A new administration: 100 days on

Labour’s new administration at Dover District Council (DDC) has been in charge now for just over 100 days. Typically, many plans will have been in place for months, if not years, and a new administration will be forced into seeing through these projects (for example Fastrack is due to complete in Early-2024). So what exactly have the new leaders and cabinet been up to?

Whilst inflation continues to be sky-high, and food inflation even higher, the cost of living for residents in the District remains an issue. A recent press release shows the Cost of Living plan produced by the new Labour group, with council leader Cllr Kevin Mills explaining “our number one priority since taking control of the Council has been to put in place plans to help the most vulnerable through the cost-of-living crisis.” There are many in out District that we know are struggling: those on the lowest incomes; with pre-payment energy meters; parents and young families; unemployed and universal credit claimants; people in rented accommodation; and underserved populations. Residents of our District are worse off than Kent, on average, and so our plan is to target our efforts towards those who will see the biggest benefit.

The plan includes an £85k community impact grant, will see the council liaising with local organisations to provide targeted support and a new website to provide resources and advice to residents – a centralised catalogue of help.

The ‘Summer Getaway’, with thousands travelling through the Port of Dover (PoD) to access the continent, means the usual traffic chaos was expected in Dover this year. A plan was drafted for the Tory-leadership last year that was shelved in the hope that MP Natalie Elphicke would save the day. This year, cabinet member and deputy leader Cllr Jamie Pout has publicly criticised Kent Resilience Forum’s (KRF) complacency that ultimately sees Dover gridlocked every school holiday. The media campaign, and work with PoD, meant that many more resources were seen across the town – at key junctions such as York Street, Woolcomber Street and Jubilee Way – that largely kept the town moving, with some isolated hotspots at time. KRF seem keen to protect Faversham and Folkestone at all cost, with a general acceptance that Dover will experience wide spread jams. There’s a way to go to ensure Dover is not Kent traffic’s sacrificial lamb.

At July’s full council meeting, Cllr Kevin Mills responded to a number of public questions highlighting that this council will take the environment and Climate Change much more seriously: we are recruiting a Climate Change officer who will “look outwards as well as within” to make major changes in line with the council’s Climate commitments, and Cllr Mills also tasked portfolio holder Cllr Sue Beer with appraising the usefulness of the council’s Climate Change Project Advisory Group, to “look at the structure and representation” of the group and look towards “a much wider base”. We hope to see support for the Climate and Ecology Bill at the next full council meeting.

In a bid to increase public participation in local democracy, cabinet meetings have immediately been moved to the new 6pm slot (rather than during the day under the previous administration). This allows more members of the public to attend and observe meetings, keeping a careful eye on discussions and ensuring members are in check. This also means that our cabinet members, who are primarily have day jobs like the majority of our residents, can attend meetings more easily. We see this as a positive step for local democracy.

Since the May election, it’s become evident that Kent County Council (KCC) are in dire straights: large financial overspends and corresponding budget cuts as well as internal leadership squabbles. The outcome of this is that our front line services used by the district’s residents day after day are in grave danger. The first service in their sights is Household Waste and Recycling centres – first Richborough near Sandwich was at risk, and now Deal too – as KCC attempt to make £86.3m worth of savings over the coming year, with more bad news likely to be announced before the end of the year. DDC officers are clear that shortsighted decisions like closing tips, will ultimately cost our council as more people will fly tip – a burden felt by DDC. But don’t worry: KCC are shuffling their cabinet members in an attempt to “focus on the challenges and opportunities facing [KCC]” according to KCC leader, Cllr Roger Gough – nothing to do with a looming leadership contest then!

As always, we will continue to work for, and campaign on behalf of, residents of the Dover District.