Agenda item

To consider the progress made toward the establishing of a Growth and Infrastructure Framework for Kent and Medway

(Item 6 – Report of Mr Matthew Balfour, Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport and Barbara Cooper, Corporate Director of Growth Environment and Transport )

Cabinet received a report detailing the progress made toward the development of a Growth and Infrastructure Framework for Kent and Medway.

The Leader reported that although there was no requirement to create a Growth and Infrastructure Plan as there had been previously, Kent County Council, and other some other Council’s, had agreed that it was a sensible and useful tool and therefore would be progressed.

Paul Crick, Director of Environment, Planning and Enforcement introduced the report for members and made a presentation detailing progress to date.  [The full presentation is attached as an appendix to these minutes].  In brief the presentation covered the following:

1. The basis of the Framework
2. Identified growth requirements
3. Related infrastructure requirements to support that identified growth
4. Next steps for the framework

Mr Carter, Leader of the Council, spoke to the item, he suggested that the framework would not only provide evidence for funding requests to Central Government but would also provide guidance for partnership working with the private sector and would enable pressure to be brought on utility companies to ensure that resources were targeted appropriately and services provided sufficient for any new developments

Cabinet Member for Education and Health Reform, Mr Roger Gough confirmed that, as described in the presentation received, health infrastructure would be critical to the infrastructure framework and that CCG’s realised the importance of this kind of work and were ready to be engaged.  To this end a report on the matter would be received by the Health and Wellbeing Board at its next meeting.

Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport, Mr Balfour, spoke to praise the partnership working, with District Council’s and Medway that had produced such good statistical basis for the report.  This robust approach would allow KCC to pursue its strategic aims with Government and other stakeholders.  He reiterated a point made within the presentation; the document would be a ‘live’ document and would be updated on a regular, rolling basis in order to ensure that it remained relevant and useful.

Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Mr Dance reported that he had recently attended a meeting with various London Borough Council’s to address the impact of emigration, and potential future emigration, from the capital to Kent.  It was clear that there would be further work to be done and the framework would be helpful to that process.

Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health, Graham Gibbens referred to the slide within the presentation which predicted the changing demographics of Kent, specifically the increase in numbers of the elderly and very elderly.  He urged members to consider the increased demand on resources that this would bring and the need for those delivering social care services to be prepared and have in place efficient delivery methods, that may require a radical approach, particularly aimed at promoting independence.  Andrew Ireland, Corporate Director of Social Care, Health and Wellbeing, Growth agreed with the comments of the Cabinet Member and reiterated the impact that the increase in the very elderly population, over 85 years old, would have.  Even with the innovation and transformation currently being introduced which would reduce the proportion of elderly people accessing services, the absolute number was likely to increase.

Cabinet Member for Corporate and Democratic Services, Mr Cooke, referred to the advances in technology and the increased use of technology by the elderly as areas that would help to provide innovative interface with the council and the services that it commissioned.  He welcomed the Framework as a tool in identifying the needs of residents in Kent and would look to technology to provide some of the answers to those issues identified.

It was RESOLVED that the progress toward the emerging Kent and Medway Growth and Infrastructure be NOTED.