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Tory Watch
16th June 2007 Supporting People
The Supporting People programme is meant to bring together social services, housing, probation services and others to provide a unified approach to housing provision. The Commissioning Body for Supporting People is chaired by the Tory Cabinet Member for Adult Social Services at KCC with the housing Cabinet Member representing each district council. They have decided to cut the warden service in sheltered housing schemes.
Labour Group position: In Kent the Commissioning Body is virtually unaccountable. Kent County Council is blaming a lack of money from government (as usual) for cutting the warden service; the districts are blaming KCC even though they have 12 votes on the Commissioning Body.
16th June 2007 Wrotham
Wrotham is the chosen location for one of Kent Highways Services new super-depots, much to the irritation of the local community. Keith Ferrin, the Tory Cabinet Member responsible for highways, had some “trenchant” comments about the Tory Chairman of Wrotham Parish Council who has asked via his lawyers for an apology! Representatives of Wrotham Parish Council and the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE) met with Mike Eddy, as Labour Group Leader, to discuss this and other matters of concern.
Labour Group Position: Keith Ferrin’s diplomatic skills have always given cause for concern so the exchange between him and Wrotham PC comes as no great surprise. We welcome the positive and co-operative attitude of the CPRE on issues such as Operation Stack, the Dartford Crossing and highways generally and their apparent desire to distance themselves somewhat from Tory policies.
18th May 2007 Thanet JTB
In an incredible U-turn the Conservative administration at Thanet District Council (TDC) has been forced to reinstate the Thanet Joint Transport Board (JTB).The Conservatives scrapped the JTB two years ago despite robust complaints from local Labour district and county members. At the last meeting of the Thanet JTB furious Labour members explained that it was the only forum where democratically elected district councillors had any influence over local highways issues.
They argued that every other district council had a JTB to enable district and county members to come together and use their local knowledge to help with highways matters across their districts. At that same meeting highways officers themselves confirmed that the local knowledge of district members was indeed invaluable when making their decisions on issues affecting Thanet and in assessing local priorities.
Despite these protestations Conservative members insisted that the Thanet JTB was a waste of time, money and resources. Now, in a complete U-turn, the Conservatives have decided to reinstate the Thanet JTB.
TDC Labour Group Deputy Leader Cllr. Clive Hart said: “After two years we will at last have some local influence into Thanet’s highways restored to our local district members. The decision to scrap the Thanet JTB was a penny-pinching move by the Conservative administration to save money, which left Thanet without a say on local highways issues. The irony of the situation is that some of those who condemned the JTB at its very last meeting were welcoming its return at last Thursdays council meeting. Even more outrageously, one of those who verbally trashed the JTB at its last meeting will be its chairman when it finally returns”.
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