County Council Questions

At each meeting of the County Council, there is 30 minutes allowed for Councillor's to ask questions of the KCC Leader, Cabinet Members or Committee Chairman. Any Member (or Councillor) can ask one question.

Question must not:

• Ask for information already in the Member's possession or which has been published to Members either in a Committee report or otherwise.

• Be about something that is outside the responsibilities or powers of the Council.

• Criticise the motives or personal character of the other Members or any employee of the Council.

The KCC Lib Dem Group will post on this webpage ALL of the questions they have submitted and the FULL written answers recieved to those questions.

This page will be updated after every County Council meeting and will have the most recent questions / answers listed first.

Dates of 2010 County Council meetings:

• 18 February 2010 - Budget

• 1 April 2010

• 13 May 2010

• 22 July 2010

• 2 September 2010

• 9 December 2010

• click here for County Council Agenda & Additional Documentation - including list of questions .

22nd July

Question by Martin Vye to the Cabinet Member for Environment, Highways and Waste

Given the harmful impact of recent installation of Traffic Management signage on important views of the cathedral and of other historical buildings in Canterbury; and given insensitive replacement of road and footway surfaces in the Old City with locally inappropriate materials; will the Cabinet Member for Environment Highways and Waste agree to instruct Highways Services commissioning officers to insist that contractors have proper regard for the special sensitivity of the historical environment of the Old City of Canterbury when planning and implementing highways improvements?

Answer

Kent Highway Services will always have proper regard for the special sensitivity of historic locations and this has to be balanced with effective location.

I shall ask that the signage that Mr Vye refers be investigated to see if a more suitable location can be mutually agreed.

Question by George Koowaree to the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Services

Will the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Services please inform this council why there have been a 2-year delay in the introduction of a Disabled Person's Registration Card (proof that they are eligible to use disabled facilities) for people who have as a significant disability:

• are registered as blind with a local authority

• have a Blue Badge parking permit

• receive Disability Living Allowance (either care or mobility component)

• receive Attendance Allowance or Industrial Injury Constant Attendance Allowance

• have a long-term indwelling catheter or stoma.

and need to use facilities provided for disabled people or need to ask for assistance; and inform members when this card will finally be available?

Answer

I met with Mr G Koowaree over the last two years, together with officers, to discuss the particular issue of people with hidden disabilities needing access to disabled facilities such as toilets.

Based on this discussion, it was agreed that the best way forward was to build links with local businesses and communities to look at the possibility of developing a suitable scheme in Kent.

Subsequent to that meeting, I also asked KASS officers to investigate a similar scheme in Nottinghamshire. Discussions are ongoing and I shall inform Members when further progress is made.

It is important that this is seen in the context of wider public health issues and to note that the council already provides means of identification for disabled people such as Blue Badges and disabled registration cards

Question by Tim Prater to the Leader of the Council

Will the Leader accept that the statement of the Chief Executive in writing to staff on 12th January 2009 informing them they would receive just a 1% pay rise but adding that "The highest paid of our colleagues, the Chief Officers Group, have decided not to take any bonus next year in recognition of the financial situation we all face." has caused upset amongst staff who now see from the 2009-10 accounts that some Chief Officers did take bonuses in 2009-10 totalling around £53,000, albeit for performance in 2008-09.

Will the Leader explain how the Chief Executive could make a statement to staff which was not true as it was written, explain what the real intention and meaning of that statement was, assure staff that there will be no Chief Officer bonuses in the accounts for 2010-11, and offer an apology to all KCC staff who may feel that the authority said one thing on officers bonuses and then did another.

Answer

I think Mr Prater has confused his dates which I will clarify in this answer.

I do admit that Peter Gilroy's statement to staff could have been better worded. There was certainly no intention to mislead staff but because the wording was not explicit it was open to misinterpretation.

Let's make one thing quite clear - performance reward monies can only be paid to individuals after the completion of the year to which they relate. The payments made to Chief Officers in 2009-10 relate to performance in 2008-9 and this is where much of the confusion lies.

The intention of the Chief Executive's statement was to make staff aware that Chief Officers would not be considered for any payments relating to their performance during 2009-10 - this will be apparent in next year's statement of accounts. Chief Officers will not be receiving any performance pay for the current financial year, 2010/11, either as will be evidenced in the accounts published in the summer of 2012.

I hope that this clarifies the situation and I would like to apologise to staff who may have felt misled.

Question by Malcolm Robertson to the Chairman of Cabinet Scrutiny Committee

Will the Chairman of the Cabinet Scrutiny Committee say what lessons have been learned during the last year of the Committee's operation?

Answer

On my appointment as Chairman of the Cabinet Scrutiny Committee I asked the Conservative/Labour Group Spokesmen and the Independent Member to serve as my Vice Chairmen. This has worked well as we share the responsibility and operation of the Cabinet Scrutiny Committee.

Scrutiny is the main tool available to all back bench members to examine and improve the decisions made by Cabinet and Cabinet members on behalf of the residents of Kent.

We have been pleased to see the latest improvement in quality of response from Cabinet to the recommendations made by Cabinet Scrutiny Committee.

However, what continues to cause concern to the Cabinet Scrutiny Committee and across the whole suite of Policy Overview and Scrutiny Committees is the information available to back bench Members to perform their role and serve the people of Kent more effectively.

There needs to be a fundamental change in the culture of the whole organisation to see Cabinet Scrutiny Committee as the "constructive critical friend". The Cabinet Scrutiny Committee has worked hard to lobby for more information to be included in the Forward Plan and the provision of quality and timely information.

Information requests need to be responded to promptly to avoid unnecessary call-in. Likewise recommendations for items to be considered by the appropriate Policy Overview and Scrutiny Committee have been ignored. Recommendations from the Cabinet Scrutiny Committee which have been agreed by Cabinet have on occasions been delayed in their implementation. (In the interest of expediency I have set out specific examples at the end of the formal written answer).

I look forward to a period of improved communication with staff and the members of Cabinet Scrutiny Committee, and scrutiny work being increasingly focused on the Policy Overview and Scrutiny Committees, leaving Cabinet Scrutiny Committee to pick up pre scrutiny, cross cutting and major decisions.

Examples:-

 Commonly long delays in responding to questions: in a recent example five weeks elapsed before the officer responsible for making a decision was identified by the Children, Families & Education Department. Questions raised on gulley emptying in December 2008 remain outstanding. As a result scrutiny meetings have been held which could have been avoided had these questions been answered promptly.

 Delays have also been experienced in following up recommendations accepted by Cabinet: a report on Kent Design Guide Parking Standards has taken over seven months to be presented; and three months for a satisfactory report on Kent Digital Service; we still await review of the 15% Chief Officer Bonus scheme which remains outstanding since April 2009; so far there has been no review of the members feedback forms required as part of the Chief Officer appraisal process as requested in September 2010.

 The information were incomplete: The Future of Older Peoples Provision had neither the number of clients, or the number of staff affected detailed.

 The decision as written was unintelligible: such as a report on school maintenance contracts, or the report was unrelated to the decision being made as in the case of Community Wardens scheme called in yesterday.

 Would have been best dealt with by the specialist Policy Overview Scrutiny Committees but did not appear on their agendas: The Cabinet Member decision on the revision of Community Warden deployment was signed off two days before the Communities Policy Overview Scrutiny Committee but did not appear on its agenda. The £4.1m cuts in Integrated Transport Schemes do not appear on the agenda for Environment Highways and Waste Policy Overview Scrutiny Committee for 29TH July. Yet these are both issues in which there is likely to be intense public interest.

Question by Ian Chittenden to the Cabinet Member for Community Services

Would the Cabinet Member for Communities please provide the total costs and an individual breakdown for each of the 6 people (identifying Member and KCC Officers) who travelled to the Open Golf Championship at St Andrews including:

• Air travel

• Transport or mileage to/from Gatwick

• Transport & accommodation in Scotland

• Subsistence (i.e. meals, refreshments etc.)

• All other costs (incl. cost of officer hours)

Answer

The Open Golf Championship coming to Sandwich next year is a major event for the County Council. It is coming two years earlier than usual due very largely to the efforts made by the County Council and Dover District Council to persuade the Royal & Ancient to bring forward the date on account of the Olympics in 2012. The Open is expected to generate approximately £70m worth of inward investment to the County and it is absolutely critical that we make a real success of the Championship and at the same time maximise the benefit to Kent of this opportunity. The visit to St. Andrews last week was entirely in pursuit of these two objectives.

Of the total of five people attended St Andrews; one Member and two Officers from KCC; one Member and one Officer from Dover District Council.

The visit was undertaken at the request of, and as guests of, the Royal & Ancient. The travel and accommodation related expenses for the party were paid from the project budget which is provided by local authority partners for this work and the element for KCC representatives was as follows:

£341 Air travel via Easyjet

£50 Transport to and from Gatwick

£105Transport and Accommodation in Scotland

£660 Accommodation

£123 Meals

There were no other officer costs. Officers worked their normal hours including significant unpaid overtime.

Question Trudy Dean To The Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Education

Will the Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Education please say what the consequences could be for Kent County Council Support Services, and for future admissions if a number of Kent schools opt for Academy status and can she say what representations KCC has made to the government on this issue?

Answer

As far as support services are concerned that is a difficult question to answer at this point. The current methodology for funding new academies and the low number seeking to convert mean that in the current year the impact will be very small. Services currently operating on a traded basis with schools can continue to offer services to converting schools. One of our key concerns - as highlighted in the report to CFE Resources & Infrastructure POSC this week - is that the government may seek to change the methodology of academy funding from as early as next year. This issue is one of the many questions we have been raising through all avenues with Ministers and DfE officials but to date we have not had any answers.

In terms of Admissions the new academies would become Admissions authorities in their own right - but many of those seeking to convert already are as they are Foundation Schools. Kent will continue to administer the admissions process for all schools in the county and as with the existing arrangements all schools will have to abide by the national Code of Practice.

13 May 2010

Question by Martin Vye to the Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Education

Will the Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Education outline the measures she is taking to ensure any instances of mishandling of serious cases at the local level are communicated swiftly up to her?

Answer

I am at a loss to understand what Mr Vye means when he asks about the 'mishandling' of serious cases. Every child death in Kent is reviewed by the Child Death Overview Panel and, if the case meets the criteria for a serious case review, an independent review is undertaken by Kent Safeguarding Children Board. This is a multi-agency review which is chaired by an independent chairman. The report is written by an independent report writer. As Cabinet member I am notified of these cases immediately by the managing director, and briefed appropriately.

Question by George Koowaree to the Cabinet Member for Environment, Highways and Waste

Will the Cabinet Member for Environment, Highways and Waste advise Members of the Protocol for informing the Local Member of any changes or cancellations to the schedule of Highways works approved by the Joint Transportation Board in their division?

Answer

The formal protocol of informing members of any schemes added or removed from the approved schedules is via the Joint Transportation Boards (JTB). This would be by an update report to the next available JTB. I would suggest that if Mr Koowaree has an issue with a specific scheme he initially speaks with his Community Liaison Officer who can follow up on the matter.

1 April 2010

Question by Martin Vye to the Leader of the Council

Given the disturbing information received by Members of this Council about the impact on staff morale and services of proposals for staff restructuring; will the Leader give his personal guarantee that all Members of the Council will have the opportunity to scrutinise all proposals for staff / unit restructuring across all the Directorates and describe the action he will take to ensure this occurs in sufficient time to influence the final decisions made.

Answer

Decisions on staff restructurings and re-organisations are delegated to officers by the County Council. Following the changes agreed at the County Council, scrutiny of all officer decisions is now a matter for the new Scrutiny Board, which may then ask the relevant Policy Overview and Scrutiny Committee to examine a particular matter. Members may request, but not require, the implementation of such decisions to be delayed until the scrutiny process has been completed.

The Authority's consultation process with staff has been agreed with our recognised Trade Unions, represents best practice and is effective. Members of staff have clear opportunities to raise issues or concerns about a reorganisation with their line manager, personnel representative or trade union representative during the consultation period.

Question by Malcolm Robertson to the Cabinet Member for Environment, Highways & Waste

Does the Cabinet Member not agree with me, that it was disingenuous of the Council to use regional television to encourage residents, who have suffered damage to their vehicles through longstanding unrepaired potholes, to submit compensation claims when it was quite clear that the Council was not going to accept the vast majority of these claims, and had little intention of recompensing people that have suffered losses through the Council's long term neglect of the road network in this County; this being witnessed by the fact that the recent financial monitoring report to EHW POSC actually boasts that "The Insurance Section continues to work closely with Highways to try to reduce the number of successful claims and currently the Authority manages to achieve a rejection rate of claims , where it is considered we do not have any liability, of about 75%." ?

Answer

If a person has a legitimate claim against the Highway Authority, we want to make sure that they have the knowledge of how to make this claim. Under the 1980 Highways Act, a legitimate claim is likely if one of the following conditions arises:

(a) KCC knew about a dangerous defect in the road and had failed to do anything about it within a reasonable time; or

(b) KCC had no means of finding out about a dangerous defect in the road because we did not have a proper system of inspection and repair.

KCC has a comprehensive system of inspection and repair which complies with its statutory duties and therefore we would expect to have a high rejection rate for claims. We have a duty of care to our council tax payers and where we are not found to have breached the two conditions mentioned, we will defend robustly any claims made against us.

Question by Tim Prater to the Cabinet Member for Finance

What additional costs in delivering Council Services, including delivering home care, are anticipated above the budgeted costs for 2009-10 and 2010-11 given the current high cost of fuel?

Answer

We are not anticipating incurring any net additional costs in 2009/10 over and above the approved budget, in fact the latest budget monitoring report is forecasting on overall net under spend of just over £7m excluding schools and asylum. As in every year this net position is made up of a number of variations (both under and overspends) from the original approved budget which are covered in detail in the quarterly and exception budget monitoring reports to Cabinet. We are not forecasting any pressures relating to fuel costs as we made provision for significant pressures within the approved budget.

We have made provision in the 2010/11 budget approved by the County Council at the last meeting to cover the base budget implications of any variations which occurred during 2009/10, plus our best estimate for unavoidable pressures which we anticipate arising during the year. Inevitably these are the estimated impact of future pressures and there will be some variations which materialise during the year. It would be improper and unlawful for the County Council to approve a budget which knowingly made inadequate provision for known factors.

The transport budgets across all directorates have been increased by some £2m in 2010/11, most of which reflects the rising cost of fuel.

Question by Trudy Dean To The Cabinet Member for Environment, Highways & Waste

In view of the public interest in the issue of Street Lighting will the Cabinet Member for Environment Highways and Waste please agree to defer his decision on Street Lighting Policy until it has been able to be discussed by members of the EHW POSC?

Answer

Yes.

18 February 2010

Question by Tim Prater Cabinet Members for Environment, Highways and Waste

Will the Cabinet Member for Environment, Highways and Waste confirm that Kent Police contacted Kent County Council on Wednesday to get roads treated and would he also agree that the response by Kent Highways to the snowfall on 10th / 11th February was totally inadequate in Folkestone and surrounding areas, leading to main roads being completely impassable, cars being abandoned and a number of road accidents.

Answer

There is always very close liaison between Kent Police and Kent Highway Services during these situations. Kent Police are fully aware of the primary and secondary salting routes, but will contact KHS if they feel additional action is required. I have no record that they did this last Wednesday.

Lib Dem Questions 2009:

• Why 28.5% of children in the year 6 cohort entered grammar schools in Kent in September 2009 in comparison with county norm of 25%?

• Opportunity offered by next year's break clause of the contract between Kent Highways Services and Jacobs to fully investigate all options on how to deliver Highways Services in future to a high standard and the lowest cost to KCC?

• When this Council will have the opportunity to debate the review of Kent TV and vote on the continuation of the internet TV channel?

• How many people and what value has this Council offered an exit package to avoid the possibility of an unfair dismissal claim?

• When will the process of appointing a new Chief Executive commence?

• What action he has taken or is to take to plead the need for continuing SEEDA Cultural Grant support?

• List of the Academy projects under serious discussion in the county; explain the criteria adopted by the CFE Directorate for deciding whether or not it will support an Academy project?

• List of

• 1. the weekly allowance KCC paid to foster carers,

• 2. the weekly allowance KCC paid to kinship (family & friends)

• 3. the Government-recommended minimum allowances?

• Ensure the input into the strategic highways and transportation planning decision making process of the views of Local Members, Borough Council Members and members of the public?

• The process of the review of Kent TV conducted by external consultants, including who is being invited to give their views, and will he say when the review will be available to all Members?

• What resources the County Council is able to make available to assist in the clean-up of our rivers?

• Give an assurance that Kent County Council will resolve to use the Act by submitting proposals by 31st July 2009?

• Give the Council the reasons why Kent's schools carry out the greatest number of exclusions?

• Explain how this fits with the clear picture created in the Kent Regeneration Framework document that the KCC is leader and district councils followers in the areas of planning and housing, which are primarily district functions?

• Proceed to appoint a Flood Risk Officer , at a senior level, to coordinate and drive forward the actions required of KCC to provide the best possible safeguarding against flood risk and impact?

• Confirm when further initiatives will be announced specifically targeted to reduce deaths and injuries on Maidstone's roads?

Submit comments to the current Application for 1,500 acres of polytunnels currently with Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council, and to work with Kent Planning Officers to produce Kent wide Supplementary Planning Guidance on the use of polytunnels?

Give an assurance to the Governors of More Park Roman Catholic Primary School, West Malling that compensation will be paid to meet the costs of the flooding on 10 February 2009?

Find the resources to repeat last April's intensive blitz on potholes?

Ebbsfleet Landmark Competition - how much, if any, of the £1m shortfall KCC plans to donate?

How much is in the budget for the Children Centre for South Willesborough?

Lib Dem Question 2008:

• The cost of the animated advertisement for the recruitment for the post of Managing Director of Children, Families and Education?

• Review of the maximum caseload per Social Worker ?

• Explain whether bus journeys taken between 9.00 and 9.30am by over 60s and people with disabilities in Kent will be paid for in full by KCC or not?

• Why there has been a 3 month delay in the completion of the Newtown bridge project in Ashford?

• What level of savings the County Council would need to make from the Budget next year in order to achieve no increase in the Council Tax?

• Stree light and roundabout advertising - why there is a need to further distract drivers attention?

• How much funding is allocated for the backlog of road and footpath repairs in Kent?

• Astor Hever School Farm - plan has effectively been buried and that the mitigation for the loss of the school farm was not much more than a means of stifling local opposition?

• How many Youth Service posts have been discontinued?

• Why the first areas to receive the Kent Freedom Pass were areas of low deprivation with the lowest numbers of families in financial need?

• Please assure me that the two recent prolonged shut-downs at the Allington Incinerator due to serious and expensive engineering failures will not ultimately result in increased gate fees?

• Update members on progress following the motion in County Council on 25 May 2006 with regard to agreeing a common code of practice for our own staff who carry out home visits?

• What assistance is KCC able to offer the residents of Aylesford village to secure a village centre location for its Post Office?

• Will the Leader of the Conservative Group and the Leader of the Opposition Labour Group join the Liberal Democrats in supporting the Bill in the House of Lords to give Ghurkha soldiers serving before 1997 rights to stay in this country and pensions equal to those of British soldiers?

• How much will be allocated for footpath repairs?

• Confirm that a survey of highway drains in Kent in 2006 identified an annual need for investment in road drainage of £12.208 million?

Lib Dem Questions: 2007

• Processes in place to ensure collection of recyclables within schools and the engagement of children in the recycling message in the County's schools?

• The cost so far for the reconfiguration of the Ashford Ring Road and if its within the budgeted sum?

• When PFI contractors will finally vacate the site of Aylesford School Sports College, any future working operations will be in accordance with planning permissions granted in order to protect local residents quality of life and students learning?

• Type of provider chosen to run the nursery in existing Children's Centres; and in each case the charge made to parents, and by how much, if at all, this exceeds the value of the Government Voucher?

• Consider the introduction of signage across the KCC Highway network?

• What arrangements are made with developers or records taken of highways prior to developments taking place to ensure that the costs incurred as a result of damage to highways and footways?

• Identify the parishes in Kent where standard access to Broadband is not available, and give the Council the combined population figure for these parishes?

• How many Kent residents' cheques have been cashed in advance of the crossover installation works, why has the stated agreement to hold cheques until the work is "in hand" been over-ridden and whether KCC intends to compensate these residents?

• Why the scheme to improve safety by extending the existing 20mph zone into Hilary Road in Maidstone to include St Paul's School, under the Safer Routes to School' scheme, has been withdrawn?

• Please state whether there has been an increase in domiciliary care protection cases or complaints from clients, explain the current system of checks on home care assistants and advise if there are any plans to strengthen those checks?

• Percentage of pupils in Kent grammar schools who are recognised as having an educational difficulty or disability and the total percentage of their pupils who are entitled to Free School Meals?

• Clarify what Kent's Conservative administration plan to do about Kent Grammar Schools?

• It would be reprehensible for this County Council to encourage advertising on lamp posts purely as a revenue-earner?

• Confirm which authorities outside Kent are using the Allington Incinerator for domestic waste disposal and what progress made in making arrangements for the disposal of domestic waste from East Kent?

• What is the frequency of clearance of Highways drains, are residents asked to remove parked vehicles in advance of clearance work; and what plans to increase the frequency of drain clearance?

• What is being done to address local concerns about lane marking, signage and traffic light phasing connected with the Leybourne - West Malling Bypass/junction 4 scheme?

• Support those users of Junction 10 of the M20 who have signed a petition?

• Identified any ways in which KCC can help to ameliorate the problem of the shortfall in uniformed officers patrolling our streets?

• With regard to street and public footpaths lighting in the Borough of Ashford:

• 1) the current budget allocated to street lighting maintenance

• 2) how many lights are currently not working

• 3) how many have been out for over a month

Lib Dem Questions: 2006

• KCC's policy on the use of fingerprint systems in Kent schools?

• Setting up a Select Committee on Kent's Youth Provision?

• Daily return service by Eurostar between Ashford International?

• Percentage of the total A Level passes (A-C) in Kent schools were in Modern Foreign Languages?

• New Kent Police protocol for responding to reports from schools of intruders?

• Mainstream primary schools are equipped to comply with the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act?

• The cost of implementing each proposal in the "Towards 2010" document?

• Implementation of the recommendations of the white paper "Our Health, Our Care, Our Say"?

• Has Conservative Administration adopted a policy which is uniquely hostile to small schools?

• Tackling bullying by production and distribution of anti-bullying cards?

• Why the NHS 'Health Profile for Kent 2006' states that Kent's older population is less well supported to live at home compared to England?

• Development and implementation of the Local Compact between KCC, voluntary and community organisations?

• What progress for Horticultural Vocational Centre at Astor of Hever School?

• Delayed publication of the report of the Select Committee on Gypsy and Travellers Sites?

• How many pupils currently have places in Kent secondary schools as a result of passing a non-PESE entrance test?

• Number of young people presently receiving a second chance education through Alternative Curriculum Project?

• Removal of Members Smoking Room, which also contravenes the KCC Smoking Policy introduced in 1994?

Lib Dem Questions: May - December 2005

The Lib Dem Councillors asked 8 questions at County Council meetings during this period:

• Update on the Discovery Centre in Ashford as regard to funding and completion date?

• Identify the present problems associated with poor delivery of highway services?

• Cancellation by Kent Adult Education Services of all non-statutory learning courses for adults with learning difficulties?

• Confirm that the Administration to spend extra money in the budget for the Youth Service for 2005/06 on 'new projects' and not on much-needed strengthening existing services?

• How many children did not obtain a place for September 2005 at the secondary schools in Canterbury which their parent had chosen?

• Current situation on the establishment of vocational centre?

• How many 3 year old children in the Canterbury District are not in pre-school provision?

• Any traffic management measures to ameliorate the problems of congestion and gridlock?

Lib Dem Questions November 2004 - April 2005

The Lib Dem Councillors asked 16 questions at County Council meetings during this period:

• Why it is necessary for the County to propose changes to the Duke of Edinburgh's Awards?

• The action being taken to address the 'Black Hole' in the KCC Pension Fund.

• The lorry parking strategy for Kent.

• The river bank at the Old Bridge Gardens, Aylesford.

• The insufficient places for children wishing to attend St Marks School in Eccles.

• The number of Kent's children, attending Primary or Secondary School, whose results are below the national average.

• The number of street lights in Kent which are not working.

• KCC Superannuation Fund underfunding.

• County Council's policy with regard to 20mph zones outside schools.

• What is KCC doing to encourage lifts in blocks of flats?

• Will East Malling be supported with a dedicated youth facility?

• Will the impact of the 'management action' be absorbed by the Schools Advisory Service?

• The future of Astor of Hever School?

• Malling & Maidstone, are these areas for further development?

• Will the retained Joint Transport Boards mean local councillors can have their say on Highways matters?

• Can KCC help alleviate the execessive noise & vibration levels for the residents of Blue Bell Hill & Kits Coty?

If you would like details of the full question & answer to any of the questions listed above, please email the Lib Dem Group, quoting the question(s) you are interested in: libdem@kent.gov.uk

Answer