Council Services during lockdown
Check the council websites for the latest information on how the Coronovirus pandemic and the lockdown have affected Council Services
Kent County Council
KCC Trading Standards Checked
Kent County Council has launched its Trading Standards Checked scheme for businesses in the home repair and improvement sector.
Trading Standards Checked helps protect Kent residents – especially those who are more vulnerable to doorstep callers – from criminal and rogue traders. It also supports legitimate businesses by giving them trusted accreditation to show consumers that they are legitimate and trustworthy.
Traders applying to be on the scheme are checked thoroughly. KCC has access to information and systems that no other scheme in Kent has, together with highly trained, experienced staff with a range of skills developed in their work supporting KCC Trading Standards.
Mike Hill, KCC’s Cabinet Member for Community and Regulatory Services, said: “Trading Standards Checked is a trusted accreditation like no other for Kent traders.
“It will set businesses apart and give customers peace of mind when dealing with Trading Standards Checked traders. It’s also a simple, hassle free trader scheme that offers value for money and provides businesses with all the support they need to trade with confidence.”
KCC currently has two special offers for traders, which are available until 31 March.
Kent members of Checkatrade are offered free membership for the first year, and non-members of Checkatrade can benefit from an “early-bird” discount of 50%, which means a fee of £249 plus VAT for the year.
Consumer advice is available at:
https://tschecked.kent.gov.uk/consumer-advice
Information for traders at www.kent.gov.uk/tschecked
Kent County Council, 10 March 2020
https://kccmediahub.net/kccs-trading-standards-checked-scheme-launched745
Council Tax 2020/21
The main precepting authorities for residents of the Borough have announced their proposed precepts for the year commencing 6 April 2020 as shown in the table below for a Band D property:
| Authority | 19/20 | % Rise | £ Rise | 20/21 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCC | £1,299.42 | 3.99% | £51.84 | £1,351.26 |
| ABC | £162.50 | 3.08% | £5.00 | £167.50 |
| FRA | £77.76 | 1.97% | £1.53 | £79.29 |
| PCC | £193.15 | 5.18% | £10.00 | £203.15 |
| Total unparished | £1,732.83 | 3.95% | £68.37 | £1,801.20 |
The total Council Tax for each property band is shown in the table below.
| Band | Proportion Band D | % Band D | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | Rise pa | 2019/20 pm | 2020/21 pm | Rise pm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 6/9 | 67% | £1,155.22 | £1,200.80 | £45.58 | £115.52 | £120.08 | £4.56 |
| B | 7/9 | 78% | £1,347.76 | £1,400.93 | £53.18 | £134.78 | £140.09 | £5.32 |
| C | 8/9 | 89% | £1,540.29 | £1,601.07 | £60.77 | £154.03 | £160.11 | £6.08 |
| D | 9/9 | 100% | £1,732.83 | £1,801.20 | £68.37 | £173.28 | £180.12 | £6.84 |
| E | 11/9 | 122% | £2,117.90 | £2,201.47 | £83.56 | £211.79 | £220.15 | £8.36 |
| F | 13/9 | 144% | £2,502.98 | £2,601.73 | £98.76 | £250.30 | £260.17 | £9.88 |
| G | 15/9 | 167% | £2,888.05 | £3,002.00 | £113.95 | £288.81 | £300.20 | £11.40 |
| H | 18/9 | 200% | £3,465.66 | £3,602.40 | £136.74 | £346.57 | £360.24 | £13.67 |
Some authorities have yet to vote on their budgets.
References:
- Kent County Council: Our budget 2020-21 https://www.kent.gov.uk/about-the-council/finance-and-budget/our-budget
- Ashford Borough Council: Budget Consultation 2020-2021 https://www.ashford.gov.uk/transparency/expenditure/budget-consultation-2020-2021/
- Kent Fire and Rescue Service: Council Tax 2020/2021 https://www.kent.fire-uk.org/about-us/financial-information/council-tax/council-tax-2020-21/
- Kent Police and Crime Commissioner: Setting the Kent Police budget https://www.kent-pcc.gov.uk/what-we-do/setting-the-kent-police-budget/
KCC Draft 5 Year Plan
Kent County Council
Opens 6 January 2020
Closes 17 February 2020
The 5 Year Plan (Kent County Council’s [KCC] strategic statement) is their flagship strategy. It unites the council with clear outcomes and objectives.
Tell them what you think and help make Kent the best place to live, work, play, learn and invest in.
Read the video transcript.
Over the past 5 months KCC have been listening to:
- Kent residents
- young people
- businesses
- voluntary and community sector organisations
- its staff
- its partners across public services.
They have heard about what is important to quality of life in Kent and what people’s priorities are.
Based on what they have heard, they have developed a draft plan. The plan shapes what they will do, what they will prioritise spending money on and how they will work together with their partners over the next 5 years.
The plan sets out 7 draft outcomes for Kent:
Enterprise and investment
Making Kent an ambitious and successful county, with high quality jobs, skilled workers, enterprising businesses and thriving town centres and rural areas.
Securing sustainable infrastructure
As Kent grows, working with partners to put in place the infrastructure that communities need, including roads, school places and utilities.
Connected transport and communities
Keeping Kent’s roads and pavements well maintained and safe, keeping traffic flowing and improving public transport so everyone can get around the county.
A cleaner and greener Kent
Keeping our streets, towns and parks tidy and clean, protecting the green areas and coasts that make Kent so special and leading the way on tackling the climate emergency.
Stronger and safer Kent communities
Continuing to bring communities together so everyone feels involved and supported and working with partners to make sure everyone feels and stays feeling safe.
Opportunities for children and young people
Giving children the best start in life, providing effective early help when families need it and making sure every young person gets the education, skills and experiences they need for a successful future.
Quality health, care and support
Helping people to live well, working with partners to improve people’s physical and mental health and resilience and providing quality social care when people need it.
Each outcome has a set of more specific objectives that KCC will work with partners to deliver. We will also stand up for Kent’s interests with government.
Now they are keen to hear your thoughts about it so we can make changes before publishing the final version.
Tell them what you think
They recommend that you read their 5 Year Plan consultation document (PDF, 678.4 KB) before responding to the consultation questionnaire.
They’d like to hear your views on:
- how well the 7 draft outcomes reflect what is important to your quality of life
- how well the draft objectives will help them to deliver each of these outcomes.
The consultation will close on 17 February 2020.
Respond to the draft 5 Year Plan consultation questionnaire
If you can’t complete the questionnaire online, use the Word version of the questionnaire (DOCX, 175.7 KB)
Consultation documents:
- 5 Year Plan consultation document (PDF, 678.4 KB)
- 5 Year Plan easy read consultation document and questionnaire (PDF version) (PDF, 2.7 MB)
- our 5 Year Plan easy read consultation document and questionnaire (Word version) (DOCX, 10.2 MB)
- equality impact assessment (PDF, 331.3 KB).
Alternative formats
If you need any of the consultation materials in an alternative format or language please email alternativeformats@kent.gov.uk or call 03000 42 15 53 (text relay service number: 18001 03000 42 15 53). This number goes to an answering machine, which is monitored during office hours.
Doorstep Crime – Loft insulation
Kent County Council Public Protection have had reports of doorstep criminals targeting residents in the Ashford area for loft insulation work.
What happens
- Residents are cold-called
- The doorstep criminal claims to be from the Council
- The resident is offered a ‘free’ survey for loft insulation
- Once a price is mentioned by the criminal they then use pressure tactics including telling the resident their property value will decrease if they do not have the work done
What to do
- NEVER agree to work from someone who knocks on your door uninvited
- Don’t allow anyone to pressure you into having work done
- If you ask them to leave and they don’t, contact the police on 999
- Use reputable traders who are members of the KCC Trading Standards approved trader scheme, run in partnership with Checkatrade
- Get a minimum of 3 quotes in writing
Please warn vulnerable family members, friends and neighbours.
If you loft needs insulation you may be eligible for funding check the Warm Homes scheme
(more…)Council hours
We list below the hours of council services during the Christmas Period.
Ashford Borough Council
Services at the Civic Centre
| Monday 16 December | 9.00am to 5.00pm |
| Tuesday 17 December | 9.00am to 5.00pm |
| Wednesday 18 December | 9.00am to 5.00pm |
| Thursday 19 December | 9.00am to 5.00pm |
| Friday 20 December | 9.00am to 5.00pm |
| Monday 23 December | Closed |
| Tuesday 24 December | Closed |
| Wednesday 25 December | Closed |
| Thursday 26 December | Closed |
| Friday 27 December | Closed |
| Monday 30 December | 9.00am to 5.00pm |
| Tuesday 31 December | 9.00am to 5.00pm |
| Wednesday 1 January | Closed |
| Thursday 2 January | 9.00am to 5.00pm |
ABC Fast Track Desk at the Civic Centre
(for copying and scanning of documents)
| Monday 16 December | 9.00am to 4.00pm |
| Tuesday 17 December | 9.00am to 4.00pm |
| Wednesday 18 December | 9.00am to 4.00pm |
| Thursday 19 December | 9.00am to 4.00pm |
| Friday 20 December | 9.00am to 4.00pm |
| Monday 23 December | Closed |
| Tuesday 24 December | Closed |
| Wednesday 25 December | Closed |
| Thursday 26 December | Closed |
| Friday 17 December | Closed |
| Monday 30 December | 9.00am to 4.00pm |
| Tuesday 31 December | 9.00am to 4.00pm |
| Wednesday 1 December | Closed |
| Thursday 2 December | 9.00am to 4.00pm |
Kent County Council
Ashford Household Waste Recycling Centre
Monday to Saturday: 8am to 4:30pm
Sunday and bank holidays: 9am to 4pm
Closed: Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.
KCC Budget
Kent County Council (KCC) provides a huge range of essential services to the people of Kent, spending over £1.5 billion each year. The government’s settlement for next year assumes modest increases in Council Tax together with some additional grants. This will mean KCC have additional funding, however, these increases are still likely to be insufficient to fully fund the rising costs of council services.
There are some big decisions ahead and KCC would value your views before setting next year’s council budget (April 2020 to March 2021).
Give us your views on the 2020-21 budget
You can read more below about council services and spending.
(more…)Jemmett Road
In 2015 South Ashford Community Forum raised the condition of Brookfield Road and Jemmett Road at one of it’s meetings. We were told “There are jetpatching works scheduled for Brookfield Road in coming weeks and Jemmett Road has been patched in recent months. The specific roads referred to are structurally sound and therefore do not require reconstruction as suggested.”
The County Councillor commented that Brookfield Road is the priority due to the sheer traffic volume which includes heavy vehicles. To ensure a more permanent solution the concrete slabs need to be taken out and new surface laid down. The patching work at Jemmett road is not to satisfactory standards.
We pointed out that when Ashford College move out of their site in Jemmett Road, the demolition and construction works on the site could potentially damage Jemmett Road.
At the time we photographed the defects in Jemmett Road.
As the works on the college site are now well advanced we have raised the issue again with the current County Councillor and carried out a further photographic survey. The photographs have been plotted on a Google Map which can be viewed at https://drive.google.com/open?id=1MNtG_QOD6T7E_Huinyni6yierYk
- Photographs taken in 2019 are shown by red markers
- Those taken in 2015 are shown by blue markers
- Green markers have similar photographs taken in 2019 and 2015
The photographs show a severe deterioration in the general condition of the road and that repairs undertaken in or before 2015 are themselves beginning to fail.
Kent and Medway Energy and Low Emissions Strategy
Kent County Council
Opens: 02 July 2019
Closes: 23 Sep 2019
Kent and Medway are growing. By 2031 it is anticipated that there will be almost 180,000 new homes and nearly 400,000 extra people, a 24% increase from 2011 levels. The local economy is expected to continue to expand, creating an additional 170,300 jobs by 2031, a 21% increase from 2011 levels, in line with forecast population growth.
Growth, if clean, is a significant opportunity for Kent and Medway. Measures to tackle poor air quality and lower emissions will have multiple benefits. For instance, promoting active travel especially walking and cycling improves health and reduces congestion; and supporting a switch to more efficient, low carbon energy use creates jobs and new market opportunities.
By tackling poor air quality, energy and carbon constraints in parallel, and by working closely across the public sector, business and communities to scale up action, we can protect health, the environment and be a significant player in the low carbon environmental goods and services sector both in the UK and internationally.
The Kent and Medway Energy and Low Emissions Strategy (ELES) is a sub strategy of the Kent Environment Strategy. Its purpose is to identify an evidence-based approach to deliver clean growth. This includes strategies and actions to reduce carbon emissions, eliminate poor air quality, reduce fuel poverty and deliver an affordable, clean and secure energy supply.
Documents
Links to documents on KCC web site.
- Kent & Medway Energy and Low Emissions Strategy – Consultation Document
- Kent & Medway Energy and Low Emissions Strategy Consultation Document (Word version)
- Evidence Base
- Evidence Base (Word version)
- Equality Impact Assessment (PDF Version)
- Equality Impact Assessment (Word Version)
- Consultation Questionnaire (Word Version)
The consultation questionnaire should be completed online via the ‘Respond to this Consultation’ section below. Alternatively complete this Word version and return by post or e-mail. - Copy of Postcard
- Copy of Poster
Respond
Links
Details
| Consulting Organisation Type | Kent County Council |
|---|---|
| Consulting Organisation Name | Kent County Council |
| District / Borough areas affected by the consultation | Ashford Canterbury Dartford Dover Gravesham Maidstone Medway Sevenoaks Shepway Swale Thanet Tonbridge & Malling Tunbridge Wells |
| Consultation Topic | General interest Environment and countryside |
| Consultation Methods | Online survey / questionnaire / forms Other survey / questionnaire / forms |
| Contact Details | Please email: KES@kent.gov.uk |
Kent County Council
https://consultations.kent.gov.uk/consult.ti/energyandlowemissionconsultation/consultationHome
Op Brock in place next week
From next week, Operation Brock will be available as a tool for managing disruption in Kent. Operation Brock queues lorries bound for mainland Europe on the coastbound M20 and uses a contraflow on the London-bound carriageway to enable other traffic to travel in both directions.
Under the new arrangements, in addition to the M20 contraflow lorries can be routed to Manston Airfield and, if needed, the M26 motorway can be closed and used to queue HGVs too.
The M20 contraflow is planned to be in place by 6am on Monday 25 March, and there will be roadworks on the M20 and M26 over the weekend and into next week as the final preparations and adjustments are made.
Drivers are advised that sections of the M20 will be closed this weekend for the final work to take place, signed diversions will be in place. From Monday drivers will need to follow the different layout on the M20 from just north of Junction 8 (for Leeds) to Junction 9 (Ashford).
The M20 will be closed overnight (8pm – 6am) each night until Monday morning between Junction 7 (for Maidstone) and Junction 9. Overnight closures may also be required on this section next week if there is remaining work to complete. For the preparations for the M26, there will also be overnight closures on the weekends of the 23 and 30 March.
What is Operation Brock?
Operation Brock is a set of measures to keep the M20 open in both directions between junctions 8 and 9 in the event of disruption to services across the English Channel, by using different holding areas.
The queuing system only applies to lorries heading to mainland Europe from Kent. All other drivers should check conditions before setting out and, if they’re crossing the channel, check with their service operator for updates.
Phase 1 – In the event of excessive disruption to services across the English Channel, improved holding capacity in the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel, as well as on the A20 approach to the port (Dover TAP), would be used.
Phase 2 – If phase 1 capacity is reached, we will start queuing Europe bound lorries that are 7.5 tonnes and over on the coast bound section of the M20 between junction 8 and 9 with cars and other vehicles using a contraflow on the London-bound carriageway.
Phase 3 – If phase 2 becomes full, lorries heading for Port of Dover will be directed to Manston Airfield, while the M20 is used to hold traffic for Eurotunnel. Traffic lights on the A256 after Manston Airfield will help to manage traffic arriving at the port.
Phase 4 – If the M20 holding area and Manston becomes full, the M26 could be used to hold additional lorries heading for Eurotunnel.
Highways England: Operation Brock: ready for action 22 March 2019
www.gov.uk/government/news/operation-brock-ready-for-action
Highways England: Operation Brock
highwaysengland.co.uk/OperationBrock/
For information on driving when operation Brock is in place refer to the Highways England page about Operation Brock highwaysengland.co.uk/OperationBrock/
Other ‘Brexit’ preparedness information:
- HM Government:
euexit.campaign.gov.uk/ - Kent Resilience Forum:
www.kentprepared.org.uk/page1.aspx?p=15&t=3 - Kent County Council
www.kent.gov.uk/about-the-council/britain-leaving-the-european-union - Ashford Borough Council
www.ashford.gov.uk/business/brexit-guidance/