Minutes:
1. Mr Hill, Cabinet Member for Community and Regulatory Services, provided an update on the opening of the Jasmin Vardimon Company studio in Ashford. Mr Hill attended the official opening on 7 December 2022 and said the new building provided space for the company’s touring productions, rehearsals, training, educational and community classes. The building was part of the regeneration of a disused site on the Henwood Industrial Estate, called the Creative Enterprise Quarter.
2. Mr Murphy, Cabinet Member for Economic Development, gave a verbal update on the following:
(a) The Leader of the Council, along with Mr David Monk, Leader of Folkestone & Hythe District Council, and Mr Damien Collins, MP for Folkestone & Hythe, had written to the Secretary of State regarding a small nuclear reactor site at Dungeness. Mr Murphy said discussions continued with Rolls Royce as well as other suppliers of small nuclear reactors regarding the site, and the Council was also liaising with the Environment Agency.
(b) Mr Murphy visited the transport company Mesaroli at Discovery Park in Sandwich at the end of 2022, who were keen to expand in Kent and said the company Growup Farms was a recent addition to Discovery Park.
(c) The No Use Empty (NUE) scheme was supporting the development of business units in Whitfield, Dover. The development would involve businesses such as a printing firm, a glazing firm and freight forwarding companies relocating in the area.
(d) The Kent Rural Partnership included representatives from across the rural sector, and was initially focusing on education, research, and development.
(e) A joint project was in place with Dover District Council for the provision of Broadband to multi occupancy buildings.
(f) Mr Murphy invited Members to attend Business Vision Live on 10 May 2023 at the Kent Showground.
(g) Recommendations had been put to the Canterbury and Sevenoaks Local Plan Regulation 18 Consultation and Members would be able to comment if they wished to.
3. Mr Murphy responded to the following questions and comments from Members:
(a) Asked about the potential for a programme of nuclear reactors across Kent, Mr Murphy said the Council was currently prioritising the site in Dungeness and there was the intention for more than one reactor, however, Mr Murphy agreed that a programme of nuclear reactors would be beneficial to meet increased demand.
(b) Asked whether the work on nuclear reactor sites was running alongside a package of energy solutions, Mr Murphy said the opportunity at Dungeness was being investigated as part of a combination of energy sources such as offshore wind, solar power, heat source and hydrogen power.
4. Mr Jones, Corporate Director for Growth Environment and Transport, gave a verbal update on the following:
(a) As part of the Kent Resilience Forum teams within the Council responded to the tragic incident in the English Channel on 14 December 2022, and to the loss of water supply to residents and businesses across the county between 15 and 28 December 2022. Mr Jones thanked the Emergency Planning Team, the teams within communities specifically Community Wardens and the district teams for their efforts.
(b) Since 6 December 2022 almost 1,250 precautionary salting runs on roads had been undertaken and over 5,000 tons of salt was used. The weather conditions had resulted in an increase in enquiries from residents and the temporary closure of Folkestone Library.
(c) The Community Safety Team was working to improve services related to domestic abuse and during 2022 the team had provided webinars to professionals and frontline practitioners.
(d) The Community Wardens had been working with various partners, community groups and food hubs to improve residents’ access to support and quality of life during difficult times. They continued to offer one to one support, assist with mental health issues, safeguarding, and welfare support.
(e) Trading Standards continued to address illegal vape products which contained ten times the legal limit for nicotine and could be fatal to users. A publicity campaign had been run to alert and inform residents of the dangers. Mr Jones referred to an intervention by the Council’s Trading Standards Team in Canterbury and said Illegal vapes had also been seized at the borders.
(f) Mr Jones referred to a case in Sandwich where the Trading Standards team had been involved in convicting companies who were attempting to illegally deliver green energy solutions for fraud by false misrepresentation.
(g) The Food Standards Agency had confirmed a grant to Kent Scientific Services to help modernise equipment and services in investigating and examining heavy metals in food.
(h) Mr Jones congratulated the Kent Film Office and Explore Kent for raising the county’s profile for tourism and businesses, and for significantly contributing to the Kent economy, in relation to the film Empire of Light released on 9 January 2023.
5. Mr Jones responded to the following questions and comments from Members:
(a) Asked about the seizure of illegal products in Canterbury, Mr Jones said the activity on the ground was one part of a continuous campaign and the Trading Standards Team and Intelligence Team continued to monitor and act on activity. A Member asked about media coverage highlighting the dangers of illegal vapes and Mr Jones said he would investigate whether anything further could be done.
(b) Asked about the repairs at Folkestone Library and the checks that were carried out on work undertaken, Mr Jones said processes were carried out on the quality of work and referred to the scale of repair in terms of immediate and ongoing work.
RESOLVED that the verbal updates be noted.