Minutes:
Richard Palmer (Cabinet Member for Communities and Regulatory Services), Jamie Henderson (Cabinet Member for Environment, Coastal Regeneration and Public Health), 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 Wimble discussed the following aspects:
a) Updated on the current state of broadband and mobile connectivity across Kent. Members were informed that ongoing work to improve the overall digital infrastructure of Kent and address gaps in coverage were underway.
b) Members were informed that the recently launched Invest Kent service was to be used to showcase investment opportunities across the county and attract potential investors.
c) The Cabinet Member had recently represented Kent at the Straits Committee in The Hague. Discussions had focused on opportunities to introduce automated agricultural technology and encourage Dutch investment into Kent. It was reported that these discussions had been followed by a productive meeting with the Dutch Ambassador to explore potential joint working opportunities further.
d) The committee was advised that support for local businesses had remained a priority. The Kent and Medway Business Fund (KMBF) had continued to help with new commercial developments and small businesses across the region. The Growth Hub had supported almost 500 businesses since April, providing advice and assistance to help businesses grow, adapt to changing circumstances and create employment opportunities.
e) Members were informed that the Skills Bootcamps programme had continued delivering positive outcomes through the investment of £1.5 million and had created approximately 430 training places across a range of key sectors.
f) Highlighted the in-house delivery of the Visit Kent and Invest Kent services. Members were advised that, despite operating with a reduced team of six officers compared with more than 25 officers previously, the service had performed beyond expectations.
2. Mr Henderson delivered the following update:
a) The Cabinet Member provided an update on continuing works related to water security and resilience across Kent. Members were informed that, following further county-wide water supply issues experienced in May, Kent County Council was taking steps to strengthen collaboration between relevant organisations and stakeholders.
b) Members were advised that the first meeting of the partnership was scheduled to take place on 8 October and would bring together key stakeholders to consider evidence, identify priorities and develop a coordinated approach to improving water resilience across Kent.
c) Updated on work to strengthen Kent's resilience to future water supply challenges and the impacts of climate change. Members were informed that Kent County Council had secured £170,000 in funding through the European Union flagship Pathways to Resilience programme. The funding would support the development of the Kent Water Resilience Partnership and contribute to the preparation of the Kent Water Strategy, which was currently being developed.
d) Provided an update on works being undertaken to tackle fly-tipping and improve waste management outcomes across Kent. Members were informed of the forthcoming engagement with stakeholders to identify practical solutions to the issue.
e) Highlighted that a significant archaeological discovery had been made within Kent and discussed the role of Kent County Council in supporting the investigation and preservation of the county's heritage assets. Members were informed that a rare Anglo-Saxon die stamp had recently been discovered near Lynsted by metal detectorist Stephen Newbery. The find was described as being of considerable archaeological importance.
f) Notified members on the completion of a significant programme of works at the Ashford Waste Transfer Station. Works had included the replacement of the original concrete floor and the underlying reinforcement, the installation of a fibre-strengthened concrete base, and the construction of new bay walls. The site had remained accessible for much of the construction period, helping to minimise disruption to service users. Following completion of the works, the facility had fully reopened on 23 May.
g) Members were informed that a new booking system for Kent's Household Waste Recycling Centres had been introduced and had gone live on 17 Jun, the revised system was designed to be simpler, more efficient and more cost-effective than the previous arrangement.
h) Discussed developments within Kent's waste management service, including planned improvements to recycling centre systems and initiatives to reduce fire risks associated with waste disposal. The campaign was intended to protect waste management staff, safeguard public infrastructure and ensure the continued effective operation of waste collection and disposal services across Kent.
i) Provided a further update on initiatives to promote waste reduction, reuse and recycling across Kent. Members were informed of the continued success of reuse schemes operating at Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRC)
3. Mr Osborne delivered the following update:
a) The Cabinet Member provided an update on highways infrastructure, maintenance activity and future investment priorities across Kent. Members were informed that work had continued to focus on maintaining the county's road network, delivering major improvement schemes and securing external funding for strategically important routes.
b) It was reported that progress continued to be made on a number of significant highways projects, including the Sturry Link Road and major resurfacing and road safety improvements on the A299 Thanet Way.
c) The Committee noted that Kent County Council was pursuing substantial Government funding to support major infrastructure works. This had included a bid of approximately £63 million for significant structural repairs to sections of the A299 and funding in the region of £40 million to £46 million to facilitate the permanent reopening of Galley Hill.
d) Members were informed that applications for the Kent Travel Saver (KTS) scheme had now reopened. The scheme continued to support approximately 23,000 young people by providing access to more affordable travel for education and training purposes.
e) Advised that the Kent County Council had attended and supported the recent Kent County Show through the provision of a free shuttle bus service for visitors.
f) Provided a further update on active travel initiatives and road safety programmes across Kent. Members were informed of ongoing investments in cycling infrastructure, pedestrian safety measures and sustainable travel schemes.
g) It was reported that a new adult cycle training facility in Ashford was due to open later in the summer. Members were advised that recruitment to vacant School Crossing Patrol positions were nearing completion.
h) The Active Travel Team had successfully delivered improvements to the Old Chatham Road cycleway in Maidstone on time and within the approved budget. The School Streets program had continued to perform well, and the Scootability program had remained popular with schools and families
i) Preparations for increased cross Channel traffic during the summer period were discussed. Operation Brock would be implemented from 13 July to 24 august to help manage expected traffic volumes around the Port of Dover and the Eurotunnel.
j) Updated on the summer road safety campaign and the testing of new road gritters, rehearsed routes with additional salt capacity in preparation for winter.
4.Mr Palmer delivered the following update:
a) Highlighted the hard work undertook by officers in delivering a prominent Kent County Councils presence at the Kent County show.
b) Updated on community safety initiatives and highlighted the importance of water safety awareness during the summer months. Members were advised that incidents involving young people entering open water, particularly during periods of hot weather, remained a concern across the county.
c) Through the Community Warden Service (CWS) and the Water Safety SMART programme, nearly 100 young people had received water safety training and accreditation during the year. Members were encouraged to promote water safety messages within their local communities.
d) Provided an update on the work of the Community Safety Team and its responsibilities in undertaking Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHR) and that feedback from the National Quality Board (NQB-NHS England) had been positive, recognising the reviews as being of a high standard and professionally conducted.
e) Discussed Trading Standards Operation Engage. These actions had resulted in one of the largest Trading Standards prosecutions in recent years and significant custodial sentence and had exposed fraud totalling approximately 1.3 million committed against householders.
f) Trading Standards had secured substantial benefits for consumers through its regulatory and advisory work. Through its Primary Authority Partnerships (PAP) with businesses, savings of approximately £89 million had been achieved for consumers. Trading Standards interventions had helped save £42,250 for nine victims of scams and doorstep crime.
g) It was further reported that continued enforcement activity against the sale of illicit tobacco products had led to positive outcomes, with more than half of the known illegal tobacco shops in Maidstone now no longer trading.
h) Discussed the completion of all libraries co-location projects and the improvements made to Leysdown footpaths.
i) Members were informed that the Live Longer Better Network had reached its fifth anniversary and now included nearly 200 members working to promote healthy ageing and wellbeing across Kent.
j) The Committee noted that 27 Forever Active Kent grants had been awarded to support free physical activity sessions for residents aged over 50, helping to encourage active lifestyles and improve health outcomes.
k) The This Girl Can Festival had successfully engaged around 400 girls, providing opportunities to participate in sport and physical activity and further reported that the Creative Festival, held at Dreamland in Margate on 2 July, had been opened by the Cabinet Member and had showcased a number of creative activities.
Resolved to note the verbal updates