Folkestone Marks & Spencer is to close because the company says the branch is not commercially viable. A period of consultation is under way before the staff in the Folkestone store are offered other local jobs.
The Liberal Democrats will be offering fresh choices to voters with pledges to cut crime and scrap the council tax, said Sir Menzies Campbell as he launched the Lib Dems 2006 local election campaign.
Folkestone and Dover Water have introduced a hosepipe ban for domestic customers starting from today. The restrictions follow two successive dry winter periods in the South East.
Thank You! On 23rd March, our win in the Cheriton by-election was down to the hard work, and support of members from across Shepway - it's as simple as that. Every member who helped deliver, spoke to voters, sat on a polling station or made a donation helped make our win possible. And Maureen, Tom, Peter, Darren, Miranda and Season - you were awesome.
The ID cards bill is now on the statute book after receiving Royal Assent from the Queen. The new Identity and Passport Service (IPS), which will be in charge of managing the ID cards scheme, becomes operational today.
Residents in Roman Way were devastated yesterday when the owner of the allotment site on Roman Way "cleared" the allotments and removed fences to the site effectively allowing free access to the area. Piles of spoil have also been left on the site, by the boundary fence to the railway cutting which directly by the allotments.
Home Secretary Charles Clarke has announced that Kent should have its own strategic police force and will not have to merge with neighbouring counties to create a south eastern 'super force'.
The Lib Dems have swept to victory in the Cheriton by-election for Folkestone Town Council this evening, with over 200 votes more than the Conservatives who came second. The result in full was:
The by-election to elect a new Town Councillor for Cheriton is taking place tomorrow. The polls are open from 8am - 9pm. All the signs are that the result will be a close finish between the Conservative candidate and Lib Dem Tim Prater.
Shepway Lib Dem Party Chairman Tim Prater has written to the Head of the Labour Local Government Unit to ask her views on Folkestone and Hythe's Labour Party's recent attack on Folkestone Town Council.
The Cheriton by-election on 23 March will be amongst the last ever held under current local election polling hours (8am-9pm). Parliament has voted to extend local election polling hours to be the same as those for general elections - 7am to 10pm.
Tim Prater has thanked Cheriton residents for their support of the "Truck Off" campaign to reduce lorry parking on Cheriton High Street opposite Tesco's. The campaign has been running for 2 weeks, and already there has been a significant reduction in lorry parking in the layby.