News

re: Just what is going on? 

I can shed some light on Folkestone Town Council's apparent £350,000 loan to Shepway District Council. It is not as exciting as Colin Tearle suspects - it is a simple accounting tool.

Folkestone Town Council (FTC) piggy-backs on Shepway District Council's investment scheme, which is primarily held with Investec. The greater size of the investment enables us to obtain a better rate of return on the unspent portions of Council Taxpayers' money. It has proved a very good decision, with FTC's investment income outstripping the budgeted figure by some margin.

The £350,000 fluctuates quite widely, as it is made up of two main components. One is reserves brought forward from previous years (this is sub-divided into various different reserve accounts). The other element is the year's precept receipts, which the Town Council receives quarterly. Our spending does not normally fall at the same time as we receive the money, so there will be times when a significant sum of money is sitting in our accounts pending payment. It makes sense to invest this in the way which will provide the best return, rather than leaving it to fester in a bank account.

As the £350,000 is in Shepway's investment account, it appears as an asset on their balance sheet. Clearly, it is not their money, so a balancing item must be placed as a liability. The loan referred to is that balancing item. The two figures cancel each other out to present a true picture of Shepway's net assets.

I hope that clarifies the position. If not, I would be happy to further explain the situation.

Cllr Dan Hassett

Folkestone Morehall (Conservative)

Chairman, Finance & General Purposes Committee of Folkestone Town Council.

OPEN MEETING

Cinque Ports Aikivo Club - there will be a short demonstration by junior members about plans for a Martial Arts Centre. 

The Chairman will take questions from parishioners. The number of speakers will be limited to five (time limit 3 minutes). 


A G E N D A

1 Apologies 


2 Declarations of Interest

Councillors should disclose personal or prejudicial interest/s in any item/s on this agenda. Councillors with a personal interest must describe and give details of the interest. Unless the personal interest amounts to a prejudicial interest, he/she may participate fully in the meeting. A prejudicial interest is one in which a member of the public, with knowledge of the relevant facts, would reasonably regard as so significant that it is likely to prejudice a Councillor’s judgement of the public interest. Anyone with a prejudicial interest must, unless an exception applies or a dispensation has been issued, withdraw from the meeting room. Whenever possible, and if in doubt, advice should be sought from the Clerk prior to the meeting. 


3 Minutes

To confirm and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 14th February 2007 (already circulated).

4 Matters arising out of the Minutes

(a) Sub Station outside 85 Canterbury Road [min.402]
Reply from Wayleave Surveyor, EDF Energy dated 5th March (enc.) 


5 Reports

(a) Community Liaison – Cllr. Brisley

(b) Planning and Development – Cllr. Trice

(c) Public Rights of Way – Cllr. Punnett

(d) Finance – Cllr. Callahan 


6 Other Bodies

(a) Neighbourhood Management Partnership – Cllr. Hodgson

(b) Community Centre – Cllr. Hodgson

(c) Village Hall – Cllr. Brisley

(d) Sports Association – Cllr. Trice 


7 Hawkinge Community Centre – Business Plan

(i) To comment on the Business Plan received at the meeting 14th February.

(ii) Interim Support Consultancy: to agree HNP proposals for support (enc.) 


8 Projects Group

(a) Minutes of a meeting held on 2nd March 2007 (enc.)

(b) The Football Project – Cllr. Trice 

(c) Management of the ground – Cllr. Hodgson

(d) Multi Sport Complex 


9 Sport and Activity Workshop Day – Cllr. Trice 


10 Village Hall Car Park 

(i) Mr Holley, Property Manager, SDC - request for a decision regarding proposals for the extension of the cycle/footpath through the car park that was received by the Council on 14th March but no decision was taken.

(ii) Hawkinge Partnership proposal for survey and conditions (enc.) 


11 Finance

(a) Clerk to report. 

(b) Litter bins – HNP have advised that two old litterbins are available cost £100 

each - cost for emptying £300 p.a. each [min. 419]

(c) KAPC membership 2007/08 – invitation from KAPC enclosed

(d) Payments

To approve payment of the accounts presented at the meeting (list enc.) 


Any queries regarding accounts must be raised with the Clerk before the meeting 


12 Hawkinge Parish Council - Employees

(a) Appointment of a new Clerk 

Mrs V. Wiles has accepted the Council’s offer [min. 425]

(b) Kent County Council Superannuation Contribution

The Council is asked to note that a public notice will be displayed in the Parish for 28 days in accordance with regulations, giving notice that at its meeting on 11 April 2007 the Parish Council intends to pass a resolution to the effect that it will make proper contributions to the Local Government Superannuation Scheme administered by Kent County Council in respect of the new Clerk to the Council upon her commencement in the post.

(c) Office Accommodation at Partnership Community Office

A copy of the Contract between PC and SDC for the use of office accommodation is enclosed [min. 379 Extraordinary meeting 15th November 2006] 


13 Web Site 

Cllr. Avery – publication of Council draft minutes on the web site. 


14 Correspondence

(a) Dept. of Communities & Local Government: consultation on amendments to the 

Model Code of Conduct for Local Authority members (enc.) the whole document can be seen on www.communities.gov.uk

(b) Hawkinge Environmental Group (HEdGe)

Allan Rogers, requests that the Council attend the launch of HEdGe on Sat. 24th

March at 2 pm in the Community Centre (copy of ‘e’ mail enc.)

(c) Grass Cutting in the Village 

Harmer Landscapes request opportunity to provide an estimate (enc.)

(d) Drug and Alcohol Intervention Support Programme

Kenward Trust request for donation (enc.) 

(e) Regional Housing Strategy Review – draft for consultation (21 pages)

(f) Shepway Committee, CPRE – membership (enc.) 


15 Plans

List of planning applications received since the last meeting enclosed 


Please contact Cllr. Trice if you would like to view the plans before the meeting 


16 CONFIDENTIAL MATTERS

To resolve that because publicity would be prejudicial to the public interest by 

Reason of the confidential nature of business to be transacted the public (including the Press) be excluded from the meeting pursuant to the provision of sub section 100 & 102 of the Local Government Act, 1972. 


17 Clerk to Council

Chairman and Cllr. Avery to report on handover arrangements discussed with Mrs Wiles and Mrs Hardy on 1st March. 

Contract of Employment: Retirement Benefits Schemes - ex-gratia payment 


18 Any matters referred to the confidential section during the meeting.

I have given news on this before when our Support Officer was spotted getting out of a car which was stopped in the bus stop.

Well, the latest on this unhappy saga is that today (12th March) at approximately 10:50, a car and a van were parked in the bus stop. The van was so badly parked that the bus could only stop in the road and this blocked traffic in both directions for one person to be let down.

Why is this significant? Well, our support officer was just outside the Hawkinge Partnership Office where bus, van and car were all in plain site. She did nothing about this and walked away.

Lazarus

Editor's note: Without coming down on anyone's side, I don't think our community warden has any jurisdiction over car parking, which as I understand is the responsibility of Shepway District Council . It was after all the two motorists who thought the parking restrictions didn't apply to them.  But look on the bright side Lazarus, fingers crossed in a couple of weeks time when the new link road is completed, there will be a lot fewer vehicles using Canterbury Road and any haphazard parking could have little effect on traffic flows.

Dear Editor,

What is the true nature of Shepway District Council's finances after spending nearly £2m on the refuse and re-cycling fiasco (mainly on a fleet of trucks that did not work), and on consultants and various fees for two sports centres that have failed to materialise?

The reason I ask is that I have just come across council report No.C/06/119 which states that Shepway have borrowed £350,000 from Folkestone Town Council.

Can someone tell me just what is going on?

Colin Tearle
Shepway Independents

Dear Ed,

Re: Fat Cats laughing all the way to the bank

I disagree with Algernon. Managers who do the job properly and discharge their responsibilities fully are worth the money. 

It is those who vacillate their duties and responsibilities, and seem to wear incompetence like a badge of honour, yet still claim their salary.

They are the ones who need to be named and shamed.

Lazarus

The Shepway sports centres' project has failed to cut the mustard with the Government who have finally pulled the plug on the PFI credit of almost £10m.

Shepway Council have been formally notified that the £9.8 million PFI credit for new sports centres in Folkestone and Hythe has been withdrawn. It is understood over £1 million in consultancy fees has been poured into the project, money now wasted after the rejection of the project by the Government as "unaffordable".

Councillor Neil Matthews has been a strong supporter of the Sports Centre project, and is disgusted by the news. He said: "It's shameful that due to the mismanagement of this project by Tory run Shepway Council, Folkestone and Hythe will lose these much needed sports facilities. Over £1 million of public money for preparation work has now gone down the drain. How are they to justify this?"

The damning full letter text to Alistair Stewart, Chief Executive of Shepway Council dated 7 March from Cathy Page, Head of Private Finance at the Lottery, Communities and International Division reads: "Thank you for your letter of 1 March following our meeting of 19 February. At that meeting it was established that the project as presented in the OBC submitted to DCMS on 31 January was not affordable and that there were still unresolved deliverability issues.

"DCMS gave a period of 10 days for the Council to come back to the Department with suggestions on how the outstanding issues might be resolved. No suggestions have been forthcoming; the project remains unaffordable and there are no signs that the key issues related to the Heads of Terms will be resolved.

"Therefore, it is with regret that DCMS formally withdraw the allocation of £9.821 million PFI credit with immediate effect.

"We understand that this is disappointing but DCMS must ensure that projects allocated PFI credit can deliver an affordable and viable project, meeting HMT criteria.

"May I wish you all success with taking forward any future plans for sport and leisure facilities on Folkestone and Hythe."

Dear Ed,

So we are back to the days of 'Fat Cats' in the public service.

It is nothing short of obscene, no public servant is worth more then £50,000 a year, if these jobs were advertised for that amount we would be inundated with applicants more then capable of doing the job.

They must not only be laughing all the way to the bank, but also at the general public for being so stupid as to sit and take this!

Some may say that the vastly over-inflated 'wage' reflects the responsibility of the position they hold, were that to be true, when did anyone ever hear of a public servant or a boss of a top national company (or country) for that matter ever accept responsibility when something goes wrong? 

We no doubt will hear many of the County council minions standing up for there bosses, but this is only a ruse to hide their own over inflated wages as well. 

Next time your council tax drops through door, at the end of the month as it happens, bear that in mind. You might also want to bear in mind the disgraceful conditions of schools throughout the county, lack of Police on the streets, lack of funding for old folks homes, and care for the disabled, social services etc 

So next time you're driving over a pothole in the road, or walking down a street with no lighting in the wet and rain with no Police presence, tripping over uncollected rubbish, remember the 'Fat Cat' that is allegedly responsible is probably sunning himself at your expense in sunnier climes.

Road improvements to help prevent vehicles crashing on a motorway exit near Folkestone will start on 12 March.

Kent Highway Services will be carrying out changes to highlight the bend on the westbound exit of the A20 Ashford Road from the M20 Junction 12 roundabout. This includes realigning kerbs, extending the island used to split two lanes of traffic and adding chevron signs. It is expected to take four weeks to complete the work.

Existing road marking between the lanes will also be coloured red to heighten driver awareness.

The work is being done because there have been a number of crashes where drivers have misjudged the road alignment as they came off the roundabout. The changes will encourage drivers to reduce their speed and make the road alignment clearer.

The westbound A20 will be closed between 8am and 5pm weekdays while the work is carried out. Traffic will be directed to use the M20 and rejoin the A20 at Junction 11 and there will be a diversion on the A259 for non-motorway vehicles.

Some extra maintenance work will be done towards the end of March on the anti-skid surfacing on the approach and exit to the roundabout, but this will be done after dark for three evenings to minimise disruption.

KCC chief executive Peter Gilroy topped the list of best paid council bosses for 2005/6 when it was revealed he earns £229,999 a year or £4,423 a week. Prime Minister Tony Blair's salary is just £186,429. 

The figures also showed KCC’s director of education and libraries, Graham Badman, also earns more than the Prime Minister with a salary of £189,999; more than most other chief executives on councils anywhere else in Britain.

The Taxpayers Alliance gained the “fat-cat” figures through the Freedom of Information Act.

The campaigners claim council tax increases have been used to fund around 600 "fat cat" officials who each earned more than £100,000 last year.

The Conservative Kent County Council leader Paul Carter mounted a strong defence of the amounts paid to Mr Gilroy and Mr Badman.

"Kent County Council is a massive organisation with massive responsibility. I think that quite rightly Kent needs to attract the very best people to run and be responsible for services," he said.

"Mr Gilroy had proved his worth by taking Kent to the top of the council league tables, with the council being recently named as one of the best-performing in the country," he added.

But just last week the council faced widespread criticism after allegedly spending at least £90,000 on a failed US charter flight plan out of Manston Airport.

It was reported on the kentnews.co.uk website that this came just two years after the council backed EUjet, an airline which said it would fly European services out of the same airport, and handed over £100,000 of public money to the Irish company that went bust within weeks.

Dear Ed,

The following information was taken from the Kent Messenger dated March 1st.

For those wishing to learn more about standing for the Parish Council, Shepway District Council have organised presentations on how to apply. 

These are as follows:

Lyminge Village hall - Tuesday March 6th 7.00pm
Civic Centre, Castle Hill, Folkestone March 14th 7.00pm

More information is available by ringing 01303 853315

David Godfrey