|
 Welcome
to my blog. It's a chance for me to communicate directly with
you and give you an insight into the key issues and challenges
facing the county. I hope it will also show you some of the
work we are doing to make Kent an exceptional place to live,
work and visit.
Please tell me what you think about the blog and send me your
views or comments about the issues discussed.
I have just popped back into the office at County Hall after a
week away on the East Coast of England, for the 54th year of my
life returning to the delightful seaside town of Southwold...
It was only a couple of years ago that Maidstone was a
whisker away from having to rely on standpipes in the street - this
is an unwanted scenario that could happen again in
Kent...
Eurostar's announcement of new services from Ashford to
Brussels, in time for Christmas, is very welcome news...
Building Skills: Transforming Lives - the Skills Green Paper
launched today by Shadow Innovation, Universities and Skills
Secretary David Willetts - is a big step in the right
direction...
I was elected as Chairman of SEERA yesterday, the South East
England Regional Assembly. It is an interesting time to be taking
over as chair...
Kent County Council's entire Cabinet went "on tour" to Thanet
today to hold its public meeting in Margate, something of a
departure from its usual Maidstone setting...
On Tuesday I spoke at a regional skills summit at Gatwick
sharing a platform with government ministers and business
leaders. I spoke about the journey that Kent is on in
transforming education and skills in Kent to equip young people
with the skills that employers need...
I have so far been modest about the achievements of the County
Council delivered in the outcomes of the recent inspections by the
Audit Commission and OfSTED. But I have changed my view and
actually I think it is really important that residents know what
these tough inspection regimes have said about the quality of
services we deliver...
It is no surprise that headteachers across the country, and in
Kent, are furious that Secretary of State Ed Balls is allowing
schools to be labelled as failing, and at risk of closure, if 30%
of pupils don't get five A to C grades, including English and Maths
- three years before this government target even comes into
being...
At last, after several months of government inspectors
crawling all over the organisation, Kent County Council's position
as an "excellent" council - one of the best authorities in the
country, no less - has been confirmed.
At last week's county council meeting Bob Geldof's company Ten
Alps gave a presentation about Kent TV.
I joined MPs from Kent and East Sussex this week in a meeting
with Transport Minister Tom Harris. We were raising our concerns
over the rising cost of the vital improvement works to the
A21...
What a fantastic weekend for Kent. Ebbsfleet United winning the
FA trophy. Madonna performing at Mote Park...
As London's largest neighbour, Kent's relationship with the
Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, is a crucial one...
I was invited to a public meeting at Lydd airport at the end of
last week. It brought home to me again the economic development
potential we have in the county...
The government has finally agreed to negotiate with ten
local authorities who are looking after the majority of
unaccompanied asylum seeking children in the UK - some 3,500 - and
have outstanding bills of more than £30million...
In yesterday's Kent on Sunday the transport minister Tom Harris
was generous in his praise of Kent County Council's commitment to
finding a solution to Operation Stack - the method of "stacking"
lorries on the M20 when channel crossings are disrupted...
More money is paid out to people in benefits in Kent than the
County Council's entire budget...
The long range forecast says this summer is going to be much
better than last. Let's hope so. Last year's wet summer followed by
a wet winter has resulted in an unusually high number of
potholes...
I hope President Sarkozy enjoyed his visit to London, which has
no doubt left many people hopeful of an improved relationship
between France and the UK - football scores aside...
Earlier this week I had the great honour of penning the first
chapter of The Kent Story - a really innovative idea to involve 260
schools in reading, writing and illustrating books - and reading it
out to a group of very patient pupils aged from five to 11 from Oak
Trees Community School...
We have announced our preferred site for a lorry park that will
bring an end to the misery of Operation Stack. I believe the
proposed site is in an ideal location...
We are now into our eighth day of complete chaos on our motorway
links as a result of French ferry workers industrial action,
bringing chaos to the country's economy and chaos to the residents
of Kent...
I spent most of today in Margate with KCC's central policy team.
There is a mass of data and statistics available to tell us about
our communities, from deprivation figures and unemployment
statistics, to the health of its residents...
As readers of my blog will know Kent is one of a number of port
of entry authorities lobbying government to get the unmet costs of
looking after unaccompanied asylum seeking children refunded, so
they do not unfairly fall to local council taxpayers...
Today we set our budget and the council tax for the forthcoming
financial year.I was hoping that we would have some good news for
Kent's council taxpayers...
I had a very good meeting last night with young adults who for
part of their lives grew up in foster care. They raised lots of
issues with me about the challenges of leaving care and living
independently...
I read with interest Boris Johnson's call in the Sunday Times
for the government to resurrect plans for a new airport on
artificial islands in the Thames Estuary...
It has been a very intensive week with the arrival of the
government inspection teams who, collectively, will decide on
whether we retain our "excellent" status...
Today I had the pleasure of launching the roll out of our scheme
to give all 11 to 16 year olds free travel on buses, not just to
and from school but in the evenings and weekends too...
Today I announced this year's proposed Council Tax increase of
3.9%. None of us want to see an increase in Council Tax and it is
one of the subjects that fills my mailbag quicker than any
other...
Operation Stack has been in operation for the last couple of
days due to a combination of the weather and industrial action.
Finding a workable solution to Operation Stack is a key
priority...
Influencing what could be future government policy and ensuring
it's in the best interests of Kent was very much my agenda when
Shadow Secretary for Work and Pensions Chris Grayling spent the day
in Kent yesterday...
Last week was as busy as usual. I spent most of Monday with
senior politicians and officers of the council shaping next year's
budget. We are trying to square the circle with £30m less to
deliver services next year...
|