.

Again, the medical student sponsorship came to an end.

That was a five -year programme that ended,

so that 5 ,000's gone in.

the discontinued budget for Fexon Sports Centre Trust there.

So there's that overall budget allocation,

tiny amount unallocated,

you can put that into the discretionary pot, I suppose.

But yeah, that's the sort of love of it all.

Thank you so much for that.

Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:22:57

This is all incredibly important work.

So thank you for taking the time to take us through

each of these and giving us some comprehensive

and detailed rationale for why it's used, how it's used.

Really helpful.

And I know that there are a number of very small charities,

but also neighbourhood watchers and so on,

who really appreciate the money

that they can get from councillors.

So that increase will make a big difference.

There'll be some initiatives that people probably wouldn't

have been able to get onto the ground,

that they will be able to with that additional money.

So really very much appreciated.

So we'll open this up for councillors

if they have any questions.

Councillor Hills and then Councillor Hough.

Thank you, Chair.

Thank you for that, Jocelyn.

It was excellent.

Councillor Tony Hills - 0:23:46

I'm concerned about the rising costs at the moment

with fuel costs.

A lot of these things require transportation.

Do we have any approach to that?

Are we going to get any sort of spare hidden away

that we have to cover the fuel costs?

And the only thing I was going to ask you,

I don't know its appropriates, but I gather the government's going to give 53 million

towards home heating oil for those who are in dire need.

And I thought it's going to come through the district councils.

And I know on the Marsh we have a lot of people who have no money, and I say I've got no money,

and have to pay heating oil.

I was hoping the hub could help out on the Marsh, but do you have any information on

that?

Jyotsna Leney - 0:24:31

I believe that the welfare team are expecting that funding, and so they will be allocating

that out. And we have a checking call with the hubs every month, and they were made fully

aware of it and told what they need to do to access it to support. So, yes, that join -up

happens on a regular basis, so we want to make sure all the right people that need that

help will get it. I think the letters will go out. I think they have got a fair indication,

an idea of who's on heating oil.

But in terms of costs, I mean, you know,

they're already seeing that impact.

Some of the volunteers are not going out

doing wheels on wheels, that kind of thing,

because, you know, the cost of fuel,

so other people having to pick that up.

All I would say is, where there might be some flex

in the budget, you can look at a bit of additional,

or some things might need to be pared back slightly.

So for example, the Excellence in Volunteering Awards,

some of that money could be paid back to enable other things to happen.

But we can look at a little bit of flex from that 20 ,000

to support those who are severely being impacted.

But we're just learning about that now in terms of who is being impacted more than others.

Can I come back, chair?

Councillor Tony Hills - 0:25:46

Yes, it's related to the same point.

The Marsh B has been very successful on the Marsh, getting people to hospital for appointments and the like.

But of course, they pay a small fee, a small sub, for fuel, which has gone up by about 30 or 40 p .m. locally.

So can we get any help for that?

Jyotsna Leney - 0:26:15

They have already received some new money from the health innovation fund that social

enterprise Kent ran.

I think they've had an additional 15 ,000.

But I believe that that's been shared with Kent Coast volunteers for their hospital transport

scheme.

So I think whatever that money was going to enable them to do, they can use some of it

to mitigate the cost of increased costs.

So that's come in just about the right time, I have to say.

Just received.

Thank you very much.

Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:26:45

Councillor Holgate.

Cllr Rich Holgate - 0:26:49

Good evening, thanks so much for the presentation.

I really appreciate it.

I did have four questions, if I may.

I wrote them down too, just to make sure I didn't forget.

From a process point of view, I think

the process for new projects appearing on schedule,

my question is around the transparency of that, I suppose.

So take for example the 50K for Romany Marsh, it's amazing, very pleased to see that.

But as an example, how is that initiated?

Is there an application process?

Because I suppose the absence of that or an understanding of that perhaps favours maybe

more well -connected organisations than, you know, and again, how public can that kind

of information be?

Elsewhere, I was curious on the kind of, I suppose, I know there are grants, so you've

the little bit careful about this was the value for money aspect you look at

the uh... the green grass produce has a panel and that kind of brings it brings

a degree of oversight

and is is there any other mechanism here that kind of helps keep that

accountability up

and

long -term viability of some these groups you look at a lot of money going towards

place like creative folks to which was a huge amount of

work

house but my question would be around how can we help

other areas that are more up and coming like Strange Cargo or Folkestone Music Town to

ensure longer term viability. And then just a question on, I suppose, equitability, which

I appreciate is perhaps a bit of a rabbit hole, but from a geographical spread, a lot

of money is going to Folkestone. I appreciate those Folkestone businesses, sorry, Folkestone

community groups do serve the district. But like take the North Downs, for example, it's

I think it was only 5K, less than a percent

of the total money going to the North Downs.

And so how do we think about that

in terms of the deprivation in the North Downs?

So how do we sort of square that

and how do we think about equitability

when we think about community grants?

So I had thoughts about that,

the thoughts about overhead, appreciate.

So any insight you have now will be very helpful, thank you.

Have a go at some of it.

Jyotsna Leney - 0:28:53

I might need some help from Councillor Blake -Moulton

and you.

In terms of the 50K for the Marsh,

I think with a lot of this,

it is about established relationships in the district

and some longstanding partnerships.

We're aware of how these partners work

right across different communities

and actually, folks in Sports Centre Trust

were meant to be sending me data on where people come from

to access their services.

they have said people come from Hawkins, North Downs,

people will travel to these,

to where some of this activity is happening.

But we need to make sure that it's spent really wisely,

kind of links in with your value for money,

so it has to be trusted partners that we feel

have got the capability and can,

and the spread of knowledge of who we need to access.

So this is why with Romney Marsh,

we've kind of already started having discussions

with Jason Mahoney, who's the leisure manager

at the Leisure Centre at the Marsh,

the school, the lighthouse on the Marsh as well.

We're having conversations with a wide range of partners,

beginning to talk to them about this,

because what will happen, they'll all have a role to play.

We'll want to see people that they are

sort of signposting to these services,

and so that Marsh get a really good spread of activity.

and work with town and parish councils as well,

so that they are aware, so that you've got a central hub

that is managing the service and the money,

but the accessibility is as wide as it possibly can be

for the march, and we get the support of partners.

So an example would be maybe having,

setting up a stakeholder group of interested parties,

and all coming together and saying,

right, this is what the money's being spent on,

how do we get, so that is something,

This is new, it's only just like,

so had we not got, if we don't get support for it,

we'd have to rethink it through,

but if we do, we begin in earnest

and get stakeholder group going

and begin that whole process of making sure it's like,

it's not a competitive process.

We're not using a portal for people to bid into the money.

We're not doing that approach for this first time.

We need our trusted partners on board and developing this.

What might happen in future is it might break off

into specific pieces of work,

and then you might want to commission those differently

in the future, I don't know.

But I've got a little bit of an idea

in terms of how we would go forward with it.

Any more thoughts on that?

Cllr Mike Blakemore - 0:31:38

Yeah, I was just gonna say on the question

about North Downs, Rich.

So, I'll cancel, I'll go.

Most of what we're talking about here is district -wide.

It benefits people in North Downs as much as it benefits people in Folkestone.

So the Mobile Food Service visits, visits Hawkins.

Rainbow Look After People in Hawkins.

C8 Systems' advice bureau is there for people

because there's a telephone and online service.

The volunteer awards, we held them in Hawkins last year and people

can take part in those.

Likewise, the networking events.

We've held those at Hawkins Community Centre.

Music Town and Karivari work with people from across the districts.

They run workshops in the North Downs District, Music Town.

Cara Bari works with schools across the district.

The sport project is district -wide.

The 25 ,000 in addition to the 50 ,000 for the Marsh,

cost of living food vouchers are available to anyone who needs them

wherever they are in the district.

So it isn't that they're Folkestone specific.

Much is based in Folkestone, much operates out of Folkestone.

People from North Downs obviously do come to Folkestone,

possibly in a way, to a greater extent than people from the Marsh.

but definitely there's an awful lot in here which is benefiting people in North Downs.

Jyotsna Leney - 0:32:53

The other thing is we do have grant agreements that are legal documents

and we have a detailed schedule of work that is expected.

So in terms of kind of transparency and value for money, we can track and monitor.

We ask for monitoring information anyway and report on that.

in whichever way we need to, management reports,

that kind of thing.

And I have cheque -in calls and visits,

and we do a lot of checking in with partners.

Can't cover everything, but most partners will get

conversation and we'll have a chat

about how the project's gone.

And if there's any flagged issues as well,

we'll have those conversations throughout the year.

But the bigger ones will have very regular cheque -ins.

and we have annual reports that we can circulate.

Some great information that's put on the websites as well

around projects and programmes,

and then new programmes that come aboard.

There'll obviously be press releases and little launch

events and that kind of thing as well

that go on throughout the year.

So yeah, there's an element of that too.

So I mean, I do understand your question about

long -term viability of these things.

I think that's always an issue for us,

especially with the voluntary sector,

but this is where that resilience piece,

the pilot project around creating resilience

in the voluntary sector is gonna come in.

This is where, again, the networking events

where people learn from each other

and know where else to access funding from.

And they learn about a lot of different areas

that funding is just sitting there waiting to be accessed.

And we can't keep everyone afloat,

but we're gonna do our best to make sure

that they're supported through signposting

to all the centres out that they can get.

So I hope that helps a bit.

Hey, I made you, I just, I thank you so much.

Cllr Rich Holgate - 0:34:47

This is enormously helpful context, so thank you so much.

I think I would just really encourage that

as much as possible, that knowledge sharing

of how people can become a trusted partner.

Because I suppose as the time goes on,

because very cynically speaking,

in absence of that, it becomes more about who you know,

not what you know.

We're actually, we were able to demonstrate,

or have a website that sort of shares what are the steps you can do, what's available for you,

that can create, again, hopefully, even more people to come forward and become that.

So, and then just great to know about those that oversight sounds like on your part explicitly,

but you're right, there are so many success storeys as a result of the grants.

So, again, how can we translate them to good news storeys through news?

But it's fantastic. I appreciate it. It's so hard to cut the cloth.

And so thank you so much. I appreciate that.

I will just mention one thing, and that is

Jyotsna Leney - 0:35:40

the District Food Partnership is changing its name

only because district doesn't sound right in terms of LGR.

And it's calling itself the South Kent Coast

Food Partnership at the moment.

But that's an example of where new, trusted partners

are beginning to come forward, because we've got

a coordinator that's really going out there

and finding out who's interested in this piece of work,

and it cuts across about six or seven sustainability goals.

So it's ecotourism as well as food growing,

as well as food poverty, as well as cookery skills

and that kind of thing, but really finding out

who wants to be part of this and enabling them

to become a partner.

And then the funding can go to projects

and various other things.

So that is being developed through that particular

partnership as an example.

Thank you.

Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:36:31

Councillor Thomas, please.

Thank you, Chair.

Yeah, just echo what's been said so far

Cllr Paul Thomas - 0:36:37

in terms of, I think it's fantastic that when you look at the overall figures, we're putting

nearly £39 ,000 more into the community than we were previously. I mean, that's got to

be good news for everybody, hasn't it? I know Jason will be very happy about the injection

down on the marsh, because it's something that he's mentioned a number of times over

the years. So again, I think that's really, really good news. And of course, ward member

grants, as you quite rightly say, allow us to distribute right down to get that granularity

with the money to the right place at the right time. I think that's absolutely fantastic.

Just on community hubs, as we know, KCC cost pressures for adult social care is immense

and we're likely to see even more degradation of that as it goes on. So I'm pleased that

we're actually giving the money that we are,

we're following up with the warm spaces,

additional funding of 8 ,000 pounds.

But the reality is, it's still not enough.

And I think that's a question we'll have to come back to.

So my first question, if I may, Chair.

One of the other items we have there

is folks in Town and Culture, which I support.

I think it's a great project.

So when will we know if the town has been successful or not?

And with the 100 ,000 pounds currently allocated

for the next stage, how would that be distributed

if Focusedon is not successful in doing that?

And again, I would fly the flag for adult social care

and distributing it to the hubs

so we know the excellent work they already do,

they'll be able to make good use of that.

So that's my first question.

The second, links to something that Councillor Holgate said,

in terms of the discretionary grants,

not a huge amount of money, but again, how are these accessed?

How do people know how to get to them?

And how do we make sure that we can get the message out there

to make best use of this money?

Because what we want to do, in my mind,

is identify those things early on in the year,

rather than trying to scrabble around on the back end of the year,

trying to make sure that we've put all the right money

in all the right pots that we're spending it correctly.

So they're my questions.

Thank you very much, Tom.

Cllr Mike Blakemore - 0:39:08

No, it's all right.

I was looking to you slightly on the town of Culture

because I think we will know in July,

but you raise a good point about what amounts to that money

if we're not selected, and I would like to see it

make good use of it.

I don't know if you can talk to that more

about how that process would work.

Mr Ewan Green - 0:39:26

So I think, well, a decision for members to make, but I think that's in the overall pot

of community here, isn't it? So I think you're looking at that money being allocated to other

projects, new projects, or perhaps supporting existing ones. So I think that would be something

to bring back through Councillor Bailão's portfolio holder for members to consider.

But I certainly feel that if that money is unfortunately not used for a town of culture

moving forward, but something agreed in the budget

under the community banner.

Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:40:02

Cllr Mike Blakemore - 0:40:05

I was just gonna add to what Councillor Thomas said

on sport, I mean I think that given the health indicators

that we have in the district, high levels of adult

and child obesity, high levels of diabetes,

lower levels of physical activity than any other districts

other than Gravesham, it's incumbent on us to do

what we can to try and address those.

We have a limited sphere of influence,

we have limited resources, but I think in what we're trying

to do here is be quite targeted about it,

to target those places where that money will go the furthest,

where we can get as much bang for our buck with it

as it can, so I'm really, really pleased about that.

And I think with ward grants as well, I think,

when we were discussing this, we did talk about setting up

a process kind of akin to what we've done with Green Grants,

but of course, which is an excellent programme,

but it does mean that some of the money goes on administering the project,

and it also creates more of a process for people to apply the benefit.

There are pros and cons with war grants, but I think with war grants,

it puts the money into the hands of members.

So firstly, all of you, all of us have the chance to distribute it

to the people that we know need it most.

It also makes it very easy for them to apply for that money

with a kind of fairly sort of light touch process.

So I think on balance, I think giving an extra 2 ,000 to each member was the right thing to do,

because I think it gets the money out. It gets it out there quickly as well where it's needed.

And members, I hope, will, as we do in my ward, will discuss with each other what projects they

are supporting and whether they can create more impact by combining and allocating their money

together to something if it needs a little bit more than they can give individually.

But you know, 5 ,000 each is a considerable amount of money, I think, to play with.

Was that a follow -up?

Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:41:50

Jyotsna Leney - 0:41:52

Sorry, you mentioned about the discretionary grant, and we could look at some way of popping

something on the website, or I have thought about using Social Enterprise Canada because

they're a portal where community groups can apply for that funding, and they do all the

cheques and balances on the applications.

Most of our voluntary sector groups are already signed up to the Social Enterprise Kent portal for accessing funding.

So that funding could, you know, a pot could be put there, say grants of X amount to X amount invited to, you know, for these outcomes.

Talk about community, cultural, sports, that kind of thing.

So that's an option.

and otherwise it might just be sort of putting a press release out there or something on our website.

Yes, go ahead.

Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:42:47

Cllr Paul Thomas - 0:42:50

Thank you. Just to follow up to that. That's great news and again I think it's difficult enough to get the message out there into the community sometimes

in terms of saying, actually this is available to you

to come and tap into us.

So anything we can do in that quarter.

And again, in the same vein, I just wonder whether

we could actually utilise the youth forum

with some aspects of this.

So I'm thinking particularly the sport engagement

and youth sports, inclusive sport and same provision

and things like that.

It'd be a good thing for them to take on board

because again, like you said, we do have representation

from Marsh Academy, from the Light House on the Marsh,

from the Beacon, so again, I think there's plenty

of opportunity there with using that group

to help inform what we're doing going forward.

So if we could include that, I think it would be great

for us, thank you very much.

Thank you.

Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:43:40

Just one more thing, and that is,

it would be really useful that we do,

Jyotsna Leney - 0:43:47

I'm interested in your view around having

longer term grant agreements rather than just

year on year agreements, so that there's some kind

longevity and assurance.

Obviously, everything, anyway, in the grant agreement,

it was set out that it's all subject to funding being available.

So, six months, kind of, you know, you can give notice of termination, so to speak,

if the funding wasn't available.

But it just gives a bit of reassurance for some of the larger scale programmes

that we've got here.

Not the small one -off projects, but, you know, that's something that

would be really helpful to have.

Thank you.

Councillor Chapman.

Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:44:25

Thank you.

Cllr Bridget Chapman - 0:44:30

Just going back to the town of Culture.

I think we're all flying the flag for that.

It's really exciting, but it's quite a big chunk of change.

So I was just wondering if somebody could talk to what kind of economic or social return we think we might get for that money.

and if any thoughts have been given to how that impact is going to hopefully spread across

the area, the whole area, and into the more deprived areas of the district.

Yeah, thanks, Councillor Chapman.

Mr Ewan Green - 0:45:06

A really interesting question.

I think we're too early in the process.

This has been an exhibition of interest at the moment, literally, between 50 words, up

500, setting out a vision, an ambition, an opportunity.

Our experience of having done levelling up fund, for example,

if we get into the next round of this,

will be very much about demonstrating economic,

social, environmental benefits, impacts,

the turn of investment, how we are addressing

social disadvantage, for example.

So our experience of levelling up was that

that sort of additional funding of 100K

is really what we would need to do to dive into the detail there if we are through to

the next stage of submitting a full bid.

So it's the right question.

I think we're just a bit early in the process.

Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:45:57

I just want to clarify.

It might be that I'm misremembering, but I do believe if we did win the bid, we do get

a substantial amount of money that we can actually use.

Cllr Mike Blakemore - 0:46:08

If we're shortlisted, we get another 60 ,000.

If we win it, we get 3 million.

But absolutely, I know I think Leda said he was going to share the bit with everybody soon,

but it is very much about talking about the success of cultural regeneration in the town,

but also the people who've been left behind by that, and the next chapter of the storey is really how those people are lifted up by it as well and benefit from it,

and focusing very much on the more deprived areas of the town.

and that was something James and I were involved in,

those discussions with officers about it,

and that was very much the priority, wasn't it?

Was that if we were gonna do this,

if we were gonna win this, it had to be about that.

It couldn't just be more about of what we've had so far,

successful as that has been, it has to be about

something that's more inclusive,

that addresses things like economic inequalities,

health inequalities, benefits from all of this,

to people's health and wellbeing,

as well as the economic benefits that come with it.

So it's very much, but we won't get into the detail of the bid because I think Jim was

going to share that with everybody and then you can read it for yourself.

Thank you.

Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:47:18

Councillor A. Martin.

Thank you, Chair.

I can't remember what everyone else said.

Cllr Alan Martin - 0:47:25

I thought this was really excellent and it feels like we're somehow squeezing a lot more

money out of the budget.

It feels like we're doing lots of new things and to Councillor Thomas's point, filling

some gaps that have been created by others.

So I think it's an excellent piece of work.

I had three questions.

One on, so I'm also very excited about the Marsh Academy.

On that considerable investment,

so we're targeting that money

to help with sort of active lifestyles.

And I'm just keen to understand how we're gonna promote it.

and I assume we're going to be working in conjunction with the NHS and other organisations to try and root people in.

But of course the very people that we're looking to target to improve societal health aren't necessarily the people who are currently queuing up outside the Marsh Academy gym.

So just interested to see how we're going to make sure that we get value from that investment.

My other two questions, on the member grants,

so another bit of excellent news,

and I'm a big fan of the member grant,

and I think it's excellent that we all have the freedom

to apply that money in whatever projects

we see going on locally.

I hate myself for saying this,

but it does open a question in my mind

around whether we need some kind of,

some more structure around it in that,

with the budget being increased,

it'd be a shame if you got towards the end of the year

and you have Councillors feeling like they've got

2 ,000 pounds in their back pocket

that they haven't yet spent,

and jump at an opportunity to spend it

when someone asks, which may not be

such a viable project as one that might be occurring elsewhere.

I don't want to add bureaucracy to a brilliant system, but should there be some kind of feedback loop

or something which

enables us to make sure that that doesn't happen.

So maybe I'll leave you with those two questions and I've got another one if I may afterwards.

Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:49:47

Okay, yes, it's easier to answer them bit by bit.

Cllr Mike Blakemore - 0:49:54

I think the challenge is to reach people who aren't the people that are queuing up at the

door.

I think that is exactly the challenge.

It's early days with that project, but that is exactly what we'll be looking at.

I'd be very pleased to have input from you and Tony and other councillors on the Marsh

as to the ways in which we can do that based around the Marsh Academy, but not limited

to the Marsh Academy leisure centre.

So there are other places on the march

that we hope very much will be involved in it.

On ward grants, we have talked about,

because there are one or two changes

that you'll see in the paper about.

You can now allocate your grant to a parish council

with an income of more than 21 ,000, whatever,

and also around a bank account.

So we talked about whether it'd be helpful

to have some member training or a member briefing

where we can talk about ward grants

and we can share experience.

And if people agree that would be helpful,

then we can arrange that.

I certainly think that might help with the kind of

coordination number and just kind of sharing

how people have worked with it before.

Because I think quite a key thing with the wall grants

is to not for it not to get to the end of the year

and that kind of like, oh my goodness,

I'm gonna lose this if I don't spend it.

So it's about kind of inviting those requests for it

or looking for those good, deserving causes

for the wall grant early on in the year

so that it's time to work through the system.

But if people agree that's helpful

and we can arrange a briefing to discuss that further.

Jyotsna Leney - 0:51:23

Yeah, I alluded to perhaps we need a stakeholder group

that helps support the distribution of that money.

So Jason won't be able to do it all on his own on the marsh,

so we would bring in all of our key sort of players.

We have a Fokuson -Heide Health Alliance.

There is a neighbourhood health implementation programme,

pilot programme currently going on for folks in high

that clinical leads are involved in.

They are very much cited on some of the projects

that I'm involved in.

In fact, the GPs have come to me saying,

can you expand the project that we've got currently

going on at the Marsh Academy with the Dame Kelly

Homes Trust?

Can we build a proposal to expand that wider

across the district to address emotional well -being

in young people?

So we're building up some really good relationships

with clinical leads, GPs, on some of the sort of outcomes

we want to see to improve health outcomes, as I say.

And some of this work is already happening on the Marsh.

So we've got those links now,

and we can use all of our partners.

We went to see Amanda King on Lighthouse on the Marsh as well.

She'll have a really good group of clients

that are individuals, vulnerable young people,

as well as the family members, the adults, the parents,

that struggle sometimes at knowing how to manage their children's feelings

when they themselves have got issues too.

So whatever kind of programme is designed,

it's got to be done with people.

And the Youth Forum idea is great because we can get ideas

of what young people want to see in terms of, you know, use the gym for

for want of a better word.

These aren't my words, but they have said they like cheerleading, the ladies have said they like cheerleading.

So if they want a cheerleading class and a chance to let off steam, great, those sorts of sessions can be laid on.

And you need to draw the interest by working closely with the school and other community groups.

But it's building that relationship.

And there will be people on the marshal who will know who we need to contact to enable that to happen.

So I think getting a stakeholder group will be the first thing that we'll do.

Okay, excellent.

Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:53:44

Yes, you can ask your further questions.

Very kindly. It's a very specific one.

Cllr Alan Martin - 0:53:54

So it's in the section where you're looking at the discontinued revised items.

Under the Folkestone Triennial, we've got the 125 ,000, I think, for last year, but then not for this year.

And then in the comment you're saying,

let me just find it.

Oh yeah, so one off funded by reserves every three years.

So I guess there's two questions when I think about it.

So the first question is,

so is the 125 ,000 from last year,

the one off payment that occurs every three years,

which is why it's not there this year,

I guess is an open question.

but also just slightly confused by the point

as to whether something can be a one -off payment

if it's happening every three years.

So is that just an accounting technicality or?

Sorry.

Mr Ewan Green - 0:54:55

Yes, thank you, good question.

Yes, an accounting technicality basically,

it's a one -off, it's every three years

a trannyle is held, we have a grant agreement every three years, therefore with them, and

we accrue the 150 ,000 over the three -year period in our reserves, and then each, so

in the third year it comes back out through the grant programme. That's it. Yeah, it is

a bit quirky, yes, to be fair.

Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:55:27

It's like connecting food stamps, isn't it? Okay. So I'm mindful that there are people

who want to speak who haven't spoken yet.

So I know there are people who have spoken before

who have had their hands up and usually I do

in chronological order to be completely fair.

But also I think it's fair to allow people,

everyone to speak.

So Councillor Davidson is next and then Holgate

and then Hills can go afterwards.

Thanks, Chair, so much to say on this subject.

Cllr Laura Davison - 0:55:57

Thanks for taking us through, it's really useful to have that.

On the discretionary funding, maybe something

just simple could just go round to all councillors

about the discretionary funding.

Because I'm sure people have plugged various things

within the discussion tonight.

I might plug the community fridge, for example.

But that might be a good way

to get some more engagement on that.

In terms of the overall structuring of the grant programme,

it's great to see more money going

into the individual ward grants,

because that is a very effective mechanism, I think.

on the kind of collective sums or the larger sums,

there could be more of a structure

around that part of it potentially.

Within folks in town council, for example,

we have that dual process

where there are individual award grants,

but there's also then a collective process

for applying for the larger sums,

which are then determined by councillors as a whole.

So that could be something to work towards.

And just think then, I just was thinking about

the kind of definition of community, we're obviously attaching this to things that are

in the corporate plan and the priorities in there. I think some of the other words that

are in the corporate plan under the community section are things like history, heritage,

diversity, so there is a kind of broader definition. I'm sure some of these projects will touch

on those things as well, but I guess it's just a plea to kind of bear that in mind in

the process of thinking about it, how do we make sure it's as broad as possible in terms

of the development and support for the community as a whole?

Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:57:39

Thank you. Yes, very good point. Okay. So again, in the interest of making sure that

everyone has an opportunity to speak, Councillor Wing has put his hand up. So he's going to

be next and then okay.

Cllr John Wing - 0:57:49

Cllr John Wing - 0:57:51

Thank you, Chair. First of all, observation. I particularly like the parish and town council

can now apply and the fact that small organisations we've done have a bank account can go for

committee services and apply. My main question is about process. Tell me if I'm wrong, but

I believe this committee is not a decision -making committee. We can make recommendations, unless

We want to call something in, we're not on.

So is this going to either inform cabinet

or proper cabinet just so they can vote on it?

Or is it, this is?

Jyotsna Leney - 0:58:28

I think that we'll be doing a cabinet decision report.

Mr Ewan Green - 0:58:34

So the budget allocation is agreed in budget

at fuel council.

The allocation of that money,

which is before you tonight for scrutiny,

will then go forward as a cabinet member decision to be made.

So there will be a full report published

from Councillor Blakemore on the allocations

following this evening's meeting

because the reason the points have been raised.

So there will be a full public decision made.

So it won't go to cabinet,

it'll be a cabinet member decision,

which is slightly different, but it's the same thing.

You publish, the report is published

and there's a period of time for members

to raise any points on that and then following that period the decision is made.

Cllr John Wing - 0:59:17

So it would be one cabinet member rather than the whole of the cabinet making that decision?

Mr Ewan Green - 0:59:25

Yes and that's well within the the uh the allegations to Councillor Bleymore and his portfolio.

Cllr John Wing - 0:59:30

Okay I just wanted a clarification on that. Thank you. Councillor Holgate.

Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:59:36

Cllr Rich Holgate - 0:59:38

Thank you, Chair. Just three quick observations as a result of the conversation. It's been

very useful. You mentioned you'd value some thoughts on longer -term agreement grants.

I think it's an absolute no -brainer. I think it should definitely be explored in how we

can, especially I always think through the lens of LGR as well, like you can think you've

got three years left, quote unquote. You know, let's just box some, you know, x amount off

and kind of put those to bed and then you can focus on those yearly.

To my point and concern earlier around the longer term viability of some of these community groups,

again focusing on MusicTime as an example, like that immediately gives them and others an opportunity

for not having to live, you know, hand to mouth every year.

I think about, you know, Strange Cargo, you kind of beg, borrow and steal every year.

They have to kind of just go around and do the same kind of pleading.

So if that is still an option, I 100 % recommend that you look at longer -term grants.

The second is around the concept of getting the message out.

I think it continues to be a very untapped resource, our Paris and town councils, and

how we can work with them to provide the flow, you know, the flow of communication and how

to get the message out.

So just again, strong encouragement there.

And then finally, to Councillor Martin's, A Martin's point, on the flurry of requests

towards the end of the year, and I'm sure your mailbox is full of funding requests that

we can't facilitate for whatever reason, but perhaps we can just set up a mechanism where

you could forward those around to all the councillors, and we could then take a view

as to whether we could chip into that, and just a very quick kind of, you know, just

like a list of unanswered funding requests perhaps, and we could just kind of look, but

Just a side thought on that one.

Thank you.

Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 1:01:30

Councillor Hills.

Thank you, Chair.

Councillor Tony Hills - 1:01:35

Over the years, and I've done this for a fair while,

it's a case of, and it's not meant to be negative,

but it's usual suspects that come for the funding.

And that's great, that's great,

but I'm very conscious of the fact

that sometimes we miss people,

I totally agree with Mike saying, I'd love to see more Councillor training, refresh the

courses for us all.

Nothing wrong with that whatsoever.

Primary scores I think are untapped.

I know one primary score, I spoke to it at the annual meeting last week, are forming

a new PTA because they've got a new head, Sipton Church, and I'm giving a bit of funding

towards a bit of PayKit, which is great, and I support that totally, but I don't think

We do enough with primary schools.

Marsh Academy is very strong and they're very good.

I'm trying to talk about something else at the moment,

but they're not, I'm afraid.

But yeah, a very good outfit.

But I think we could do more in primary schools.

My concern always has been how you get to people.

If you have a regular newspaper going out from the council,

which I'm a great fan of,

because that can end up in people's hands

who are not necessarily looking for something,

but might trigger something. Not everybody will go on the website and search.

In my own case we used to have junior fishing matches on a regular basis,

because I go fishing, and basically we can't get volunteers anymore. They're not there.

I mean I don't know, it might get some there, but it's a lot of work and you've got your police

cheque and everything else, and it's great. They love it when you get them down the beach,

and it gets them out there, it's so healthy,

in my opinion, I don't think the fish would agree,

but it's actually, otherwise it's very good for youngsters.

But how do you reach those people

who might not even have thought about it,

but they might have some young kids themselves

and want to put some time into things.

So it's really how we get to our community,

which is what interests me, if that's gonna help.

Thank you.

Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 1:03:45

Right, some really good points here.

So I just wanted to ask because I did notice on here,

let me go to it, there's a new project

that you're waiting for the detail on,

the sustainability help feasibility study.

And I was thinking, and I was surprised

that we didn't have more projects

which were about the circular economy and sustainability,

especially being in regards to our location

and the fact that we are at the mercy of the climate.

So that's a great start.

I know we have the green grants,

but again, that's much funding.

So there might be smaller projects

that might find it difficult to actually gain access

to those green grants.

Is there anything that is in the planning

to actually make sure that we do allocate a substantial amount of money towards things

like the climate and sustainability.

Cllr Mike Blakemore - 1:04:56

Yeah, I think given that we have the Green Grants, which is 200 ,000, and we're doing

that again, that is quite a sizeable commitment to it. But of course, a lot of what we're

doing here also does support sustainability. The work, Joyce mentioned, with the South

Coast Food Partnership has very much got sustainability at its heart and so do many other projects

as well. So I think given the investment in the green grants, I think we are putting quite

a lot of money into sustainability.

Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 1:05:24

And is there a possibility for maybe the process or the procedure to be changed or to allow

it to be more accessible to other organisations apart from the larger ones?

What do you mean on the green grants?

What do you mean?

Cllr Mike Blakemore - 1:05:39

On the green grants, well, you can

apply for a grant of 1 ,000 pounds,

or you can go a grant up to, is it 10 or 20?

The maximum.

I think it's 20.

20.

So there's quite a range within that.

I was going to say something else,

and it's gone right out of my head.

But it might come back to me.

Were you going to say something, Ewan?

I was going to say that, yes, within the programme,

Mr Ewan Green - 1:06:01

it caters for groups of all sizes.

but also of course with the increase in member grant awards this year, there may be opportunities

more locally for members aware of the groups who are supporting sustainability to make

the purchase through the member grants as well.

Thank you.

Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 1:06:19

Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 1:06:25

We'll come back at some point. You can send an email.

Okay, right. I think we have exhausted that. So we'll move on and actually vote on it.

So recommendations are to receive a note report OS2517 to consider feedback on the draught allocation

set out in the community grant schedule and to consider feedback on the proposed amendments

and award budget scheme terms and conditions. And can I have a proposer, please? Councillor

Councillor Martin, E. Martin.

And can we have a vote with a show of hands?

Thank you.

Okay, so item six,

6 Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme 2026-27

overview and scrutiny committee work programme 26, 27.

Okay, the lights changed there.

Okay.

Right, so this item will be introduced by Ewan Green,

Mr Ewan Green - 1:07:31

director of strategy and resources. Thank you. Thank you, Chair. I'm not quite sure how I follow

the last item. This is a report that you see the four members of the year setting out a proposed

work programme for the next year, 2006 -27. The report's fairly self -explanatory. It's been through

the process of consulting, asking the public, asking members for topics that they may wish to

to bring forward to scrutiny.

In previous years, you've had scoring,

but because of the numbers that came through this year,

and we felt that after the initial assessment of them,

10 items were put forward, I feel that's a manageable number

so it's not that there was an intention not to have scoring,

but I think just the way it's landed,

you can see that in section 1 .6,

you've got the 12 items there, which is 10 new ones,

to being rolled over from this year again.

So, fairly straightforward here.

I'll have to take any questions or any points from members.

Okay, it's open to members.

Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 1:08:34

Yes, Councillor Thomas.

Yeah, thank you, Chair.

Just a couple from me in terms of things

Cllr Paul Thomas - 1:08:45

that we committed to through full council, for example.

So, just last week, we said that we were going to,

that we were going to be reporting the water courses testing proposals back to

overview and scrutiny. So at some stage we need to factor that in. I think at the

moment we don't quite know where that's going to be but it certainly should be

before the end of the bathing season that's for sure. So again I think in terms of the

programme that would be probably members expectations from the discussion we had

last week. And then I've got two on the solar farm proposals that we had under

OS 2514. One of those, during the discussion, we did propose a

community benefits agreement to be put together based on the North

East Devon Council policy. So again, it's a question of, you know, is that going to

come back to OSC or where is that going to go so we understand how we tie up what

what we were briefed on through that paper

and then how we bring it into normal business.

And then my final bit, which also associated

with the solar farms on Romney Marshes,

we also discussed the potential for a task and finish group

specifically to review and comment on the community

engagement aspects of the three big schemes.

Bear in mind that one of those schemes

is due to go to the planning inspector in August,

so we don't actually have an awful lot of time.

So my question associated with that was,

are we going to assemble the task in for this group?

And if we are, terms and conditions associated

with the group, and when do we kick it off?

Thank you, Chair.

I think a general point to start with,

Mr Ewan Green - 1:10:36

anything that comes in the year through council business

can still be put into the programme.

Because it is not here, it does not mean it will not be.

The ones you referenced, the time this was published,

we had not been through Council on water quality.

On solar, we have to go back to Council

because there was a petition from the public.

The next available Council will be going back with a report

with the recommendations from scrutiny,

which will include the range of things discussed by members,

including the task and finish group,

and further scrutiny of individual projects.

So it won't be lost.

Thank you.

Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 1:11:17

Councillor A Martin.

Yeah, thank you, Chair.

Cllr Alan Martin - 1:11:24

Just on point of clarification,

so on the solar parks,

I was gonna raise exactly the same two points

that Councillor Thomas did.

I think I'm right in saying that there was a specific action

for us to have a second overview and scrutiny session

booked in for this year,

possibly before we go back to full council

because of the, I can't remember the precise bit of detail,

but it's something to do with to get the timing right

to enable a piece of work to be done

before the process more formally kicked off.

Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 1:12:01

Yes, I seem to remember something like that.

Yes, well, I think that none of that can happen

Mr Ewan Green - 1:12:06

until their programme is back to council.

You consider the matter, you make recommendations

to the council, so the next available council

will begin that report forward.

Having spoken to the team about this,

I don't think we're out of time.

I think we're in time, both in terms of the overall approach,

community benefits policy, et cetera,

and also on any specifics on any of the individual work

the proposals that are now going through the end step process.

Councillor Hills.

Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 1:12:39

Thank you, Chair.

Councillor Tony Hills - 1:12:41

Yeah, I think Ewan's right.

I mean, hopefully we'll have the second consultation on the solar farms

by, hopefully by June, maybe earlier.

And once we have that information, we know what they're proposing,

then we can actually go to that.

Until then, they're guessing.

And it's not very nice, I mean, but it's a risk.

But we have to go that way round, I think.

And it'll be quite tight in the timescale at the back end,

but we have no choice in that

because we have to do that process.

And as for the thing we passed last week at full council,

yep, and the Stog Marsh and the Crenshaw Strategy,

which I phoned you about this morning, Ewan,

but you were busy, I don't know why, but hardly.

But I will speak to you soon, hopefully,

about that because I think we have to do

some work with outside bodies. I've got some suggestions for you. But that sort of thing

is going to be critical. At number four on my list would be the climate change and extreme

weather. And I've had a meeting last week with the Environment Agency and I'm getting a slight

meeting underway with them to talk about my bit of coastline. We're in dire straits. But the problem

The problem is, we won't know how the EA

is gonna react properly until they've gone

through their testing regime the course of the year.

But they don't test all the waters,

they only test the ones that are eventually fading.

And they won't give much away.

So I've actually written to the head of the EA,

regional head, to say we need a chat about this

to bring in our citizen science bits,

which they don't wanna play ball at the moment,

but they're gonna have to, I think.

They haven't got the manpower.

So there's lots of things we're gonna have to do.

And it's gonna put a lot of pressure on the chairman

I expect to decide which one comes first.

Because they're all gonna be a car crash

towards the end of the year in my opinion.

But yeah, I mean it is what it is.

We've just gotta chop it through.

Personally, I'm quite happy to have more meetings.

If the workload is so great,

because I'd rather have more than shorter,

rather than longer.

Arsenal's playing at eight tonight.

No, it's...

But yeah, just a thought.

Thank you.

I noticed the deathly silence when you said that.

Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 1:15:07

I'm not sure with people in agreement.

Councillor A. Martin, did you have a question?

No.

Okay, you changed your mind.

Anybody else?

Councillor?

Cllr Laura Davison - 1:15:26

Thank you for sharing the programme. When I was looking at my thought, a couple of the

items probably sit quite well together. There is one on lighting and one on pedestrian routes,

which includes lighting. So they might be quite useful to consider in the round. Previously,

we have had a process whereby councillors on the committee could feed in if there was

a particular focus that was being sought for each session, which was quite helpful, I think,

in terms of identifying if the members of the committee had particular questions they

wanted to be addressed and made the work of officers probably more useful in that sense.

So I don't know if we're going to look at that again as a mechanism, but it would be

probably quite helpful just to get a sense of where each of the items might come up in

the year ahead so that we can sort of think ahead and plan around that a bit.

Mr Jake Hamilton - 1:16:24

Yes, that is going to be the same process. I think it's paragraph 1 .8. So essentially,

the chair will email out a form to everyone asking for their feedback and

what sort of focus they want for each item. That will then be collated and then

and then pass back to us.

Thank you.

Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 1:16:49

Any questions?

That's a nice fast one.

Thank you very much.

Right, so our recommendations are

to receive a note report OS2518,

to note paragraph 1 .8 of the report

and to endorse and recommend to full council

for approval of the Scrutiny Work Programme for the 26 to 27 municipal year, as set out

in the paragraph 1 .6 of the report. Can I have a proposal? Thank you, Councillor Chapman,

and a seconder. Thank you, Councillor Davidson, and a vote for a show of hands. Thank you

7 Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report 2025-26

very much. Okay, so we move on to item 7, overview of the Scrutiny Annual Report, and

I will quickly introduce this. You have the report in front of you. I don't really see

the need for me to read through it,

because you already have it and you all know how to read.

So I will leave that so that we can expedite this.

So are there any questions in relation to this?

Nope, okay.

So, oh, did somebody put their hand up and point it?

Not for when, see, he made me think

that somebody would put his hand,

their hand up and I haven't seen.

Okay, so the recommendations are to receive a note

report OS2519 to receive a note that annual report overview and scrutiny committee 25

to 26. Can I have a proposer please? Councillor Thomas, a seconder, Councillor A. Martin and

a vote for Mr. Schofans. Thank you very much. And then our last item, item eight cabinet

8 Cabinet Member updates

member update. In accordance with the constitution, Councillor James Butcher, cabinet member for

place, plan, heritage, tourism and district economy.

That's a very long title.

And Councillor Connor McConville,

cabinet member for assets and local government reorganisation

has submitted their cabinet member updates

for consideration.

As you've already been informed earlier in the evening,

Councillor McConville has sent his apologies,

but any questions raised during the meeting

will be noted and responded to in due course.

But of course we do have Councillor Butcher here

if you have any questions in relation to what they've provided.

So any questions from councillors?

Oh, Councillor Wink.

Cllr John Wing - 1:19:17

Thank you. I did mostly see you sitting there James for no reason for the question.

Page 67, you talk about the new town centre,

Ford and Community Hub at 19 Guildhall Street.

Can you tell me a little bit more about that? Sounds exciting.

Can you tell me a little bit more?

Yeah, thanks, Councillor Wink.

Cllr James Butcher - 1:19:35

And maybe there's just a bit of context to wrap around

these sort of individual projects, if that's okay,

because I think things like that number 19

town centre operating model, support for tourism,

support for retail businesses,

all clearly have an economic benefit

that we're trying to achieve.

But I think it is much broader than that.

And a lot of evidence around at the moment

about the impact of how people's towns look

and feel on their overall sense of wellbeing,

their sense of optimism,

just their feeling about life generally.

So if a town feels kind of buzzing and smart,

people will feel kind of optimistic about their lives.

If it looks tatty on the way down,

they'll feel more pessimistic.

So I think it is those two things

about economic benefit yet, but also impact on wellbeing.

And I think the town centre operating model

and the number 19 are both examples

So we've got heading towards its conclusion,

all the remodelling of the town centre.

So that's a cut, I was gonna say bricks and water.

It's not really bricks and water, is it?

It's kind of tarmac and concrete

and all of that kind of thing, and trees and planting.

But in a sense, that's all,

we're talking about that as a bit of a stage set.

And there's then, well, what's gonna happen in that space?

It's not enough to change the physical fabric

of the town centre.

What's gonna be happening in that space

that's going to make a difference to the vitality of the town.

So the idea of the town centre operating model is that we recruit a town centre manager.

We're hoping that person might be imposed in, say, June,

and that person to be based at number 19 Guildhall Street.

And really taking a professional look at markets and at live events to create a calendar of events.

We've got about two years, I think it is, of funding to support that post before the

intention is it becomes self -funding through the markets and those other activities.

So then number 19 is, I think, a really exciting proposal from Kent Foodhouse to run a place

that's got kind of multiple purposes.

I've kind of listed out a few of those, but I think it's really exciting to see the kind

ideas they've got and some people might have been along to the market on the 28th, really lively

market on Guildhall Street, a lot of football there, but also providing a bit of an incubator.

So for kind of micro businesses there's a commercial kitchen there, so for a micro

business that's in the kind of food sector there's an opportunity to have a kind of step

up into becoming a viable business basing yourself there using those facilities.

something I would have loved when my kids were small is a hot -desking space with a

creche attached, which I think is a really cool kind of model. I think it's going to be really, really helpful for some people.

So I think there's some, you know, the way Kent food hubs are thinking about

that space is lots of small organisations using that space and

and therefore helping it be financially viable.

And if you think, I mean, it's a very different idea,

but if you think about the Petticoat Lane Emporium,

there's a similar kind of thinking, isn't there?

That huge retail space isn't really viable for one provider,

but if you start to get lots of small businesses,

you can make something that wasn't viable viable.

My second question on page 69,

you talk about UNESCO Geopark up on the Downs.

I know down in Dorset, our other Geopark,

the Jurassic Post, it was a tremendous draw for tourism and things, and it's a couple of towns that virtually survive on it.

So, I think especially with the teleno culture, I mean, if you can combine the two together, it would be absolutely fantastic.

And I know sustainable eco -tourism is part of this geo -ob.

I know Mr. Scothen's probably the expert on this, but I wonder if you know any more about this,

or how the process is going, or how we're looking for being a geo -park, basically.

Cllr James Butcher - 1:23:48

Yes, so the bids gone in, and I think we are expecting to hear, well I think it's a bit

unclear, but hopefully this year.

I think the potential for sustainable tourism is absolutely brilliant.

There was a conference in France a few weeks back, which Councillor Scotland went to with

one of our officers.

I'm really interested to hear from a long established Geopark in Ireland, what the kind

of how they were successful and part of that was really involving local businesses.

And what we're looking at doing is investing in some specialist advice

about sustainable tourism options to see what kind of projects that we can get underway.

And certainly we have quite a bit of interest from the High -

how do we get them around the district in a more sustainable way than we can at the moment?

How do we link in, for example, to the work of the, what was the district food network

and kind of the new name for it, but they're doing a lot of work on good food and encouraging

restaurants and cafes to be offering kind of good food options, which would seem an

obvious thing to connect to sustainable tourism.

So absolutely, I think it's a real opportunity for us.

Thank you. Councillor Thomas.

Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 1:25:13

Yeah, thank you, Chair. Yeah, thank you very much for your report, James. A couple of things

Cllr Paul Thomas - 1:25:19

from me. The video, winter on Romley Marsh, well, it's cold and wet. So I think we know

that. But it's great that we're picking those out and that we're making a focus of them

because, again, it'll give people an appreciation of the breadth of things that go on at the

that you wouldn't normally associate with tourism.

So I think it's really great that we're doing that.

Just in terms of specific events,

they're very important to particular towns.

So if you look at the discussion we had earlier on,

on the grants side of things,

there were a lot of things in there

which are folks that are based,

music events, for example,

and I think Strange Cargo, we talked about,

the Chara Vary Festival, and this kind of thing.

But what we haven't included in there,

and these are really, really important events for the town.

So you've got the Venetian Fates is this year

for hire, for example.

You've got New Romney Country Fair, Light Up New Romney,

Lid Club Day, Day of Sin is this year as well.

And again, they're all looking for funding.

A lot of that comes through the ward grant scheme.

So I just wonder if in the future,

as one of the other items that we put

in the community grant scheme,

is an element specifically about tourism

that looks at some of these events,

which are absolutely critical to the town.

The cost of putting these things on,

I think as Councillor Hill's alluded to earlier on,

is only ever going up.

So for me, if we could make sure that we capture that,

and I think the other side,

and this is the flip side of the coin,

on Romilly Marsh, we're really suffering

because of poor water quality.

The impact that that's had on tourism,

in Dimchurts and Marys Bay and Littlestone,

you know, it can't be understated.

It's huge for us.

So again, I think it's so important

that we get the message out there

about the things that you can do,

excepting the fact that we are having poor water quality.

You know, there are no bathing recommendations

for both Dimchurts and Littlestone again this year.

And to be honest with you,

and Councillor Hills is very well aware of this,

That is unlikely to change in the short term,

despite the best efforts from a number of people

in this room today.

So again, I think for me, it's making sure

that whatever we do on that side,

we recognise that there are things

which are fighting against us, like poor water quality,

but we need to push those things,

which are really in our favour,

which are promoting the towns,

and are actually getting people in there.

And my final point really,

and it does relate to poor bathing water quality again,

is we have one of the biggest tourist attractions

in the southeast in the Romley Island Dibchirch Railway.

The impact the poor water quality's had

on their business is huge,

and they've got a very important event coming up

with their centenary.

So again, I think, but if you look around,

you won't see anything around here about that.

And I think it's so important

that we pull all those things together

to make sure that however we discuss that,

however we communicate that in the future,

All of these individual events, all these things which make up the demand, if you like,

for towns to pull people into them, where local businesses and that will benefit,

it's really important that we give them an equal standing,

because I think that will benefit us until we get over this hump of poor water quality,

particularly on the marsh. Thank you.

Go ahead, please.

Yeah, thanks, Chan.

Cllr James Butcher - 1:28:55

I think that bit about how we promote local events is really central to the whole tourism

agenda, but economic development as well.

And I don't think we've cracked it at all.

And I think this applies to town or culture as well.

How do people know what's going on over weekend or next week or next month is actually quite

hard to do.

There is a new feature that's been developed, which I think mostly picks up things in Fokusen,

but when I tried it out, there were some things out of town

which perhaps we could look at supporting more.

But I'd actually take that away and we'll talk to officers about just how do we make sure.

I mean, you know, you'll see things on social media, so the comms team will push things out.

I don't know if we're being as systematic about it as we really need to be.

So thank you for highlighting that.

Councillor Hills.

Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 1:29:45

Thank you, Chair.

Councillor Tony Hills - 1:29:48

Can I totally endorse what my wife said?

Paul's quite right.

We have got to crack the water quality problem.

And it's not gonna be easy,

but we gotta put our shoulder to that wheel.

But I was very pleased to see

the Rural England Prosperity Fund

at the White Cliffs Countryside Project,

or partnership,

which is the Warming Marsh Countryside Partnership,

are doing the signage up at the nest

at the Marsh Visitor Centre.

That's a great opportunity, I think.

I was down there for the East Egg Hunt

on Bank of the Money, my three -year -old grandson.

It was great fun.

But not only that, it is an underdeveloped thing,

the nature reserve side and everything else.

And I'd like to see that working with the railway line.

I'm sure they got one side there,

they can do the other side.

If we could get that linked up,

and we're at Dungeness Nature Reserve as well.

We've got something which is a package.

But I would just say, don't ignore the school kids.

Every primary school kid on the mod

should get something about this,

because they're the pesto powder that'll get it to happen.

But we've got some great opportunities.

But as Paul said, we are blighted by the water quality,

and that's gotta be sorted out,

so that's gonna take a lot of work.

But I believe we can do it.

But also if you get two years build of a solar farms that mean what I mean you can a winter as I call it

On the marsh and all the coastal businesses won't be there afterwards because there'd be no business for two years

So that's a serious concern

But thinking outside the box a little bit and how they connect together and the problems they got any opportunities. I'm glad you're on the case

Thank You councillor Holgate

Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 1:31:37

Cllr Rich Holgate - 1:31:41

Cllr James Butcher - 1:31:43

Yeah, I think the thing was just saying, I think the Nest is a real success storey and the combination of the funding you talk about to support it,

but also a lot of office time that's coming to really working with the Nest to help them become viable.

I think it's a good example and I know some conversations have gone on between the Nest and the railway about should we have another platform now so that people can…

Can get on the app.

Yeah, that's that.

I've given you some fun stuff.

Yeah.

Thank you. Councillor Holgate.

Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 1:32:08

Cllr Rich Holgate - 1:32:09

Thank you. Councillor Fletcher, just three quick questions. You mentioned the town operating,

the town, folks in town operator, I've forgotten the job title.

Which involves a point of your town centre manager?

Town centre manager, simple. It all becomes self -funded in time, which is wonderful.

It kind of made me think about becoming a business improvement district. I was wondering

is that a conversation that has happened or taken place, or again, perhaps with LGR and

Horizon maybe not worth it, but just curious in the concept of being self -funded.

And one thing I was always keen for with the portfolio was that the output of that operating

centre model work could be replicable across then Hyde and new Robin and so forth.

Is that likely?

Is that potentially something we could make sure we do that we have a good knowledge sharing

as a result of the work that's been done in Folkestone.

And then a third question I had, I have forgotten.

Oh, no, the maps.

Good to see the maps nearly done.

Are they working well?

Do we have any feedback?

What's next on maps?

Great.

Thank you.

Cllr James Butcher - 1:33:24

So yes, conversations happening about business improvement

district.

Yeah, for anyone who's not familiar with those,

is so a mechanism by which local businesses pay in a levy

and there's a fund that they can then manage

to invest in whatever way they see fit to invest in.

It's not necessarily really an easy sell,

particularly when there's a load of costs

that people are experiencing at the moment,

whether it's business rates

or employer's national insurance or whatever.

So it's definitely there in the conversation.

And I think what we're looking at is,

what's the likelihood

and have we got enough of the big employees, big businesses that are interested in that kind of thing.

In terms of being replicable, I think that applies to both the town centre operating model and the model we've got at number 19.

So absolutely, the aim is then to see, not exactly just going to do the same thing in New Romney or Hyde or Hawkins,

but take some of that philosophy.

Now I think the other thing I've talked about in the report

is the economic appraisal and the conversations

we've been having around the district.

And of course you know the things that come up,

there are some similarities but a lot of differences.

So one of the things that came up in some of the Romney Marsh

conversations for example in New Romney

was about the banking hub.

So to make it easier for small businesses

to do their banking.

It's not something that's going to come up in Folkestone.

and I haven't heard it mentioned in Hawkins.

When we had the session in Hawkins,

there was talk about how do we support micro businesses

and really interesting community energy.

So every place is gonna have its kind of distinct challenges

and opportunities, but there's gonna be some principles

there absolutely that we can spread around the district.

And yes, all the maps are now complete and are out there.

We keep getting requests for reprinting.

It's a bit early yet for the North Downs one

to be reprinted as that's only just gone out there. I think it's fair to say lots of people really like them, lots of people have been heavily critical of them just in terms of how they look. I think that's probably inevitable but I think as we get to reprints we'll probably want to have a bit of a rethink about have they got the right kind of look and feel to them.

Sure. Thank you.

Thank you.

Councillor Davison.

Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 1:35:49

Thanks, Chair.

Cllr Laura Davison - 1:35:54

Yes, there's a lot under your portfolio, isn't there?

It was a few things.

I think the kind of economic strategy is really important, isn't it?

In terms of developing the district.

So I'm glad that there's a kind of focus on that.

This committee has talked before about community wealth building

and local procurement and working with a range of kind of community partners,

businesses, trades unions for example, around how to build the local economy

through that approach. So I hope that's something that's being thought

about as well as part of the approach, because I think that's

produced very positive results elsewhere. And obviously the young

people in our district are crucial in terms of having opportunities within the district

too. So just thinking about that in every strand of what we're doing is critical. We've

already talked about the youth forum, this is something I'm sure, again, that would be

important there to them. And then I think the other thing, I just wanted to ask about

There was a survey that was done

about ideas around the local economy.

Not sure if I've missed where that's got to

or whether we've got the results from that as yet.

Be interested to just get an update on that.

And then separately,

thinking about the Brighter Future project

and all the works going on in the town,

which obviously have been going on for a long time now

and are scheduled to go on for quite some time more.

I think signs have gone up

another multiple weeks work around the station in Folkestone, for example.

Just how the relationship is with the main contractor at the moment.

I've had some issues raised again more recently with residents

with some of the changes that have been made and suggestions

for further improvements that could be made

around some of the changes that have happened.

So what's the best way to feed those suggestions in?

I think would be useful to know as well. Thanks.

Cllr James Butcher - 1:38:07

Yes, thank you. So just on the survey results, so that is being fed into the report from

the consultants that we're expecting later this month. So really happy to see, well,

you'll be able to see the report, but if there's more conversations you want to have about

that, very happy to have that conversation.

On the focus on future works, if there are, well, I mean, I think what's from my perspective has been really helpful is

myself and other ward members have been feeding things in which I can then take up with officers and they can take up with either KCC or the contractor, depending or sometimes both.

So there was something that came up recently about the exit from the car park in the middle of Middleburg Square.

I can't remember what that car park is called now.

There was actually no easy way to get across from there to Asda.

As soon as you go and look at it, you thought, that's mad.

Now, that's been addressed pretty promptly, I think.

So that's really good to see.

But that's it's really helpful when that gets fed in.

I mean, it sounds like what you were saying was less, there's something wrong that needs fixing.

Was it more, here's some idea for how it could be better?

A mix, I would say.

But do, yeah, do please feed them through to me.

Cllr Laura Davison - 1:39:27

Very happy then to kind of take that on and make sure that something's done about it.

Cllr James Butcher - 1:39:31

Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 1:39:36

Thank you. I think that's the end of the questions.

And if that's the end of the questions, that's the end of the meeting.

Thank you very much for your time.

Thank you.

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Overview and Scrutiny Committee - Tuesday 7 April 2026, 6:00pm - Folkestone & Hythe webcasting

Overview and Scrutiny CommitteeTuesday, 7th April 2026 at 6:00pm

Agenda

Slides

Transcript

Map

Resources

Twitter

Forums

Speakers

Feedback

Votes

Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:00:02

1 Apologies for Absence

Mr Jake Hamilton - 0:00:46

Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:01:04

Cllr Rich Holgate - 0:01:34

2 Declarations of Interest

Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:01:48

3 Minutes

4 Minutes of the Finance and Performance Sub-Committee

5 Community Grants Schedule 2026/27

Jyotsna Leney - 0:02:49

Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:22:57

Councillor Tony Hills - 0:23:46

Jyotsna Leney - 0:24:31

Councillor Tony Hills - 0:25:46

Jyotsna Leney - 0:26:15

Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:26:45

Cllr Rich Holgate - 0:26:49

Jyotsna Leney - 0:28:53

Cllr Mike Blakemore - 0:31:38

Jyotsna Leney - 0:32:53

Cllr Rich Holgate - 0:34:47

Jyotsna Leney - 0:35:40

Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:36:31

Cllr Paul Thomas - 0:36:37

Cllr Mike Blakemore - 0:39:08

Mr Ewan Green - 0:39:26

Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:40:02

Cllr Mike Blakemore - 0:40:05

Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:41:50

Jyotsna Leney - 0:41:52

Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:42:47

Cllr Paul Thomas - 0:42:50

Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:43:40

Jyotsna Leney - 0:43:47

Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:44:25

Cllr Bridget Chapman - 0:44:30

Mr Ewan Green - 0:45:06

Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:45:57

Cllr Mike Blakemore - 0:46:08

Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:47:18

Cllr Alan Martin - 0:47:25

Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:49:47

Cllr Mike Blakemore - 0:49:54

Jyotsna Leney - 0:51:23

Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:53:44

Cllr Alan Martin - 0:53:54

Mr Ewan Green - 0:54:55

Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:55:27

Cllr Laura Davison - 0:55:57

Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:57:39

Cllr John Wing - 0:57:49

Cllr John Wing - 0:57:51

Jyotsna Leney - 0:58:28

Mr Ewan Green - 0:58:34

Cllr John Wing - 0:59:17

Mr Ewan Green - 0:59:25

Cllr John Wing - 0:59:30

Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:59:36

Cllr Rich Holgate - 0:59:38

Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 1:01:30

Councillor Tony Hills - 1:01:35

Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 1:03:45

Cllr Mike Blakemore - 1:04:56

Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 1:05:24

Cllr Mike Blakemore - 1:05:39

Mr Ewan Green - 1:06:01

Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 1:06:19

Overview and Scrutiny Committee
Tuesday, 7th April 2026 at 6:00pm