This meeting of Kent County Council included a wide range of transport proposals, a motion on aligning council decision making with the Integrated Care Strategy, and motions concerning electoral reform and environmental legislation. A report was also received on Corporate Parenting.

Corporate Parenting Panel Annual Report

The Corporate Parenting Panel considered its annual report for 2024, which included summaries of the role and work done by the following services:

• Kent Fostering Service
• Adoption Partnership Southeast
• Virtual School Kent’s (VSK) Participation and Engagement Team
• Care Leavers 18+ Service and Supported Accommodation Service
• Total Placement Service

The report also noted that the Panel would like to increase attendance by elected members at Corporate Parenting Panel events such as award ceremonies and activity days for the children in Kent County Council’s care.

The report also noted the successful completion of fundraising to provide care leavers with a £10 gift or voucher at Christmas and set out plans for fundraising for Christmas 2024. This year's fundraising target is £25,000, and it will be used to provide Christmas dinner, entertainment, and gifts to 50 care leavers who might otherwise be alone, and to continue providing Christmas gifts to all young adult care leavers in Kent.

Local Transport Plan 5

A new Local Transport Plan (LTP5) was presented to the attendees. The document sets out the council's transport ambitions and describes a number of proposed improvements for the highway network, public transport provision, walking and cycling. In recognition of the funding required to deliver its ambitions, the document does not commit the council to any spending and instead details the anticipated range of funding required.

The transport ambitions of the council are:

We want to improve the health, wellbeing, and economic prosperity of lives in Kent by delivering a safe, reliable, efficient and affordable transport network across the county and as an international gateway. We will plan for growth in Kent in a way that enables us to combat climate change and preserve Kent’s environment.

We will do this by delivering emission-free travel by getting effective dedicated infrastructure to electrify vehicles, increase public transport use and make walking and cycling attractive. This will be enabled by maintaining our highway network and delivering our Vision Zero road safety strategy. These priorities will ensure our networks are future-proof, resilient and meet user needs.

Strategic Road Network Proposals

The plan includes a number of proposals that the council would like National Highways to consider in their future investment plans for the Strategic Road Network. These include proposals to:

• Address capacity shortfalls at M2 Junction 1 and M2 Junction 4.
• Provide enhanced capacity on the M2 corridor between Junction 4 and Junction 7 to maintain the planned benefits of the Lower Thames Crossing and KCC's bifurcation strategy.
• Enhance capacity at M2 Junction 7 (Brenley Corner) to accommodate the predicted impacts of growth in future traffic levels.
• Improve access to and from the A2 south of Canterbury to better connect it with the existing community and the predicted impacts of future development.
• Resume planning and design of the A2 Dover Access scheme between the A2 Lydden Hill junction to A2 Duke of York junction to address the congestion arising on the approach to the Port of Dover.
• Introduce new east-facing slip roads at the M25-M26-A21 junction to improve journeys between the M25 and the M26, for those travelling east.
• Make enhancements to the M25 Junction 3 interchange to address capacity shortfalls.
• Make enhancements to the A21 to address congestion and delays, particularly between Pembury and Lamberhurst.
• Trunk the A229 between M20 Junction 6 and M2 Junction 3, and the A249 between M20 Junction 7 and M2 Junction 5 to ensure the roads receive long term and sustained investment.

Local Road Network Proposals

The plan includes a number of proposals for improving the Local Road Network, the roads for which Kent County Council is the highway authority. They include proposals to:

• Improve journey time reliability and reduce congestion on the A229 Blue Bell Hill.
• Deliver a new North Thanet Link Road.
• Make improvements to the Alkham Valley Spitfire Way junction.
• Make improvements to the Sandwich bypass.
• Make improvements to the junctions on the A2 at Gravesend.
• Find a solution for the closed A226 Galley Hill Road in Northfleet.
• Make improvements to the A228-A264 corridor between West Malling and Tunbridge Wells.

Public Transport and Shared Transport Proposals

The plan includes a number of proposals for how the public transport and shared transport network could be improved in Kent. They include proposals to:

• Deliver further funding and improvements to the bus network, set out in the Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP).
• Deliver network extensions to Thameside Fastrack and Dover Fastrack.
• Develop and deliver the 'Hoppit' Mobility as a Service (MaaS) platform.
• Deliver cycle hire pilot schemes.
• Develop shared transport hubs (known as Mobility Hubs).
• Work to secure a resumption of international rail services stopping at Ebbsfleet International and Ashford International stations.
• Improve journey times on the Maidstone mainline and Marshlink rail lines.
• Improve rail access to Gatwick Airport.
• Improve rail journey times on the High Speed Line between Dover and Folkestone.
• Improve the rail corridor between Canterbury West and Sturry.
• Support rail freight gauge enhancements to enable more rail freight to and from mainland Europe via the Channel Tunnel.
• Extend the Elizabeth line to Ebbsfleet.
• Continue to oppose the expansion of Gatwick Airport.

Walking and Cycling Proposals

The plan includes a number of proposals for improving the network for those walking and cycling in Kent. They include proposals to:

• Continue to deliver the Public Rights of Way Improvement Plan.
• Deliver further funding to the Kent Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (KCWIP) to provide improved walking, wheeling and cycling infrastructure at prioritised locations across the county.

District-Specific Proposals

The report pack contains a section dedicated to proposals for each of Kent's 12 districts. It includes further proposals in addition to the county-wide proposals, such as those already underway or being led by developers and other organisations. These include local cycling and walking improvements (which are informed by the Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans that have been prepared by the district authorities), town centre improvements, and improvements to rail stations and access to rail stations.

Motion 1 - Integrated Care Strategy

The Labour Group proposed a motion concerning the Kent and Medway Integrated Care Strategy (ICS). The motion notes that decisions taken by the council can impact the health of the county's residents. It seeks to ensure that the ICS is considered in council decision-making.

The motion proposes that the council:

• Agrees that all decisions taken by the council, where relevant, must align with the ICS's objectives.
• Requires decision-making documents to demonstrate how a decision aligns with the ICS objectives.
• Requires decision-making documents to evidence how a decision is working towards achieving the ICS's progress indicators.
• Requires a reason to be provided within documentation when a decision is made which does not align with the ICS objectives.

Motion 2 - Electoral Reform in Kent

The Liberal Democrat Group proposed a motion concerning electoral reform in Kent. The motion notes a lack of public trust in the UK and local governments, that the current electoral system is disproportionate, and that turnout at elections is declining. It also notes that the previous government had reduced the independence of the Electoral Commission and introduced Voter ID.

The motion proposes that the council requests that the Leader writes to the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government requesting they:

• Replace the First Past the Post system with a Single Transferable Vote (STV) system for Kent County Council elections.
• Introduce an electoral system for directly elected mayors that requires a winning candidate to achieve more than 50% of the vote.
• Implement an automatic voter registration system.
• Remove the Voter ID requirement for elections.
• Lower the voting age to 16.
• Extend the right to vote in all UK elections and referendums to all EU citizens with settled status, and to anyone else who has lived in the UK for at least five years and has the right to stay permanently.
• Expand political education in Kent secondary schools.

Motion 3 - 'Family Farm Tax'

The Conservative Group proposed a motion concerning the Government's changes to the Inheritance Tax Relief for Agricultural Land, referred to as the Family Farm Tax. The motion notes the importance of farming to Kent's economy and food security, and that the changes come at a time when the cost of farming is increasing. It also notes that the Labour party did not include the policy in their election manifesto.

The motion proposes that:

• The council declares its solidarity with Kent's farmers in opposing the changes to Inheritance Tax.
• The Leader writes to the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs calling on them to reverse the decision.
• The Executive calls on all Kent MPs to oppose the policy.
• The Cabinet Member for Economic Development engages with Kent's farmers to better understand the challenges they are facing.

Motion 4 - Climate and Nature Bill

The Green & Independents Group proposed a motion concerning the Climate and Nature Bill. The motion notes that climate change is having an impact on Kent through increased flooding and droughts, and that this is having an effect on the county's economy, agriculture, and residents' quality of life. It also notes that the UK is experiencing a nature crisis.

The motion proposes that the Cabinet Member for Environment:

• Ensures that KCC policies align with the Bill.
• Writes to all Kent MPs urging them to support and vote for the Bill.
• Writes to the organisers of the cross-party campaign for the Bill expressing the council's support for it.