Minutes:
1) Mrs Bell provided an update regarding Covid-19 testing and vaccinations. The national booking service had been extended to people aged 55 and over which meant that vaccinations were being rolled out to the 8th group of the 9 priority vaccination groups. It was anticipated that invitations would be extended to the 9th group, those aged 50 to 54. Those who had received a vaccination in the first weeks of the programme were due to receive their second dose and it was important that people attended for their second appointments.
As of 7 March, 670,834 vaccinations had been delivered across Kent and Medway. 89% of the population aged 65 plus had at least one dose of the vaccine and therefore, the vaccination programme had been successful. However, continued testing was considered important as 1 in 3 people with the virus did not experience symptoms of Covid-19.
The symptom free testing programme was to remain place until June 2021. There were to be changes to the sites and to operating hours. On 30 March, the centres at Detling, Kemsley and Fairfield were to close. From 31 March, the centres at Sheerness and Swanscombe were to extend their hours to between 9am and 7pm. All sites were to be closed on Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday but would be open on Easter Saturday.
The Director for Public Health had recommended a change in the frequency of testing. From 15 March, those living or working in Kent were recommended to take a symptom-free test twice weekly, as this would give more accurate results and it was important that symptom-free testing continued as the national restrictions were eased.
As of 10 March, 422,051 tests had been conducted across Kent with 2572 positive tests identified, meaning these individuals were able to isolate immediately and break the chain of transmission.
2) Mrs Chandler said that she had attended the Spirit of Try Angle Awards ceremony which had taken place virtually. The Try Angle Awards were in their 26th year; they recognised and rewarded the outstanding efforts and achievements of young people and groups. The Awards recognised the achievements of young people during particularly challenging times. The recording of the virtual awards ceremony was available on the website and Members were encouraged to watch the ceremony to hear about the young people and their achievements.
Between 20 November and 18 December 2020, local authorities were invited to submit applications for funding to support them with costs incurred as a result of caring for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and former unaccompanied asylum-seeking children who were care leavers during the pandemic. Submissions had been assessed and in February, confirmation was received from the Department for Education that KCC had been successful in securing £794,333 from the government’s Covid-19 fund.
There had been a slow and steady rise in new UASCs since the new year and there had also been a trickle of transfers of UASCs out of Kent. Close work had continued with the Home Office to try and ensure that any potential upsurge in arrivals would not result in KCC being unable to safely accept UASCs again. Oakwood House had been vacated and returned to KCC use.
3) Mr Long said as of 8 March, schools and colleges had re-opened to all pupils with asymptomatic Covid-19 testing in place. As of 11 March, almost 90% of children were back in school. Testing was voluntary but encouraged as this would enable schools to serve pupils as safely as possible.
National Offer Day for secondary schools was on 1 March and 22,264 parents and carers, of whom over 18,000 were from Kent, applied for a place for their child at a Kent school for September 2021. This was 594 more than in 2020. Despite the increase in numbers, over 95% of Kent families were offered a place at one of the schools they had selected. Carers and parents had until 15 March to accept or refuse offers and to return waiting list forms. Parents and carers were advised to accept the offers they had received, even if they wished to appeal, as acceptance of an offer would not prejudice an appeal.
Appeals had to be logged by 26 March so that they could be heard on time and KCC would reallocate places from schools’ waiting lists, sending out a second round of offers on Wednesday, 21 April 2021. After this, schools were to maintain their own waiting lists and parents and carers were able to continue to apply to school directly to ask to be placed on the waiting list.
4) Mr Payne said that Kent Highways had announced the first phase of a road re-surfacing programme worth £5million and covering 26 locations. A larger re-surfacing programme was to continue in the spring, summer and autumn months.
The Pothole Blitz campaign had been launched worth £10million, which was focussed on large and permanent pothole repairs. This followed on from a £10million campaign in 2020 where nearly 50,000 individual pothole repairs were delivered.
The Road Surface Preservation Programme, an £11million programme had been launched to extend the life of Kent’s roads and prevent potholes and was to improve 125 miles of highway across the county. Specialist treatments preserved the roads for up to 8 to 10 years and extend the periods between disruptive renewal works.
Kent Highways was to publish a forward programme covering the next 5 years.
5) Miss Carey said KCC’s Environment Team had been successful in securing grants totalling £20,643,013.64 for energy projects to ‘de-carbonise’ the KCC estates. Projects included two solar park projects, solar photovoltaic panels on KCC buildings, funding towards Maidstone heat network, heat pump projects and LEDs. This was in addition to £2,478,000 awarded for the Maidstone heat network project. The funding was 100% grant and therefore did not need to be re-paid and the only stipulation was that the funding must be spent by 30 September 2021.
KCC had 86% of the funding needed to reach Net Zero by 2030 and had reduced carbon emissions between 2010 and 2020 by 50%. The new projects would reduce them by another 40%. The projects were to reduce KCC’s energy costs and the income from the energy parks was estimated to be £51million over 30 years.
25 extra slots a day had been added at all 18 household waste recycling centres. The contractors had more experience running the sites with social distancing in place and were confident that they could be operated safely with increased numbers. 58% of slots of household recycling centres across the county were taken up.
Feedback about the booking system had been positive, with 97% of users surveyed satisfied or very satisfied. The same survey found 96% of users were satisfied or very satisfied with their visit.
6) Mr Whiting said Natural England had raised issues about nitrates and phosphates in the Stour catchment area and this was holding up a number of major planning applications across east Kent. The situation had the potential to affect thousands of jobs and those involved in local supply chains for new developments. KCC was working with district colleagues, Natural England, Southern Water, developers, the Environment Agency, Homes England and others in government to produce a strategy to resolve the problem in Kent.
£90,000 had been secured from SELEP to lead a new project, the Seed Project, to help small businesses access new overseas markets over the next year.
Canterbury Christ Church University had opened its new ‘STEM’ facility for sciences, technology, health, engineering and medicine. KCC had played a pivotal role in securing over £16million from SELEP to invest in the project which was to be a centre for industry collaboration and education. £900,000 of additional local growth funding was awarded to the EDGE project supporting 1200 learners to enter the labour market by 2024.
7) Mr Hill said the new community centre in Southborough was to reach ‘practical’ completion shortly and was to be open to the public by the end of April and a formal opening was planned for June. The centre would provide council offices, community rooms, a theatre, a GP surgery, a library and provision for a local football club. Thanks were given to Mr Oakford for his contributions as part of Southborough Town Council and to the project manager, Jonathan White.
8) Mrs Prendergast said that 400 schools had taken up the offer of ‘Back to School’ packs produced by the Communications Team about social distancing at school gates. This was backed up with messages on social media.
An advertising campaign regarding how to get Covid-19 tests was to be promoted on mobile outdoor advertising and on the radio as well as through the website and social media channels.
Communications had continued to go out to Kent residents, businesses and others affected by the exit from EU and messages had been produced around the standing down of Manston as a site for Covid-19 testing and customs checks for hauliers.
The Census was taking place on 21 March 2021 and Communications were continuing to support the awareness campaign.
9) Mr Oakford said that KCC was in a position to re-open a large number of its buildings. Buildings would need to be made Covid-19 compliant and social distancing would apply but the budget was approved and buildings had been identified. Buildings included were: short-break units, community buildings, children’s centres, youth hubs, adult education centres and libraries. It was proposed that by 1 June, a total of 150 buildings were to be re-opened and post-June, if the government policy permitted, work was to be done to open many more buildings.