The Transport Advisory Group (TAG) of Sandgate Parish Council has recently been discussing traffic issues on the A259 through Sandgate Village. In particular there have been concerns about Sandgate Hill at the junction with Coolinge Lane and Radnor Cliff Crescent. The concerns are magnified when parents and children are trying to get to and from school.
Kent Highways offer an on-line Highways fault and enquiry tracking service at http://www.kent.gov.uk/KHSFaults/ - by using the supplied reference number, you can now track the progress of faults and repairs online.
What is becoming increasingly clear with Shepway's Tories is their intention to keep democracy in the dark. Because of an inability to defend their actions through honest debate they have now stooped to the level of silencing criticism of any sort by whatever possible means.
Shepway Council Chief Executive has announced a new delay to the planned Shepway Council planning meeting to debate the proposed expansion of Lydd Ashford Airport. In a statement emailed to members, Alistair Stewart said:
Kent Highway Services are going to undertake some essential maintenance work on The Leas between Clifton Gardens and West Terrace (Monument House). The work will involve planing off the old surface to a depth of 40mm along the parking side and 100mm along the main running lane, where the base course will be replaced the same night. Once this has all been completed, a new surface course will be applied over the whole area which will be followed by the replacement of all of the road markings.
DEFRA have confirmed that Sandgate, near Folkestone, has met the most stringent Guideline standards in testing of water quality over the past year, with one of the cleanest beaches on the Kent channel coast.
Remember the MPs' expenses scandal of duck houses, moats and mattresses? The public outrage has diminished since our MPs disappeared on their summer holidays. But MPs who do not wish to derail the gravy train hope that time will be a good healer and the public will forget. This long wait for MPs to sort out their own scandal should be finalised as soon as possible. Sir Christopher Kelly, Chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, attacked MPs for allowing themselves to scrutinise their own expenses. His first thoughts were, quiet rightly, that even if they did, it would not command full public confidence. There should be no doubt that Sir Christopher's expenses review should be accepted, in full.
Southeastern have reinstated direct peak time trains during peak hours from Folkestone to Charing Cross following a Lib Dem motion to Shepway Council calling for urgent lobbying to protect those direct train services to Charing Cross from Folkestone.
Every week people talk to me about health care and the NHS. The NHS is one of our most cherished institutions but its future is not in the hands of the people it is there to serve. Its future is at the mercy of the changing whims of politicians and unaccountable managers. Patients should come first and local people know what they need for their area. Having centrally imposed targets placed on doctors or hospitals has put the patients' needs in second place. Responsibility and accountability needs to rest with a Local Board - answerable to us through elections.
Everyone employed in the public sector - including Shepway's army of hard-working teachers, care assistants, librarians and social workers - is being asked to say where they think taxpayers' money can be saved.
Hythe Lib Dems have invoked little used council rules to stop the Council's final planning decision on the Hythe Imperial development being made in a sub-committee of the council. Cllr Darren Briddock has used a veto to force the final council decision to be made at the next meeting of Hythe Town Council instead of in a planning sub committee.
Local photographer Dan Desborough has produced a YouTube video showcasing Folkestone through his evocative photography, which can be seen at www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKuxGWkF1Jc
