Kent County Council

Kent Police have confirmed that a shop has been visited following concerns raised with the local beat officer in Milton Regis.

Kent County Council (KCC) has today (Thursday 4th July) issued a Statement regarding the recent traffic problems in Sittingbourne and the Isle Of Sheppey following the closure of the Kingsferry Bridge and the continuing work at the Grovehurst/Iwade junction of the A249.

A KCC spokesperson told SFM News: “We understand how frustrated people living and working in the area feel about the severe traffic delays they have experienced this week while work continues on three major road schemes near Sittingbourne and the Isle of Sheppey.

Swale Borough Council have raised concerns about Kent County Council (KCC) proposals to change youth services across the borough. 

The council has written to Kent’s Cabinet Member for Communities and Regulatory Services, Cllr Clair Bell, to set out its opposition to cut externally commissioned youth services, as part of proposals to create new family hubs to support children and families. 

The leader of Swale Borough Council and the chair of the council's Environment Committee have raised concerns about the potential borough-wide impact of the closure of the Faversham Household Waste and Recycling Centre (HWRC).

Kent County Council have proposed three options for saving £1.5m from their HWRC’s and every one of those options includes the closure of Faversham HWRC. Two of the three options would also see Sheerness HWRC close for two days a week.

A programme to support people struggling to feed their families and pay their bills has reopened across the borough.

Swale Borough Council has received more than £500,000 from Kent County Council’s (KCC) Household Support Fund to help households access food boxes, get vouchers to pay their electric, gas and water bills, and buy items needed to keep warm until March 2024.

The money is being used to support organisations within the local community who have been on the ground helping people navigate the cost-of-living crisis.

A day of enforcement action to combat the incorrect and fraudulent use of Blue Badges has been carried out in Swale.

Kent County Council’s Counter Fraud team joined Swale Borough Council’s Parking team as they visited several streets and car parks last Thursday (4th August) to check that the badges were being used by the authorised person and in the correct way.

Families in Sittingbourne will find out today (Tuesday 19th April) which primary schools their children have been offered to join in September 2022, with nine out of ten being offered their first preference.

The parents and carers of 17,592 children who applied for a place at a Kent school will receive their offers via email or online. Of the 17,175 Kent applicants, 16,787 (97.74%) will receive one of their three named schools and 15,486 (90.07%) will be offered their first preference.

Kent County Council (KCC) are proposing to make savings by reducing the money they spend on providing some bus services that private bus companies cannot afford to run, and which are no longer cost effective.

Kent County Council (KCC) have confirmed that they are planning to allocate £3 million to "temporarily" enlarge three secondary schools in Sittingbourne, to accomodate extra pupils, from next September (2022) and the following year.

KCC say they have identified the need for extra secondary places schools at Westlands, The Sittingbourne School and Fulston Manor because new housing developments are boosting the borough of Swale's population, saying there is a need for "swift action" as they forsee" a shortfall" of 176 spaces for Year 7 starters in September 2023.

Here are the results from the local Kent County Council Elections here in Sittingbourne:-

SWALE EAST:
Turnout: 42.5%

RICH LEHMANN (Green): 3,067
CHARLOTTE WHITNEY-BROWN (Conservative): 2,443
FRANCES REHAL (Labour): 420

SWALE WEST:
Turnout: 31.9%

MIKE BALDOCK (Swale Independents): 3,018
MIKE WHITING (Conservative): 2,367