Minutes:
Mary Lawes (for Mr Webb) (Deputy Cabinet Member for Communities), Paul King (Cabinet Member for Environment, Coastal Regeneration and Special Projects), David Wimble (Cabinet Member for Economic Developments and Special Projects), Peter Osborne (Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport) Provided an update on the Following:
1.Mr Osborne, delivered his verbal update:
a) Thanked frontline teams in highways and transport for keeping core highway services operating safely and reliably during a period of exceptionally poor weather. The Cabinet Member reported an increase in customer demand, particularly regarding potholes, drainage and street lighting, following the heavy rainfall and cold spells.
b) Reported progress on the on?street electric vehicle (EV) charging programme. A long?term partnership had been agreed with Urban Fox to support the delivery of up to 10,000 on?street charging sockets across Kent. Focus would target residents without off?street parking, and it was highlighted that this required no council tax funding. (See item 11)
c) Advised that a contractor had been appointed for the Bean Road underpass, with preparatory work underway and construction planned to begin in Summer 2026. A revised design at Badsell Road, Paddock Wood, would look to mitigate flood risk and improve junction capacity. These works were to be fully funded by developers.
d) Highlighted a proposal elsewhere on the agenda (Item 17) to fund works at the Road of Remembrance located in Folkestone. The discussed works would look to enable the safe reopening of the iconic and historically significant route after a notable cliff collapse had occurred.
e) Discussed that the public transport and Fast Track networks in Kent Thameside and Dover had remained on track to transition to fully electric operations by Summer 2026.This date also marked 20 years of the Fastrack service.
f) Road safety and active travel continued with the strong delivery of Bikeability training that had included almost 1,000 Year 6 pupils and adults undertaking successful half?term cycle training at Cyclopark. Grants for local businesses, and ongoing enforcement activity including safety cameras and targeted speed campaigns rounded out the Cabinet Members update.
2. Mr King, Cabinet Member for Environment, Coastal Regeneration and Special projects gave the following portfolio update:
a) Reported that KCC had again been recommended for continuation of the ISO 14001 environmental management certification following a four?day assessment, which highlighted ongoing excellence in compliance and the management of environmental responsibilities.
b) Strong progress on tree planting under the Plan Tree strategy had seen nearly 12,000 trees planted during the Winter period. These included disease?resistant elms at multiple sites with additional work at a former landfill site underway to improve habitat and biodiversity at the location.
c) Highlighted waste and recycling initiatives, including the Shake It Out campaigns bid to improve recycling quality, in addition a pilot mattress recycling scheme had collected over 1,800 mattresses (about 32 tonnes of material), and had resulted in approximately 60% of material recycled.
d) KCC had secured funding for the Pathways to Resilience project and supported the long?term planning for water management, flood risk and climate resilience.
e) Updated the Committee on the No Use Empty programme which continued to bring empty homes and commercial units back into use and support future regeneration initiatives.
3. Mr Wimble, Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Special Projects provided an update on the following:
a) Reported on the Kent and Medway Health, Employment and Skills Summit, which had brought together public, health, education and business partners to strengthen collaboration on the Get Kent and Medway Working plan.
b) Updated Members on the Skills Bootcamps, which had seen strong learner attendance, high satisfaction and a positive progression into employment. Preparation for Wave 7 (April 2026–March 2027), this had included exploring a potential new provision in the agricultural sector.
c) Discussed that the Connect to Work programme was now supporting over 700 residents with more than 100 having reported their first earnings after securing employment. Additional providers would be added to expand the provision.
d) Briefed the Committee on work to develop the Kent and Medway Local Growth Plan, focusing on four key sectors; agrifood/agritech, ports and logistics, digital technologies and energy, and on activity by the Kent and Medway Growth Hub, Kent and Medway Business Fund, and Visit Kent / Invest Kent to support businesses, inward investment and tourism.
e) Ongoing work related to nuclear energy at Dungeness was discussed, this included discussions on future power generation and a potential nuclear decommissioning skills centre. Further research on an environmental freight levy for foreign lorries and vans using Kent’s roads were also being explored.
4. Mrs Lawes, Deputy Cabinet Member for Communities updated Members on the respective portfolio:
a) Recent developments within the library and registration services had encompassed the recent success of the Amelia building in Tunbridge Wells as a combined library, cultural and heritage venue. Continued progress with co?location library projects at multiple sites was also well underway.
b) Dover Library’s success in reaching the regional stage of the Library of the Year awards was a notable recent highlight. The ongoing digital improvements in the registration service and work to roll out technology?enabled care demonstrations in libraries were also raised as significant milestones.
c) Referred to activities around World Book Day. These included the distribution of books and held events in libraries with collaborative projects with various arts organisations.
d) An update was given on archive work with local partners, including progress on the definitive map of public rights of way and consultation on proposed changes. Work also continued on the King Charles III England Coastal Path, and Active Kent initiatives that supported walking, cycling and wider physical activities.
e) Reported on Gypsy and Roma work including a forthcoming conference on unauthorised encampments and best practice on management. Recent Trading Standards activities had included a vape action scheme roll out in Maidstone and work had continued on targeting unsafe vapes in partnership with Kent Fire & Rescue and ports and the borders teams.
5. In response to comments and questions from Members, the discussion covered the following:
a) Members discussed current tree?planting aftercare, survival rates and engagement with local volunteer groups. Officers confirmed that annual inspections were carried out to assess tree conditions and that all new planting schemes were encompassed within funded maintenance.
b) The committee queried on the current geographic coverage of Skills Bootcamps and asked where future rollouts locales could be most effective and impactful. It was agreed that future reports would include information on bootcamps by location and sector.
c) Questions on the ongoing work with Kent Fire & Rescue and Trading Standards regarding vapes and associated fire risks and product safety were raised. Officers discussed that a planned joint campaign on vape disposal with Kent Fire & Rescue was planned.
d) Concerns on the current state of Kents highways, pothole reporting volumes and repair quality were all levied. Officers acknowledged that the current pothole volumes had been exacerbated by the impact of recent inclement weather events. The Cabinet Members for Highways assured Members that the new maintenance support contracts and associated quality assurances would look to mitigate some of the impacts and concerns that had been raised.
e) Discussed the current status of major infrastructure schemes such as Galley Hill and the Bean underpass. It was indicated that Members would be briefed on the respective schemes at a future date.
f) Additional Support for high street business and the provision of business information packs were suggested by Members. Officers confirmed that further development of these packs were underway and that the option of workshops for high street businesses were being explored.
g) Members highlighted the lack of attendance of highways officers at district?level planning committees recently. In response it was explained that that officers (planning in this example) were bound to follow the National Planning Policy Framework. Officers would provide as a statutory consultee advice to the local planning authority to aid if a plan were acceptable or had notable concerns.
h) In addition, Officers would provide written advice and act in the same capacity as any other statutory consultee. Officers noted the example raised and the Members concerns and would look to address any received correspondence on the matter.
i) Members raised questions about the outstanding Kent Highways works costs of £625?million. The Corporate Director explained that an operational backlog and rising costs over the past 18 months had contributed to the total. Factors included inflation, labour shortages and increased bitumen prices, partly driven by the ongoing war in Ukraine.
RESOLVED to note the Verbal Updates