Slow News Month at KCC

Let me tell you a story about long, long ago...

A press release from Kent County Council issued yesterday, embargoed until 6am this morning (29th July), hits my inbox:

https://news.kent.gov.uk/articles/beginning-of-the-end-for-operation-brock-as-kcc-secures-20-million-for-dover-access-improvements

It starts:

"Kent County Council (KCC) has secured £20 million of government funding for a major scheme at the Port of Dover which is expected to dramatically reduce the need for Operation Brock and ease congestion across Kent’s road network."

Makes you think this was recent, doesn't it?

However, this project was actually discussed on 7th July by the County Council's Growth, Environment & Transport Cabinet Committee. I was at that meeting, and like all members of the committee voted to endorse progress on the scheme, which makes sense. But this is in no way new money.

I'm not complaining the news was therefore 3 weeks old: that would be splitting hairs.

But that report made clear the money was bid for FOUR YEARS AGO, and confirmed THREE AND A HALF YEARS AGO.

"Kent County Council (KCC) submitted a successful bid in August 2022 to the Levelling Up Fund round 2 (LUF2), for the purpose of improving Port of Dover border controls to reduce on-highway congestion, queuing and the need for traffic management.

"In January 2023 the government announced that the bid had been successful with funding allocated to the project subject to business case development and due diligence. "

Press release really doesn't really make it clear that this is a funding bid by a previous administration, secured three and a half years ago, and for a scheme that if it had been delivered by Port of Dover sooner would already be relieving East Kent's traffic problems, does it?