The meeting will receive an update from the Corporate Parenting Panel and consider its annual report, receive an update about the proposed Local Transport Plan 5 and then debate four motions submitted by the political groups.

Corporate Parenting Panel

The County Council will note the minutes of the Corporate Parenting Panel held on 30 July 2024. This was the Panel's second 'takeover' event where young people co-chaired and presented the agenda items to the panel.

The Council will also note the Corporate Parenting Annual Report 2024. This report was presented to the Corporate Parenting Panel on 10 December 2024. The report is a summary of the work undertaken by Children’s services to support children and young people in care. The report details the responsibility of the council, elected members and partner agencies and summarises the work of the key services:

• Kent Fostering Service
• Adoption Partnership Southeast
• Participation and Engagement Team
• 18+ Care Leavers Service, including the Supported Accommodation Service and Kent Supported Homes
• Total Placement Service

Local Transport Plan

The County Council will consider a report about the Local Transport Plan 5: Striking the Balance (LTP5). The new plan replaces the existing Local Transport Plan 4: Delivering Growth Without Gridlock (LTP4) that was adopted in 2017. The Council consulted on the proposed new Local Transport Plan in 2023 and again in 2024.

LTP5 details a number of major new schemes across Kent for all the different parts of the transport system. Some of the proposals in LTP5 will be delivered by Kent County Council, but many of them would need to be delivered by National Highways (the government-owned company responsible for motorways and major roads) and Network Rail, who are responsible for the rail network.

These include schemes such as:

• The Lower Thames Crossing in Gravesham
• The A229 Blue Bell Hill Improvement in Maidstone
• The North Thanet Link in Thanet
• The A21 dualling between Pembury and Lamberhurst in Tunbridge Wells
• The Elizabeth line extension to Ebbsfleet in Dartford

The report pack also includes a summary of the feedback received by the council during its consultations in 2023 and 2024, and details how that feedback was considered.

The most commented-on proposals were the Lower Thames Crossing, maintaining the existing road network, and road safety. New proposals have been added to the plan following the consultation, such as one for M25 Junction 3 improvements in Swanley, which highlights a need for National Highways to establish what the capacity issues for the junction are and what options there may be for resolving them, potentially as a dependency for new development.

The report pack also contains the documents that were required to fulfil legislation concerning environmental considerations and equality considerations when writing a new Local Transport Plan.

The report pack recommends that the Local Transport Plan is approved and adopted.

Motions for Time Limited Debate

The County Council will debate four motions submitted by the political groups.

Motion 1 - Integrated Care Strategy

The motion about the Integrated Care Strategy has been submitted by Councillor Alister Brady and seconded by Councillor Jackie Meade. The motion concerns the refreshed Kent and Medway Integrated Care Strategy which was developed and approved by Kent County Council, Medway Council, and the NHS Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board.

The motion notes that clinical care is only one component of a person’s health and that many of the decisions taken by the council have an impact on the health of Kent residents. The motion recommends that decisions taken by the council should show how they align with the Integrated Care Strategy and, where they do not, give a reason for that.

Motion 2 - Electoral Reform in Kent

The motion about Electoral Reform in Kent has been submitted by Councillor Richard Streatfeild, MBE and seconded by Councillor Antony Hook.

The motion notes that the current 'first past the post' electoral system is unpopular and many Kent residents do not register to vote. The motion recommends a number of reforms to make elections fairer and increase voter turnout. They include:

• Replacing the existing electoral system for Kent County Council with the Single Transferable Vote system.
• Changing the electoral system for directly-elected mayors so that the winning candidate must receive more than 50% of the votes.
• Making registration to vote automatic.
• Scrapping the voter ID scheme.
• Lowering the voting age to 16.
• Enabling all EU citizens with settled status and anyone who has lived in the UK for at least five years to vote.
• Extending political education in Kent secondary schools.

The motion recommends that the Leader of the Council should write to the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government requesting the reforms.

Motion 3 - Family Farm Tax

The motion about the Family Farm Tax has been submitted by Councillor Jordan Meade and seconded by Councillor Tom Cannon. The motion concerns the changes to Inheritance Tax Relief for Agricultural Land that were announced in the Government's recent budget.

The motion argues that the changes are detrimental to farming businesses and represent a breach of trust, because the Labour party had denied they would introduce the changes during the election campaign. The motion recommends that the Leader of the Council should write to the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to request that the changes be reversed.

The motion also recommends that the council call on Kent MPs to oppose the changes. It recommends that the Cabinet Member for Economic Development should work with the farming industry to better understand the challenges faced by farmers.

Motion 4 - Climate and Nature Bill

The motion about the Climate and Nature Bill has been submitted by Councillor Jenni Hawkins and seconded by Councillor Paul Stepto.

The motion notes that Kent is already experiencing the effects of climate change, including flooding, landslides, coastal erosion, and droughts. The motion recommends that Kent County Council's policies should align with the Climate and Nature Bill, which is currently progressing through Parliament. The bill proposes a number of changes to the UK's environmental policy, such as setting legally-binding targets for biodiversity recovery and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

The motion recommends that the council should write to all Kent MPs to ask them to support the bill and vote for it at its second reading.