Minutes:
1. Mr Hill, Cabinet Member for Community and Regulatory Services, gave a verbal update on the following, about which there were no questions:
(a) The 76km section of the England Coast Path (ECP) between Woolwich and Grain officially opened on 12January 2022. There were now three national trails in Kent – the North Downs Way, the ECP and the Thames Path.
(b) Business and Intellectual Property Centre Kent had been launched and provided business support both virtually and in person at the Kent History and Library Centre in Maidstone.
(c) The Amelia, an art gallery and museum project in Tunbridge Wells, would officially open on 28 April 2022.
(d) Mr Hill paid tribute to Kent residents, Mark Weston, Taylor Lawrence, Millie Knight and James Barnes-Miller for their achievements at the Olympics and Paralympics in Beijing.
(e) BBC Radio 4 Front Row on 9 March 2022 would focus on Margate and the effects Turner Contemporary had had on the life of the town and the creative quarter.
(f) On 21 March 2022 The Kent Resilience Forum stood up to strategically co-ordinate the new Homes for Ukraine Scheme in Kent.
(g) On 21 March 2022 Mr Hill attended a preview of Folkestone 51, a three storey skatepark in Folkestone which was due to open formally at the end of March 2022.
2. Mr Robey, Deputy Cabinet Member for Economic Development, gave a verbal update on the following:
(a) The Leader of the Council, Leader of Dover District Council and MP Natalie Elphick had written to the Chancellor of the Exchequer to encourage the reinstatement of P&O workers who had been made redundant.
(b) The Council’s No Use Empty initiative had been granted a further £2.5million from the government’s Growing Places Fund to boost the cash available to bring more empty properties back into use.
(c) Bike manufacturer Brompton had announced plans to move its global headquarters to Ashford andbuild a revolutionary and sustainable bicycle factory on wetlands near the Ashford Designer Outlet. The proposals equated to a £100million investment in the local economy. As well as the manufacturing facility Brompton would incorporate a wetlands park into the development.
(d) A meeting took place at the beginning of March with local MP Damian Collins, Rolls Royce, and the leader of Folkestone & Hythe District Council regarding the future of Dungeness. This was one of a series of meetings concerning the site with interested parties, and development of the site would offer significant opportunities to the local area and economy of Kent.
3. Mr Robey responded to the following questions and comments from Members:
(a) Asked about measures being taken by the Council to demand the reinstatement of P&O workers, Mr Robey said the letter sent to Mr Sunak was unequivocal in asking for reinstatement. He said the focus for the Council was supporting those affected into employment as soon as possible.
(b) Members expressed their sympathy for the P&O workers who had been made redundant and discussed the limitations of the Council’s involvement in intervening due to complex legal issues.
4. Simon Jones, Corporate Director for Growth Environment and Transport, then gave a verbal update on the following:
(a) Despite rising staff absences due to the Covid-19 pandemic all services were continuing to meet their service levels. As a result of the lifting of pandemic restrictions services were returning to pre-pandemic operation, including public access to computers in libraries from 1 April 2022 and in person death registrations from the end of March 2022.
(b) A £1.1million Investment in country parks to provide and improve play equipment was underway across eight parks, and on target to be completed by the end of May 2022.
(c) Trading Standards continued to address counterfeit and fraud activities. Mr Jones recognised the positive contribution of Elaine Mount who had returned £1,500 to a victim of doorstep crime and over this financial year had accounted for approximately £150,000 of refunds for residents in her area.
(d) The Public Protection Team was supporting local traders to ensure their services reached the right areas and appropriate services were offered to residents.
(e) Community Wardens were working closely with communities and charities to ensure support for the Ukrainian crisis was reaching the intended targets and recipients.
5. Members raised several concerns regarding the Homes for Ukraine Scheme and these related to mortgage and rental agreements, house insurance, education for Ukrainian children and refugees seeking work. Mr Jones said the Ukrainian response was a rapidly moving situation and the common point of control was through the Kent Resilience Forum. Mr Jones asked Members to use that facility as their first point of call.
RESOLVED that the verbal updates be noted.