The Folkestone and Hythe Joint Transportation Board and the Missing Reform Members Problem

The Folkestone and Hythe Joint Transportation Board is a quarterly meeting between Kent County Councillors, Folkestone & Hythe District Councillors and a Parish Councillor representative for our area to discuss transport issues, forthcoming roadworks, proposed new parking measures, vehicle charging and more including buses and public transport.

However the 13th July F&H JTB meeting couldn't go ahead, as too few County Councillors for our area turned up. I was there. The other 5 were not (2 sent apologies, the other 3 no contact). It is a statement of fact to say that they are all Reform UK Councillors.

The meeting rules require at least 2 County and 2 District Councillors to be present, so after 10 minutes waiting, the meeting was postponed.

When the meeting ended, I instead went to 2 Sandgate Parish Council meetings also happening that evening: I accept more than most that meeting clashes happen, and did for me too, but I made it work because they were all important.

The meeting was rescheduled to next Monday, 3rd August. However it has had to be cancelled again as all KCC members, except myself, have said they will not attend.

Sadly, this seems not to be a temporary problem. Since this Kent County Council term started (May 2025) there have been 5 Folkestone and Hythe JTB meetings. I have attended 5. Of the other 5 KCC members, one has attended 3 meetings, one attended two meetings, and three of them - including the Cabinet Member for Transport - just one each in over a year. These figures don't include the 13th July meeting abandoned as none of them turned up, nor the 3rd August meeting that they have all said they will not attend.

You can't speak up for your local residents if you are not there.