Alister Brady

Scrutiny Committee - Tuesday, 3 March 2026 - 10.00 am

The Scrutiny Committee met to discuss the call-in of a decision regarding the future of library provision in Folkestone town centre. The committee considered the decision to proceed with the open market disposal of the Grace Hill building and to confirm 14 Sandgate Road as the new location for the Folkestone town centre Library and Registration service. After extensive debate, the committee resolved to recommend that the implementation of the decision be postponed pending review by the full Council.

Budget Meeting, County Council - Thursday, 12th February, 2026 9.30 am

The County Council of Kent Council met on Thursday 12 February 2026 to discuss and vote on the proposed budget for 2026-27. The council approved the budget, which includes a 3.99% increase in council tax, after extensive debate and consideration of several amendments.

Governance and Audit Committee - Wednesday, 28 January 2026 - 10.00 am

The Governance and Audit Committee of Kent County Council met on Wednesday, 28 January 2026, to review the Corporate Risk Register, discuss the performance of the council's wholly-owned companies, and receive updates on external audit progress. Key decisions included noting the Corporate Risk Register, which highlighted increased risks in budget variances and the delivery against the Safety Valve Agreement, and reviewing the financial performance of the council's subsidiary companies, with a focus on dividend returns and operational challenges.

Scrutiny Committee - Thursday, 22nd January, 2026 10.00 am

The Scrutiny Committee meeting on Thursday, 22 January 2026, focused on two primary areas: the reasons behind Kent's outlier status in issuing Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) and a review of the draft revenue budget, medium-term financial plan, and capital programme for 2026-2029. The committee noted a report on EHCPs, acknowledging that while Kent's rate remains higher than national averages, the gap is narrowing, and the council is implementing strategic changes to improve SEND provision. Regarding the budget, the committee reviewed the administration's draft proposals, which include a balanced revenue budget for 2026-27 achieved through a combination of spending growth, savings, income generation, and the use of one-off measures such as capital receipts and earmarked reserves.

Devolution and Local Government Re-organisation Cabinet Committee - Thursday, 15th January, 2026 2.00 pm