Caitlin Webb
Local Democracy Reporter

Taxpayers are being short-changed £92,000 due to commercial tenants failing to pay their rent to the county council.

Around 23% of Kent County Council tenants have failed to pay their rent for more than two months.

Gen2, a company set up by the council to manage its £2bn of commercial properties across Kent, is looking to move eligible tenants to direct debit payments.

However, only 22% have chosen this option.

Image source, Murray Evans

However the director of infrastructure at KCC, Rebecca Spore, told the council's policy and resources cabinet committee on 13 September that tenants with debt have a "management plan".

Karen Dunn
Local Democracy Reporter

West Sussex County Council does not know if one of its children's homes will open again, after it was rated "inadequate" by Ofsted.

The six-bedroom Seaside Home for Children, in Shoreham-by-Sea, was inspected in June, and "serious and widespread failures" were identified, meaning the children were not protected and their care was poor.

The home was closed after a follow-up inspection in August found not enough had been done to address the issues raised.

At a meeting of the children and young people's services select committee on 12 September, members were told that senior managers had carried out checks at the other homes owned and operated by the council.

As a result, Cissbury Lodge, in Worthing, was temporarily closed, and May House, in Worthing, will be closed and refurbished. In addition, the Beechfield Secure Unit, in Copthorne, was closed for two years.

The condition of the buildings, training and ongoing problems recruiting suitably qualified and experienced staff were among the main issues highlighted.

Annie MacIver, director of children and family services, told the meeting that Beechfield could not be opened until a registered manager had been appointed.

Ms MacIver said she took full responsibility for the inadequate judgement at Seaside, adding: "It's something that has caused me great consternation and something I have and will continue to take very seriously."

Speaking about the next steps for Seaside, Ms MacIver told the meeting: "We've been asked the question is Seaside going to open again, and my answer to that is I don't know.

"I know we need good provision for complex adolescents. But for any of you who know the building which is Seaside Home, it's a building that ultimately is highly institutionalised, and one couldn't really describe it as being homely."

The committee was told that more investment was needed in staff as well as the infrastructure and maintenance of the council's children's homes.

Ms MacIver told the meeting: "If we're going to provide really good homes for our children, we can't just have a stand-alone children's home. We have to have mental health provision that's robust. We have to have education provision that's robust."

Paul Marshall, the recently appointed cabinet member for children and young people, described Ofsted's findings as "a car crash in slow motion".

The family of murdered George Low are calling for answers two years on.

Caitlin Webb
Local Democracy Reporter

Elderly residents in Kent could be charged for using the bus in rural areas despite having free passes.

According to a report by Kent County Council, those with a concessionary pass may have to "contribute to the cost of some of their journeys" where bus routes "not commercially viable".

Councils often subsidise bus services that don't make a profit for operators if the routes are deemed "socially necessary".

KCC helps fund additional services of established bus routes such as later journeys or adding an extra day to the timetable.

However 97% of routes in Kent would not be affected by the proposals as they are commercially funded.

KCC also pays for concessionary bus passes which allow residents who are reliant on public transport to travel for free at off-peak times.

As part of plans to streamline the £7 million budget spent to keep 126 routes afloat, KCC has consulted residents about possibilities of adding taxis or dial-a-ride vehicles to bus routes, which may not accept the bus passes.

The Government provides local authorities with more than £250 million every year for bus services, including £40 million for the subsidised routes. However KCC says its budget needs to be cut by £64 million due to cuts in central government grants.

Bob Dale
BBC Live reporter

The new gates at the entrance to Rochester Independent College do far more than just open and close.

Image source, Rochester Independent College

The creation of Faversham musician, sound sculptor and former BBC sound engineer Henry Dagg, they can also be used to play music, being made out of vibraphone bars, tubular bells, organ pipes and strings which can be plucked, struck or bowed, all covering a pitch span of six octaves.

At a cost of £250,000, they're thought to be among the most expensive musical instruments in the world.

Image source, Rochester Independent College

Henry has previously worked with Bob Geldof, Keane, the Cranberries and Bjork.

A glockenspiel fence he built outside his house was launched with a performance by the classical percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie.

Image source, Rochester Independent College

The gates were inaugurated by members of the City of Rochester Symphony Orchestra, who performed "Pigs with Altitude" a piece Henry wrote for the occasion.

Image source, Rochester Independent College

Caitlin Webb
Local Democracy Reporter

Kent County Council is planning to close its data centre in a bid to save money.

The office space filled with computer systems hosting data for citizens in Kent could be downsized and moved out of Sessions House in Maidstone.

From March next year, the council could no longer have a back-up centre due to the expiration of the contract with Medway.

This means all the council's data will be based in one data protection building and the Cloud.

Councillor in charge of corporate services, councillor Eric Hotson said: "There's no doubt there will be savings so this has to be done to satisfy savings planned in the medium term.

"Officers have been considering, for all sorts of reasons, with our heavy involvement with the Cloud, the council does not need so much material or plant here or elsewhere so they plan to move to a one-facility base.

"There are several data protection building and premises within the region and officers are summing up which one we should go to and there is a due process for that."

Councillor Hotson told members of the policy and resources cabinet committee on 13 September how a new building would "release considerable office space in our estate".

Stuart Maisner
BBC Live reporter

Zookeeper Gabby Charlesworth says the animals in her charge are helping her recover from cancer.

The 22-year-old from Uckfield, East Sussex, developed rare adrenal cancer last October.

She returned to work at Drusillas Park, near Eastbourne, after just three months because she missed the animals.

Although some wondered if her return to work was a little early, Gabby said she "hated" being away from her furry friends.

"You can't do it on your own and you need something to get you through," she said.

Karen Dunn
Local Democracy Reporter

West Sussex County Council has been invited to speak to the schools minister about the lack of powers available to local authorities to intervene when academies run into trouble.

Council leader Louise Goldsmith and Richard Burrett, cabinet member for education and skills, wrote to secretary of state Damian Hinds after strike action was threatened at Thomas Bennett Community College, in Crawley.

Earlier this year, 12 teachers and several support staff at the school resigned after The Kemnal Academies Trust (TKAT) announced a "restructure" which would cut almost £1m from the budget.

With concerned parents demanding action, Mr Burrett said at the time that he was "quite weary" of people asking the council to step in, when it had no power to do so.

Updating members of the children and young people's services select committee, on Wednesday, Mr Burrett said: "What we have had is an email back from the Department for Education to say that Lord Agnew, the schools minister, is very interested to see our letter and the issues raised and would like to invite us to go and meet him to talk about it in more detail."

Caitlin Webb
Local Democracy Reporter

Wheelchair users are no longer calling for a company to lose its funding despite claiming it to be "the worst ever seen".

Wheelchair expert Professor Mike Oliver previously criticised the service provided by Millbrook Healthcare for bullying patients and causing pressure sores to users in Kent.

Representing the wheelchair users group, Prof Oliver had previously called on the NHS to cancel its contract with the wheelchair provider but after meeting the managing director of the company the group has changed its mind.

The U-turn was announced in a statement, read out at Kent County Council's health overview and scrutiny committee on Thursday.

It said: "The position of the joint wheelchair user group prior to this meeting was for the complete withdrawal of funding for the wheelchair service contract with Millbrook healthcare.

"We are pleased to report after a mutually respectful, open and productive meeting that position has now changed.

"Our priority has always been to see an improvement in service delivery to users, not necessarily to see the withdrawal of funding to any particular contract.

"A range of measures were put forward by the CCGs and Millbrook that would, if fulfilled, go a long way towards the significant improvement of the delivery of services."

The measures include disability and equality training for staff, other services helping Millbrook keep up the demands and involvement of the user group to "better reflect how the contract has been delivered".

However the group added "time is of the essence" and have given the company three months from 21 September to prove that the situation is improving.

BBC Sport

It was a day to remember for Liphook and Ripsley Cricket Club, despite losing the National Village Cup Final at Lords yesterday afternoon.

After Folkton & Flixton from Yorkshire posted 198, the Southern Premier League Club were bowled for 126.

They were the first team from Hampshire to make the final for more than 25 years.

Huw Oxburgh
Local Democracy Reporter

Traffic calming measures to help slow down vehicles travelling through Heathfield have been approved.

Speed cushions and raised tables are being proposed in Ghyll Road and Sheepsetting Lane following a request from residents for transport improvements.

The package of traffic calming measures was approved by Nick Bennett, East Sussex County Council's lead member for transport and environment, at a meeting earlier.

Pam Lineham, vice chair of the Sheepsetting Lane Residents' Association, said many motorists "put their foot down" and totally ignored the 30mph speed limit once they pass Cross-in-Hand Primary School.

She said action needed to be taken "to prevent an accident waiting to happen".

Caitlin Webb
Local Democracy Reporter

Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council has revealed how much it plans to charge residents for the collection of garden waste outside homes.

Residents will be charged £40 for their 240-litre wheelie bins to be emptied from 1 March next year.

Those without space for a bin would be offered three 90-litre hessian sacks for the same price. To encourage take up of the service, the council plan to charge an introduction fee of £35 for the first two years.

This is part of a joint waste project with Tunbridge Wells to improve kerbside recycling. From next year there will be a weekly food waste collection with recycling and refuse being picked up on alternative weeks.

Councillors will vote on the plans tomorrow at an extraordinary meeting in Kings Hill.

Image source, Creative Commons

A 12-year-old boy suffered serious head injuries after a crash with a car.

It happened in Hempstead Road, Gillingham, near the alleyway connecting it with Almond Grove, at 13:35 BST on Saturday.

The boy was riding a black bike at the time. He is in a serious but stable condition in hospital.

Officers would also like to hear from anyone with dashcam footage.

Dan Maclaren
BBC Live reporter

A controlled explosion has been carried out on two WW1 mortars discovered on Esher Common.

They were found by a member of the public yesterday morning. The police and bomb disposal squad were called and dealt with the devices.

They are now looking for a third mortar on the common with a specialist search dog and the side of the common near the A3 and the car park along Copsem Lane is closed.

Members of the public are urged to remain vigilant and contact the police if they a suspicious device on the common.

Image source, Surrey POlice

Hamish Mureddu-Reid
BBC News Online, South East

Image source, Dave Larkins

Four fire crews remain at the scene of a fire at a warehouse near Margate, Kent Fire and Rescue Service says.

The fire in Westwood broke out at about 06:30 BST on Saturday and has damaged at least 40% of the warehouse.

At its height, 80 firefighters and at least 12 fire engines were at the scene, with smoke visible for miles.

Residents are still being advised to keep doors and windows closed because of the large amounts of smoke in the area.

Image source, Simon Moores

Dartford MP Gareth Johnson travels to Cyprus to "kick start" a two-year-old murder investigation.

Caitlin Webb
Local Democracy Reporter

Councillors at Kent County Council have criticised government plans to reduce their power to make decisions about where public money will be spent.

The Government wants to give businesses more clout when it comes to deciding where money will be spent as part of Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs).

At the moment, decisions on major projects in Kent such as Rochester Airport are agreed publicly at meetings of the South East LEP.

Its decisions are agreed jointly between councils in Essex, Kent, Medway and East Sussex and businesses.

However if plans were to go ahead, councils would no longer be equal partners with companies but would only hold a third of the vote.

These partnerships bid for a share of the £1.4bn Local Growth Fund for schemes that generate economic growth in the area.

Image source, Getty Images

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