Minutes:
1. Mr Hill, Cabinet Member for Community and Regulatory Services, gave a verbal update on the following:
(a) Demand on the Community Warden Service had increased due to issues such as financial family hardship, anti-social behaviour and safeguarding and welfare concerns.
(b) The Kent Libraries ‘Summer Reading Challenge 2022 – Gadgeteers’ focused on science and technology and ran from 9 July to 10 September 2022. Children could sign up to the summer reading challenge by visiting a Kent library or online summerreadingchallenge.org.uk.
(c) On 17 May 2022 Mr Hill opened the new Business Intellectual Property Centre at the Kent History and Library Centre in Maidstone. The Business IP Centre was a partnership with the British Library and supported by funding from The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). It was a physical and virtual hub for Kent’s entrepreneurs to access low-cost information for supporting and protecting a business idea.
(d) Mr Hill opened Paddock Wood Library on 11 June 2022 and Cheriton Library on 19 May 2022 following refurbishment and both events had been well attended by residents.
(e) The new play area at Brockhill Country Park was opened on 7 June 2022 and the play area at Shorne Country Park was opened on 13 June 2022. Two further changing places facilities, to assist disabled visitors, would be installed at Brockhill Country Park and Lullingtstone Country Park.
(f) On 8 July 2022 Mr Hill attended an event in Gravesham to celebrate the Queen’s Baton Relay through Kent.
2. Mr Murphy, Cabinet Member for Economic Development, gave a verbal update on the following:
(a) Mr Murphy attended an urban planning conference on 6 July 2022 which included colleagues from the Netherlands, Belgium and France, and had a particular emphasis on the hinterlands around Dover, Eurotunnel Folkestone and Sevington. In May 2023 the Council would be hosting colleagues from the Netherlands, Belgium and France for the Straits Committee.
(b) Implementation of the Entry/Exit Scheme (EES) which involved the screening of residents and traffic going through Dover docks and the Eurotunnel had been pushed back to 2023.
(c) Mr Murphy presented to farmers at the Kent County Show on 8 July 2022 regarding support for the rural sector and rural communities, including, for example, broadband rollout, transport, and schools.
(d) Ongoing discussions on infrastructure utilities such as UK Power Networks were progressing and briefings on the hydrogen initiative in the Thames Estuary had taken place.
(e) Mr Murphy was pleased to welcome Dover District Council’s levelling up bid which in conjunction with the Council’s levelling up bid focused on increasing customs capacity at the port of Dover.
(f) Panattoni had announced a long-term lease had been agreed with Marley Tiles and DPD at Wrotham, and a further 250 jobs would be created.
(g) Barclays Eagle Labs would be opening a facility at Discovery Park, Sandwich. The Lab was a space to help entrepreneurs and businesses to collaborate and get their businesses up and running.
(h) Regular meetings were taking place with East Kent College to understand their strategy alongside that of the Council.
(i) Mr Murphy provided updates on miscellaneous projects including Dungeness Power Station, Otterpool, Newtown Works, the Stodmarsh water quality issue, Section 106 developer contributions, Ebbsfleet Development Corporation, and the broadband rollout.
3. Mr Jones, Corporate Director for Growth Environment and Transport, then gave a verbal update on the following:
(a) Services were supporting Kent residents during the extreme hot weather ensuring communities stayed safe. There had been an increase in staff testing positive for Covid-19, and whilst services continued to operate, staff and residents were monitored to ensure they kept safe.
(b) The Libraries, Registrations and Archives division were at their busiest time of year, in particular the ceremonies team.
(c) Kent Sport had recently been rebranded and was now known as Active Kent and Medway. The ‘#Outdoors is Free campaign’ had been launched at the Kent and Medway Primary PE Conference 2022 and was a campaign to promote free active opportunities over the summer period.
(d) The Trading Standards Team had been offering accredited covid safety training called ‘Raising the Standard’ to Kent traders in the home improvement and maintenance sector. A Doorstep Crime Awareness week focused on Herne Bay, Whitstable and Birchington, took place in June. The team engaged with over 800 residents, traders, and banks and worked alongside Age UK. The event received positive feedback from residents and businesses and included pop up stalls in local supermarkets and active incidents were dealt with. During the event several banks expressed their interest to get involved.
(e) The Public Protection staff attended the Kent Police Open Day on Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 July 2022 to talk about services including Trading Standards Check, Positive Wellbeing and Social Prescribing. There were 21,000 visitors over the two days and the Council’s stands were well attended.
(f) The Kent Scientific Services team was working with Mid Kent College to provide vocational industry placements for 45 days as part of the new T Level qualification.
(g) On 15 July 2022 the Kent Community Safety Team undertook the third Domestic Homicide Review on behalf of the Kent Community and Safety Partnership. The topic was domestic abuse and suicide, and cases were presented to front line professionals to help raise awareness. The links between domestic abuse and suicide had been included in the recently published statutory guidance for domestic abuse.
(h) Community Wardens were offering support and advice to residents during the extreme hot weather with particular focus on the elderly and vulnerable. The wardens had also been working alongside partners under the Homes for Ukrainians Scheme and had assisted with initial welfare visits to guests and their hosts.
4. Mr Murphy, Mr Hill and Mr Jones responded to the following questions and comments from Members:
(a) Asked on what basis the Short Straits would be registered as a World Heritage Site, Mr Murphy said it was part of the UNESCO Sites Across the Channel (USAC) project to look at improving tourism and outcomes for residents. Mr Jones said there was also a historic and geological significance regarding a ribbon of chalk across the channel. Mr Murphy said he was happy to share more information outside of the meeting.
(b) Asked about bank closures in towns and adequate banking provision for residents and businesses, Mr Jones said he would liaise with the Council’s business investment teams about the role of banks in preserving financial connectivity for Kent’s communities.
(c) Asked about work experience opportunities within the Council, Mr Jones said professional consulting, engineering and technical skills work experience was offered by teams within the directorate and work experience was being explored further in line with the work of the Employment Taskforce and skills development.
(d) A Member asked whether more information on T-levels could be provided and highlighted the importance of a T-Level accreditation in green skills.
RESOLVED that the verbal updates be noted.