Agenda item

Verbal Updates by Cabinet Members and Corporate Director

Minutes:

1) Mr Thomas provided an update on Waste and Recycling:

 

a) Work continued in the area of creating energy from waste, as opposed to relying on landfill.

 

b) Preparations were underway for the Government’s waste reforms, which were developed as part of the UK's commitment to reducing waste and moving to a circular economy. The Authority strongly supported the principle of producer responsibility, believing it should be extended beyond just packaging waste to encompass additional materials. Residents were encouraged to recycle and reuse. Officers from  the Resource Management and Circular Economy team, along with the FCC, presented a £2000 donation to the chairman's chosen charities, We are Beams and the Elliot Holmes Memorial Fund.

 

c) Results from the HWRC Summer survey were shared. A total of 6,063 people participated about HWRCs booking system, and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. A 96% satisfaction rate was achieved, which were a testament to the Team’s dedication and hard work.

 

d) The King's Hill Solar Farm Project, which achieved second place in the National Solar PV Project of the Year category at the National Energy Efficiency Awards 2024 held on 11th October, was highly commended for maximizing the site for biodiversity alongside the development of the solar farm, providing good outcomes for both nature and clean energy production.

 

e) The Whose Hoo project was a four-year landscape-scale project aimed at conserving, enjoying, and celebrating the remarkable landscape and heritage of the Hoo peninsula, and was set to receive almost £3 million of funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Through a diverse range of conservation, education, and volunteering activities, the project helped connect residents and visitors with the area while safeguarding its built and natural heritage. It was a collaborative project with partners, the total value of the Heritage activities that KCC contributed was £309,000, of which £228,000 was from the National Lottery Heritage Fund Grant, the remainder £78,000 of volunteer time, and a very small cash contribution of £2,000 from KCC to support the volunteer activity that was coordinated.

 

2) Mr Baker provided an update on Highways and Transport:

 

a) Keeping the highway safe was a key objective, and Highways Improvement teams, in collaboration with Kent Police, recently conducted eight days of site visits across the county to examine crash cluster sites. These visits enabled informed decisions on road improvements for some sites requiring limited intervention, and others needing engineering solutions. Feedback from Kent Police highlighted the expertise of the Highways Improvement teams in road design and safety.

 

b) Following the announcement of the unfunded transport projects review in July 2024 and the uncertainties that brought about, the Team were progressing cautiously with the A228 Blue Bell Hill improvement scheme. That project also needed to take into account a decision on the Lower Thames crossing, which had been due in October 2024. It was expected that the Spring Statement would report the results of the unfunded transport projects review with a decision on the Lower Thames crossing now due by the 25th May. The previous Government's Network North announcement, which would increase funding for the project from 85% to 100%, was expected to feature in phase two of the spending review in March 2025. Until this time, it was not known whether the scheme would be fully funded. KCC’s Leader had expressed his disappointment at this delay, emphasising the need for the investment to relieve congestion at Dartford, provide network resilience, and unlock new opportunities for Kent and wider. The Council continued to work with National Highways where appropriate on the detailed design for the scheme so that delivery could commence on schedule once the decision was taken by the Government on its planning and funding.

 

c) Regarding Local Transport Plan 5 (LTP5), the public consultation concluded on the 8th October. Engagement included public exhibitions, reports at Joint Transportation Boards and briefings offered to all district and borough councils. The feedback was being considered. The Member Task and Finish group was leading on the post-consultation changes before the plan went to full Council for adoption. It was crucial to get the transport priorities right in the statutory plan, so that engagement could take place with the Government on funding and delivering essential schemes.

 

d) Regarding funding, the County Council had been awarded a grant of just over £12 million from the Department for Transport to increase the number of electric vehicle charging points in the county. The funding was awarded from the local electric vehicle infrastructure capital fund, the Levi Fund, which would support the delivery of thousands of charge points across England. This was discussed at Cabinet Committee before, and the funding would be used to roll out local charging infrastructure by providing an estimated 10,000 on-street EV charging bays across Kent during the next 10 years. The public charge points would help residents without access to off-street parking make the switch to EVs. Over the coming years, this would be a welcome boost for Kent residents, particularly as the government indicated plans to bring forward the ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars to 2030. The Authority received 100% of the grant applied for, which was a testament to the hard work of the team. The delivery of the Levi program was set to begin in 2025. It would develop on the existing county charging point network, and work had already commenced with district, borough, and parish councils to produce more than 250 charge points in car parks across the county. A charge point operator partner would be appointed to install and operate networks for charge points. Residents would be asked to share their views on where they thought the charge points should be located, as it was essential to get the points where they would be used, both now and in the future.

 

e) The EU entry-exit system was postponed due to concerns raised by some EU member states, such as France, the Netherlands, and Germany, related to the lack of readiness of IT-based systems. A new date had not been provided.

 

f) Regarding the highway maintenance contract selection, the questionnaire had been issued on the 21st October, for return by the 25th November. The full commissioning documents would be released on the 9th December to the successful bidders. This was progressing at pace and on schedule. The new professional services framework contract commenced on 1st November. A conference had been held earlier in the week with the consultants to discuss working together effectively and delivering projects as effectively as possible. In introductory comments, the importance of public engagement was highlighted.

 

g) The pothole blitz program completed on 31st October. 5,501 potholes had been filled, and the patching totalled 229,622 square meters. The program rolled into the winter service, which started on the 18th October and would run through to the 18th April. There would be report a report to Cabinet Committee in February on the winter service performance.

 

h) The tender process for the mobility as a service platform was live, and the project was on target for the launch of the pilot in early 2025.

 

3) Officers responded to questions of detail and noted comments, which included the following:

 

a) Recognising the congestion at the Dartford Bridge, Mr. Baker said KCC was working with National Highways to ensure that if the Lower Thames Crossing was approved, work could start promptly. He stated that the moving traffic defences were operational despite delays, and a report would be presented to the committee in the new year.

 

b) Regarding electric charging points, Mr. Baker mentioned that as demand increased, more solutions would be provided, likely using a mix of government grant and commercial funding.

 

c) It was important to improve recycling rates and manage waste in a more sustainable way. Controlling contaminated waste would have a major benefit.

 

4) Mr Jones provided an update on Environment and Transport:

 

a) The Local Authority Recycling Advisory Committee conference was held on the 8th and 9th October. This remained the leading event in the local authority waste and recycling calendar, and this year, KCC led a session on optimising the design of household waste recycling centres. The Resource Management and Circular Economy Operations Manager and a Manager from FCC had presented them item, drawing on KCC’s award-winning site in Arlington. With active travel, the team had hosted a second member and officer workshop to explore opportunities for walking, wheeling, and cycling improvements. Sustrans facilitated the workshop, which was well attended by county, district, and borough members. The team was collaborating closely with members to deliver the best and most appropriate outcomes, which would stand them in good stead for any future Active Travel England funding that might come their way.

 

b) Regarding parish seminars, they had taken place virtually with an in-person meeting scheduled for late January. All were well attended, featured excellent and varied presentations, and received positive feedback.

 

c) Ms Jacqui Lalley, KCC’s Kent Driver Education Team Leader, had been recognised for her role in the team that led the way in developing national best practice. Ms Lalley voluntarily served on the management team of the National Association of Driver Intervention Providers. The aim of the Association was to achieve best practice and effectiveness in setting up and running driver intervention schemes for all categories of offense. In 2024, the Road Offender Education Organisation, which operated, managed, administered, and developed the National Driving Offender Retraining Scheme, recognised the work of the management team and presented them with an award for outstanding team contribution to the endorsed scheme.  Mr Jones went on to recognise the performance of all teams, which remained high and demonstrated dedication to addressing resident issues and concerns. He wished to formally record his thanks for all their efforts, congratulate them, and hope they could keep up the good work.

 

RESOLVED that the verbal updates be noted.