Building the budget: after the Autumn Statement

The joint letter from the Leaders of Kent and Hampshire came a few days before the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement (17 November).

The Statement was in many ways better than expected for local authorities, at least upper tier councils with social care responsibilities. There was £1bn extra for social care in 2022-23, rising to £1.7bn in 2023-24 (60% via the NHS, the remainder through the local government settlement); the social care charging reforms were delayed, but councils are able to keep the funding associated with them; and councils have the ambiguous opportunity to raise more council tax, with the referendum limit (for social care authorities) rising from 3% to 5%.

All this has made a big difference to KCC (and other authorities) in setting their budgets. But it does not stop the requirement to make very difficult and painful savings decisions - it simply reduces somewhat the mountain to be climbed. Nor does it resolve the longer-term issues central to the Kent/ Hampshire letter. As I wrote in an article for the New Statesman, “the wolf is still at the door, even if he is no longer in the kitchen”. I have written in similar terms in the Municipal Journal.

At tomorrow’s Cabinet meeting, we will consider the latest financial monitoring report, which shows a projected overspend of £60 million for this financial year. The process of building next year’s budget, now in its later stages, has been helped by the Autumn Statement but is still exceptionally challenging. 

The Kent-Hampshire letter: we cannot go on like this

Yesterday the Leader of Hampshire, Rob Humby and I published a joint letter which we had written to the Prime Minister, Chancellor and the Levelling Up Secretary. In this we set out our concern that both councils face unsustainable financial pressures. 

The reasons for this are quite clear. Councils across the country have had to deliver huge savings (over £800 million in the case of Kent County Council) over the last decade or so. The pressures of core services to vulnerable people, notably adult social care and children’s services have continued to grow ahead of the resources available to councils. This year’s surge in inflation has added to our costs (some £45 million in the case of KCC) without having a matching effect on revenues. 

As a result, KCC is currently (after the first six months of the financial year) projecting an overspend of £60 million in 2022-23, and over £100 million for 2023-24. Perhaps most seriously, there is no prospect of achieving a sustainable financial position, and even the severe cuts in services which we are now considering may well not be enough to avoid a financial crunch and, over time, the need to issue a Section 114 notice that freezes all non-essential council spending.

Hampshire and Kent are similarly large and historically strong county councils. We recognised that we face similar problems, as does much of the local government sector; our voices add to the strong case being made by organisations such as the County Councils Network and the Local Government Association. 

Coming ahead of the Chancellor’s statement on Thursday, the letter has generated a lot of media interest. Above all, we are arguing that, while any solution can embrace a combination of funding support (in particular, in relation to adult social care), decisions about council tax and changes to legislative requirements on councils, there is one option that we cannot pursue: that is to continue as we are.

New date for Wested Lane works

Many will have seen this, but for anyone who has not, the postponed closure of Wested Lane for Network Rail works has now been rescheduled. The works were planned for September but then delayed because they coincided with extensive use of the trains by people travelling up to London to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II. 

The new closure dates will be from 0600 on 14 December to 1800 on 21 December, with full closure throughout that period. This is of course unwelcome and disruptive very close to Christmas, but looks set to go ahead.

New Southeastern timetable - and good news for Otford

The new Southeastern timetable, published today, includes the excellent news of an hourly service (twice hourly in rush hour) from Maidstone East to London Bridge and Charing Cross, stopping at Otford and Swanley. From Otford (I declare an interest in this as my local station) the journey to London Bridge will be just under 30:minutes, and 40 minutes to Charing Cross.

Along with many others, KCC has (in particular through our Rail Strategy) urged these changes over a long period. We are currently reviewing all the details of the timetable, which will come into force on 11 December. There are some changes elsewhere in the system that can be viewed less favourably, such as those on the Medway Valley line, which will cease (off peak) at Paddock Wood rather than Tonbridge (though even here there will be positive features, with the restoration of a half hourly weekday service throughout the day. And there may yet be other detailed features that are less positive. Yet overall this appears a very good outcome for a network that is being recast for a post-Covid world of reduced passenger numbers (especially at peak hours) and large-scale dependence on government subsidy.

Childsbridge Lane speed limit reduction approved

At Wednesday’s meeting of the Sevenoaks Joint Transportation Board (JTB), the Board reviewed the proposed reduction in the speed limit on Childsbridge Lane between Kemsing and Seal from National Speed Limit (60 mph) to 40 mph. This proposal had been at the head of Seal Parish Council’s Highways Improvement Plan (HIP). Its aim is to reduce speeds near the entry points to the villages, and especially the approach to the railway bridge near Seal.

Since there were a number of objections to the proposal, the JTB had to consider it and decide whether to proceed. Both the chairman of Seal Parish Council and I spoke in favour of the speed limit reduction. I sought to address the concern, which was expressed by a number of the objectors, that this would be a substitute or diversion from the need to create a secure path for pedestrians on the bridge.

This has been a significant concern for residents and one that I support. However, neither the parish council nor I see the proposed speed limit reduction as a diversion from addressing the issue. The biggest problem so far has been one of visibility on the approaches to the bridge, which has vitiated efforts to create a priority system needed to narrow the road and give the space necessary for a secure pedestrian path. This is a difficult issue, and one that we continue to work to address, but quite separate from that of the speed limit. The intention of the reduction is to improve safety but this does not preclude other actions on the bridge when they can be delivered.

The JTB approved the proposed speed limit reduction and it can now be implemented.

A225: Draft Order for speed limit reduction

Kent County Council has placed a proposed Speed Limit Order for the A225 Shoreham Road on public deposit, starting today (16 September). This will continue until 10 October.

The Order proposes reducing the speed limit from the current National Speed Limit:

-  To 50 mph from a point 83 metres southwest of the junction with Station Road Eynsford (in other words, on the edges of Eynsford village) to a point 476 metres north of the junction with Station Road Shoreham; and

- To 40 mph from this point to one 95 metres south of the junction with Fackenden Lane (the start of the approach to Otford)

This is a proposal on which I have worked with Shoreham Parish Council and Kent Highways officers over several years. There have been detailed discussions and debates over where exactly the limits should be placed, and a lot of work has gone into harmonising community wishes with the judgements of Kent Highways and the role of Kent Police as the enforcement authority.

Shoreham PC has long argued for this change, and, if enacted, it should enhance safety at the junction with Station Road in particular. It should also, by reducing speeds near and south of Shoreham, reinforce the 30mph on Shoreham Road Otford. Eynsford Parish Council has also been engaged and supportive though there is much less direct effect on Eynsford than on Shoreham.

The details of the proposals can be found on KCC’s highways consultations page, and you can make representations supporting or objecting to the proposals via the page, or by writing to KCC: The Senior Parking & Traffic Regulation Officer, Traffic Management Team, Highways & Transportation, Kent County Council, Ashford Highway Depot, Henwood Industrial Estate, Javelin Way, Ashford TN24 8AD.

Wested Lane closure delayed

Residents of Crockenhill and neighbouring areas have experienced severe disruption on a number of occasions reflecting ongoing Network Rail works, which in particular have closed Wested Lane.

A further, quite lengthy closure was due to start this morning (running for eight days, 14-21 September). KCC Streetworks raised challenges over the length and impact of the closure, but Network Rail and their contractors were clear that the complexity of the works, and the inability to store equipment on site overnight, meant that the length of the closure could not be reduced. 

However, the closure has now been delayed because Network Rail wanted to prevent disruption to train services to London in the days leading up to and including that of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral. At present we do not have a new date for the closure.