in 2019, I was approached by a local resident about whether there was the possibililty of a new pedestrian crossing across Shorncliffe Road to lead to the footpath entrance to Folkestone West train station. That's a route used by hundreds of Sandgate and West Folkestone residents - school pupils, commuters and others - each day.
The Friends of Folkestone Museum present a talk by Lord Boateng on Saturday 21 March, 2pm-3.45pm in the Education Room, Folkestone Museum. The title of the talk is 'Growing up in Africa'.
Lord Paul Boateng , the former Cabinet Minister and British High Commissioner to South Africa, immediate past Chairman of the English Speaking Union, presently Chair of Book Aid International and of the International Council of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award will reflect on an African child hood with readings of prose and verse and share his views on the significance of the English language in diplomacy trade and international development. Lord Boateng who is also a Vice President of the London Library was a speaker on behalf of Book Aid International on the relevance of Books and Literature in his own childhood and career as a lawyer politician and diplomat at last years Hay Literary Festival and will be appearing again at Hay later this year. Tickets are £5 (£4 for Friends) to include refreshments. All funds are to support the Museum.
The disabled bus pass and companion pass are currently only valid from 9:30 am onwards. Last September Kent County Council unanimously approved a Liberal Democrat proposal to make the pass valid for travel in Kent before 9:30am. KCC should get the new arrangements put in place straight away.
KCC has set aside £200,000 in its proposed budget for 2020-21 to cover the additional costs. But, 5 months after agreeing to the proposal, KCC has yet to work out how best to implement the new arrangements. That's not good enough.
At the County Council budget meeting on the 13th February the Liberal Democrats will be calling on KCC to provide Kent's parish and town councils and community groups with the support needed to get electric vehicle (EV) charging points in their areas.
The Lib Dems will be asking for a ringfenced fund of £500,000 to be spread over the next two years to help fund the procurement and installation of publicly accessible charging points in car-parks owned by the parishes and local community groups.
By Rob Bird, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group at Kent County Council
The Prime Minister has announced £5 billion of new funding to overhaul bus and cycle links for every region outside London. This should result in well over £100 million being allocated to Kent. It is very welcome but much more will be needed.
Bus services outside London are in crisis, with less and less people taking the bus and consequently more and more people relying upon their cars. The vast majority of bus users are concessionary pass-holders - either young people going to school or college or 'senior citizens' who are eligible to free bus travel.
Ida Linfield presses for vital new pedestrian crossing near Canterbury school.
"I can think of nothing worse in the whole world than arranging for your child to walk safely to school with friends and then getting someone at the door saying he had been knocked down", said Ida Linfield, Lib Dem County Councillor in Canterbury.
At this Thursday's budget meeting at Kent CC Ida Linfield (Lib Dem county councillor in Canterbury) is proposing the allocation of £250,000 to fund a Befriending service to support elderly residents in Kent. The funds would be drawn from a special £3.5 million unallocated reserve which KCC are proposing for future initiatives.
Two thirds of Kent school children who are the main person looking after a sick or disabled parent may not be getting the support they need.
Lib Dem Councillor Trudy Dean will be proposing an addition of £250,000 to KCC's budget to train teachers to spot young carers, and then provide the children with the necessary support and advice they need to help them with this huge task.
