Launching the new 429 service

I was in Swanley earlier today to attend the launch of Go-Coach's new and improved 429 bus service.   Councillors and officers from the County, District and Town Councils joined Go-Coach staff and residents at the formal launch of the new service, which started running on Tuesday.

The new 429 supersedes both the earlier service under that number and the previous 478 service. Starting in West Kingsdown, the service runs through Farningham and Swanley in my Darent Valley Division before heading up through other parts of Swanley, Wilmington and Dartford. It will offer, among other things, very good access to a number of secondary schools in the area.

David Brazier, County Councillor for Sevenoaks North East, has provided support for the West Kingsdown part of the service, while the Sunday service (which runs from West Kingsdown to Darent Valley hospital and Bluewater, taking in Eynsford, Farningham and Swanley) has had support for some years from County Councillor Ann Allen (Wilmington), the late Councillor Robert Brookbank and me. For all of us, this has come from our Combined Member Funds.

The more southerly-facing Go-Coach services, such as the various 409 services and the 421 are currently unchanged, though Go-Coach continues to examine its services to schools and the town of Sevenoaks to see if there is scope for enhancement.

Wanted: a new Community Warden

When Steve Armstrong, the popular Community Warden for Crockenhill, Eynsford and Farningham, retired earlier this year, there was concern in the villages that he had served that there would not be an immediate replacement for him.

At the time, KCC's Community Warden Service made clear that, because recruitment, and in particular training is done in batches, there could not be an immediate replacement; however, they undertook to make clear as soon as possible when it would be possible to recruit.

The Service has now placed advertisements for posts in a number of areas in Kent, and in particular for two vacancies within the Sevenoaks District. This should, if there is a successful recruitment, enable posts to be filled in areas that previously had a Warden, of which Crockenhill, Eynsford and Farningham is one. 

Applications for the post should be in by 1 September, with interviews taking place in the middle of the month. Successful candidates will begin their four week training on 24 October, so hopefully a new Warden should be in place before the end of the year.

Councillor Robert Brookbank

I was very sad to hear earlier this week of the death of my colleague and neighbouring County Councillor, Robert Brookbank.

Robert was elected to represent Swanley in 2009 (having been unlucky to miss election narrowly in 2005), and, in a very personal victory, re-elected in 2013. All County Councillors - so long as they are doing their job - have a strong link to the Division they represent. Some, however, are particularly associated with an area. This is true, for example, of our current County Council Chairman, Tom Gates, who is 'Mr Faversham'. And it was true of Robert, who was very much a representative of Swanley. He sat also on the Town and District Councils, and was a strong and knowledgeable representative of the town at County Hall.

In addition, he chaired the County Council's Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (HOSC), winning respect from council and NHS colleagues alike. Increasingly, he had to battle his own ill-health, but continued to contribute.

Robert was dedicated to Swanley and to Kent. He knew local government well from long experience, including his previous career working for the GLC. He was wise and knowledgeable; I, and many others, will miss him.