Council - Wednesday 29 November 2023, 7:00pm - Folkestone & Hythe webcasting

Council
Wednesday, 29th November 2023 at 7:00pm 

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  1. Cllr Adrian Lockwood
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  1. Microphone Forty
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  6. Cllr Jim Martin
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  13. Cllr Polly Blakemore
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  1. Cllr Paul Thomas
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  7. Cllr David Wimble
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  9. Cllr Nicola Keen
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  13. Cllr Nicola Keen
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  30. Cllr Bridget Chapman
  31. Cllr Jeremy Speakman
  32. Cllr David Godfrey
  33. Cllr Rebecca Shoob
  34. Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly
  35. Cllr Alan Martin
  36. Cllr Mike Blakemore
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  40. Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly
  41. Cllr Clive Goddard
  42. Cllr David Wimble
  43. Cllr Jim Martin
  44. Cllr David Wimble
  45. Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly
  46. Cllr David Wimble
  47. Cllr Tim Prater
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  50. Cllr Jennifer Hollingsbee
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  10. Cllr Rich Holgate
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  14. Cllr Nicola Keen
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  16. Cllr David Godfrey
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  18. Cllr Paul Thomas
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  20. Cllr Mike Blakemore
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  8. Cllr Connor McConville
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  10. Cllr Jennifer Hollingsbee
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  12. Cllr David Wimble
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  14. Cllr Stephen Scoffham
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  16. Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly
  17. Cllr Connor McConville
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  19. Cllr Nicola Keen
  20. Cllr Mike Blakemore
  21. Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly
  22. Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly
  23. Cllr Laura Davison
  24. Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly
  25. Cllr Jeremy Speakman
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  27. Cllr Connor McConville
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  29. Cllr David Godfrey
  30. Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly
  31. Cllr Rich Holgate
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  33. Cllr David Wimble
  34. Cllr Stephen Scoffham
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Slide selection

Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:00:23
I call my t Minister, Reverend Anita Mackenzie, to lead us in prayers.
Microphone Forty - 0:00:35
good evening everyone tonight, I'd like to consider the 16 days of activism.
campaign, which is against violence towards women and girls and which started a few days ago on the 25th of November, the UN women's websites houses that one in three women worldwide experienced physical or sexual violence mostly committed by someone they know so in the midst of our own efforts here in Folkestone to support the campaign, I'd like to offer a meditation prayer adapted by scent and by all opens Anglican dioceses from the women's Catholic organisation.
God of love, compassion and healing, we pray to you for the women and girls who have experienced violent relationships.
that they can find safety and healing from their trauma and rebuild their lives for children who have witnessed violence in their homes, against their mothers and sisters and other family members, that they will experience, healing and hope for Indigenous women and refugee women who have been impacted by extreme violence that deep and lasting change will ensure their safety.
for individuals, organisations and council members and officers here tonight, working to prevent violence against women and girls and help survivors to of violence, that their courage and generosity will endure for men who speak out against the expression that demean women or condone violence against them that their voices will grow stronger.
for the men and boys who have behaved violently towards women and girls that they will change, but they will have a change of heart, repent in meaningful ways and seek whatever help they need to lead changed lives, God of love. We commend these prayers to you and for your compassion to flood the hearts of all people we make this prayer through Jesus Christ who lives and reigns with you in the Holy spirit Amen,
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:03:10
thank you good evening and welcome to the meeting of Full Council. This meeting will be webcast live to the internet. For those who do not wish to be recorded or filmed. You'll need to leave the Chamber for members officers and others speaking at the meeting. It is important that the microphones are used for viewers on the webcast and others in the room. May here 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. Please note, I appreciate that some Members might not be able to stand when addressing the meeting, and therefore I will of course permit those members to speak without the need to stand at meetings of Full Council. Thank you

1 Apologies for Absence

the first item of business are apologies and chief executive, are there any apologies?
thank you and good evening members, members of the public and staff, and we've got apologies from three Councillors this evening from Councillors, Fuller Grant and McShane.
thank you very much.

2 Declarations of Interest

next item of business declaration of interests does anyone have any interest to declare in relation to any of the matters that are to be discussed in this meeting?
Councillor Lockwood,
Cllr Adrian Lockwood - 0:04:42
thank you, Chair item was the motions for the item.
11, relates to Council procurement and may benefit local companies, and I would like to voluntarily declare that I own and run a local business.
thank you for that, that is noted.

3 Minutes

Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:05:05
third agenda item or minutes are we all agreed that the minutes of the last meeting are a correct record of what transpired?
thank you, Members oxygen unanimous that vote is carried, I will now sign the minutes.
thank you.

4 Chair's Communications

right I move on to Item 4, my communications, since my last communication I've had the great honour of representing the District, throughout our national period of remembrance, I first attended over cruise terminal to pay my respects to those men from Belgium, France and the United Kingdom who made the ultimate sacrifice I witnessed a machine gun coup and the annual Remembrance Sunday service and parade.
I visited the plaque to commemorate the entry of the unknown soldier on to British shores before their journey to their final resting place, the anonymity of the unknown soldier means that he belongs to all of us, through whom we collectively pay tribute to all who perished and war was from the past the present and was unfortunately yet to come.
today, instead of wearing red to signify to human deaths in wall and purple to commemorate the many animals that died in the world wars, I'm wearing orange and thank you. Many of you have also worn orange orange is in honour of 16 days of activism against gender-based violence. This is an international campaign that takes place annually to raise awareness about and combat gender based violence. This includes various forms of violence and discrimination targeting individuals based on their gender. The campaign starts on November 25th, the International Day for the elimination of violence against women, and concludes on December attempt, which is Human Rights Day, because violence against women and girls is the most pervasive and prevalent of human rights violations. UN women, prevalence of sexual harassment statistics found that only 3rd and 3% of 18 to 24 year olds did not recall experiencing sexual harassment
26% of women aged 15 plus who have been subjected to intimate partner violence in 2021 56% of female homicide victims were murdered by their intimate partner or family member
in politics, a survey by the IPU found that psychological violence affects over 80% of women, parliamentarians and over 40% of surveyed women. Parliamentarians receive threats of death, rape, beatings and abduction during their term policies can be hard, but it's even harder having to sit back and not have a voice in decision making. That is why myself and the vice-chair, Anita Jones, did a talk with folk, some women's forum, to encourage more women into local and national politics, and novel women in politics, regardless of their their political shade, is a win for all of us. So today I asked that we stand in honour of all women
you may choose to stand in silence, but I choose to stand and clap because many women have already been silenced, oranges are colour of hope, visibility, it's vibrant and infused with life, and I will honour the lives of those who are no longer here, please stand for one minute and honour women in the way you wish to.
somebody.
thank you.

5 Petitions

item number 5 petitions, there are no petitions.

6 Questions from the Public

number 6, public questions, there are three questions from members of the public, question 1 from Mr. John O'Connor to Councillor M Blakemore cabinet member for community and collaboration, Mr John O'Connor, you may come forward.
thank you, madam.
Microphone Forty - 0:10:23
firstly, I would also like to express very briefly thanks to Councillors Holgate and like more for facilitating a discussion about the issue of Grosse Hill, I found it very helpful, I want to mention briefly that today we had a communication from Councillor Claire Bell who has written to state I can assure you that teams across Kent County Council continue to work on all options that will see the longer term return of a town centre library, Folkestone and are continuing to engage with potential partners and potential funders. So my question is,
could an update be provided, summarising any work undertaken by Folkestone High District Council officers and members with Kent County Council over the last three months in order to explore options for repairing and reopening Grosse Hill Library?
thank you, Councillor Blake, will.
thank you, John, for your question. I await my reply from Councillor KCC. Firstly, I'd like to reiterate this Council's view that graceful library building is an important heritage and community assets of Folkestone. Its closure is of great concern and this Council will work with Kent County Council and all partners to facilitate the investment required to reopen it for the benefit of the town and the wider district. The Leader of the Council, and I have engaged with Kent County Council to stress this point and to seek assurances on the long term. Future of the building and other services which were based in it. Officers are also in discussion with teams from the County Council as they progress an options appraisal on next steps for Grace Hill. This will likely include emerging proposals for the Library Service to be relocated into the Foca building, but this is not yet confirmed
I am hopeful that these discussions, along with the strong local community voice, will influence the County Council and ensure the positive future for Grace Hill that we all seek.
thank you, Councillor, Mr. Joe O'Connor, do you have a supplementary question?
I do briefly, it would be helpful to understand the frequency of planned meetings and any specific arrangements, I believe I heard reference to Foca which, in my view, might prejudice the arrangements for Grosse Hill library itself, so could I ask just for a little clarification as to the direction of travel of these discussions?
yes, of course there's no set frequency for the meetings that are beginning the option appraisal process is beginning and, as I say, likely to include, and I don't think it's a big surprise that that should be one of the options that's considered but it is maybe considered but as I say that's not yet confirmed.
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:13:27
thank you, thank you, so the next question is from Mr. Chris Johnson,
Microphone Forty - 0:13:29
to Councillor J Martin and leader of the council and cabinet member
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:13:32
for autumn park and planning policy, Mr Johnson, please come forward.
Microphone Forty - 0:13:42
playing a Chair evening, councillors at the September meeting, the Planning and Licensing Committee approved and officers, recommendation to approve the inclusion of two sections of a developments buffer strip into private gardens will any safeguards prevent similar adoptions on future developments such as the officers' mess sites in Hawkinge or other buffers just a paper exercise to be ignored.
Councillor Martin,
thank you very much.
Mr Johnson, and thank you also, as I understand it, for being an
Cllr Jim Martin - 0:14:23
excellent mayor of Hawkinge.
the buffer strip at the officers' mess is secure.
secured by a legal agreement to be provided for public access, the buffer strip along the other open space within the development will be offered to Hawkinge Town Council for adoption and control if the Town Council do not wish to take on the open space and buffer, this will then need to be maintained by a management company through the use of the public open space.
thank you, do you have a related supplementary question, thanks for that?
Microphone Forty - 0:15:04
I hope you bring your chequebook when you want to offer it to us on the developments in question, the Council took no action between June 2014 and January this year in response to reports of unauthorised adoption with associated destruction of mature and develop planting.
Will the Council take enforcement action in future on existing developments where sections of landscape buffer are adopted into private gardens?
Cllr Jim Martin - 0:15:39
thank you very much for the three excellent, a supplementary question, because it gives me the opportunity to a distance this administration from what went on previously, we now have two enforcement officers and enforcement will become very much part of our planning procedure, thank you.
thank you, thank you.
Microphone Forty - 0:16:06
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:16:09
okay, our next question is from Mrs. Mary Laws to Councillor Polly Blakemore cabinet member for transport, is Mary Laws, please come forward.
Microphone Forty - 0:16:24
elderly and sick residents in permit zones get free permits for their family members who are their carers, this allows family members caring for their family to park free, however, cameras from KCC, the NHS and private sector care do not get any of this and are being hit by P Parisienne fines.
could a resident who needs to get care for free, get a hard copy permit with their details, so it cannot be used elsewhere, this will allow carers to use permits but hand them back after they finish their care.
thank you, Councillor Polly Blake.
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:17:01
Cllr Polly Blakemore - 0:17:06
thank you for the question Murray. The Council issues permits to residents within controlled parking zones who require regular visits from care or other support service organisations like home helps and carers, these are called special permits and are free of charge. Residents with multiple carers can apply for special permits which are not specific to any vehicle. These are paper permits so it can be displayed by the user and handed back to the residents, as you are suggesting, family members can also use this permit.
NHS staff, who regularly visit residents within controlled parking zones, can also manager to apply for free NHS permit on their behalf, NHS staff permits are similar to the special permits but are not transferrable they allow the employee to park in any zone, information on permits is available on our website but if residents acquire further assistance they are encouraged to get in touch with us.
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:18:02
thank you, Councillor, do you have a related supplementary question?
Microphone Forty - 0:18:09
could I ask if this lady who has contacted me contact you direct because it's not been the case, she's a KCC carer and she has contacted the Council, who I don't know, but she'd been refused a permit, so can I can she contact you direct yes, you can certainly contact me to let them know.

7 Questions from Councillors

Cllr Polly Blakemore - 0:18:25
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:18:29
thank you, and that's the end of our public questions we move on to Item 7 Councillor questions.
there were 15 questions from Members which was set out in schedule 2 on Members' desks, please note that we have a finite allocated time, but hopefully we should be able to get through each one of them, so the first question is from Councillor Thomas to Councillor Tim Potter, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance and governance.
Cllr Paul Thomas - 0:19:01
thank you, Madam Chairman, in 2016 Shepway District Council passed a resolution to recharge Parish Councils for the full cost of by elections in their respective parishes.
would the Deputy Leader of the Council reconsider this approach to recharging parish councils as these costs can have a significant financial impact on smaller parishes, thank you.
Councillor Peter
thank you, Chairman, I'd also be forego, I would just like to thank
Cllr Tim Prater - 0:19:28
you for highlighting the campaign against gender-based violence.
and encouraged us to wear orange this evening, it's very much my colour.
and also, thank you for your question, Paul, you'll know, I've got a lot of sympathy with your position and the position of town and parish councils where they are facing paying for the cost of our elections in their area, because I sit on two Town Councils and chair a parish I could hardly think otherwise.
given the numbers, and in the period 2018 to 22 there were 12 recharged contested town and parish borough elections, four of those were in New Romney to inlaid to Indian church, to one hive one in New Church, and one in Hawkinge,
There were also four by elections held in May 2021, at the same time as the county elections that, due to additional grant from the government, were not recharged, the total recharge cost was 78,913 pounds and 57 pence. That's about 20,000 pounds a year, although there could be no by-elections in 20 to 2020 to 21 21, so it's probably best to assume it usually be a bit higher than say 30,000 pounds a year. That's a lot for town and parishes to absorb, although it's worth saying that the well-managed ones will have a sinking elections reserve, putting money aside for the full yearly elections every year, and it's probably worth adding some extra to cover the cost of by elections too.
however, although I've got that sympathy for town and parish councils, I've also got to have sympathy for the District taxpayer and the team here too, the cost would be a straight transference from parish to district and, as I've had to mention in the past, there is very little money here as we tackle slashing the 18 million pound deficit over the next four years left to us by the previous administration. Tackling that means we're literally in the process of voluntary redundancy as we speak, adding another 20 to 30,000 pounds a year to our elections budget is essentially the salary of another person.
now the District have no scope to further increase council tax beyond a fixed level without triggering a referendum, but actually townland parishes do have that scope.
I'd be happy to investigate a joint scheme with town and parishes, putting in an amount each pro rata to support by elections in town and parishes as sort of mutual support fund, but that's going to require the significant majority of those councils to buy in and take part in it with a payment of say 25 p in a letter that would create the sort of scale fund to fund 30,000 pounds a year that you'd need.
but whether you can convince councils like Folkestone, for instance, that they're happy to pay in 7,000 pounds a year and that's a reasonable price to pay is open to question, particularly if most of the byelections aren't in Folkestone, but that's going to say that's going to end up with the question of distribution as any insurance does the by-elections for that period will seem to be holding disproportionately on some councils more than others.
is it right taxpayers in one part of the district?
paid for by elections in another part, however, I'm also happy to say that the election teams they also understand the pressures they're very happy at least to discuss a payment plan with any town or a parish with by-election costs that they can't meet in year that they haven't budgeted for to allow them to stretch over that payment over future financial years if that would help.
thank you, do you have a related supplementary question, Councillor
Cllr Paul Thomas - 0:22:47
Turner, I do, thank you, thank you very much for that answer and thank you.
can the Deputy Leader of the Council consider a one-off agreement to absorb the by-election cost of the recent dim church parish council contested election due to the extraordinary circumstances in which this by-election was called, as we're all aware, it was due to the conviction and sentencing of an unrepentant sexual offender who joined the Council in an uncontested election in May of this year. It seems extremely unfair that due to the selfish actions of this individual, ddim Church residents will have to suffer the financial impact of this by-election. Thank you.
thank you, Councillor Prater.
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:23:30
thank you Paul, and I share your abhorrence of the actions of the
Cllr Tim Prater - 0:23:33
former Conservative cabinet, Member and Deputy Leader of this Council.
the individual in question was elected in an uncontested election in May, the four yearly election costs, as you know, are a cost that town and parishes are also liable for, and most of them are saved for that in that period, so as you say as didn't which were uncontested in May they had a very significant saving there which offsets at least of a substantial amount the by-election which was then caused by that particular individual then go into prison although every by-election is unfortunate.
I mean, I'd say every by-election is unfortunate, I've seen by-elections for people not turning up, I've seen by elections for people who have moved away, who resigned due to life changes resigned you to bereavement or other courses, it's impossible to draw a line and to say what a circumstance where it's more or less reasonable for the district to pick up the bill for election than another one, so I'm afraid to say that due to this and due to there being no budget set for this year at which such a payment could come, I'm going to have to say no sorry,
thank you.
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:24:47
we move on to the second question from Councillor Womble, to Councillor John Procter, Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Otterspool Park and Planning Policy.
Cllr David Wimble - 0:24:57
thank you manager, I these questions, the next two questions I did send in about three months ago, since then I've met with the leader and he assures me that all Marsh members are allowed to go along to of MP meetings, so I don't really see it'll take up too much time in that one, thank you, would you like us not to go forward with those questions and move on yes, thank you.
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:25:21
so we move to question 4, then, from Councillor Keen to Councillor P Blakemore and cabinet member for transport, regulatory services and building control.
Cllr Nicola Keen - 0:25:36
during the summer months, a number of barbecues that are taking place on our beaches seems to increase people are taking all kinds of barbecue equipment, including gas bottles, which in my view, is a health and safety risk.
and leaving hot coals.
burning in the sand or on pebbles or places or places in our street bins, can I ask that all barbecues are banned from all Folkestone and Hythe District Council beaches, and that signage in the first instance is placed in plain view? I fully understand that this could put a strain on an already overstretched resources, but before someone is seriously hurt on the coastal park or on the beaches or a member sets fire to the coastal park, can we look at that place?
Councillor Blake more, please, thank you for the question, Councillor Key.
you make a good point about the hazards that can come from barbecues.
Cllr Polly Blakemore - 0:26:34
In the coastal park, we have experienced damage to tables benches and bins, which is one of the reasons they use is now restricted within the park and many councils have considered and in some cases introduced, bans or restrictions, for example, banning disposable barbecues. However, on balance, I think a general ban would be difficult to enact and potentially counterproductive for the following reasons.
firstly, the experience in the Council in the coastal park, where restrictions have been in force for a couple of years is that a ban in one area often results in barbecues being displaced to other public areas, therefore we would either need to introduce a series of areas specific bands over several years or a general ban covering most of the beaches and probably our parks as well enacting a general ban on barbecues would need an amendment to the existing public space protection order or more likely a new stand-alone PSP or legally the Council would need to be able to justify a ban.
in line with the conditions set out in the anti-social behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014 and undertake a public consultation on any proposals whilst there are hazards from barbecues, it is a social activity that many of the public enjoy a general ban, penalise the families and groups that act responsibly for many of our residents a ban would be seen as unfair, disproportionate and heavy-handed.
a more limited ban may simply displace the activity to other areas, a ban on certain types of barbecue like disposable barbecues strays into legal definitions of disposable, which would be better achieved by national legislation that would restrict at the point of sale.
finally, we need to be realistic about how a ban general unlimited would be enforced, as you say, our resources are stretched, enforcing a ban effectively along our coastline at the height of summer would need a significant increase in staffing and budget, but is clearly in our current financial circumstances we cannot commit to.
the environmental enforcement team must also prioritise our activities where they can make the greatest impact, for example, enforcing the existing public space Protection orders and investigations of fly tipping and other environmental offences.
thank you, thank you, Councillor Ann Blackburn, Councillor Kane, do
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:28:55
you have a related supplementary question, not happened?
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:29:03
Q. And so we move on to question 5 from councillor, keen to Councillor P. Blakemore again.
Cllr Nicola Keen - 0:29:06
before next summer, can we please have some assurance that adequate parking will be available for people visiting our towns and beaches, so that, specifically in the harbour ward, the hobble ward suffers greatly with visitors who are being diverted from other areas of the district down into the harbour as we are all aware last summer was particularly,
particularly bad, and the roads in the harbour area were gridlocked, the majority of the time which made it difficult for local residents to go about their business before the summit becomes a reality, we need appropriate parking strategy, but will not, or will not, impact on our residents who live in the half a ward.
Councillor Blake, please.
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:29:51
Cllr Polly Blakemore - 0:29:54
thank you Chair, and thank you for the question Councillor King last summer was horrendous in terms of the traffic and parking issues in the harbour area, rest assured we do continue to look at what can be done to control parking and ease congestion in this area.
two additional loading bays were installed in September from which the benefit will hopefully be seen, come the next summer season. A couple of weeks ago I met with Councillor Mead and officers on the state to discuss what further measures can be taken to protect local residents from problems such as those experienced last summer officers are now looking at installing further measures such as marked parking bays and on road signage, and we will continue to monitor the situation. A draft parking strategy for Folkestone town centre and the harbour is currently being finalised. This strategy will look at how best the Council can maximise parking at the harbour. We intend to consult on this in the early part of next year.
we are also looking at how best we can increase parking enforcement efficiency in parts of the district so that officers can spend more time patrolling in BCF seafront areas during the summer months.
thank you, Councillor Blake, more, Councillor Curley, do you have a
Cllr Nicola Keen - 0:31:05
related supplementary question, yes I do.
thank you for that and Councillor Blake Moore can I therefore ask that we don't put signage around the district directing cars into the harbour area from other parts of the district, it's congested, and it's difficult to move round, there is signage where, if you can't park here try the harbour come back, please stop this summer.
thank you, that is something that we will need to take up with the
Cllr Polly Blakemore - 0:31:35
County Council as the highways authority for some year, I will add to the list of things I need to talk to them about thank you.
thank you.
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:31:46
we move on to question 6.
from Councillor Cooper to Councillor Prieto, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance and government.
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:32:03
would you like me to read it for you, that's absolutely fine, in May 2023, the Council resolved to put aside up to 100,000 for the cost of its transformation from a cabinet to a committee system, could you please advise how much of that has been spent so far how much is scheduled to be spent and what the remaining balance of that 100,000 become May 2024.
Councillor Procter, thank you Chair, and thank you for your question
Cllr Tim Prater - 0:32:31
Tony until the 11th of September we had been invoiced, 11,294 pounds and 50 pence, and I'm told that to the 14th of November we had incurred additional costs of 5,670 pounds as that totals to just under 17,000 pounds to there. We remain confident that the total cost to get us to a new system will remain under 100,000 pounds. However, as we've Scott to finish writing a full constitution, it's a little early to say by how much
Councillor Cooper, do you have a related supplementary question, thank
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:33:06
Cllr Tony Cooper - 0:33:08
you for that, Tim Allan, pleased to seconded the motion to put that on your side.
thank you.
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:33:15
question 7
from Councillor Cooper again to Councillor shoe cabinet member for housing and homelessness, would you like me to read this one?
could you please thank the relevant staff for their swift decision on implementing the Councillor, swept arrangements, including the call for the hidden homeless to come forward prior to the recent storms I am being asked if the District Council can do this for homeless people from day one they can't eat, why can't it be done all of the time?
Cllr Rebecca Shoob - 0:33:51
thank you for your question and I will certainly pass on your thanks to the officers involved in implementing the severe weather arrangements earlier than in the month.
the purpose of the swap arrangements is to provide emergency accommodation for people who have been confirmed as rough sleeping by our outreach team in periods of severe weather I share your concerns about rough sleeping in the district people who are rough sleeping, whatever the weather happens to be.
when the SWEB is not in operation, our outreach team continue to work with people confirmed as rough sleeping in the district, helping them to access accommodation support services wherever possible.
unfortunately, a significant number of current clients are particularly complex cases and the individuals have declined assistance from the outreach team, despite this, the team continue to work to support these clients.
the winter shelter, which will be put in place by the Rainbow Centre and its partners from next month, with support from the council, will provide accommodation and intensive support for people who are rough sleeping in the district or who are at risk of rough sleeping in the district, the partnership will work be working to assist as many people as possible into accommodation and ensure that they receive any necessary ongoing support to maintain their accommodation.
I think it's worth noting that for more than 13 years now, a local authority funding has been severely reduced and services stretched. At the same time, people's incomes have been squeezed, rents have soared and the cost of living crisis continues. Homelessness is a complex issue and comes in many forms from the more visible rough sleeping to hidden forms such as sofa surfing overcrowding. It's not an issue that local authorities can fully address without real political will from central government. To sum up, I'd like to quote from the recently published Catholic Commission on homelessness and rough sleeping, which found that the government will fail to meet its goal of ending rough sleeping by 2024. To quote, there was simply not enough homes which are affordable and available to people on the lowest incomes and which have the right level of support in place. The shrinking supply of social rented and supported housing has left the country relying on a private sector private rented sector, which is unsuitable for many people at risk of at risk of, or experiencing homelessness. As a last remaining safety net private rented accommodation is rapidly becoming inaccessible. It's this which is primarily driving record high rates of homelessness and the use of temporary accommodation with rough sleeping at the sharp end. Thank you.
thank you, Councillor Cooper, do you have a related supplementary
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:36:52
question yesterday I thank you for that comprehensive response to the
Cllr Tony Cooper - 0:36:56
Rebecca, could I ask that say we'd save from further action? There understand the recent count, the homelessness in this district with at least 30% increased, and would it be at all possible if week is a council complained to the government and ask for an uplift in the allowance for the hot local housing allowances because of the squeeze you say on people's income,
thank you for your answer.
Cllr Rebecca Shoob - 0:37:21
the question we did, Councillor Martin, believe that signed a letter that was organised recently following a summit organised by Eastbourne, calling for a rise in the the local housing allowance and I'm pleased, too, to note that the Local Housing Allowance was restored to the 30th percentile of of local rents, however, we need to see what that actually means for Folkestone and whether it is actually
if it is in line with the rents that we do have, but yeah very, very happy to to look at once we've got got what that means from Folkestone to to take them, we need to right that absolutely.
thank you very much for that and look forward to reading religious slaughter.
Cllr Tony Cooper - 0:38:18
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:38:20
thank you, Councillor Shoot from Councillor Chapman to Councillor Speakman, cabinet member for assets and operations, please next question, thank you Chair good evening, Councillor Speakman, several
Cllr Bridget Chapman - 0:38:32
pavements in and around my ward has been getting more and more treacherous, released or fallen being left and breaking down into a slippery substance making them difficult to navigate safely.
how quickly should residents expect pavements to be cleared?
we do know that leaves are going to fall this time of year and made safe, and who is checking that we earlier are meeting their contractual obligations to residents.
thank you, thank you, Councillor Chapman for your question.
Cllr Jeremy Speakman - 0:39:01
ask your question directly, it is the responsibility of the Waste Team to monitor them to monitor the performance of the contractor Veolia responsible this is done on the ground by local waste officers during the autumn, the other actually employ additional staff for leaf removal.
a difficulty for the street cleansing team is that heavy storms which we've had a number of and brain will regularly bring down large volumes of leaves across the district in a single night, and of course we've had several of those one after the other, as you know, it is often the case that no sooner have the cleansing team finished cleaning a street than they have to start all over again.
contractually, the turnaround for leaf removal depends on how a street is zoned, usually by its expected footfall, with many streets to be cleared within seven days from a service request being made. There is also a leafing schedule that lists streets which, due to the foliage exceptional levels of leaf fall, can be expected, so the Council will shortly be publishing information on street zoning, and the public can report a service request online through the website, and I will be happy to raise any streets that you have, particularly with the waste team on on your behalf.
thank you very much,
Councillor Chapman's, you have related supplementary question, I do.
when you go on, I think it would be, it would be helpful if it was easier for people, members of the public, to report areas where streets need to be cleared of leaves, I've tried doing it, it's actually really tricky, so I needed to report to areas of Dover Road which I think we'd all agree there's quite a lot of footfall and these weren't leaves that had been there a short period and had been that there were really rotten and slimy.
I don't know if you could guess when you click on the drop-down box, how many different areas on Dover Road you get to choose from you can't stick opinion, a map which would be easy, you have to choose from 88, I counted them 88 different and you need to know which the nearest street numbers, so got you thinking Well, I don't know if I could drop a bin in a map I could tell you that it is I'm going up and down this list, can we please do something to make it easier for members of the public to report it
I am more than happy to discuss that with officers as it does some rather difficult area of mosaic, we can streamline some sort of way we can up to and develop thank you move on to question 9 from Councillor Lock Quarter, Councillor Polly Blakemore.
thank you, Chair, Councillor Blake, was already confirm, they'll be public consultation on parking in January, so I'll retract much.
thank you very much for that.
so question number 10 from Councillor, not good to Councillor Speakman, cabinet member for assets and operations.
thank you Chair, this now follows on nicely from question 8.
Will the Council supply to members published minimum levels of cleanliness for each street area and zone?
how often zones or areas should be claimed and also response times where standards are included within the contract, based on those within the code of practice under the Environment Act 1990.
yes, thank you, Councillor, for your question which, as you say, does follow on meekly.
yes, I can say that the Council will be publishing those details on the website in December.
of the zones for each street and will detail the response times central velour within the contract to maintain standards of cleanliness.
the waste team are currently checking that the road listings information is up to date and then considering how best to cross-reference that to the response times in the contract and the code of practice with December, as I do, thank you very much.
thank you, do you have a related supplementary question, yes, thank you Chair and thank you for your answer.
Will the Council commit to publishing that before proposing any changes to cleaning levels?
I can't see any problem with that, but obviously I will need to discuss with officers how that is being scheduled, and I can certainly e-mail you the inaccurate answer on that one.
thank you very much.
thank you question 11 from Councillor Godfrey to Councillor shoes.
yes, thank you to Ross House was the first of the Council's apartment blocks to undergo significant energy efficiency improvement measures, including insulation, and I'm glad that was completed. Air source,
Cllr David Godfrey - 0:43:57
heat pumps and solar panels now the apartments have been tendered for some months and so that the Council can be informed for future projects could you advise what measures are being taken to monitor energy performance and tenant satisfaction both from an efficiency and cost to tenants point of view? Thank you. Thank you, Councillor, Sheila
Cllr Rebecca Shoob - 0:44:17
thank you for your question, Councillor Godfrey, although the Ross House decarbonisation works were only part funded by the as HDMI Wave 1 fabric, first insulation works, the Department for energy security Net Zero, have commissioned an external evaluation of SDF Wave 1 which will provide a comprehensive review of the process the Department has partnered with IMF research tech nonetheless UCL and BRE to collect and evaluate data including surveys and interviews with residents installers, landlords including local authorities and delivery partners or agents and that will will inform the energy and consumption analysis, fuel poverty analysis and economic evaluation.
f HDC provide monthly data uploads, providing extensive information including pre and post energy performance ratings, modelled energy consumption reductions and cost analysis of selected energy efficiency measures for all properties across SDF Wave 1 projects.
in addition, the F HDC delivery team are engaged in a continuous process of monitoring that includes collecting meter readings for each property to establish a comprehensive baseline of energy performance data, this period will extend to a minimum of 12 months to ensure validity of data for energy consumption and winter performance, accuracy of installed measures across summer and winter periods to ensure an accurate depiction of the actual annual usage versus the modelled data.
discrepancies in energy consumption at this point will trigger a period of further evaluation and intensified monitoring, in line with business guidance, to provide in-depth analysis relating to the direct performance of the newly installed energy efficiency measures.
it has been agreed that tenant satisfaction surveys will not be undertaken in regard to the installation of energy efficiency measures measures at Ross House, as only two of the 16 residents previously housed at this block, returned following the process of vacating the property, to allow for the completion of works therefore not providing representative for flexion of the measures installed compared to pre-installation.
however, as part of the 12 month evaluation process, tenant engagement will be sought to provide the subjective data relating to their satisfaction of installed measures and energy consumption.
once the full evaluation had been completed, the H D F team would be happy to give a full report back to Council on the energy performance and tenant satisfaction, both from efficiency and cost to tenants perspective.
thank you, Councillor Godfrey, do you have a related supplementary question?
no, you can't.
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:47:24
I was thinking, how could he possibly have in our question circumstance do that OK, thank you.
question 12 from Councillor M A Martin 2 Councillor M Blakemore cabinet member for community and collaboration.
thank you Chair.
Cllr Alan Martin - 0:47:41
the migrant boat situation still provides significant concern for people living in Lydd-on-Sea Dungeness and other surrounding areas. Much of the focus in the media is around the political debate on stopping the boats and what should happen to those who arrive on our beaches? But I am concerned for my residents, who are often forgotten within that dialogue and are very much stuck in the middle of this very difficult situation, many with genuine concerns for their safety. I know that under the previous administration, regular teams meetings took place with the Home Office police health agencies KCC etc to discuss Napier, barriers and the use of hotels in our district for asylum seekers. Can you confirm that these meetings are still taking place, that they include this topic of the arrival of the boats and, in particular, on the Marsh
and explain what support the Council provides currently and what can be done, in addition to support these residents, either directly or through engagement via the various agencies responsible.
thank you, Councillor Ann Blackburn.
Cllr Mike Blakemore - 0:48:47
thank you for your question, Councillor Martin, the multi agency meetings do continue, they're mainly centred around Napier, barracks and the use of local hotels.
the hotels are currently in the process of being stood down.
there is also ongoing wider asylum work which covers Ukraine and Afghan families, and this also involves liaison with other partners we do receive in the meeting meetings, updates from the Home Office about recent boat arrivals, how Border Force have responded and how new arrivals are processed, this provides an opportunity for the Council to raise any general or specific local concerns, I am sorry to hear you say to your residents are concerned about their safety and feel forgotten.
it's critical that anyone experiencing a crime should report this to the police, the district's multi agency Community Safety Unit is also always keen to hear about and address any wider safety concerns, and you shouldn't hesitate to contact this team directly or get in touch with me and I'll do so,
thank you, Councillor E Martin, do you have a related supplementary
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:49:50
Cllr Alan Martin - 0:49:52
question I do yes, so thank you for that and building on your your answer, I guess I'm conscious of the fact that some of the people would allow this voices on this topic in the area aren't necessarily directly impacted this by themselves but have very strong opinions and my concern, I guess, is the fact that those strong opinions actually crowd out more genuine concerns by residents who may be on reporting and reaching out in the way that they they should be, so I guess my follow-up question is the extent to which we can maybe hold a community meeting or or or something along those lines.
to enable these less vocal residents to come out and share their concerns.
to fill, I guess, fill that vacuum a little bit so we can move the dialogue to the people who actually need the support
Cllr Mike Blakemore - 0:50:43
many things have been involved with recently are around community engagement and delighted to be involved. If you want to invite me to attend a meeting on the March with with your local resident, I'll be delighted to attend that and also to see who else we could get along to come along to that meeting, I would say I think that some of those loud voices are stirred up by the government and some of the dialogue that comes from certain elements of the government and also the media, which then amplifies those messages and, unfortunately, that is a big part of stoking that anxiety around small boats and another issues similar
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:51:22
thank you, we move on to question 13 from councillor goddaughter, Councillor J Martin.
from
Cllr Clive Goddard - 0:51:34
thank you tonight, I'm going to be Councillor Wimbledon.
Cllr David Wimble - 0:51:35
it was a joke with the past adverse wet weather conditions of Light Copperfield and the doings in Leeds have suffered with flooding of sewage caused by poor and inadequate infrastructure owned and maintained by Southern Water.
the pumping station located in the dunes is not fit for purpose, can you please watch the MD of Southern Water and ask for an immediate survey to be carried out on all infrastructure in the said area, thank you, thank you, Councillor J Martin.
Cllr Jim Martin - 0:52:17
thank you, Councillor Goddard, for your very pertinent question, I am in fact meeting Southern Water at Yeadon Road between Din Church in Hyde.
this Friday afternoon, along with Councillor Tony Hills and Councillor Jenny Hawkins the local KCC Councillors, we are meeting John Maley, the area manager of Southern Water, to discuss three principal issues, the flooding at Newton Road, which has caused so much heartbreak for local people. The failure of the pumps at the Range Road pumping station, which has resulted in vast quantities of untreated sewage being pumped into height by, and the awful situation at Copperfield and Derringham where residents have suffered and continue to suffer because of inadequately sized pumps. All of these problems are caused by Southern Water's failure to renew or provide adequate infrastructure. I will be following up this meeting with a letter, precisely in line with your excellent suggestion. Indeed, I will go further and ask the details of how these problems will be addressed in a much publicised infrastructure investment plan, along with regular updates from Southern Water for their progress in preventing these problems occurring again. Councillors Alan Martin and Paul Thomas have also drawn my attention to different issues concerning Southern Water regarding other pumping stations and clearing of drainage ditches on the Marsh, which I will also rise for your information. I, along with the leaders in Kent, Sussex and Hampshire, where Southern Water operate, recently, attended an online meeting organised by the Environment Agency at the end of the meeting. All of the leaders, including myself, signed a letter drafted by the Environment Agency addressed to Ofwat the water regulator asking of Watt to take legal action against Southern Water for their consistent failure to deliver services required by their customers. And I will copy you into my letter when he said thank you, Councillor Goddard, who have our latest supplementary question. Thank you Chair now again sounds like the Leader has got it on the on the boat. I look forward to obviously
Cllr David Wimble - 0:54:56
Southern Water, renew and all this infrastructure within a few weeks. Thank you
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:55:08
thank you, Councillor GoDaddy, so to your next question, then to Councillor Peter.
Cllr David Wimble - 0:55:15
thank you Chairman, yes, Councillor Portishead good evening, we've all got a financial uncertainty, can you reassure members and, more importantly, the community groups to apply for the funds that the Ward Members grants are free, Chi H wants to be cold, sweat, thank you.
sir Peter, thank you, thank you, Clive, we do indeed have financial
Cllr Tim Prater - 0:55:38
uncertainty, it's the uncertainty left us with dealing with the forecast 18 million pounds deficit over the next four years left for us by the previous administration and which you voted for, we do have to look for some savings on that basis.
that said, we are trying to protect in the proposals we're bringing forward the frontline services and grant as much as we possibly can because we know how important the Ward Budget scheme is and how important grants to community groups across our district.
although not every council has a Ward Budget scheme, we want to protect it and we will protect it, as it gives councillors the opportunity to offer direct, flexible to support to organisations in their area.
so we absolutely will not scrap it, however, we are proposing that there is a proposal or a reduction in the total amount available from 90,000 a year to 75,000 pounds a year, that's a per Councillor reduction of from 3,000 to two and a half thousand pounds, it's one of the proposals being put forward to the Finance and Scrutiny Sub-Committee in their agenda for consideration at their meeting next Tuesday but it's part of the 395,150 pounds community grants total support which is still being proposed across the district supporting community groups and organisations across the district as well as the ward grounds.
thank you, Councillor Goddard, do you have a question? Thank you,
Cllr David Wimble - 0:57:10
Chairman, for your reply, the second part of it anyway, yeah obviously yeah two and a half thousand are, I suppose that yes, it's not going so obviously our lot, so you still see it is it is slowly signed 100,000 pounds in spread over the District by the 30 of us, but if it's two and a half thousand and that's what it's going to sound like he'll be then obviously that some that's better than nothing, so thank you for your answer.
thank you very much, Councillor Godfrey Kaye, and last question from
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 0:57:43
Councillor Hollingsworth to Councillor Jim Prêtre.
Cllr Jennifer Hollingsbee - 0:57:49
yeah, Martin,
debt.
so let's put it in.
yes, good evening and them, and thank you, thank you for that, I was just hoping I'd get to do my question, because I think it's a very important question as the Council is seeking third party investment, public and or private sector for the article new garden town on a joint venture basis, can the Leader confirm that negotiating criteria will ensure that the Council will retain a minimum 51% of the equity land and will adhere to the original charter and the planning heads of terms? Thank you
Councillor Martin, thank you very much, Councillor Holland, for you, I
Cllr Jim Martin - 0:58:43
know this is a topic very close to your heart.
thank you for your excellent question the Council is seeking a strategic partner to assist in the development of article park or cannot guarantee the eventual development vehicle will be a joint venture, as indicated in your question, but the partnership negotiations will be based totally on the article charter and the resolution to grant that we currently have.
over the lifetime of the partnership, we will sell almost all of the land to individual housebuilders or developers, as was always the plan, so ultimately we will not retain the land in perpetuity in terms of the negotiations hosted in Hyde history council currently own 44% of the land with 46% of the land controlled by option.
the remaining 10% is owned by homes, England.
if we are able to put all of our land into a joint venture vehicle and it is matched with cash by the strategic partner, this would make us 50 50 partners this arrangement, however, would not make any sense because many millions of pounds would be lying idle in the partnership, it is therefore likely that we will introduce our land gradually to be matched with cash from our strategic partner, this would mean that at any stage, we would have the majority landholding, but some of it will be in the strategic partnership and some of it would remain.
side, the Strategic Partnership until required, perhaps the short answer you require is yes, the intention is that folks and how our District Council will retain control of a minimum of 51% of the land and equity.
thank you, Councillor Hornsby, do you have a related supplementary
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 1:00:46
question, I just wanted to say thank you for that confirmation, it's
Cllr Jennifer Hollingsbee - 1:00:49
really important, especially for local residents, who are very concerned that we might lose control and Ike, and you are confirming that we will not lose control.
the whole intention is to stay in control.

8 Announcements of the Leader of the Council

thank you very much, that's the end of, and Councillor questions, we
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 1:01:06
move on to Item 8 announcements, the Leader of the Council, so, Councillor Martin, please provide us with your announcements.
thank you very much, Chair and.
Cllr Jim Martin - 1:01:20
00, I've done it as a kind of bullet-point lists just because there's so much in it, so yet to start with, some good news are successfully completed, the folks, one and a half America.
a brilliant event, thank you, thank you, thank you.
but writing funds for Pilgrims Hospice.
a brilliant event which I have completed a number of times before and one, I highly recommend to everyone, including Councillors special thanks to Ray Johnson, the organiser.
been honored to attend a number of events with an armed forces' connection in my role as the leader, but also the armed forces champion the Ghurkha memorial service dedication of the Royal British Legion standard in Hyde the armed forces champion training at Ashford barracks and, of course Remembrance Sunday.
which was most poignant and moving the leaders of the four political groups and independent Councillor, Paul Thomas, have been meeting regularly as we move towards a Committee system, I have attended many meetings regarding article park with government agencies, developers and potential joint venture partners, these discussions continue.
I have been delighted to visit many businesses in our District Holiday extras, who have created one of the most exciting and dynamic work environments I have ever been in a port Lynn who, at the height of the summer season, employ over 600 people full or part time and Church and Dwight a long established focus and company who believe it or not are busy making nasal spray for exports to China.
impressive, dynamic, forward-looking, our business community, creating jobs, offering training and giving people a future. This Council will be a good friend to business Princess Parade holding. We are now out to tender to obtain prices from contractors to remove the holding and the concrete blocks that support it and then erect a low level fence around the site. Once the site is ring-fenced. We will be consulting next year to ask local people for their views on the future of Princess Parade, following their announcement of cuts to local bus services are opinion almost daily contact with Stagecoach to discuss the stage, coachman managing director will be considering my views on how we might save further routes. There have been meetings, e-mails and some difficult discussions with Stagecoach, but so far my only success is the number 10 service, which has been reinstated to limb
I have been in regular contact with Southern Water, mainly because of the siege on Copperfield to stay inlaid.
the flooding to Uton Road in Hive.
I have a site meeting with Southern Water and KCC councillors on the 1st of December, along with many district councillors, I attended a meeting convened by the Environment Agency to collectively express shared concern about Southern Water's consistent failure to meet the needs of their customers as a result of the meeting I signed a joint letter along with all the other leaders addressed to OP of what the water regulator asking them to take legal action against Southern Water.
I have attended the Kent leaders' forum to discuss issues which affect the councils in Kent. I have also attended meetings of the East Kent leaders' forum, which has a more focused view on the issues affecting East Kent districts. I have held meetings with go, folks them to try and locate the foundation stone to the long demolished Folkestone pier in its original location. I was delighted to attend the opening of the sunflowers rooms on the bio. I was equally pleased to attend a breakfast prayer meeting at the Baptist Church in Cheriton and I ate too much when I attended the annual Rotary Club dinner in Hyde. Thank you.
thank you.
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 1:05:50
Councillor Ann McConville, please provide us with your response.
chair.
Cllr Connor McConville - 1:05:58
well echo your supports on the marathon, while I still only have one leg, it's out of my reach, unfortunately the 4 1 1 1 1 day.
also very, very happy to to have joined you opening at the bow, I look forward to to all this all Councillors and fostering community wealth building across the entire district.
obviously, everyone knows all our residents desperately need it.
I echo the comments on Stagecoach, it was disappointing that they chose not to attend the consultation event which was held the other weekend about the new, partly about the new bus stop layout and off of the transformation of of the current Folkestone bus station there was a lot of lot of residents there that I spoke to would have really really wanted to talk to someone from stage coach to to to answer those questions and a lot of questions were taken in writing and sent to to the directors of Stagecoach for that event.
but I agree they need to, they need to be more involved in in our community locally.
and also echo you're talking about big business, I'll just a little shout out for some small businesses.
this is a very difficult time for the people to take a chance and open a small business, but there has been quite a flurry of late, especially in Folkestone, and I just hope that.
with with our stretch resources that this Council gives full support to those new starting businesses with their many queries about licensing planning, food safety and everything else that they have to navigate to work just to just to keep their heads above water, so thank you,
and as this was the last meeting before before Christmas, just like to wish all staff and councillors.
a very festive and safe holiday season, thank you, thank you, Councillor Beaconfield and Councillor Huggins deeply, yes, thank you,
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 1:08:01
Chairman, or by the way I couldn't find anything orange to put on
Cllr Jennifer Hollingsbee - 1:08:05
tonight so sorry about that.
I didn't really want to share like that, I have to say.
just one or two comments, as I think we've always been business friendly council, there's lots of schemes that we've introduced in previous in the previous administration and I'd like I just like to repeat again we didn't leave an 18000018.5 million it was we're talking about 4,000,004 or four and a half million this year and and that's not true because we saved as an administration by putting non essential spending into
into action 1.2 million, and then we had a rebate of over 500,000, I just wanted to set the record straight as I will continue to set the record straight time after time.
are they interested in Ola I'm looking forward to the consultation on Princess Parade, I am hoping that this will go to the whole of the district and I'm I'm I'm also hoping that our residents will realise that we have a very, very important asset sitting there.
and I'm hoping that we will, we will do something with an asset that we have standing there.
and without the previous administration, without the previous administration, Councillor Prater.
please we certainly wouldn't have had article and I have to say.
everybody, every body, every Member of this Council, who was a previous Member, voted against it, but you now keep on about how important it is and if it is, we always said that, and it is very important and also Folkestone regeneration programme, the levelling-up fund you wouldn't have had that without the previous administration, so be really nice if you could acknowledge that some time, thank you very much.
I would just.
I would just like to add what Councillor Makoto said and wish everybody a happy or very happy.
lovely to end on a good notice and to thank you and to thank all the staff, because the staff I know from experience work extremely hard and there are challenging circumstances at the moment.
thank you very much for the lovely ending there.
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 1:10:45
so, Councillor Martin, you have the right of reply.
I will thank you very much really just to echo the thoughts.
with regard to
Cllr Jim Martin - 1:10:57
the staff who have who have worked with I was only discussing this afternoon, the support that I have received personally has been incredible.
senior officers, Chief Executive, but ever everyone.
amend the Gemma MBA, so many people really are, I am I can't list them and it really says a great deal to me about the culture of this Council.
and yeah.
I'll just give give an example in, I won't embarrass them by naming them but Councillor, Shrew Councillor Kane Councillor Need, I know I joined the homelessness count last night, but our team we were joined by a housing officer were working volunteering.
addressing on front line, the really big issue.
in his own time, not being paid not being paid by anybody, and but I think that that, more than anything really brought home to me and the culture of this Council in delivering services for local people, a happy Christmas.

9 Portfolio Holder reports to Council

so I think Councillor Martin, you have proposed VAT and we have a seconder happy to thank you, Councillor Prater, are we all agreed, thank you, Members, that is unanimous, that vote is carried item 9 portfolio reports are and there is no debate or vote to portfolio holder reports are included in the agenda.
ITEM 10 opposition business, there is no opposition business.

10 Opposition Business

11 Motions on Notice

we move on to Item 11 motions on notice, the following motions have been placed on the agenda in the order received, so we will start with from Councillor Mrs. Jenny hominids be leader of the Conservative Group.
thank you very much Chairman well, I'm hoping that this is a motion that will have the support of the of the Chamber, it is a very important motion.
Cllr Jennifer Hollingsbee - 1:13:28
nuclear at Dungeness has been the the economic growth, I suppose, of the other district and certainly of as Dungeness, I'm hoping that this Council will support the efforts of make it very clear that they support the efforts of Kent County Council and are MP Damian Collins to try to get continuation of nuclear at dangerous dungeon. This has been running since I think about 1965 has it has created about a thousand jobs,
and most of those people employed at the stations o, live within a very close area, certainly within our area, possibly a bit in Ashworth because it does go out to Ashwood, but it has provided jobs, it has provided salaries that we can't get anywhere else, possibly in our district so,
to lose to lose done journos power station to newt to lose or nuclear energy in our area would be a disaster now lots of people say to me, Well, we'll have tourism, we'll have.
other industry is coming in, but they will not, and they cannot provide the skilled jobs and the salaries that the nuclear industry actually does, so I I'm I'm hoping that we will confirm in writing.
unequivocal and exquisite, I cannot saying I'm Ecuador, you know what I mean, but you know willing support for a new era of nuclear energy production.
at Dungeness, by writing a letter to Andrew Barry MP, I think he's still there, Minister for nuclear networks.
Roger Goff, Leader of Kent, County Council and Damian Collins, Member of Parliament.
and I really hope that all members of the cabinet, at every possible opportunity, actively promote Dungeness as a location for nuclear power generation, and I'd just like to say that over 14 million is paid in salaries, 10 to 15 million is paid to contractors, so you can imagine that if economic benefit to Dungeness pass today or to our district, it's something we really cannot afford to lose, so anything we can do to support it. I put to you, please support it. Thank you, I note, Councillor off the ball, are you
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 1:16:20
Cllr David Wimble - 1:16:22
thank you, Chair for again done to his police station is the job I had my first left school if you go back to about 1,009 45, there's about 6,000 people on the whole of Romney, Marsh dangerous power stations single-handedly changed the way that the Marsh not only survives. There is a major contributor to the whole economic benefit of the Council, and the whole district people came down as contractors for the construction they liked the district so much they stayed here, many of them have retired here as well. There's only been two big construction projects in our district, certainly my lifetime, the power station and the Channel tunnel, many of the people who came for the Channel Tunnel once it finished, tended to move away for the power station as Councillor Hollingsworth said, is worth millions of pounds to our local District's economy. Now I get the point that some of the Green members may not agree with the ideological disposal of the byproducts, but again there's always a counter argument about Batra's recast and what do you do with them?
not going to get into any of that. This is very real, it's on Romney, Marsh, we are ideally suited for the national grid, infrastructure is already there and anything we can do to get small, modular reactors has got to be a benefit for the whole Council, especially at a time when we're looking for filling holes in budgets and things like that without the new power station coming along there within the next 10 years, the whole country is going to be in problems and we can't afford to keep building stations at Hinkley Point where we go into partnership with
other countries we need to be self-sufficient, and I think SMEs is the easiest way to do it.
thank you, and do I note your the second of them, thank you very much,
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 1:18:09
so that's now open for the debate, Councillor Jim Martin.
thank you Chair.
Cllr Jim Martin - 1:18:17
while I very much welcome this motion and I thank Councillor Holland the for bringing the motion because it brings into sharp focus three important issues, the country's move to Net Zero carbon power generation.
the UK's energy security and the need to look at our own result resources to solve the energy crisis.
these are big global considerations and we in focusing how our District Council have a critical role to play, we as the Council, indeed almost all of the councils in the country, are running a deficit, these problems have been caused by energy cost driven inflation and we haven't seen the end of it yet the war in Ukraine has demonstrated how difficult it can be to consider energy supplies from other countries as secure.
this district is next to the sea, with a providing southwesterly wind. We are in one of the sunniest parts of the UK, believe it or not, and we have a history in power generation, we have to stop burning fossil fuels, we have to stop being dependent on other countries to fuel our energy needs, and we need to think more locally about how we fill our energy gap. The answer is very clear. We need an integrated energy strategy
one that includes all forms of clean energy generation that we can produce domestically
This will review the relative merits of all forms of clean energy generation, wind, solar, hydro, tidal and wave, as well as the installation of the xml referred to in the motion. I welcome this motion, but I feel it is too narrow in that it focuses on a single type of power generation rather than including solar, which there is great potential for, particularly in terms of article park, becoming a net 0 development and wind-power again a source of energy. We are blessed with in this district and it does not include tidal and wave power which, as I understand, researchers said, will soon become a bountiful source of local energy in the future to coastal communities.
if you permit me Chair, I have made the following amendments.
in the sentence.
to confirm in writing unequivocal support for a new era of nuclear energy production at Dungeness. By writing a letter to I am amending or suggesting the amendment in place at the word nuclear we add clean and in place at the words at Dungeness we add the words in the district, so the sentence reads to confirm in writing unequivocal support for a new era of clean energy production in the district by writing a letter to
in the list of letter recipients in place of the words Andrew Bowie, MP Minister for nuclear and networks, as Minister of State bracket Minister for energy and energy security and Net Zero.
in the sentence that all members of the cabinet, at every possible opportunity, actively promote Dungeness as the location for new nuclear power generation in place of the words all members in the cabinet, add the words this Council.
in in place of the words promote drunkenness as a location for new nuclear generation, at the words promote the district as a location for clean energy generation, so the sentence reads that this Council, at every possible opportunity, actively promotes the district as a location for clean energy generation,
the final resolution should then read, the Council resolves to confirm in writing our unequivocal support for a new era of clean energy production in the district by writing a letter to I, the Minister of State brackets, Minister for energy security and Net Zero Close brackets B Roger Golf, the leader of Kent County Council C Damian Collins, Oby MP Member of Parliament for folks in him and to that this Council at every possible opportunity actively promotes the district as a location for clean energy generation.
if you permit me, Chair.
I would also like to make it clear that there are a number of claims made in the preamble to the motion, which lack citation and therefore cannot bind the Council, this district has the potential to make a major contribution to enable the UK to become self-sufficient in energy terms, this district has the resources available to us to engage our people in the production of clean energy.
this district can help solve the biggest challenge facing the human race by reducing the UK's carbon contribution to the atmosphere to 0, I move the amendment.
thank you, Councillor J Martin, do we have a seconder?
Councillor Stevens, I would like to second the motion, please, and go out to them, I would have to speak to it now.
the bay, if it's open for debates now, so yes, I would like to support the motion because I think it is exactly right, I very much welcome the opportunity and the the motion that's come to us and working together to solve this or to address this absolutely pressing problem energy generation is something that I would like to think that all Members of this Council will take as a number one priority, we've been living beyond our means and we continue to live beyond our means both locally, nationally and internationally, in the sense that we are consuming more of the world's resources and we've got and energy is the video a key element.
is a key to, I'm so sorry to Steph.
councillors, please show some respect and a lesson. Thank you. Thank you. I'll continue. Energy is a key to economic life and we know that in that point has been made very clearly in the discussion so far and I respect that, and I think that's absolutely round is the key to transport is the key to heating our homes. It's the key to the way that we live. Finding better ways of generating energy at ways that are genuinely environmentally sound is a key challenge for us locally, nationally and internationally, and I'd like to support the motion
thank you very much, so anybody else who would like to speak on the amendment.
Councillor have asked me.
sir, thank you Chair.
I wish I'd had sight of this before, so that we could consider I, I'm
Cllr Jennifer Hollingsbee - 1:26:37
I am disappointed in the dungeon, it is taken away from Dungeness, we were particularly focusing on Dungeness, and I think that this amendment detracts from Dan Genoese, so I you know,
in fact, I would ask should well, I mean you're gonna take a vote that we, we have of perhaps five minutes?
break so that we and my group could just have that discussion because we put this, particularly relating to Dungeness, and Dungeness, was not mentioned in the amendment.
thank you, I know Councillor Goddard wants to speak first, thank you, Chair yeah, just just agreeing with Maureen Lee to actually.
Cllr Nicola Keen - 1:27:24
Cllr David Wimble - 1:27:26
if people know dangerous power of saying you've got a be a big spice, then conversation where the big space was going to be done, journos see I'm a forecast never happened.
I've always wanted that to happen because again it would create a thousand jobs HMOs would be.
basically a good reserve, it will keep some jobs and a lot of jobs and, like Jenny just said, unfortunately, I think this is diversity alone or agree, yeah, that the district but to be honest, should be a separate motion.
I cannot we want to talk about dangerous and secure that future with the cameras, solar panels, wind farms or, combined with a wind farm at China Court, not one district or parish council was invited with them, and that was dumped there by the new secretary of state, Mr. Prescott,
nobody wanted that there, nobody wanted the wind farm, unfortunately that creates two jobs a year Samaras' would create many, many more dangerous C would create thousands, but I'm forecast not on the agenda, however she was, but I just believe that the
the amendment and the motion it's got it's got mileage in it, but for a separate evening a separate motion to talk about the rest of the districts.
you know doing doing good, we've we've we've other energy, but tonight our motion office is focusing on Dungeness, where the nuclear is already there and China's securities.
Moores psychologists think it is a bit of an ambush, not expected, and I think there are just two separate motions, I think we've got our motion and the Leader's motion, a separate thank you.
Councillor Gates, please.
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 1:29:15
Cllr Rich Holgate - 1:29:17
thank you Chair, and why have two bits of paper when you can have one this opportunity to broaden the motion and to be more diverse across the district and look at existing technologies, I think is prudent, and I think therefore he doesn't need to be separate, we should keep it as one and stand as a district in its entirety.
I support the amendment.
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 1:29:44
Cllr Tony Cooper - 1:29:46
Councillor Cooper, please, thank you, Madam Chair, I actually live on the Marsh and I can assure you that it will have been aware of this. We would have made it to make, maybe I look at it, however, on first glance at the original motion I was a bit tone because it would be tying the hands of the Council to move on
it's basically a course of action at which there was no end and cost to us, and I've been thinking to myself Why isn't dangerous already on the list for the HMOs that I don't know.
I'm not qualified or down 7 of knowledge to make a decision one way or the other, however, what I do know is this, this decision, or the end of this site, has been on the agenda for the last five, 10 or 15 years.
what I'm saying to myself here and I'm going to sit in sadness. I'm thinking to myself what did the previous Council deal? Irrespective of all, that's what I would suggest this. I am going to go with this amendments because I think the amendment should not necessarily be celebrated. Government right word, but I think the amendment should be seen as an opportunity. For example, there may be an opportunity to hear for people in the Marsh to gain employment, maybe opportunity to see if people in the mosque to set themselves up in new businesses you may well be people in the Marsh. You want to do this work and who may want to expand it, and the money is there. We should draw it down, irrespective of that's. What I would also like to remind Members is this. The IDF plant nuclear odour demise as Dungeness does not belong to Britain, which is a French electricity, company and any electric profit, so any profits that are close to consumers pay engineers from do not get per se. They get pushed into the shareholders in France, hence the muffin, among other things, reduce the trouble on the railways and everything else. That's my own personal view. So as a mass of residents support the amendments, thank you.
thank you very much, we have quite a few people want to speak in our
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 1:31:53
motion, so could I ask if you're concise with your answers please, so it's Councillor Kane.
Cllr Nicola Keen - 1:32:00
yeah, I'd just like to remind everybody we were elected in our wards but were district councillors, so therefore we think about the whole district, not Dungeness, not Folkestone not lead, and I think I'm in favour of this motion because it's about the whole of the district and not one section and I think the Leader's motion as always is it's brilliant and I'm really pleased that he thinks about the whole district and not just parts that he represented Councillor Godfrey,
yes, thank you.
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 1:32:31
Cllr David Godfrey - 1:32:37
I am very concerned that the amended motion and or the proposed amendment to the motion detracts from Dungeness. Yes, we are representing the whole district and I think it's right to consider all options in terms of clean energy, and I would argue that nuclear is carbon free. There are some debates about the disposal of waste, but that's going to go on forever anyway with you've got hospitals, dental surgeries, we've all got nuclear waste and their science is improving all the time. However, we do know that dangerous is unknown, attractive site, potentially for these small modular reactors. We do know there is interest from certain companies in developing there on the large land mass. They've got there
this is, I happen to sit over the last six years as Vice Chair of the Dangerous sites stakeholder group appointed by members of that group.
and without with one exception, they are owed in favour of proposing that we should try to go for smiles down at Dungeness. It's part of a bigger package, admittedly, but it is important that those group of people wish to have the nuclear industry continued because, as has already been said, it's given them tremendous benefits. Over the last 50 60 years I actually started work there and it's not just to the employees of the power station is to employers of the businesses, support all that, whether it's hotels and guesthouses with taxi companies with its restaurants. There's a huge amount of benefit to the whole district, not just at the Bath, but the Marsh will be able to give us or touch that we would be able to give us a contribution towards the energy deficiency that we're facing in a clean and efficient way. So I would like to try and keep the focus on to include. I'm quite happy with this amendment to include all types of energy throughout the whole District clean energy, but I would like us to include the reference to including smarts at Dungeness, on existing site. Thank you, thank you, and we move on to Councillor Thomas
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 1:34:35
Cllr Paul Thomas - 1:34:37
thank you, Madam Chairman, while as somebody moved down here in 1,009 79.
I know don't look it, but 37 years in the nuclear industry and 37 years supporting nuclear power in this country,
and in Europe and in America as well
I think it's essential that we consider Dungeness very specifically, because of what it can actually contribute to the baseball generation.
for this country and for this area.
solar won't give you that wind won't give you that.
the proposed anaerobic digester systems probably won't give you that either one of the things we have to consider is we do have to have a mix, we have to have a balance or different types of generation to meet the needs of this country when you have a look at what we're doing at the moment we are investing in those areas that will actually give us good daytime secure generation, which is fine, I can't support this motion as it as it's currently the amended motion
I would like to say that the new nuclear local authority group who were looking at advanced module directors, small modular reactors. I think it's important we talk about that. We look at, how do they compare with the kind of things you get through solar and the kind of generation you get through through wind power, so typically at Little Cheney Court, across about 80 or 90 acres is about 60 megawatts that's one small, modular, one advanced modular reactor when you have a look at the Romney Marsh solar farm across 120 acres, and that's 20 megawatts about 8,000 homes, 6,000 homes, actually so nuclear will provide a very specific gap in our in our energy market. It's very specific for what we need in in the south-east, and I think we do have to look across the region. We have to look at the contribution that we can make as a district to the energy needs across the whole of the south-east and I think it's really important that we maintain Dungeness and Dungeness in the title as proposed by Picasso Holland Street. Thank you very Wilt, thank you. We need to move on, thank you and we have Councillor M Blakemore.
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 1:36:59
Cllr Mike Blakemore - 1:37:01
the original motion talks as for new nuclear endogenous is or is a shoo-in, and it's far from that.
the decision over it will be taken many years from now will have no influence on that decision, however much we like to think that we would do SMRs are still a work in progress, the only one being developed in the US has recently been abandoned because it wasn't financially viable and possibly not technologically viable.
but that doesn't mean we shouldn't do all we can to protect and provide jobs on the Marsh and elsewhere, but that challenge and the impact upon all of those affected is where we should be pouring all of our efforts to support new green jobs, including other, much more quickly realised ways of generating low carbon electricity, that's why I'll be voting for the amended motion.
thank you very much, so I note that Councillor Womble wants to speak,
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 1:37:52
but I do think I do want to give you the opportunity to adjourn to speak for five minutes, so I think you'll probably be better for you to use that time rather than for you to speak at the moment would you rather do that have your five minutes as a group to speak.
Cllr David Wimble - 1:38:09
I was just going to speak on the amendment, OK, that's absolutely fine yeah and I'm not saying they agree papers.
nobody wanted me naked.
I would just like to say that I think we are all in favour of anything that creates energy, the greener, the better it are always thought that Aqua, the tide, will come in and out every day, regardless of whether the windblown assumption that this was a very specific motion on nuclear I'm sure we all agree that we'd like to have other.
meant not motions on solar farms and wind farms, but this was a very specific one, so I would ask you to please vote on this particular motion because I think it's you know we mentioned about the cameras where there are xml as they've been our nuclear submarines for years,
and it was a build on from some of them when the original idea came about, so thank you, let's just vote on the original motion, thank you very much.
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 1:39:13
last person to speak to Councillor Davidson and then I would ask the Conservatives if they do want to adjourn and have the those five minutes. Thank you Chair, and then my reading of the amendment is it
Cllr Laura Davison - 1:39:25
doesn't explicitly rule out particular forms of generation. I think that's quite clear and I think what it's seeking to do. There may be different views within the Chamber on what that looks like, but it's seeking to bring us together as a group to work together on these really important issues and not to divide us.
which my concern is. The original motion would do so. I would certainly support the amendment as a way to bring us together. Thank
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 1:39:51
you. Thank you very much. So the Conservative Group I just want to move because we need to move on, otherwise we'll be talking about this for a while. Would you like to use that five minutes that you asked for Councillor Hornsby OK, then? Thank you, you are allowed to do that, yes, a majority of the council meeting for 5 minutes, please be back in five minutes.

11 Motions on Notice

thank you very much, OK, do we have anybody else who wants to speak on the amendment?
yes, Councillor, A Martin, I just want to say that we have 33 minutes left for all motions, so I would like you to be concise and I'm just
Cllr Alan Martin - 1:40:29
for warning you if you are not, I will cut off your microphone so we can move on so so please make sure you are concise, let's put the cat amongst the pigeons so,
I just wanted to say I think we lose sight here a little bit, so I think I don't think there's anyone in the Chamber who would disagree with the fact that we should support all economic opportunities and all power generation projects but there is a live active situation in Dungeness where there is a development that needs support and it needs local support from organisations like the local council in a council in a competitive environment if we're going to ensure that investment is is brought to the district so.
I would agree with the fact that we should all work together to look at a multitude of different generation opportunities and across the whole district, but we can't ignore the fact that there is a pressing opportunity for us that we could miss out on if we don't explicitly focus in that one area, so my biggest issue with the the amendment is the fact that reference to Dungeness has been completely removed and there isn't any emphasis on what is uncertainly or unquestionably going to be one of our biggest opportunities within power generation, so that's my biggest issue with the amendment.
thank you, thank you for remaining concise.
OK, so, Councillor Hollands, be if nobody else wants to speak, you have the right of reply.
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 1:41:59
in relation to your original motion.
thank thank you, not not on, I don't have to speak to the amendment just on the original version is that right I just check in.
Cllr Jennifer Hollingsbee - 1:42:15
because doing up, nor do we not speak on the amendment as well, I have already spoken on the amendment.
but you have that five minutes to discuss with your real group, so I assume that you would have something additional to say I definitely have right.
but please be concise on the amendment.
as my colleagues have said, we're very happy with what it's trying to to say with what is one such saying, but to completely ignore Dungeness, which is what they admit our original motion was all about car.
there's no way I can accept that I have suggested that we could include Dungeness in the amendment, but we want to also include dangerous dangerous nuclear power, we would compromise on that, but we cannot compromise on the fact that dangerous nuclear power stations completely obliterated really from the motion and that's not our motion.
I I mean I've spent 20 years at the Marsh Academy and the the nuclear energy were amazing to students, they are providing apprenticeships, work experience STEM work, all that kind of thing, visits to the power station to explain what's happened or how it works and everything else, and and I all I wanted to do today, is to get this Chamber to back nuclear at Dungeness and show the people out there. The people are the Marsh people in the district that we actually do support it, because if you vote against this now, you're showing the people of the district that you don't that you do not support the paper, look dangerous, that's what you're doing. Yes,
that is it, I'm sorry, thank you very much that and obviously we all have the right to have our opinion, so thank you for that.
we now need to move to a vote, we have a proposer and a seconder for the amendment, so we now move to a vote, so will start with all those for the amendment
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 1:44:30
any against.
any abstentions.
so we have 21 for 6 against and 0 abstentions, so it carries the amendment carries, so this might seem quite interesting to you, but so now it's no longer an amendment, it is a substantive motion, so we need to vote on it again as our substantive motion, so we I think we've spoken enough about it, so let's move to the vote so all those for the new substantive motion,
all those against.
and any abstentions.
OK, so again it's 21 for 6 against and 0 abstentions, so it's carried, thank you.
right we move on to motion number 2 from Councillor Dr, Stephen Scotland, and I will try to be brief, and maybe you can help me with this.
Cllr Stephen Scoffham - 1:46:02
so in a sense, we've been talking about carbon in the previous motion because clearly, energy generation is all about carbon. The motion which I'm presenting here is about the biodiversity side of things, about the physical setting that we're in, about the chalk and the landscape in which we live. It's not just about the chalk, it's also about how people have related to the chalk about unique cultural heritage that we are part of here in East Kent, and it's a very special heritage. Very briefly, about 5% of the chalk in the world is in Kent and we about 200 chalk streams in the world, and many of them again are in Kent. Unesco designation will celebrate that. It is a major opportunity to enhance the reputation and the protection of a unique landscape that we are trusted to look after so the AONB, the North Downs areas of outstanding natural beauty are framing a bid together with their French counterparts. I won't try and read the French, but
the chalk extends across the channel and this bid is one that is being made at the moment. Hopefully it will go ahead, but it is important that it is able to demonstrate part of making the bid successful is that we can, across the district across not in this district, but all the other districts which are involved can demonstrate that they're taking it seriously and supporting it. So basically it's a very simple motion. There are six bullet points, just say, we're going to get behind it. There is a great opportunity so when when there's no particular costs involved, maybe a little bit of expense and actually developing the Geo sites and so on, but at this point it's going to attract and has the potential to attract lots of money, so it's a low hanging fruit, easy to implement, and I commend it to you
thank you very much, do we have a seconder for that Councillor M Blakemore, is there anybody who wants to speak on that Councillor M, please?
I fully support this motion, we talked so briefly in the previous discussion about the importance of tourism to the district and this Geopark I was very excited when I first saw the video explaining what it looked like offers a fantastic opportunity not just for tourism but a very prestigious proposal for this district and I think we should embrace it and give it our full wholehearted support.
so Councillor Mead.
thank you Chair, I think it gives us a chance to show how wonderful our area is, I think it's no brainer can I suggest we go straight to the vote.
there are other people want to speak, so will have to go to them first, Councillor Thomas, thank you, Madam Chairman.
Councillor Scotland was part of the presentation that we had on this, it was very detailed, he laid out exactly the benefits of the scheme and I'll be supporting you, thank you, thank you, can I just say, can
Cllr Paul Thomas - 1:49:10
I, if you want to call me, Madam, could you should call me Chair?
thank you, thank you so much, Councillor McConville, please.
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 1:49:17
thank you just to echo Councillor Thomas, the briefing that was offered to councillors was excellent and I look forward to seeing this
Cllr Connor McConville - 1:49:25
the scheme progress.
very much and Councillor Hollands be please, thank you Chair.
in the previous administration.
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 1:49:36
Cllr Jennifer Hollingsbee - 1:49:40
we supported the ACMD actually investigating this particular project, so I am pleased do I will be supporting, but I do have a question I just wanted to ask what effect it might have on planning, because that is a concern, it is a consideration that we should.
we should consider, and I'm just wondering, what what effect it might have on declining legislation.
it looks like there's nobody else who wants to speak on this 0 so Councillor Golton.
thank you Chair, I think Councillor Hollingbery, Nick my script, was
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 1:50:18
always going to or to bring up the previous administration started,
Cllr David Wimble - 1:50:23
this good work that Councillor Schofield was going to continue, so it's good to see it come to reality.
where we started at last year, so we were well done. Thank you. So if there are no people want to speak, Councillor Stockholm, you can can I just say very briefly. I very much appreciate, in my role as climate
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 1:50:41
change, biodiversity and environment, being able to proceed with
Cllr Stephen Scoffham - 1:50:45
things which the previous administration has already initiated. Thank you for reminding me of that. I'm very much aware that the ground rules and the the groundwork that's being done beforehand. Thank you in relation to the question on planning, did you answer the question of adding I'm not in I'm not a planning expert, I can't answer it. I would obviously want to take advice on that, but I do note that the areas of outstanding natural beauty are being upgraded, as it were, and are now going to be national landscapes alongside national parks, and will be given extra protection in planning, irrespective of the Unesco designation
excellent, thank you, I think we are ready to move to a vote, so all those four.
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 1:51:34
that's unanimous, so we can move on the well done excellent.
I just wanted to say that we are on our third motion now if we do not
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 1:51:48
get to our fourth motion, that will fall, so if you want to make sure that we get to our fourth motion, we do need to be concise, thank you OK so, Councillor McConville, please thank you Chair,
yet again, and try to be brief, on the 17th of October Kent County
Cllr Connor McConville - 1:52:06
Council made a decision regarding.
what they do in big with regard to housing, those young adults that have left care and eventually it will come to pass that.
those young young people, once they reach the nine the age of 19, will no longer be housed by KCC who should be there the corporate parent, obviously the the decisions largely financially based we, we, we have a deficit KCC have an even bigger one.
but this this this book.
cost shunting exercise, pushing this cost out to all of the districts.
across Kent is not going to, it is not going to solve that the larger problem, what we will ultimately see what has come through in various reports from from other councils and across across the UK is that young people are forced into unsuitable accommodation, we all know we have very little accommodation in our own district, I think Councillor shoves response to a question earlier highlighted.
how house how much we are struggling to provide?
good quality, affordable accommodation to those those young people in need, while it'd be great, hopefully once all of the delete, the district leaders across Kent, right to write to Mr Gove to ask him to rethink his decision is unlikely obviously but at least at the very least we could have an Overview and Scrutiny meeting where we could call those people from KCC in.
and they could be held accountable for the decisions they make that affect us and perhaps look to find some way to have some sort of collaborative working, where we could find a reasonable path forward that we, we could afford to provide a good quality service for these young people who were just you know.
in a situation not of their own making, so I would hope you would support thank you, thank you, do we have a seconder Councillor, Letts the second, I'm gonna have to make a declaration on behalf to leave
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 1:54:19
Cllr Nicola Keen - 1:54:21
the Chamber because I worked for Kent County Council social services OK, thank you.
no problem go ahead, Councillor Emily Moore, your second, yes, OK.
this is now open for debate.
anybody who wants to speak, Councillor Blake, more very keen to support this motion.
we all know about the desperate cuts that Kainos County Council is making tomorrow, it's very likely they'll make a decision to on youth services, which you'll know this Council responded to, and that
Cllr Mike Blakemore - 1:54:53
involves removing funding from youth groups in Hyde including Shepway autism support group it is a matter of great sadness I think that the cuts that cases you are making are affecting young people in that area and in the area that Councillor Campbell has described as a matter of great shame for them, and I fully support us writing to them. I don't imagine it would change anything, but that's not a reason not to do it. Thank you. Anybody else who wants to speak on that
OK, so we can go to the vote, all those four.
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 1:55:26
so that's unanimous, thank you very much, so we move on to motion 4 from Councillor Davidson.
could somebody let Councillor Keane back in?
before we start.
OK, Councillor Davidson.
thank you Chair, how long do we have left?
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 1:56:30
so much 7 17 minutes.
Cllr Laura Davison - 1:56:33
that does not mean you can speak for ages.
and I'm very pleased to propose this motion and like to thank my colleagues who worked to put this forward, particularly Councillor Chapman, essentially this motion is looking at what we can do practically as a Council to invest in our own community through something called community wealth building which hopefully some people have heard of perhaps not everybody has if you happen and I'd really recommend looking at the work that's been done at Preston Council and also the research that's been done on this.
by the economic organisations that have supported that work, essentially it's about looking at how we can work with partners in our local area to make sure that.
spending in the area is invested back in locally, and the benefits of the work that have been done in places like Preston are massive, they've seen significant percentage increases in local spend and that that financing being retained within the local area, and when that happens that's a win win win situation for everybody because,
if there is local work that takes place to ensure that local businesses can contract locally, for example, with the Council in procurement processes, then that creates jobs within the area, we've talked about that this evening, climate jobs, for example for the future.
and where local people are employed, that creates an environment for better wages, and we know in this area, for example, we have lower than average wages and it's something we should be working towards to improve wages within the the local economy and where people have more money that they're able to spend within the local economy that is reinvested, and so that is a win for for all of us. So at the heart of this motion is what can we do as a Council practically to lead by example in trying to create community wealth, and one way that we can do that is by making sure that our procurement processes are open, accessible and really thinking about how we can make them easier for local organisations to participate in and how we can build those networks with local people so that they are able to do that. And Councillor Martin talked about support for business through this Council. We need to look to see how we can make sure that is accessible to our local businesses.
as part of the work that we're doing so, this motion asks us to refer that work, to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, to look at our own procurement action plan and how we can strengthen that and make sure that we are taking that work forward and a really practical way it's more work for the overview and scrutiny committee which I know Councillor Wing,
who is the deputy chair of that committee, is always conscious that we're asking the Committee to look at additional things, but I think it is really important work and it is something that we can really practically do to to try to.
improve things within our district collectively and for the longer term, thank you, thank you, do we have a seconder, I'm very happy to
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 1:59:59
Cllr Jeremy Speakman - 2:00:01
support that and I think it's it's a very interesting initiative that we could actually take practical action to improve the local economy and I think that I am very happy to support that. Certainly excellent. Do you want to speak on back Councillor company? Yes, thank you Chair, only to say that there's quite a lot of things that the Councillor
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 2:00:16
Cllr Connor McConville - 2:00:18
currently doing, which which which would quite neatly lead lean into. You know a lot of what this motion is thinking about.
we have.
funds to invest through our shared prosperity fund, looking again at at green energy and future future job production. There's the rural prosperity funds, there are pots of money out there that could be funnelled in in in in channelled ways to the lead in to the thoughts of of of this you know this idea, so I'd like to see I'd like to see that come before a comedian and really get hashed out
thank you, Councillor Carter.
I'm so sorry, thank you, Chair upon case.
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 2:01:04
I believe that.
Cllr David Godfrey - 2:01:08
looking at procurement and encouraging local businesses to get involved is something that we are already doing, and I know that the Housing Group we were looking at how we could involve more local businesses, I'm not against this entirely but I think it's a bit premature, I think we should see how that pans out how our new policies are planning out and see how much we can get those.
businesses involved through our current practices in offerings, rather than actually load our offices up with yet another.
a workload that I don't think we're ready for you, I think it's just a bit premature, that's how.
thank you, Councillor Councillor Holgate's, please.
thank you Chair, just like to thank Councillor Dobson for bringing it
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 2:01:52
to the Council's attention, it's a fascinating body of work that could then could could be very beneficial to visitors up and down this
Cllr Rich Holgate - 2:01:59
district, and others to I fully support the motion and in my role as Cabinet Member for petitions can me consider myself available for any supporting my niece,
Pinfold?
thank you very much and Councillor are winnable Leeds.
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 2:02:19
thank you Chair again, I support this is something that I know two years ago that his office was in the Chamber, then we suggested that
Cllr David Wimble - 2:02:25
was suggested as a Council we should lead the way with things like our own housing stock, having local companies make it easier for them to get on procurement, for the council says that we could use local suppliers to service our own properties and that goes for everything really we should be promoting local which creates jobs and is good for our economy and why wouldn't anybody back him?
thank you, Councillor Scotland, just a quick thought on this, that local procurement is carbon beneficial, it's got less carbon
Cllr Stephen Scoffham - 2:03:00
travelling footprint embedded in it, that's great, I just wonder whether Overview and Scrutiny when they look at it could look at I just take a bigger view of the footprint that might be possible that and the unfortunate situation that local procurement actually has a bigger footfall for carbon footprint than modest and one that in principle I'm 100% behind it.
Councillor Chapman, I have this big bugbear that public money should
Cllr Bridget Chapman - 2:03:31
do public good when you spend it with big companies out that are often headquartered outside of the area, often outside of the country that money gets taken out of the area. This way we're investing in local firms there, creating jobs for local people, those local people are spending their wages in local businesses. It's 8, there is it's a no-brainer and I will be really interested to see if anybody votes against this, because I just think the work that's being done in Preston is incredible. They've seen the rates of depression go down, they've seen rates of this is
cited in the article in the Lancet, which is in the motion, so this is peer reviewed. They have seen rates of antidepressant prescription, go down, they've seen people's wellbeing go up and the median wage for people in the area go up by 11%. It is fantastic. I commend it very much to this Council.
thank you, I'm so sorry, I have a few people who keep on speaking when other people are speaking, it's incredibly disrespectful, I've already
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 2:04:42
spoken about it once, please do not do it again, because I will think of other consequences, thank you.
thank you, Does anyone else wants to speak on this?
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 2:05:00
OK, so we'll take it to a vote, so all those four.
thank you, that's them unanimous that's carried.
00
who against then?
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 2:05:32
you're going to have OK, abstention, OK, so 26 4
0
against and one abstention, so that vote is carried, thank you very much, thank you.

12 Report to Council on decisions made in accordance with the constitution's call-in and urgency rule

so we move to Item 12 report to Council on decisions made in
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 2:05:52
accordance with the constitutions core and in an enlarged urgency rules, so do we have a proposer for that?
Councillor Holgate, do we have a seconder Councillor Prater?
can we go through?
does anyone want to speak on this matter?
OK, so we will go for the vote then or always for.

13 Extension of term of independent persons under the Localism Act 2011

so that is unanimous, thank you very much, so we move on to Item 13 extension of term of independent persons under the Localism Act 2011 do we have a proposer Councillor Porter, a seconder Councillor Cooper, does anyone want to speak on that?
OK, so we'll go to the vote for.
so that's the unanimous, thank you very much.
and then we move to Item 14 Committee membership changes.

14 Committee Membership Changes

do we have a proposal for that Councillor Prater, a seconder Councillor Polly Blackmoor?
does anyone want to speak on that Councillor Prater, happy Christmas?
is that agreed?
OK then.
Cllr Abena Akuffo-Kelly - 2:07:20
right.
that's the end of our meeting, then thank you very much, and I would like to say myself, I'm still speaking, I'm still speaking, thank you, I would like to say myself, thank you very much for my first sort of Indivior of being Chair, you've all been absolutely delightful, you've been wonderful and the officers have been really great, very, very helpful, and I really appreciate it, and myself and Councillor Jim Price make
I have not because you are right next to each other, is really honestly gymnastic, I'm trying to do shortcuts where we have provided some refreshments for you and the officers as well, and if the public are also allowed they can come in as well so we've got 100 mince pies and some food and some drink as well, so please come and enjoy the Christmas the festive feeling with us, thank you.