2022 has been a tumultuous year – for the world; for our country, which lost its longest-reigning monarch and saw three Prime Ministers hold office; and also for all of us here in Kent. In addition to the effects of the invasion of Ukraine, we have seen record arrivals from small boat crossings of the…
KCC has welcomed the Department for Education’s new pledges to provide the right support to children and young people in the right place and at the right time so they can achieve their potential. The Opportunity for All White Paper promises a range of support for the education system post covid, building on existing best practice…
A further £10million of emergency funding is being rolled out to continue helping Kent’s most vulnerable households and businesses hardest hit by the pandemic, Kent County Council has announced. The Helping Hands Scheme includes a raft of support – ranging from assisting just-managing families with heating bills and helping struggling firms stay afloat, to tackling…
A government commitment to increase funding and support for the care of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) in Kent has been welcomed by Kent County Council (KCC) Leader, Roger Gough although several long-term issues still require resolution. Mr. Gough’s direct appeals to central government for intervention have resulted in a personal commitment from Chris Philp MP,…
Businesses will be given an additional three months to file accounts with Companies House to help companies avoid penalties as they deal with the impact of COVID-19. See here for more information. Kent County Council, in collaboration with all the local authorities in Kent, will launch a dedicated business support line for coronavirus-related issues, delivered…
The Prime Minister’s address to the nation: The coronavirus is the biggest threat this country has faced for decades – and this country is not alone. All over the world we are seeing the devastating impact of this invisible killer. And so tonight I want to update you on the latest steps we are taking…
The Leader of Kent County Council has welcomed the government announcement that the Operation Brock barrier, which has been in place on the M20 since March 2019, will now be removed. The Government has announced it is standing down all contingency planning for a no-deal Brexit on 31 January. Partners of the Kent Resilience Forum…
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…
Plans to remove the need for planning permission to explore for shale gas and to make production proposals for government to determine have been rejected by Kent County Council. KCC has this week responded to two government consultations into whether to allow non-hydraulic fracturing exploration under Permitted Development rights and to allow plans for the…
The Leader of Kent County Council Paul Carter has welcomed the extra funding for local government announced by Communities Secretary Sajid Javid. The final settlement has seen £150 million of additional resources allocated to local authorities across the UK, of which £3.9m will go to social care in Kent. Mr Carter said: “This funding, secured…
Kent County Council is calling on the government to make changes to road maintenance budgets warning the current system could lead to a “rapid spiral of asset deterioration”. KCC is on course to secure its highways maintenance budget in the face of diminishing government funding by receiving a ‘band three’ in funding. The rating, from…
KCC has urged the government to provide more carriages on trains during peak periods, address overcrowding and improve connectivity in its response to a consultation on rail services in Kent. The Department for Transport is consulting on rail services in the county ahead of a new franchise to run services coming into effect in December…