Well Hill's broadband (and telephone) problems have been continuing for a number of years, and I have written about them on this blog before.
On Tuesday evening, KCC officer George Chandler and I attended a meeting in Well Hill. We were able to present the good news that Well Hill is at the front of projects for spending gainshare (the funds released from BT following higher than expected take-up of superfast broadband, and ploughed back into the BT/BDUK/KCC broadband contract). Government policy is now to promote Fibre to the Premises broadband (as opposed to the previous focus on Fibre to the Cabinet) and the Well Hill project fits well with that.
Progress should now be rapid over the coming weeks and months.
Sunday, 24 November 2019
Saturday, 16 November 2019
Crockenhill Primary School: fences and water
I have been working recently on a number of issues in and around Crockenhill Primary School which have been causing difficulty and distress both to the school and to nearby residents.
The first problem is the gradual collapse of a wall separating the school from a neighbouring property and the need to replace it in some way. The school first contacted me about this earlier in the year; I raised the issue with officers at KCC's property arm Gen2, and some progress appeared to be being made. However, this then stalled and the issue was raised with me again some weeks ago.
Meanwhile, a separate issue arose with leaks from the Thames Water system on the school site. KCC facilities management contractors tried to address the problem but had little success and left holes in the playground. More water ran off, affecting neighbouring gardens. I asked Gen2 to get involved, and KCC offered to fund the works, but at this point Thames Water themselves had sent staff to attempt to fix the problem. However, these efforts were also unsuccessful and by this stage I was being contacted by a number of neighbours whose gardens were being inundated.
I visited the school and neighbouring residents some weeks ago and have sought the involvement of senior staff from Gen2. There appears to be some progress, with works on a new fence (to replace the collapsing wall in its entirety) to start this coming Monday (18 November), to be completed by January. Gen2 have also been in contact with the school on the water issues, and I understand that a further Thames Water team will be in the school over this weekend.
The first problem is the gradual collapse of a wall separating the school from a neighbouring property and the need to replace it in some way. The school first contacted me about this earlier in the year; I raised the issue with officers at KCC's property arm Gen2, and some progress appeared to be being made. However, this then stalled and the issue was raised with me again some weeks ago.
Meanwhile, a separate issue arose with leaks from the Thames Water system on the school site. KCC facilities management contractors tried to address the problem but had little success and left holes in the playground. More water ran off, affecting neighbouring gardens. I asked Gen2 to get involved, and KCC offered to fund the works, but at this point Thames Water themselves had sent staff to attempt to fix the problem. However, these efforts were also unsuccessful and by this stage I was being contacted by a number of neighbours whose gardens were being inundated.
I visited the school and neighbouring residents some weeks ago and have sought the involvement of senior staff from Gen2. There appears to be some progress, with works on a new fence (to replace the collapsing wall in its entirety) to start this coming Monday (18 November), to be completed by January. Gen2 have also been in contact with the school on the water issues, and I understand that a further Thames Water team will be in the school over this weekend.
Thursday, 31 October 2019
Consultation on boys' grammar satellite in Sevenoaks
KCC is consulting on an expansion of Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys, to be achieved via a satellite provision on the former Wildernesse School site in Sevenoaks. The new provision would join Trinity School and the Weald of Kent Sevenoaks satellite on that site.
The proposal is for Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys to expand its Published Admissions Number (PAN - the number of students it would expect to take each year) from the current 210 to 300, an expansion of 90 students or 3 Forms of Entry. The consultation is being brought forward by the County Council because the school is a maintained school; this is different from the satellite expansion by Weald of Kent, which is an academy (even though the establishment of the Weald satellite did require close and effective collaboration between the school and KCC).
As the consultation document makes clear, the demand for selective places in this area of West Kent has been growing. This draws on the evidence of the Kent Commissioning Plan for Education, last year's version of which highlighted that this need could and should be met through satellite provision in Sevenoaks. In my previous role as Cabinet Member for Education, I always argued that the satellite option enables us to resolve two problems in one initiative: meeting the need for places, and ending the anomaly of Sevenoaks being without grammar provision. The Weald of Kent satellite does this for girls in and around Sevenoaks, and the new proposal (also from a school that attracts many Sevenoaks pupils) aims to achieve the same outcome for boys. Many local parents will feel that this is long overdue.
The consultation runs until 6 December.
The proposal is for Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys to expand its Published Admissions Number (PAN - the number of students it would expect to take each year) from the current 210 to 300, an expansion of 90 students or 3 Forms of Entry. The consultation is being brought forward by the County Council because the school is a maintained school; this is different from the satellite expansion by Weald of Kent, which is an academy (even though the establishment of the Weald satellite did require close and effective collaboration between the school and KCC).
As the consultation document makes clear, the demand for selective places in this area of West Kent has been growing. This draws on the evidence of the Kent Commissioning Plan for Education, last year's version of which highlighted that this need could and should be met through satellite provision in Sevenoaks. In my previous role as Cabinet Member for Education, I always argued that the satellite option enables us to resolve two problems in one initiative: meeting the need for places, and ending the anomaly of Sevenoaks being without grammar provision. The Weald of Kent satellite does this for girls in and around Sevenoaks, and the new proposal (also from a school that attracts many Sevenoaks pupils) aims to achieve the same outcome for boys. Many local parents will feel that this is long overdue.
The consultation runs until 6 December.
Sunday, 20 October 2019
A new role
Last Thursday I took up post as the new Leader of Kent County Council. Paul Carter - who had led KCC for fourteen years, and in whose Cabinet I served for much of that time in various different roles - announced in early September that he was standing down.
On 4 October, KCC's Conservative Group elected me as Group Leader; the subsequent County Council meeting on the 17th received Paul Carter's resignation and then elected me as the new Leader of the Council.
County Councillors rightly paid tribute to Paul Carter's accomplishments: driving major projects such as Turner Contemporary; steering Kent through an era of austerity while protecting services more festively than in most local authorities; leading transformation of council services; successfully pressing Kent's concerns, and those of County Councils, with ministers of all parties, both as KCC Leader and as Chairman of the County Councils Network - and much more.
In my remarks after being elected Leader, I spoke about the County Council's need to be much more than simply a bundle of services, but to have a vision and give a voice to the County. My major priorities are: to ensure that, when housing growth takes place in the County, it is supported with adequate infrastructure; to give priority to the visible services that the County provides and which are seen in residents' day to day lives; to close gaps in skills, wages and opportunities across the County; and to take forward major initiatives in environmental issues (including those related to climate change) under a new, dedicated Cabinet portfolio holder.
You can find the webcast of the meeting at which Paul Carter resigned, and tributes were paid, here; and the subsequent meeting at which I was elected, including my remarks to the Council, here (agenda items 4 and 5).
Subsequent to the County Council meeting, I announced a new Cabinet team. In addition to my own role as Leader, and Peter Oakford as Deputy Leader (and Cabinet Member for Finance, Corporate and Traded Services), the Cabinet Members in alphabetical order are:
More appointments and announcements will follow soon.
On 4 October, KCC's Conservative Group elected me as Group Leader; the subsequent County Council meeting on the 17th received Paul Carter's resignation and then elected me as the new Leader of the Council.
County Councillors rightly paid tribute to Paul Carter's accomplishments: driving major projects such as Turner Contemporary; steering Kent through an era of austerity while protecting services more festively than in most local authorities; leading transformation of council services; successfully pressing Kent's concerns, and those of County Councils, with ministers of all parties, both as KCC Leader and as Chairman of the County Councils Network - and much more.
In my remarks after being elected Leader, I spoke about the County Council's need to be much more than simply a bundle of services, but to have a vision and give a voice to the County. My major priorities are: to ensure that, when housing growth takes place in the County, it is supported with adequate infrastructure; to give priority to the visible services that the County provides and which are seen in residents' day to day lives; to close gaps in skills, wages and opportunities across the County; and to take forward major initiatives in environmental issues (including those related to climate change) under a new, dedicated Cabinet portfolio holder.
You can find the webcast of the meeting at which Paul Carter resigned, and tributes were paid, here; and the subsequent meeting at which I was elected, including my remarks to the Council, here (agenda items 4 and 5).
Subsequent to the County Council meeting, I announced a new Cabinet team. In addition to my own role as Leader, and Peter Oakford as Deputy Leader (and Cabinet Member for Finance, Corporate and Traded Services), the Cabinet Members in alphabetical order are:
- Clair Bell – Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health
- Susan Carey – Cabinet Member for Environment
- Sue Chandler – Cabinet Member for Integrated Children’s Services
- Mike Hill – Cabinet Member for Community & Regulatory Services
- Richard Long – Cabinet Member for Education and Skills
- Michael Payne – Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport
- Shellina Prendergast – Cabinet Member for Communications, Engagement and People
- Mike Whiting – Cabinet Member for Economic Development
More appointments and announcements will follow soon.
Thursday, 26 September 2019
SD341 resolution
This time I held off writing anything about the Network Rail works to replace the railway bridge near Crockenhill that has been closed, shutting off access to public footpath SD341, since October 2017. I had twice - in March and in June - eagerly anticipated weekend works that would replace the bridge, only for this to be confounded by bad weather.
So I didn't rush to the keyboard when I heard that the works were due to take place on Sunday 15 September, and for whatever reason this time the weather was benign and the works went ahead. Once some brickwork is completed, the path should reopen around 7 October.
So I didn't rush to the keyboard when I heard that the works were due to take place on Sunday 15 September, and for whatever reason this time the weather was benign and the works went ahead. Once some brickwork is completed, the path should reopen around 7 October.
Sunday, 30 June 2019
KCC's 20mph policy review
Last month, KCC's Environment and Transport Cabinet Committee considered a report on policy towards 20mph zones.
KCC has been quite open to 20mph zones; there are more than 1,000 roads with such zones across the County, and some 22 schemes covering 286 roads have been approved in the last two years. Nonetheless, the application of Department for Transport guidance, and the matching view of Kent Police regarding effective enforcement, runs counter to the strong commitment of some campaigners to a much wider application of the zones.
The KCC report follows the national study by Atkins, which gave some support to the benefits of 20 mph zones. It also sought to address the issue (reflected in current DfT guidance) of the need for traffic calming measures to reinforce signage only schemes when speeds exceed 24 mph, and proposed use of innovative and less intrusive traffic calming methods.
KCC officers therefore proposed, and the Committee agreed, a two-stage approach, under which schemes can demonstrate community support and gain sponsorship from a County Councillor, followed by the use of traffic calming measures (such as gateway features and centre line removals) where speeds are in the 24 to 28 mph range. A number of pilot projects will be brought forward in the coming year to test out the approach.
KCC has been quite open to 20mph zones; there are more than 1,000 roads with such zones across the County, and some 22 schemes covering 286 roads have been approved in the last two years. Nonetheless, the application of Department for Transport guidance, and the matching view of Kent Police regarding effective enforcement, runs counter to the strong commitment of some campaigners to a much wider application of the zones.
The KCC report follows the national study by Atkins, which gave some support to the benefits of 20 mph zones. It also sought to address the issue (reflected in current DfT guidance) of the need for traffic calming measures to reinforce signage only schemes when speeds exceed 24 mph, and proposed use of innovative and less intrusive traffic calming methods.
KCC officers therefore proposed, and the Committee agreed, a two-stage approach, under which schemes can demonstrate community support and gain sponsorship from a County Councillor, followed by the use of traffic calming measures (such as gateway features and centre line removals) where speeds are in the 24 to 28 mph range. A number of pilot projects will be brought forward in the coming year to test out the approach.
Wednesday, 19 June 2019
SD341: delayed again
Once again, my most recent post on the replacement of the railway bridge crossed by SD341, and the consequent reopening of SD341, proved premature.
This time we got as far as Network Rail and its contractors having the new bridge in place and the railway line closed with bus replacement services in operation. However, as in March, the winds were too high, installation did not proceed and on Monday the replacement bridge was driven away. I understand that the next attempt is likely to be in September, and will post again once I know more.
A dispiriting turn in this long-running saga.
This time we got as far as Network Rail and its contractors having the new bridge in place and the railway line closed with bus replacement services in operation. However, as in March, the winds were too high, installation did not proceed and on Monday the replacement bridge was driven away. I understand that the next attempt is likely to be in September, and will post again once I know more.
A dispiriting turn in this long-running saga.
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