Cabinet Member decisions

Proposed decision

     I.      APPROVE the increase of Laleham Gap School’s designated number from 188 students to 208 students.  

    II.      AGREE for officers to issue a Public Notice to permanently increase Laleham Gap School’s formal designated numbers.

  III.      Delegate authority to the Corporate Director for Children, Young People and Education, in consultation with the Cabinet Member, subject to no substantive objections being received and following expiry of the formal 4 week notice period, to take necessary actions to implement the decision.

Reason for the decision

Kent County Council (KCC) as the Local Authority, has a statutory duty to ensure sufficient high quality school places are available, in the right places for all learners, while at the same time fulfilling our other responsibilities to raise education standards and promote parental preference. The County Council’s Commissioning Plan for Education Provision in Kent is a five-year rolling plan which is updated annually. It sets out KCC’s future plans as Strategic Commissioner of Education Provision across all types and phases of education in Kent.

Increasing the designated number at a maintained special school by 10% or 20 places is a significant change to the school and therefore a statutory process. ‘Making Significant Changes (‘prescribed alterations’) to maintained schools. Statutory guidance for proposers and decision maker, August 2025’ must be adhered to. The decision maker is the Local Authority.

Background

Laleham Gap School is a Foundation Special School and a member of Kent Special Educational Needs Trust (KSENT), catering for pupils aged 4-18 years who have Communication and Interaction special education needs associated with autism and/or speech, language, and communication. Laleham Gap School is already admitting pupils over and above their current designated number of 188. This proposal will formally increase the designated number of the school and includes the addition of 20 places aided by the conversion of the rooms previously used by the Specialist Teaching and Learning Service at Laleham Gap School.

Options (other options considered but discarded)

Other options were not considered as Laleham Gap is a Specialist School proving education and support to pupils with special needs and the proposal is specific to the school.

How the proposed decision supports the Council’s Strategic Statement

This proposal is necessary for KCC to continue to deliver the statutory duty, in a cost-effective

way, in line with the guidelines described KCC’s strategic statement. It will help to maintain.

KCC’s strategic role in supporting schools in Kent to deliver accessible, high-quality education

provision for all families, particularly those with SEND.

Reforming Kent 2025-2028

Aim 1 Putting Kent Residents First

Aim 3 Supporting residents that need help

Objective 6 Improve processes and outcomes for our SEND services while tackling the unsustainable growth in demand.

Aim 4 Building better communities

Priority 2 Tackle inequalities

Financial Implications

Capital

The limited conversion of the Specialist Teaching and Learning Service accommodation at Laleham Gap has been met within the school’s own resources.

Revenue

Local Authorities are responsible for funding state-funded Special Schools, through the commissioning of places using a specific-ring fenced revenue grant from the Department of Education (known as the High Needs Block of Dedicated Schools Grant). The costs are expected to be fully met from this grant and not a cost to Council’s General Fund.

The LA will agree the commissioned number of places with the school, based on the designated number and the actual level of need, on an annual basis.  The commissioning cycle which commences each autumn will confirm the number of known students who will require a place for the following September. The commissioned number currently determines the minimum number of places a school will be paid for each academic year.  Approved changes can be made during the academic year if required and funding would expect to follow.

Legal Implications 

KCC, as the Local Authority, has a statutory duty to ensure sufficient school places are available. This duty applies to mainstream settings, as well as SEND provision. The County Council’s Commissioning Plan for Education Provision in Kent 2026-30 is a five-year rolling plan which is updated annually. It sets out KCC’s future plans as Strategic Commissioner of Education Provision across all types and phases of education in Kent.

Under the Children and Families Act 2014 KCC has a duty ‘to support the child and his or her parent, or the young person, in order to facilitate the development of the child or young person and to help him or her achieve the best possible educational and other outcomes’. By ensuring we have appropriate provision as locally as possible, we are delivering on our obligation in accordance with this legislation.

Local Authorities need to deliver their statutory duties and be aware of non-statutory guidance

and advice, which relate to children and young people. These include:

• Department for Education - Making significant changes (prescribed alterations) to maintained schools (August 2025): statutory guidance for proposers and decision makers.
• Sufficiency Duties: KCC is under a statutory duty to contribute towards the spiritual, moral, mental and physical development of the community by securing that efficient primary education and secondary education are available to meet the needs of the population of their area: section 13 of the Education Act 1996 (“the 1996 Act”).
• KCC must ensure that its education functions are exercised by the authority with a view to promoting high standards, ensuring fair access to opportunity for education and training, and promoting the fulfilment of learning potential by every person under the age of 20 and those over the age of 20 and for whom an EHC Plan is maintained: section 13A. By section 14, KCC must secure that sufficient schools for providing primary and secondary education are available for their area, defined as being sufficient in number, character and equipment to provide for all pupils the opportunity of appropriate education.
• KCC, when carrying out its functions must have “due regard” to the provisions of section 149 of the Equality Act 2010, known as the ‘public sector equality duty’.

      I.        APPROVE the increase of Laleham Gap School’s designated number from 188 students to 208 students.  

    II.       AGREE for officers to issue a Public Notice to permanently increase Laleham Gap School’s formal designated numbers.

  III.       Delegate authority to the Corporate Director for Children, Young People and Education, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, subject to no substantive objections being received and following expiry of the formal 4 week notice period, to take necessary actions to implement the decision.

Proposed decision –

1) APPROVE the allocation of £1,409,507 from the Children, Young People and Education Services Basic Need Capital Budget to complete the pre-construction design activities required to establish a new primary school at Paddock Wood.

2) AUTHORISE the initiation of the presumption process required to establish a new primary school at Paddock Wood.

2) DELEGATE authority to the Director of Infrastructure in consultation with the Director of Education and SEND, and the Head of Law to take relevant actions, to deliver the pre-construction phase, including but not limited to negotiating, entering into and finalising the terms of relevant contracts, contract variations or other legal agreements, as required, to implement the decision; and

3) AGREE for the Director of Infrastructure, to be the nominated Authority Representative within the relevant agreements, with authority to enter variations as envisaged under the contracts. Variations to contract value to be no more than 10% above the capital funding agreed by the Cabinet Member for Education and Skills without requiring a new Record of Decision.

Reason for Decision and Background

Kent County Council (KCC), as the Local Authority (LA), has a statutory duty to ensure sufficient school places are available. The County Council’s Commissioning Plan for Education Provision in Kent 2026-30 (KCP) is a five-year rolling plan which is updated annually. It sets out our future plans as Strategic Commissioner of Education Provision across all types and phases of education in Kent. A copy of the plan can be viewed from this link:

Commissioning Plan for Education Provision - Kent County Council

For provision planning purposes KCC’s forecasting methodology produces forecasts according to planning groups.  These planning groups are nationally recognised by central Government.

Paddock Wood has seen significant housebuilding in recent years, consequently the forecast for the Paddock Wood planning group shows deficits throughout the KCP Plan period.  In the short term, the demand for places can be accommodated in the neighbouring planning groups or within one of the small schools within the planning group offering over PAN.  However, from 2028-29 the demand is forecast to be 1 FE or greater and there are fewer places available in neighbouring planning groups.

Proposal

To meet this demand for places within the Paddock Wood planning group we will seek to establish a new primary school within the town to open in September 2028.  The new school will include classroom space to accommodate 1FE and core facilities sufficient for 2 FE to support future expansion when needed.  The new school will also include a 26 place nursery and a 14 place SRP.

By law, all new schools in England must be opened as Free Schools, set up and run by Multi-Academy Trusts. The process by which local authorities establish a new Free School, and the Secretary of State appoints a Multi-Academy Trust to run it, is known as the Free School Presumption.  Along with requesting the allocation of Basic Need capital funds needed to complete the pre-construction design activities, permission will be sought to commence the presumption process required to establish a new school.

Approval is sought for pre?construction expenditure and to commence the Free School Presumption process. A further Key Decision will be brought forward to approve the capital funding for the construction phase once Stage 4 design is complete and full costs are confirmed.

Options

Paddock Wood currently has one primary school that is situated on a compact site that has limited scope for future expansion.  The nearest schools that border Paddock Wood are smaller schools in rural locations with very limited scope for substantial expansion.  They collectively do not have sufficient places available to accommodate the growing demand driven by new housing development. 

The nearest schools with places available are within Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells town centres which would mean travel distances of around 5 miles from the new school site; for many children located to the East of the new school site it would entail greater distances.  Pupils travelling these distances would be eligible for free school transport.  This would have a substantial and long-term impact on KCCs school transport budget.

How the proposed decision supports the Council’s strategic statement

This proposal is necessary for KCC to continue to deliver the statutory duty, in a cost-effective way, in line with the guidelines described in KCC’s strategic statement. It will help to maintain

KCC’s strategic role in supporting schools in Kent to deliver accessible, high-quality education provision for all families and meets the following priorities:

·             Delivering Better Outcomes for Children and Young People - Access to Local Education: Providing increased capacity ensures children can attend a good local school, reduces travel and supports wellbeing. Meeting Demand: Responds to demographic growth and housing developments, ensuring sufficient places for all primary-aged children.

·             Stronger Communities and Localism - Community Cohesion: Keeping children in local schools strengthens community identity and parental engagement, supporting KCC’s vision for resilient communities.

Financial Implications

Capital

Initial feasibility work and design works were completed within officers delegated authority (at a total cost of c£871k), but to complete the design of the new school up to RIBA Stage 3 (outline design and planning submission) a further £537k is required. A Cabinet Member decision is therefore being sought to complete pre-construction activities and inform stage 5 construction costs, as the combined value of pre-construction activities, will be over £1 million, with an estimated  value of £1,409,507.

At this early stage of the project the indicative construction costs are estimated to be £10.7m making the combined whole project cost circa £12.11m. However, as this is based on no design or investigation information as the extent of the project becomes known the costs may change and a further decision taken.

Capital Costs for mainstream provision are funded through the Basic Need Capital Programme, which is made up from a range of sources including the Basic Need Grant, Developer Contributions, Prudential Borrowing (originally agreed to fund shortfalls in historic schemes) and other specific grants (such as schools rebuild programme). The Basic Need Grant is the largest contributor to the programme and is provided by the DfE to support local authorities fulfil their statutory duty to ensure there are enough school places for children aged 5 to 16 in their area. The Education capital programme is continuously reviewed, with projects entering and leaving the programme regularly in response to demand and project completions. The 2026-27 Basic Need Budget, agreed at County Council in February, of £148 million included an allowance for completing these pre-construction costs. 

Revenue

Should the scheme not proceed through to completion, any costs incurred at the time of

cessation would become abortive costs and are likely to be recharged to Revenue. This would

be reported through the regular financial monitoring reports to Cabinet. This will be a cost to the

General Fund.

Legal Implications

Planning permission will be required for the new school.

The Director of Infrastructure in consultation with the Director of Education will be overseeing the scheme to ensure public funds are utilised appropriately.

Local authorities must plan for and secure sufficient school places for their area in line with their duties under section 14 of the Education Act 1996.

Section 6A of the Education and Inspections Act 2006, provides that local authorities in England are required to seek proposals to establish an ‘academy’ (free school), when a new school is needed.  The “free school presumption” process requires new schools to be independent of local authority control. The process includes local authority consultation, identifying a site, running a competition, and assessing proposals from academy trusts.  Non-statutory Guidance has been published in May 2024, to support and assist local authorities and new school proposers. [‘Establishing a new academy: the free school presumption route’].

As Cabinet Member for Education and Skills,  I agree to:

1) APPROVE the allocation of £1,409,507 from the Children, Young People and Education Services Basic Need Capital Budget to complete the pre-construction design activities required to establish a new primary school at Paddock Wood.

2) AUTHORISE the initiation of the presumption process required to establish a new primary school at Paddock Wood.

3) DELEGATE authority to the Director of Infrastructure in consultation with the Director of Education and SEND, and the Head of Law to take relevant actions, to deliver the pre-construction phase, including but not limited to negotiating, entering into and finalising the terms of relevant contracts, contract variations or other legal agreements (including granting of leases for utility installations for over 20 years, if necessary) as required, to implement the decision; and

4) AGREE for the Director of Infrastructure, to be the nominated Authority Representative within the relevant agreements, with authority to enter variations as envisaged under the contracts. Variations to contract value to be no more than 10% above the capital funding agreed by the Cabinet Member for Education and Skills without requiring a new Record of Decision.

Proposed decision –

To increase the price of the Kent Travel Saver bus pass scheme by £35 per annum for all fee paying customers. 

Reason for the decision

-      To ensure the Kent Travel Saver scheme remains sustainable and deliverable within the Council’s medium?term financial planning assumptions, by addressing inflationary cost increases and supporting value for money aligned to the Strategic Statement.  

Background

-      The KTS scheme has been in operation since 2007 and offers subsidised travel on bus services across the county for students aged between 11-16 to support their access to education or work based learning.

-      There are currently circa 23,000 passes issued to eligible scheme users with users paying varying amounts subject to their status. The cohorts accessing the scheme and the amount they currently pay for their pass are:

o   Full payers (£580 per annum) 

o   Those on low-income (£135 per annum)

o   Those in care (Free)

o   Young carers (Free)

o   Care leavers (Free)

o   Sibling offer- families with 3 or more children (Free for any 3^rd and 4^th pass)

-   The scheme supports many of KCC’s key functions in enabling school aged children to access education and to support corporate parenting pledges by reducing the cost of bus travel against operator fares and offers an enhanced subsidy for Low Income Households and those in care or those identified as young carers and care leavers.

-      The number of pupils accessing the scheme has increased by 16% in the last three years, largely in the Low -Income and Free cost pass cohorts.  In turn, the number of Travel Saver journeys made has increased and coupled with an increase to the costs of reimbursement, this has increased the cost of providing the scheme. 

-      The scheme operates as a concessionary travel scheme, working to the same principles as the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (the older and disabled persons pass).   The framework which all schemes have to operate in demands that Travel Saver reimburses bus operators reflecting the cash fare that they would otherwise have received from the passenger working to a principle that ensures that bus operators are left “no better and no worse off” financially as a result of the scheme.   Essentially, every journey made using a Travel Saver pass attracts a cost to KCC. 

-      Application fees paid by families represent a contribution to scheme costs.  The cost of providing the scheme exceeds income received through the application fees and costs have to be reviewed annually to ensure that the scheme remains sustainable within KCC’s budget when also having to account for expected inflationary increases to scheme costs, largely linked to the increased costs of reimbursement.   Despite continuing to use Government Bus Funding to keep pass costs as low as possible, this does mean that typically pass costs have to increase to keep pace with industry inflation.  

-      Although over time, it has proven necessary to increase the contribution made by passholders though the application fee, even when accounting for this increase, a full cost pass will equate to £3.15 per school day / £1.57 per journey and a reduced cost pass will cost £0.87 per school day / £0.43 per journey.   This is considered to continue to represent excellent value for money against the cost of operator provided season tickets which in many instances would cost over £1,000 per annum. 

Options (other options considered but discarded)

-      Greater cost increase to the full payers and low income cohorts but rejected due to the financial impact on families.

-      Introduction of charges for young carers and care leavers cohort but such measures require public consultation and carry potential implications for other KCC Directorates.

-      Increase to the administration fee relating to Direct Debit applications but rejected as this would unfairly target increases on those able to pay in full, up front.

-      Greater contribution from DFT Bus Grant allocation but rejected due to the disparity of usage of grant and the requirement to protect local bus services designated for all residents across the county.

How the proposed decision supports the Council’s Strategic Statement

-      Levelling Up Kent - Inclusive transport across all divisions

-      Sustainability – reducing the number of vehicles used in the transport of children and adults to reduce emissions.

-      Congestion – reducing the number of vehicle numbers to ease congestion on Kent roads.

-      Communities – supporting them to grow by ensuring access to work, education and local amenities.

Financial Implications

-   KCC’s Medium Term Financial Plan estimates inflationary increases to scheme costs of £479k linked to higher rates of operator reimbursement.    Additionally, an allowance needs to be made for any increase in pass numbers where each pass carries an overall NET cost to KCC. 

-   The MTFP also identified an increased income target of £290k linked to a review of charging.    In part, this supports an increase to KCC’s Supported Bus Services Budget.   It is this budget which is used to provide financial support for non-commercially viable bus services, many of which are required by Travel Saver students.    Protecting the school bus network is critical to the value of the scheme for users and the adjustments between these budgets mean that KCC will increase its total expenditure on school buses in Kent in 2026/27. 

-   The £35 increase to pass costs is estimated to represent an additional £575k additional  scheme income in 2026/27.   Through this and the continued use of DFT Bus Grant funding and increasing the application fee, the KTS scheme budget will be deliverable for 26/27. 

-   The estimated cost of delivering the scheme for 26/27 is broken down as follows:

o   Gross Scheme Costs : £15,441,553

o   Application fee income £8,549,586

o   Government Bus Fund contribution £2,106,737

o   NET cost to KCC- £4,785,500

o   (Total Subsidy to Passholders : £6,892,237)

As Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport I agree to:

APPROVE the increase in the price of KTS and

DELEGATE authority to the Corporate Director to take all relevant actions and decisions necessary for its implementation.

RESOLVED the minutes of the meeting held on 15 October 2025 were taken as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

Proposed decision  

Amendment to the statement of priorities for Definitive Map Modification applications

Reason for the decision

The County Council is the Surveying Authority for Kent, responsible for the production of the Definitive Map and Statement and keeping it under continuous review. It is required toinvestigate and determine every duly made Definitive Map Modification Order (DMMO) application it receives. (Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 Section 53 applications (Definitive Map Modification Order applications)

The proposed amendment rebalances priorities by progressing user?based and historic applications on a 1:1 basis, without additional cost or resource, to ensure the approach remains fair and fit for purpose and still meeting the Council’s Legal duties.

Background

There is a growing backlog of DMMO applications, largely due to an increase in those based on historic evidence, resulting in long delays before cases are investigated. These delays disproportionately affect user?based applications, as witness evidence deteriorates over time and routes are often in current use, while historic evidence does not decline.

As of 16 March 2026, 100 applications remain unallocated, i.e., they have not yet been assigned to a KCC officer for investigation and processing.

The rapid increase in historic evidence-based applications has lengthened the time between submission and investigation. Because of the significant shift in the basis on which applications are made we are reviewing the Statement of Priorities to make sure it remains fit for purpose.

Options (other options considered but discarded)

 No change– does not address the issue. This option would see all applications prioritised on the basis of receipt unless one of the three

user based applications would continue to decay over time.

A prioritisation matrix. his approach can result in a loss of clarity for applicants as to how their application has been assessed. Those applications assessed as being a low priority may wait decades to be dealt with or see applicants seek a direction from the Secretary of State that the matter is determined within a defined period.

Greater resource. Increased resource alone may not reduce backlogs as the rate at which applications are submitted cannot be controlled and the number received has increased at a greater rate than the resource allocated. Even if there were to be a significant uplift in resource it generally takes 2-3 years from recruitment to a point at which Officers are ready to determine applications of this nature.

How the proposed decision supports the Council’s Strategic Statement

The proposal aligns with a number of elements in the draft strategic statement – Reforming Kent.

-      Reforming Kent County Council – Ensure the council focuses on delivering better outcomes that make a difference not just managing processes.

-      Putting Kent Residents First – Protect our countryside and give strong support to Kent’s farmers and rural pursuits and communities.

The proposal puts greater emphasis on those applications based on current use by stakeholders/ communities. The area of work generally provides greater certainty as to access rights for landowners and the general public.

As Cabinet Member for Community and Regulatory Service I agree to:

APPROVE the changes to the Statement of Priorities for Definitive Map Modification Order (DMMO) applications.

DELEGATE to the Corporate Director of Growth, Environment and Transport, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Communities and Regulatory Services

to implement the approved amendment to the Statement of Priorities for Definitive Map Modification Order (DMMO) applications, including:

•                giving effect to the amended statement in operational practice;

•                making any minor, non-material drafting or presentational changes required to ensure clarity and accuracy; and

•                issuing associated guidance or communications necessary to support consistent application of the amended priorities

Proposed decision –

To adopt Gypsy and Traveller Site Pitch Allocation Policy 2026.

Reason for the decision

-      The current policy is outdated and some parts are confusing, so the updated version explains the process more clearly, strengthens the checks and evidence needed, and brings the system in line with how housing allocations work elsewhere in Kent. It also helps ensure the council meets legal and data?protection requirements, reduces risks, and makes the process easier and more accessible for applicants, including those who may need extra support. Overall, adopting the new policy will help KCC manage its limited pitches better and make sure they go to those most in need.

Background

-      The Gypsy Roma Traveller (GRT) Resident Service’score role is to provide safe, well?maintained accommodation for GRT communities and act as a landlord for residents, ensuring sites are properly managed, pitches are allocated fairly, and communities are supported. The service carries out regular site visits, deals with unauthorised encampments on KCC land, and works with partners to help residents access support and services.

-      The current policy was last updated in 2023, and feedback from staff, applicants, and partner organisations has shown that some parts of the process are unclear, difficult to follow, or no longer aligned with modern housing allocation approaches used by District and Borough councils.

Options (other options considered but discarded)

-      These amendments are Service led and have been identified as ‘continuous improvement’ based on feedback from staff applying the policy and feedback from residents.

-      Other options could have been to do nothing, or to have kept the existing policy but offered clearer guidance or extra support to help people (staff and applicants) understand and use it. However this would not have provided improvements and it would not have tackled the underlying issues of fairness, clarity, and consistency.

How the proposed decision supports the Council’s Strategic Statement

-      The new Pitch Allocation Policy supports Reforming Kent because it focuses on being fair, efficient, and resident?focused, which are key priorities in the strategic statement. Reforming Kent emphasises putting residents at the heart of decisions, improving efficiency, reducing dependency, and making sure public money is used wisely. The updated policy does exactly that by creating an even clearer, more transparent process that ensures pitches are allocated fairly, based on need, and managed consistently across all KCC?run sites. It strengthens checks, reduces risks, and makes the system easier for applicants to understand, which supports the strategic aim of delivering services that provide good value and are fit for the future. Overall, the updated policy reflects KCC’s commitment to modernising how it works, improving fairness, and strengthening community wellbeing.

Equalities implications

-       The Equalities Impact Assessment shows that the updated Pitch Allocation Policy has been carefully reviewed to ensure it is fair, accessible, and does not negatively impact protected groups. The assessment found no significant negative impacts for most groups, and highlighted several positive ones—such as clearer information, improved accessibility, and more support for applicants of different ages, abilities, and literacy levels. Where potential challenges were identified (for example, applicants with lower literacy or disabled applicants needing support), the EqIA sets out practical mitigating actions, including offering help with applications and making the process easier to understand.

-       The EqIA will be reviewed throughout the decision making process.

Data Protection implications

-       A DPIA was required and has been completed. It is currently being reviewed by the DPO Support Team.       

As Cabinet Member for Community and Regulatory services I agree to:

ADOPT the Gypsy and Traveller Site Pitch Allocation Policy 2026

DELEGATE authority to the Director of Growth & Communities to take all relevant actions and decisions necessary for its implementation, where such changes do not alter the intent of the policy and do not require further Member decision?making.

DELEGATE authority to the Director of Growth & Communities or other officer (as authorised through the Council’s Scheme of Delegation) as required to review the policy on an annual basis and revise the policy where changes do not require additional governance.

Proposed decision

To progress the A226 Galley Hill scheme through the next stages of development to detailed design, including required surveys and public engagement

Reason for the decision

The A226 Galley Hill collapse on 10 April 2023 caused significant damage to the highway and utility infrastructure, which must continue to be addressed.

Given the scale and unprecedented nature of the collapse, KCC has used its existing statutory powers to secure the site, protect public safety and carry out urgent investigations into the cause and extent of the failure.

As the scheme moves beyond investigation and feasibility, further work now requires formal governance approval for oversight, funding authorisation and compliance.

This decision seeks approval to progress the A226 Galley Hill scheme through the next phase of project development only, up to and including detailed design. Specifically to:

-      Progress the scheme from feasibility into detailed design

-      Undertake public engagement

-      Delegate authority to officers to make further technical and procedural decisions required to complete the detailed design stage

This decision does not approve construction or commit funding for delivery of the scheme. A separate future key decision will be required to approve the next phase

Background

The A226 Galley Hill is a key route between Dartford, Gravesham and Ebbsfleet, forming part of the Kent Resilient Network and supporting Ebbsfleet Garden City growth. In April 2023, a section of the chalk spine north of Galley Hill collapsed, triggering a landslide that destroyed part of the carriageway and footway and damaged buried utilities. The route has remained closed since.

As the local highway authority, KCC has led the response, working with specialist consultants to investigate the failure and develop reinstatement options.

The closure continues to affect the wider network, with diverted traffic (including HGVs) using less suitable local roads and disruption to public transport, and it undermines planned housing and employment growth in Ebbsfleet and Northfleet. Reopening the route is therefore critical to network resilience, sustainable transport and future development.

Options (other options considered but discarded)

Option 1 – Completely pause all project development work until funding is secured

·   KCC would be disadvantaged against other funding bids as our existing design is not developed enough to secure funding through the Department for Transport or other national funding streams. Delay at this stage would continue to cause significant congestion and have a significant impact on the surrounding highway network, with diverted traffic, including heavy goods vehicles, using less suitable local routes.

Option 2 – Completely stop the scheme to reinstate the A226 Galley Hill

·   Separate legal advice concluded that stopping up of this route would have significant ramifications. Modelling work on this scenario also shows current and future significant congestion completely curtailing all growth across the Ebbsfleet area.

How the proposed decision supports the Council’s Strategic Statement

·   Supports the Council’s “Infrastructure First” approach by reinstating a key east–west route to enable planned housing and employment growth.

·   Improves connectivity and network resilience by reducing congestion, improving journey-time reliability, and restoring bus/Fastrack services.

·   Boosts economic growth and quality of life by improving access for communities and businesses and providing certainty for investment and development.

As Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport I agree to:

I.        Progress the design through the next stages of development up to and including detailed design including any survey works.

II.       Give approval to carry out public engagement on the proposed scheme.

III.      Give approval to prepare and submit funding bids (including to the Structures Fund or successor programmes) to support the detailed design and development stage of the scheme.

IV.      Give approval for any further decisions required to allow the scheme to proceed through to and including detailed design to be taken by the Corporate Director of Growth, Environment & Transport under the Officer Scheme of Delegations.

Reason for the decision

To deploy the Crisis Resilience Fund (CRF) to provide crisis support to low-income households facing financial shocks, and to invest in services that build financial resilience and strengthen local support networks. The CRF consolidates funding for crisis response and resilience, succeeding the Household Support Fund (HSF).

Background

Within the Spending Review in June 2025, the Chancellor announced continued investment to support low income households with the introduction of the Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF) made available to local authorities in England to support low-income households who encounter a financial shock and to support activity that builds individual and community financial resilience,prioritising resilience services to households that have experienced a financial shock.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is introducing the CRF replacing the Household Support Fund (HSF) and incorporatingDiscretionary Housing Payments (DHP). The fund provides KCC with a multiyear, consolidated grant, enabling a more stable and preventive approach to supporting vulnerable residents.

The funding covers the period of 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2029 inclusive. This includes specified funding for housing support in the third and final year of delivery. In Year 1 and Year 2, Authorities are expected to maintain existing levels of spending on Housing Payments, using the financial year ending March 2026 allocations for DHPs as a guide. From Year 3, District Councils will no longer receive an allocation for The Fund. Instead, all the CRF funding will be distributed to Unitary Authorities.

The fund provides a consolidated, multi-year revenue grant to local authorities. It comprises of four components:

Crisis Payments,

Housing Payments,

Resilience Services, and

Community Coordination.

To meet with grant conditions applications for Crisis and Housing Payments must be accepted year-round and via accessible routes (e.g., online, phone, face-to-face). Local authorities retain discretion to define ‘low-income’ locally and to design delivery within national parameters.

Options (other options considered but discarded)

-      Decline or defer acceptance of CRF – rejected due to loss of funding and inability to meet statutory and strategic objectives.

-      Limit scope to Crisis Payments only – rejected as it would not secure long-term resilience outcomes and would risk repeat demand, including demand on statutory services and would not meet all of the four objectives set out by the DWP.

-      Deliver wholly in-house without partners – rejected as it would constrain reach and capacity; partnership working is recommended in guidance.

Financial Implications

An Officer ROD Decision OD/26/00005 has been taken, under the original key decision (21/00107) to accept this multi-year consolidated revenue grant allocated to the Council through the Local Government Finance Settlement has been taken .  The officer decision is to accept the grant. This proposed decision is to approve the framework for deployment and delivery of the grant. Multi-year CRF allocation as detailed above and within the funds received via the consolidated revenue grant (Local Government Finance Settlement).

Funding will be managed through existing financial governance frameworks including: Delegated authority for timely spend and alignment with grant conditions

KCC’s confirmed allocation:

*£22.1m (which includes an estimated £2.8m for the consolidated contribution previously distributed to District Councils for Discretionary Housing Payments DHP)

Key changes (to HSF) and clarifications include:

·   Monthly payments to local authorities, with first payment due in April 2026, following acceptance of Officer ROD decision no: OD/26/00005

·      Housing Payment element replaces DHP within CRF scope.

·   Cash-first principle for Crisis Payments unless inappropriate (e.g., safeguarding, fraud risk). To ensure robustness to this advice, steps to enable residents to take more personal responsibility to help improve their own financial circumstances will be undertaken. This approach is designed to empower people to take charge of their own situation

·   This cash?first approach is the preferred option of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). However, local authorities have discretion to determine whether cash payments, vouchers, or alternative services are the most appropriate means of meeting an individual’s need.

·   Prohibition on blanket schemes targeted solely at free school meal eligible households; support must be needs-based.

Legal Implications

The Crisis and Resilience Fund is a ringfenced grant from the Department for Work [“DWP”] and Pensions replacing the Household Support Fund and Discretionary Housing Payments.

Funding must be used strictly in accordance with the scope of the guidance set by Government, and the terms and conditions of the grant. KCC will apply appropriate legal mechanisms as part of issuing or deploying any grant monies to ensure any partners or third parties in receipt of grant funding remain compliant.

-       Acceptance and deployment of CRF will be underpinned by the grant determination issued under Section 31 of the Local Government Act 2003 and associated guidance

-       Contractual arrangements may require procurement activity for voucher platforms or closed loop systems. Third Party Agreements, where funds may be distributed through partners, (e.g charities, voluntary sector) must be specific, legally binding and ensure compliance with the main DWP grant conditions.

-       Implementation requires robust data sharing agreements, particularly if working with third-party partners to distribute funds, ensuring compliance with GDPR

-       Robust, auditable evidence for all decisions on awards is required because KCC is accountable to the DWP.

Equalities implications

Projects undertaken using this funding will conduct a full EQIA, and equalities implications will be reviewed as work progresses.

-       An Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) has been completed for the service. Current evidence suggests there is no negative impact, and this recommendation is an appropriate measure to advance equality and create stability for vulnerable people experiencing financial hardship.

-       Early consideration indicates potential positive impacts for low-income households; any risks will be mitigated through targeted design and accessible routes.

Data Protection implications

-       A Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) is in progress, with the initial screening process which will inform the scope of the full assessment. All programme components involving the processing of personal data, including application platforms, data flows, and any data?sharing arrangements with delivery partners will undergo DPIA consideration. Where a full DPIA is required, it will be finalised prior to implementation of the relevant component. All processing activities will be undertaken in accordance with UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018, and the Council’s Information Governance and Data Protection policies, with emerging requirements captured through ongoing governance and change?control processes.

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How does the proposed decision align to the Council’s; Strategic Statement:

Reforming Kent

CRF is effectively a delivery mechanism for several of the core ambitions in Reforming Kent. The alignment is evident in four main ways.

Reforming Kent focuses on helping residents in crisis whilst also delivering innovative cross-cutting projects across teams and organisations to reduce longer-term dependency and demand whilst improving outcomes by encouraging personal responsibility.

Prevention and demand reduction

Reforming Kent emphasises preventing problems before they escalate into high?cost statutory interventions. CRF explicitly aims to reduce crisis escalation, homelessness, and repeat emergency demand by intervening earlier and more holistically through resilience provision.

Targeting inequality and vulnerability

The strategic statement focuses on narrowing inequalities and protecting the most vulnerable. CRF is explicitly needs?based, targeted at low?income households experiencing financial shocks, and designed to improve fair access to support across the county.

Community?based, joined?up delivery

Reforming Kent stresses stronger local partnerships and community resilience. CRF supports  community coordination, referral pathways, hubs, and digital tools that create a more connected local welfare landscape, rather than fragmented crisis responses.

Administering schemes across all of Kent whilst building in the ability to utilise some of the funding for smaller, more bespoke projects tailored to the diverse needs of different localities be they urban, coastal or rural, more deprived or more affluent. This includes providing sensitive budgeting support, such as helping households review and audit discretionary (nonessential) expenditure when money is tight, to ensure essential needs are prioritised without judgement. 

Best value and financial sustainability

The strategic statement prioritises best value and long?term financial sustainability. CRF is framed as supporting this by reducing reliance on high?cost interventions, embedding governance arrangements, and aligning with existing financial oversight models.

How this is being used internally

The link between Reforming Kent and CRF is already being applied in practice:

CRF documentation explicitly references alignment with KCC Business Plan priorities and Corporate Equality Objectives, which sit under the Reforming Kent umbrella.

Discussion forums and meetings (for example CRF and CRF District Meeting Catch Ups) are focused on how CRF delivery models support longer?term reform rather than shorter term solutions.

The Leader agrees to:

a)      APPROVE the Crisis Resilience Fund Delivery Plan for 2026-2029.

b)      APPROVE the proposed use of the CRF across (a) Crisis Payments (cash first by default unless inappropriate), (b) Housing Payments replacing Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) within CRF scope (year 3), (c) Resilience Services (e.g. income maximisation, debt advice, digital inclusion), (d) Community Coordination, and (e) any additional provision funded by government as a top-up to CRF targeting defined local need, in line with CRF guidance.

c)      DELEGATE authority to the Senior Responsible Officer (Director of Public Health), in consultation with the Leader, to take all necessary actions to implement the decision, including but not limited to, entering into contractual arrangements, legal agreements, making grant awards, and making any consequential changes to ensure compliance to CRF guidance, grant determination and reporting requirements, and ensuring spend within the funding period.

d)      DELEGATE authority to the Deputy Chief Executive and Corporate Director of Children, Young People and Education, where relevant, to implement operational arrangements with internal services and partners to support the implementation of the CRF.

e)      AUTHORISE officers to undertake any ancillary activities required to meet CRF funding rules, including procurement, data sharing arrangements, and engagement with district councils, VCS partners and suppliers.