The United Kingdom is due to leave the European Union and businesses and public bodies will need to prepare for this. Find out how we’re working with the Kent Resilience Forum to prepare for Brexit. These pages will be our hub for all Brexit related information and will be updated regularly in the lead up…
From this morning, Operation Brock has been brought in on the M20 as an extra tool for managing disruption in Kent. The M20 contraflow will be in effect from north of Junction 8 (for Maidstone) to Junction 9 at Ashford. Operation Brock queues lorries bound for mainland Europe on the coastbound M20 and uses a…
Tackling the exploitation of vulnerable children and young people was at the heart of a conference in Canterbury this month. Leading experts in the field were at Canterbury College on Thursday, March 14 to raise awareness among the 180-strong audience of professionals about the varied and complex reasons why children and young people fall victim…
A new European funded project is underway in Kent to tackle the rising number of sexually transmitted infections among people in their forties by encouraging people to discuss the issue. Studies reveal major changes in sexual behaviour over the last century, including increasing numbers of sexually active older people. The over-45s at risk are generally…
Kent residents who smoke are being reminded of the support services that can help them quit this No Smoking Day, including free NHS Health MOTs in Thanet today (13 March). Approximately 16.3% of Kent residents are smokers and while the number of smokers has fallen over recent years, many people find it hard to quit;…
A ‘yellow’ wind warning has been issued by the MET Office,. This warns of a medium likelihood of low impacts and is in place from noon today (Tuesday) through to 3pm tomorrow (Wednesday). The strong west to north-westerly winds could bring possible transport disruption. What to expect: Probably some bus and train services affected, with…
NHS One You teams are busy this March with a series of special events across Kent, providing free on-the-spot Health Checks and health ‘MOTs’ in local venues including high streets and shopping centres. Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust’s One You advisors are teaming up with Wellbeing People this month to offer Health Checks in…
There are two types of roadworks that can happen on Kent’s roads – planned and emergency. Emergency works will usually see utility companies or KCC Highways itself start work immediately and retroactively notify KCC. This could be, for instance, a burst water main, a gas leak or a void in the ground. Planned works are…
More than 95% of children will receive an offer from one of their four preferences after more families than ever before applied for a secondary school place in Kent. A total of 21,473 applications were received, up 3.58% on last year’s cohort, while the number of Kent applicants rose from 17,442 in 2018 to 17,959…
Kent has secured £1.3m from the Government’s Supporting Families Against Youth Crime Fund to help prevent young people becoming involved in gangs and youth violence. The award will enable a partnership of Kent County Council (KCC), Medway Council, Kent Police, Met Police and the Kent Police and Crime Commissioner to deliver a collaborative two-year project…
Speed limits are not a target to reach and throughout March, Kent County Council is reminding motorists to slow down to make our roads safer. Research shows that three in five deaths happen on rural roads, that is main routes outside of town centres with a speed limit of 50mph or more. Over the last…
KCC Leader Paul Carter has paid tribute to the council’s staff who had helped produce the budget for the coming financial year, despite huge further cutbacks in monies from central government. After producing savings of £640 million over the past eight years, the council has risen to the challenge of finding another £73 million to…
Kent County Council’s Counter Fraud Team has secured its first prosecution as it cracks down on blue badge misuse in the county. Laura Halford, of Watling Street, Dartford, appeared before magistrates where she admitted fraudulently using her grandmother’s blue badge to park in disabled parking spaces. The 31-year-old was handed a three-year conditional discharge and…
Do something green in 2019. That was the message sent out by Sevenoaks Primary School pupils as they helped create a wildlife pond to mark the launch of Kent Year of Green Action. Based on the government’s national Year of Green Action campaign, Kent Year of Green Action is an initiative of Kent County Council’s…
A teenager from Kent has spoken in Parliament about her own mental health struggles and the importance of involving young people in shaping and improving the services that support them. On Tuesday, February 5, four young people, from Folkestone, Ashford and The Canterbury High School, attended a Parliamentary event on the mental health of young…
Teenagers in Gravesend are launching a new podcast this week for ‘Time To Talk’ Day – the national campaign encouraging conversation around mental health. Called ‘Thrive’, the podcast will be available to listen to online from the morning of Thursday 7 February and hopes to show others that they are not alone and that support…
Customer satisfaction surveys held at Kent’s waste and recycling centres has found 99% of users are happy with the service they receive. A new report released by Kent County Council into feedback for its Household Waste and Recycling Centres (HWRCs) found they are performing extremely well. The waste management team is responsible for operating 18…
