News

.... a weekly column from Michael Howard MP 

14 June 2007

Last Friday I held my regular meetings with Superintendent Steve Harris and Inspector Luke Dodson of South Kent Police and Robert Bliss and Alistair Stewart the Leader and Chief Executive of Shepway District Council.

 

The welcome news from the police is that we can expect to see a growing number of Police Support Officers in Shepway. While I have always been clear that PSO’s are no substitute for properly trained police officers they can make a significant contribution to the maintenance of law and order. So the news that we are to get more of them is good news.

I raised a number of issues when I went to the Council. Earlier on Friday I had visited Discover Folkestone where Ted Kirkham and John Barber had left me in no doubt that they need Council support in order to continue. I am under no illusions about the financial constraints the Council is under. Council taxpayers could not afford the kind of increase that would follow if all those who wanted to get money from the Council were given it. But it was agreed that Discover Folkestone’s case would be carefully considered.

One of the other issues I raised was the way in which the Council deals with events put on by the voluntary sector. Again to a large effect, the Council’s hands are tied by the explosion of red tape and regulation that has come out of central government over the last few years. But I was assured that firm instructions would go out to the Council’s officers to ensure that these rules would be interpreted as sympathetically as possible and that as much help would be given to the voluntary sector as could be.

I also fitted in a visit to the University Centre, Folkestone. This venture, a partnership between Canterbury Christ Church and the University of Greenwich, is very exciting indeed. It is hoped that some 80 students would start tin the Autumn in buildings which provide a first class learning environment. This, of course, is one of the many developments we owe to the initiative and generosity of Roger de Haan.

On Saturday, between my advice centres at Lydd and New Romney, I managed to fit in a visit to the RSPB bird sanctuary at Dungeness. Nearly 30,000 people a year visit it and it is truly a very special place. We are fortunate to have it in on our doorstep.