“Thank you social services and government for your help and care. I never believed I would be loved. There is now a big rainbow in my life instead of darkness.” Those are the words of a young victim of people smuggling who has written a heart-warming letter thanking his foster carer and social workers for…
Hundreds of children were at risk of not getting to school next term when services to Lenham School and Homewood School in Tenterden were cancelled. The services, provided by Carr’s Coaches and by Lenham School itself, cease in September and could have left students with no means of getting to and from school. Public transport…
The NHS and local councils want to transform health and care services for children and young people and are calling on local people to get involved and help. A recent Healthwatch survey showed children and young people in Kent and Medway want their voice to be heard when local services are designed, and the NHS…
A free conference for mature drivers will be held in Greenhithe in October. For drivers over the age of 60, the idea is to reinforce knowledge that may have been forgotten, heighten hazard awareness, and cover newer subjects such as smart motorways and eco driving. Run by the Kent County Council Road Safety team, they…
No Use Empty Commercial, an initiative to bring vacant and derelict commercial property back into use for business and homes has secured £1 million from The Growing Places Fund (GPF) following a successful bid to the South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP) by Kent County Council. The money will be used to help redevelop eight…
Arriva has successfully retained the Fastrack B contract for the Kent Thameside area. This will be the 13th year that the bus operator has worked to deliver the award winning route on behalf of Kent County Council. The award winning service will continue to provide excellent benefits such as dedicated Fastrack only bus lanes, priority…
The Leader of Kent County Council says he hopes an immediate cash boost to help get the UK ready for Brexit on October 31 will resolve the outstanding issues facing hauliers and the export industry here in Kent. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sajid Javid, announced that an extra £2.1 billion is to be made available…
Kent County Council’s Energy and Low Emissions Strategy is out for consultation and there’s still time to make your views known on plans for all of Kent to reach zero emissions by 2050. The strategy also aims to eliminate poor air quality, reduce fuel poverty and deliver an affordable, clean and secure energy supply for…
The latest annual report from Kent County Council’s (KCC) fostering service shows continued improvements to the support available to foster carers and children in care. Despite nationwide challenges in foster care recruitment, KCC recruited 78 new carers last year and improved on the average time it takes new carers to go through the approval process,…
A list of high-priority road improvement schemes has been submitted to government as part of a £3.5 billion investment programme. The schemes were agreed by Transport for the South East, a new regional body which brings together local authorities, business groups and the transport industry. As part of the list, Kent County Council put forward…
Most fatal crashes in the county happen on rural roads where some drivers may wrongly assume that the national speed limit is always the safe speed to drive at. This summer, Kent County Council is urging drivers to remember that speed limits are not a target to reach. Research shows that three in five deaths…
KCC, in partnership with bus operators, has introduced a revised timetable for the start of the new school year. As well as renumbering the services to make it easier to identify which bus offers shorter journeys to your child’s school, timings have been revised to better meet school start and finish times and to speed…
With recent county figures revealing that a shocking 70% of all baby and child car seats checked across Kent are incorrectly fitted, a new awareness campaign has been launched to highlight the dangers and provide advice on anything which puts a child at risk while travelling in a car. KCC’s Road Safety team run free…
An opportunity for passengers to tell Kent County Council about their experiences of using bus services has received over 250 responses since being launched in January. At a meeting of the Environment and Transport Cabinet Committee, Members heard that, on average, there has been 53 comments left each month. KCC’s Bus Feedback Portal is available…
Kent County Council will be installing a new zebra crossing and widening the cycle lanes on Shipbourne Road, Tonbridge. The crossing will replace the existing refuge island just south of the junction with Bishops Oak Ride. The works will see widening of the existing cycle lanes from Willow Lea down to White Cottage Road and…
The new opening hours for Kent’s libraries have been decided and will take effect from 30 September. The pattern of opening hours at each library has recently been subject to a local engagement with library customers. During a three-week public engagement, customers were asked for their comments and invited to vote for their first and…
Schools in Kent are now able to apply for a Kent School Award for Resilience and Emotional Wellbeing, which recognises and celebrates everything they do to support young people’s emotional wellbeing through the whole school approach. The first two schools to succeed in their application are Homewood School in Tenterden and Westlands School in Sittingbourne.…
