Tim Prater Reporting Back from KCC: May 2025

So following polling day, there were mixed emotions at the count on Friday 2nd May.

I was absolutely delighted to be elected to Kent County Council for Cheriton, Sandgate and Hythe East. This marked my return to Kent County Council after 12 years “enforced sabbatical”, and I can only thank every person that helped my election in any way, and especially in voting for me. I'll do my best not to let you down.

However to see a majority Reform UK Council, and to be the only non Reform UK Councillor elected in Folkestone and Hythe, Ashford, Dover and Deal and Thanet is less delightful. I'm grateful to all those from all parties and none that have welcomed my election. I'll do my best to represent as many people as I can over the coming years. Finally, thank you to Rory Love for his gracious concession to me as County Councillor on Friday.

I try to be properly responsive to communication and WILL reply to casework, questions etc (as long as they are polite!). Although voicemail, Messenger, WhatsApp and the rest I try to keep on top of, the best will be to email to me, preferably to tim@prater.uk .

If you haven't had a reply back from me in a couple of WORKING days please come back to me (the person that emailed me New Years Day with a casework peeve some years ago did get a reply that day, but my Christmas holidays have improved since!). Certainly if you've had no reply at all in 4 working days, please do check the address you sent it to and re contact me - that's not the way I roll, so something may have gone awry. Finally, although I answer to Mr Prater, Cllr and a few other names, I'd much prefer Tim!

I am planning to ensure an update from me goes through (almost) all doors in the division 3 times a year, but you can also find more regular updates from me online at http://www.prater.uk/ and https://www.facebook.com/timprater 

May 2025 Action List

Various casework over weekend 3/5/25, including checking progress on Sandgate 20mph scheme.

Contact from Frank Bolland on Saltwood Parish Council regarding attending meetings. Although there will be a regular clash with Sandgate PC meetings, committed to written reports to meetings (such as this!) and to meet Councillors at their convenience.

Also reviewed correspondence on Saltwood traffic issues from the Parish Chair, and requested a copy of the most recent HIP so I can make representations for further speed calming measures.

Having been forwarded the previous correspondence between KCC and Councillor Anita Jones and Frank Bolland, rejecting a request for limited free “pick-up” parking in Brockhill Country Park, I've made further representations to Simon Jones (Corporate Director Growth, Environment and Transport) to reconsider that decision, which he has taken back to colleagues.

Requested a meeting with Kent Highways Officers on Highways Improvement works locally, including a specific drain that needs cleaning in Dixwell Road.

Attended KCC on Tuesday 6th May for induction, signing in, DBS, etc. Listened to various chat regarding the potential new Council Leader (more below).

Attended the Folkestone Town Council AGM on Tuesday 5th (as a Folkestone Town Councillor) and witnessed the installation of the new Mayor of Folkestone Lucy McGirr, and Deputy Mayor Jacqui Meade. Briefly updated MP Tony Vaughan on progress on the Sandgate 20mph zone.

Also Attended the Folkestone Town Meeting on Tuesday 13th May, which featured extensive presentations from Kent Police, the Resilience Teams and District council Leade Jim Martin, and introductions from the three County Councillors that represent parts of the Folkestone Town Council area (my division covers Cheriton West and Harvey West Folkestone Town Council wards, as well as Sandgate Parish, Saltwood Parish, and the Hythe East wad of Hythe Town Council).

Reviewed and corrected proposed traffic parking amendments in Folkestone West, seeing the CPZ extended to additional roads around Dixwell Road and Pelham Gardens at the request / petition of local residents, but including a two hour free parking period to support patients at the surgery and visitors to residents and others locally.

Received notice of  Kent Planning Application NO: KCC/FH/0115/2024 "Regulation 3 Application for the erection of a waste transfer station, together with an enhanced site access to the A20, amenity blocks, staff and commercial vehicle parking, weighbridge and fuelling areas plus landscaping/ecology areas and SUDS” at land adjacent to Ashford Road/A20 Westenhanger, Hythe, Kent CT21 4HU https://www.kentplanningapplications.co.uk/Planning/Display/KCC/FH/0115/2024?cuuid=DAEB6588-B2AE-4B0C-A1E4-0CB490DC6A79 (sent in the first instance to Saltwood Parish Council for reaction / comment). Saltwood PC had discussed previously, and had no objection, but asked that the buildings are painted green.

Signs in Sandgate High Street and Gough Road promoted me to check the roadworks that start each week on the one.network website. There were two, for the same period of time, including traffic light running on Sandgate High Street AGAIN while Southern Water come back and try AGAIN to reinstate the road flat and without failing AGAIN (for the FIFTH time. I've had confirmation that Gough Road will be closed at the junction with Sandgate High Street and an alterative route for traffic will be maintained via Sandgate High Street and Military Road, and that Kent Highways are going to be watching these works carefully.

On 14th May, asked Kent Highways to urgently review the works by Southern Water in Sandgate High Street. They excavated (very slowly, over two days) a limited trench through maybe 25% of the area that needed repair and reinstatement, and already started refilling. I'm not a road engineer, but that seemed nowhere near the extent of the job needed, and I asked for Kent Highways to attend and check progress. Within 24 hours the entire surface of the failed area was planed by a few cm, and retarmaced the whole area, and the edges “tarred in”. Lines were then repainted, and road reopened by the weekend (16th May). Doubts remain if this is a complete enough repair, but they are away for now.

Attended various induction events on Monday 12th May in Maidstone. Discussed potential committee places with Lib Dem Group Leader Antony Hook, but those places will be put forward to the Council AGM, on which note the County Council AGM will be held on Thursday 22nd May. We expect the majority Reform UK Group will be proposing Maidstone South East Councillor Linden Kemkaran as the new Leader. Like almost all the Reform UK group, Linden has very limited local government experience, so we await to see what is brought forward as a programme by the County Council with interest.

Received notification of a KCC Planning application for Caesars Way Folkestone - S73 planning application - FH/25/222 (KCC/FH/0003/2025). The application documents can be found by clicking on the following link - Planning Register : Kent County Council I asked my Cheriton Group colleagues for the view of Folkestone Town Council and others locally before I make a response, but it seems to me that lifting the restriction on night lorry movements (which was the basis on which planning permission was originally granted in 2020) is going to be pretty unpleasant for those that live in Tile Kiln Lane and have up to 40 lorries a night going past their bedroom windows through the night. And that formed the basis of my submission.

Reported a number of potholes for repair in Hawkins Road and Langdon Road, Cheriton.

Received confirmation that the Sandgate 20mph zone has passed official consultation and can proceed! Detailed plans, on which the costing will be based (and Sandgate Parish and others will pay) are being drawn up. We remain on course for a summer installation, I hope!

Noted the cancellation of all the first 4 Kent County Council Committee meetings in June following the installation of the new Reform UK administration. Four have been cancelled so far (plus one postponed) and no Cabinet Committees have been announced. It's going to be hard for the new administration to change things, make things more efficient, reduce costs and scrutinise decisions if they never meet and make decisions.

Taken up an issue raised with me by a local resident who has been told that Blue Badge renewals by Kent County Council are taking a minimum of FOUR MONTHS to process from the time of supplying the required documents. This sounds incredible, especially as they only send our renewal notices three months in advance of the blue badge expiry date! The system pretty much GUARANTEES that people are left without a blue badge for upwards of a month - unacceptable. I'm looking into this huge delay in issuing Blue Badge renewals, fast.