This week in Kent:

Kent Council Hires Finance Chief Behind Closed Doors

The Personnel Committee - Member Appointment Panel met twice this week, on Tuesday, June 3rd here and Friday, June 6th here, to interview candidates for the crucial role of Corporate Director of Finance.

• Why it matters: The Corporate Director of Finance is responsible for managing the council's budget and ensuring financial stability. This role has a significant impact on the delivery of essential services, from social care to education.
• Secrecy: Both meetings excluded the press and public, citing the need to protect confidential information under the Local Government Act 1972.
• What's next: The council has not yet announced who has been appointed to the role.

Other Matters

• The Kent Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE) is scheduled to meet on June 10th here to discuss religious education in schools, including the WIRE Awards, the RE Advisor's update, and the Development Plan 2024-25.

Upcoming Meetings

Here's a quick look at the meetings scheduled for next week:

• Kent Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE) will meet on Tuesday, June 10th to discuss religious education in schools here.
• An unknown committee will meet on Monday, June 16th here.
• The Regulation Committee will meet on Tuesday, June 17th here.
• The Personnel Committee will meet on Thursday, June 19th here.

This week in Kent:

• At the County Council meeting, Councillor Richard Palmer was elected as the new Chairman, and Councillor Lyndon Kemkaran was elected as the Leader of the Council.
• The Scrutiny Committee meeting included the election of a chair.

County Council - Thursday 22 May 2025

At the annual meeting of Kent County Council, Councillor Richard Palmer was elected as the new Chairman, and Councillor Peter Evans was elected as Vice-Chairman. Councillor Lyndon Kemkaran was elected as the Leader of the Council, and Councillor Antony Hook was appointed Leader of the Opposition.

Election of Chairman and Vice-Chairman

Councillor Richard Palmer was elected as the 43rd Chairman of Kent County Council, nominated by Mr Paul Webb and seconded. Mr Webb cited Councillor Palmer's military service and dedication to the people of Kent.

Councillor Peter Evans was elected as Vice-Chairman, nominated by Councillor Paul Chamberlain and seconded by Ms Pauline Williams. Ms Williams highlighted Councillor Evans' 25 years of service in the NHS and his experience as Chairman of Planning in Sanit.

Tributes to Roy Bullock MBE

The council paid tribute to the late Mr Roy Bullock MBE, a former member of the council and leader of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, who passed away recently. Mr Bullock served as a councillor for Tunbridge Wells North from 2007 to 2013 and was made an Honorary Alderman of KCC in 2016. Tributes were offered by Mr Kemkaran, Mr Joel Cook, Mr Rich Lehmann, Mr Harry Rayner and Mr Alister Brady on behalf of their respective groups.

Election of Council Leader

Councillor Lyndon Kemkaran was elected as Leader of the Council, proposed by Mr Maxwell Harrison and seconded. As there were no other nominations, Ms Kemkaran was duly elected.

Flag Flying Policy

Councillor Mike Sole asked Councillor Richard Palmer, the new chairman, if the council would fly the LGBTQ pride flag during Pride Month in June, as had been done in the past. Councillor Palmer confirmed that the pride flag would not be flown and that the only flags to be displayed on or in council buildings would be the union flag, the flag of St George, the flag of Kent, flags to celebrate or commemorate the monarch and the royal family, or the armed forces.

Removal of Ukraine Flags and Symbols

Mr Rich Lehmann asked Councillor Lyndon Kemkaran if she agreed that the 80th anniversary of VE day was an insensitive time to row back on support for Ukraine by removing Ukrainian flags and symbols from County Hall. Councillor Kemkaran responded that she was merely answering questions put to her by journalists and that there was nothing insensitive about wishing to focus the attention of the council on the people of Kent.

Budget and Cuts to Vulnerable People

Mr Alister Brady asked Councillor Lyndon Kemkaran whether her administration would reverse decisions made by the previous Conservative administration to increase charges given to disabled people, further cut the community warden program, cut family hub services in Mealmead and Seashell children's centres, increase the Kent 16 plus travel saver above inflation, and continue to charge for post 16 SEN home school transport. Councillor Kemkaran responded that the new administration was still working its way through understanding the current budget and would not be making any knee-jerk financial decisions. She stated that a department for local government efficiency would be created and that a new budget strategy would be developed primarily for 2026 and 2027.

Marine Pollution

Mr Stuart Heaver raised the issue of marine pollution as a major threat to the local environment, public health, and the coastal economy in his division, Whitstable West, and asked what the administration would do to prioritize tackling marine pollution within the Kent environment strategy and how they would work with key partners to deliver improvements. Councillor Kemkaran responded that while KCC is committed to improving the marine environment, the responsibility of regulation, enforcement, and monitoring of water quality remains with the Environment Agency. She stated that KCC is in the process of developing a framework and strategy for joint action, known as Plan C, that will look to fill the gap left by the local nature recovery strategy and ensure that the marine environment receives the same attention as land-based habitats.

20 mph Zones

Mr Richard Streatfeild asked Councillor Lyndon Kemkaran if she supported 20 mph zones 300 metres around schools. Councillor Kemkaran responded that KCC does not have a one-size-fits-all policy for 20 mph zones and instead uses the Department for Transport Circular 01-2013 setting local speed limits as a guide. She stated that KCC evaluates the feasibility of 20 mph zones based on several factors, including existing traffic speeds, road design, community support, and economic aspects.

Missing Asylum Seekers

Mr Stuart Jeffery asked Councillor Lyndon Kemkaran how the new administration will prioritize improvements to conditions and support for vulnerable children, given that Kent's reception centres for young asylum seekers lost vulnerable children more than 160 times between 2022 and 2024. Councillor Kemkaran responded that the number of episodes per year has fallen substantially since 2023 and that almost a third lasted less than one day. She also stated that the law currently states that all care leavers in Kent, regardless of their country of origin, must be treated equally.

Council Audit Processes

Mr Paul Stepto asked Councillor Lyndon Kemkaran about the internal and external audit processes in place for the council and the dates and costs of the most recent audits. Councillor Kemkaran responded that the county council's external auditors are Grant Thornton and that the basic fee for the last audited accounts, which were 2023-2024, was £447,000.

Rural Bus Routes

Mr John Moreland asked Councillor Lyndon Kemkaran whether the BSIP funding due to be received in summer would be used to re-establish and promote bus routes between rural villages and larger towns, as the village of Ashurst has had its only bus service cut. Councillor Kemkaran responded that the BSIP funding is already committed to maintaining a significant number of services across Kent, supporting the cost of the Kent Travel Saver for 2025 and 2026, and funding a small number of service improvement initiatives.

Folkestone Road of Remembrance

Mr Tim Prater asked Councillor Lyndon Kemkaran to confirm the timetable for the required remedial works to reopen the Folkestone Road of Remembrance, which has been closed following a landslip. Councillor Kemkaran responded that geotechnical investigations, ecological assessments, geospatial mapping, and an unexploded ordnance survey have been conducted to support the design of a permanent solution, but it is not yet possible to commit to a start date for the stabilization work or to confirm when the road will reopen.

Air Quality

Mr Mark Hood asked Councillor Lyndon Kemkaran whether the new administration would commit to take new action to improve air quality, given that there are 22 locations in Kent where air quality is so poor it has legally to be monitored. Councillor Kemkaran responded that the Environment Act of 1995 requires Kent County Council to provide district councils with proposals for particular measures that they will take to contribute to the achievement and maintenance of air quality objectives.

Renewable Energy Infrastructure

Mr Mark Hood asked Councillor Lyndon Kemkaran whether the administration agrees that the council should continue to ask officers to bid for additional funding for renewable energy projects as appropriate where it makes economic sense for the council. Councillor Kemkaran responded that economic sense makes perfect sense and that the two KCC owned solar farms are examples of how environmental benefit is being driven through economically sound projects.

Leader's Report

Councillor Lyndon Kemkaran gave a report as Leader of the Council, in which she thanked her predecessor Roger Gough, outlined her priorities for the council, and responded to points raised by the leaders of the opposition groups.

Proportionality of Council Committees

The council agreed to the proportionality arrangements for council committees, as set out in the report prepared by democratic services.

Scrutiny Committee - Thursday 22 May 2025

Here is a summary of the items that were scheduled for discussion at the Kent Council Scrutiny Committee meeting on 22 May 2025, according to the agenda. The meeting's agenda included the election of a chair. There were no exempt items listed on the agenda.

Election of Chair

The first item on the agenda, according to the agenda frontsheet, was the election of a chair for the Scrutiny Committee.

This week in Kent:

• The Regulation Committee Appeal Panel (Transport) met to discuss seven appeals related to transport regulations, excluding the public due to confidentiality.
• The Kent Flood Risk and Water Management Committee meeting was cancelled.

Regulation Committee Appeal Panel (Transport) - Tuesday 22 April 2025

The Regulation Committee Appeal Panel (Transport) of Kent Council met on 22 April 2025 to discuss several appeals. Due to the confidential nature of the appeals, the press and public were excluded from the meeting during the discussion of these items. The agenda included a motion to exclude the press and public, followed by consideration of seven appeals.

Appeals

The panel was scheduled to discuss seven appeals, with each appeal considered under exempt information as defined in the Local Government Act 1972¹.

The report pack indicates that these appeals were labelled Appeal 1 through Appeal 7.

Other Business

The agenda also included standard items such as noting any substitutes for panel members and any urgent items raised by the Chair.

This week in Kent:

• The Scrutiny Committee was scheduled to discuss a call-in request regarding the cessation of council tax collection subsidies and incentives.
• The Planning Applications Committee meeting was cancelled.

Scrutiny Committee - Thursday 10 April 2025

The Scrutiny Committee was scheduled to meet to discuss a call-in request regarding a decision to cease council tax collection subsidies and incentives to billing authorities¹. Councillor Andy Booth, Chairman of the Scrutiny Committee, and the other committee members were to consider the reasons for the call-in, the documentation, and the response from the executive. The committee could choose to make no comments, express comments without requiring reconsideration, postpone implementation pending reconsideration, or postpone implementation pending review by the full council.

Call-in of Council Tax Collection Subsidies and Incentives Decision

The main item for discussion was a call-in of decision 25/00004 regarding Council Tax Collection Subsidies and Incentives. The call-in was requested by Councillor Rich Lehmann, Green and Independent Group Councillor, and Councillor Alister Brady from the Labour Group. The reason for the call-in was that:

The decision was not taken in accordance with the principles of decision-making set out in 8.5(d) a presumption in favour of openness.

The councillors who requested the call-in stated that during a Policy and Resources Cabinet Committee meeting, the Cabinet Member for Finance, Corporate and Traded Services had asserted that the decision had already been made by the full council and that bringing it to the committee was a formality. They also raised concerns that the committee was not given enough information regarding the potential impact of the decision, specifically the level of risk (£30m) included in budget papers.

The desired outcome of the call-in was for the Scrutiny Committee to recommend postponing the decision's implementation pending review by the full council.

The original decision, taken by Peter Oakford, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance, Corporate and Traded Services, was to:

• Cease financial support and incentive payments to Billing Authorities for administering local Council Tax Reduction Schemes (CTRS) from 1 April 2025.
• Cease incentive payments to support the removal of discretionary empty property discounts and the charging of empty property premiums from 1 April 2025.
• Delegate authority to the Interim Corporate Director Finance to formally notify the Billing Authorities of these changes and implement the decisions.

The rationale behind the decision was to find £19.8m in savings to replace one-off solutions used to balance the 2024-25 budget, aligning with Objective 3 of Securing Kent’s Future. It was argued that these subsidies and incentives were discretionary and that ceasing them would not alter the statutory obligations of individuals to pay council tax or of Billing Authorities to collect it.

The report pack noted potential financial implications, stating that a 1% reduction in collection rates across all 12 Billing Authorities could result in a £9.5m to £9.8m reduction in the council’s share of council tax. However, it also stated that the council would manage fluctuations in collection through a smoothing reserve.

The report pack also included an Equalities Impact Assessment, which stated that no equalities implications were identified, as the decision was not believed to directly impact on individuals with protected characteristics.

Committee Membership

Councillor Rich Lehmann was scheduled to replace Jenni Hawkins on the committee.