Agenda for Leader's Q&A session on Wednesday, 29th July, 2020, 4.00 pm

Agenda and draft minutes

Venue: Zoom - to be streamed live to Youtube.

Items
No. Item

1.

Questions from the public

The session for public questions will be limited to 30 minutes.

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Public questions:

 

1.      From Mr and Mrs R and E Jarvis to Councillor Monk, Leader of the Council

 

The town public toilets - Folkestone and Hythe have closed this vital human need. Could these places please consider a coin or card operated "tardis" style that self-clean once used?

 

          Car parks have a mobile phone or "app" payment:

          Guildhall Street.  Tontine Street. The Leas West End.  Harbour/Sunny sands?

 

          ANSWER

 

Thank you Mr and Mrs Jarvis for your question. I will answer this question in Councillor Peall’s absence.

 

The toilets in the district were only closed following government guidance to protect the health of our residents during the Covid-19 lock down period. As soon as we were able the toilets were reopened with extra staff and an enhanced cleaning regime.

 

With regards to card operated self-cleaning toilets, we are not aware of anywhere in the UK where these are available. I am sure they would require a significant capital investment and more importantly the council believes that all of our toilets should be free for our residents and visitors.

 

2.      From Mr Peter Rogers to Councillor Godfrey, Cabinet Member for Housing, Transport and Special Projects

 

It has been highlighted by the council that it is very difficult, if not impossible, to enforce the 2 hour parking restrictions on Radnor Cliff and Radnor Crescent.
 
               1.            Why should the residents pay for a permit?
               2.            The Council should repay ALL the payments to the residents since the scheme was introduced.




ANSWER:

Thank you Mr Rogers for your question.

The 2 hour waiting restrictions in Radnor Cliff and Radnor Cliff Crescent are being enforced daily by officers. Our records show from the 1st June- 16th July this year, 1098 non-permit holder vehicles have been logged. The vast majority of vehicles logged were in compliance of the waiting restriction. Only 26 penalty charge notices were issued during this period.

The expectation of many residents is that immediate enforcement action is taken on vehicles deemed to belong to non-permit holders. This is not possible as by definition, parking is allowed for two hours plus an additional 10 minutes stipulated in the regulations. Officers must have logged the vehicles, and then return after 2 hours and 10 minutes before a penalty charge can be issued. Due to the increasing number of vehicles in the area that officers have to deal with, it is perfectly possible for a vehicle to have already been parked for a length of time before it is logged.

In residential areas where demand for parking is high, and swift enforcement action is required, ‘permit holders only’ parking is usually recommended. However the result of the recent consultation relating to Radnor Cliff and Cliff Crescent determined that the majority of the residents are not supportive of a ‘permit holders only’ scheme, and they are happy to keep this 2 hour limit. Officers will continue to patrol and enforce the 2 hour limit as best as possible.

3. From Ms C Abbott to Councillor ... view the full minutes text for item 1.

2.

Questions from Councillors

The session for Councillor questions will be limited to 45 minutes.

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Councillor questions

 

1.     From Councillor Meyers to Councillor Monk, Leader of the Council

 

       Will this council support the calls for a statue to be erected in the honour & memory of Dame Vera Lynn, preferably on the white cliffs of Dover and hopefully on or close to the Battle of Britain memorial?

 

       ANSWER:

 

       Thank you for your question.

 

       The council would support the principle of the Dame Vera Lynn statue being erected but it is a matter for Dover District Council to decide as her association is more strongly aligned with Dover and the locations mentioned above sit within Dover district ownership.

 

       SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTION:

 

Would the council be prepared to support the cost of such a call with an appropriately budgeted sum?

 

       ANSWER:

      

I cannot answer directly for the Council, it would be a council decision, but I hope they would.

 

2.     From Councillor Treloar to Councillor Mrs Hollingsbee, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Communities

 

       In a month where the Folkestone Pride march would have otherwise taken place, will you as leader, on behalf of the district council, please provide a statement of support for our LGBTQIA+ community, including a broad condemnation of any act that undermines the fairness, equality and compassion that the community deserves?

 

       ANSWER:

 

The Leader handed over to Councillor Mrs Hollingsbee to answer the question.

 

Thank you for your question. The Leader has asked that I respond, as this falls within my portfolio. All council policies undergo Equality Impact Assessments and we support members of all minority communities equally.

 

The council is involved in IPAG (Independent Police Advisory Group) where members from the LGBTQIA community are representatives and can raise any matters of concern.

 

Details of IPAG can be found below.

https://www.kent.police.uk/police-forces/kent-police/areas/kent-police/about-us/about-us/ipag/who-we-are/

 

In addition we work closely across communities through the community safety unit (CSU) and any act causing concern around alarm or harassment can be addressed through the CSU.

 

All Pride events nationally have been impacted by Covid-19, however the LGBTQIA+ community have been able to access national online support in lieu of celebrations.

 

The Leader then added that the council had supported Pride by changing their logo to pride colours, and had provided support at events previously.

 

SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTION:

 

None.

 

3.     From Councillor Prater to Councillor Monk, Leader of the Council

 

A number of other councils are looking at merging district and county councils into large unitary authorities. For example, in Surrey there is a proposal to scrap the county council and all the district/borough councils and replace them with a single 'unitary authority' for all of Surrey covering over 1.2 million voters, starting in 2022.

 

Although there are hugely increased financial pressures on councils due to Covid, it should be for Government to help support councils through that shortfall, not use it as a way of forcing through council mergers.

 

Many feel that a Unitary authority covering Kent would be massively too big and remote from local people.

 

What is the Leader's view on a single Kent Unitary authority?

 

ANSWER:

 

Thank you  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2.