Tim has lived and worked in Sandgate (on Sandgate High Street) since 2004.
A trustee of the Sandgate Heritage Trust, Secretary of the Sandgate Members Club, Treasurer and Trustee of the Chichester Memorial Hall, former Trustee of the Gurkha Memorial Fund and former Governor of St Martin's School, and current Sandgate Speedwatch volunteer, Tim knows and works for the area!
Tim is honoured and delighted to have been elected as:
In May 2025 Tim won the Kent County Council seat from the Conservatives. He was the only non-Reform Councillor elected that day anywhere in Folkestone & Hythe, Dover & Deal, Ashford or Thanet.
In May 2023 Tim was re-elected to all the above town and district seats for four more years. At the District Council AGM on 24th May 2023, he became Deputy Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance and Governance.
Previously, Tim has served on Folkestone Town Councillor for Cheriton from 2006-2011, and Shepway District Councillor for Cheriton from 2007-2011, Kent County Councillor for Folkestone West from 2009-2013. He has sat on Sandgate Parish Council for Sandgate Village since 2011, was the Vice Chair of Sandgate Parish Council from 2018-2020 and Chair from 2020 to date.
Contact Tim by email to tim@prater.uk, call 07956 276118 or write to 98a Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY. As a District Councillor he runs monthly surgeries at the 1st Sandgate Farmers and Makers Market of every month at the Chichester Hall, 70 Sandgate High Street from 11am-12.30pm (and has each month since election in 2019). No appointment needed: just turn up.
New figures from Shepway Council are showing that the new parking charges at the Sandgate Castle Road car park - introduced by Shepway in August 2009 - are continuing to decline as predicted by local residents.
It's easy - and understandable - for the recent decision on Dungeness to be seen as a hammer blow to the Marsh economy. The decision to provisionally exclude Dungeness from the list of 10 sites being considered for new Nuclear build seems to put at threat the potential of 600 local jobs - maybe more. Of course we want those jobs locally, and Dungeness has a long and proud association with the safe generation of nuclear power.
Sandgate is to get its own regular farmers market starting in December 2010. The new event will be held from 10am to noon approximately every other Saturday at the Chichester Village Hall on Sandgate High Street, and potential stall holders are welcomed.
Folkestone West Councillor Tim Prater took matters into his own hands on Thursday when alerted to a litter problem in Coolinge Lane, Sandgate and cleared litter himself in a "10 minute litter pick". In the time, Tim collected handfuls of rubbish including bottles, fast food wrappers and a 2 metre length of Stagecoach bus ticket!
A new scheme to allow local residents decide which projects they want to see backed with County grants will be launched in Folkestone this Saturday by Lib Dem Tim Prater. County Councillor Tim Prater is the first in Folkestone to give power direct to local residents to decide on which projects they want to see backed with £15,000 of grant funding.
Sandgate residents and Sandgate Parish Councillors are working with local PSCO Mark Wilson on special "Speedwatch" sessions in Sandgate to alert drivers to their speed. The Speedwatch teams use a speed indicator device jointly owned with Folkestone Town Council which displays the speed of approaching vehicles. Sessions last around 2 hours, and volunteers to run the sessions are needed - full training can be given.
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Tim's Council Record of Service
| Council | Seat | Dates | Years |
| Kent County Council | Folkestone West | 2009-2013 | 4 |
| Kent County Council | Cheriton, Sandgate and Hythe East | 2025- | |
| Shepway District Council | Cheriton | 2007-2011 | 4 |
| Folkestone and Hythe District Council | Sandgate & West Folkestone | 2019- | 6 |
| Sandgate Parish Council | Sandgate Village | 2011- | 14 |
| Folkestone Town Council | Cheriton | 2006-2011 | 5 |
| Folkestone Town Council | Folkestone Harvey West | 2019- | 6 |
| Hythe Town Council | Hythe East | 2019- | 6 |
| 45 |
