6th- 10th November

For a few days I had little in the diary, so I planned to go away for a long weekend, but as it always does, issues crop up and have to be dealt with.

In the Tory ranks we do have disagreements, but they are not as serious as people make out, yet they have to be discussed. The Local Plan continues to be a subject of great disagreement as people "fight for their own corner" and as usual I fight the Headcorn one first, a general rural "pictured" agenda second and a Maidstone holistically next, then Kent and British bias as well.

I always try to contribute the Headcorn view to as many agendas, topics, issues as possible and my fellow Ward Colleague and I have definitely and defiantly raised that Headcorn profile this year! I see it as "Chipping away" and meeting people, lobbying and making my point. Much to somes discontent! We then have to resolve that. I have obviously upset a few, so I have to ameliorate, discuss, harmonise on several fronts, from fears that people are going to be finding housing somewhere, e.g that builders will move in tomorrow and build in the locality, to working up an alliance with a fellow member over an issue. This all takes time and energy, but various problems seem to happen just before or when I go away.

A full Council meeting was coming up too, so that  provoked matters.

There was also a "Cabinet Roadshow" in the village. I understand protesters attended at the weekend where 3 cabinet members got some abuse and saw for themselves the emotions of the area. No surprises there then! It was good that cabinet saw the emotion.

This all set up a chain of communications!

The Council meeting was set up only a few weeks ago and was NOT on the normal schedule, so I would be unable to attend as I was would be away. (We are not like MPs on salaries and expenses to pay for special flights! And I had paid a lot of money and had set up something special to do).

But some people would not accept those realities and demanded I attend.

I know that I do work over 25 hours a week on Council business, and attend many meetings, both formal and informal as well as walk round the offices and badger the people I meet on issues sometimes! I travel to do this, and I spend hours doing emails, phone calls etc.

But I have an ageing mother that needs support. I have my own special health needs that require me to visit Kings College Hospital in London on a regular basis, I endeavour to keep fit by swimming regularly (If I did not swim, I probably would not be able to walk in my condition, and I might be even more restricted), and I also need to work as well as do the normal things people do just to function in life and have a roof over my head and feed myself, plus have some private life.

So every so often I like a break to get away from it BUT people ring up and email at all times. From residents, Parish Councils, members of the Borough Council and not just my own party and about many issues, and sometimes they have to be dealt with, even from a foreign city.

My break was not that restful, even though I spent the bulk of the previous day clearing all the backlog of issues and clearing emails and calls with responses. One important issue was to check what I said at OSC-Scrutiny;has Headcorn been paid their grant money for their Neighbourhood Plan? If not why not, because they should have been. But I find all the relevant Officers away, either sick, on leave, or just nowhere to be found. This annoys me and I ask my fellow Ward Colleague to keep it in his agenda when speaking to Officers.

I get back from my break and find that issue still awaits an answer.

I also await responses on other issues I dealt with last week.

3rd - 6th November

A lot of emails and communications to deal with today. Lots of issues. The Neighbourhood Plan for Headcorn is ready to submit...wonderful. Some problems at the Parish Council, theres no clerk! Seemed to spend hours on the phone with Parish Councillors, local people and informed interests. Its raining, that means drainage issues usually!

I have a meeting with a Liberal member of the Transport Sub Group, we went to Croydon together,we get on well, we are both a bit maverick! So we meet a Transport consultant in the afternoon and tour the Town and its pinch points and examine the flows of traffic (to Headcorn) and all over the Borough.

I quickly meet the Chair of Planning and discuss some serious issues.

We go to OSC Planning and Transport from 6 ish to 10pm . Some of us discuss matters informally over a drink afterwards! We all have agendas! It was an across party social evening and we reached some common ground, far better than meeting in the Town hall. If I had met in previous "life" then I am sure some political opponents would have been dear friends! Common ground on issues NOT overall policy though!

I had to challenge the Special consultant during the evidence gathering session at the Scrutiny meeting. Why have the already submitted Neighbourhood Plans not been seriously responded to? Well his answer was that they were not fit for purpose!  I found that staggering. As the person that went through the process to set up the Headcorn Neighbourhood Plan/NP funding and the conditions to fulfil to progress the Plan with nominated expert guidance, then how can the expert guidance that was offered to any other NP be so incompetent?  I cannot believe members of the Royal Town Planning Institute give out useless advice. Or does this prove that the interpretations of any Local Plan and the law of the National Planning Policy Framework are actually so different from one expert to another? That worries me.


4th November..... I meet another Parish Council about some common issues regarding flooding and drainage. I don't know enough about my new role on the Drainage Board yet, but theres clearly more issues to raise and lobby about.

5th November East Sutton Parish Council with some issues to discuss, very important ones. They could set precedents in rural matters throughout the Borough; 1) living and "joint" working units 2) homes in rural settings. Planners oppose both,I support SOME IN certain circumstances with certain considerations.

Key issues I believe. I dont want loads of builds for any reason but proper businesses in the Rural areas need good workers and well built "nice designs" in MINIMAL developments could and should be acceptable IN SOME cases. 2-5 Houses HERE are being denied, whilst 270 Houses THERE seem to be accepted in my LOCALITY. If Localism means anything, surely my opinion as a Ward member counts for something? I am not a NIMBY opposing all! There is no ONE SIZE FITS ALL!

But surely I have a view that should be given more consideration and that "Planning Law" and its MANY interpretations should consider the voice of the Locality?

The trouble is I am only 1 in 55 and I am not on the Planning Committee.

Review of October 2014

I knew it was going to be busy in October, but had no idea actually how busy I'd be.

Lets look at the Committees I sit on: Its also important to be involved and participatory and attend sub groups too, and keep the issues "revolving" by talking to people and meeting relevant people and badgering some more!
Scrutiny: OSC (Overview & Scrutiny Committee) for Planning Transport & Development
Scrutiny: OSC Community, Leisure, Environment (including Housing)
Scrutiny: OSC Economic & Commercial Development (as a Substitute, but attendance really helps anyway, to keep abreast of things!)
And because Planning and the LOCAL PLAN is so important to MY WARD:Headcorn, and its so contentious too, then other committees relate or complement to that subject so I attend those when I can. This includes Joint OSC meetings where we look at overlapping issues and integrating work.

As a Parish Council member I try to attend those meetings too and there are important issues with the Parish too, where I attend Staffing, Communications, Open Spaces and Council itself every month. Sadly I have missed some meetings because of Scrutiny needs.

I also am a member of Licensing Committee.

I believe in taking any training offered.

I have been appointed on several "outside bodies" too. I chose some because it may help MY needs, hopes and aspirations for my Community, but the knowledge I gain may help others, and such gains can help the rural communities I care so much for, or young people, or the elderly and disabled, or law and order and many of my keen interests.

The Outside bodies are the Upper Medway Drainage Board, Kent Youth Group, Maidstone Town Centre Management (yes I am a ruralist, but the Town Centre affects the rural areas in terms of people movement, people, jobs etc).  These groups require communications often, in terms of phone calls, emails and meetings. We are official consultees and statutory bodies in some respects for various decisions.  So its all hard work!

I also have 3 other Parish Councils to relate to and try to attend their meetings.

There are several OSC sub committees/working Parties, and these are truly real work and not talking shops. Transport affects Planning and jobs, so I sit on the Transport sub group and this involves setting up meetings with people like Bus Companies or User Groups, thankfully we have an excellent Scrutiny officer, a team, that do a lot of this work, but we still need to be involved.
We are examining all forms of alternative transport and so I am passionate about cycling & walking too.

Then on Community OSC I am working on aspects of loneliness, to the young, the old and because of various reasons and experiencing many manifestations and that means work with the voluntary sector, the County, the Health providers, Churches and so many more.

And of course the Council is a Corporate body, it functions with personnel, it has finance to manage, it needs to train, organise, provide legal services, have IT and comply as well as provide services. That all needs managing. Officers do the graft, but members do contribute. Some of the internal services are managed by an amalgam of Councils working together called Mid Kent Improvement Partnership/MKIP. Its got its problems and one of them is PLANNING support, the activities of seeing through a Planning application as well as IT, Legal services and Audit. If it affects Planning I want to know!

So I have a lot of reading too!

That usually involves writing in response.

I also have a duty to my Party. We have regular meetings to decide direction and policy. Of course the Local Plan is a big matter and issues close to it that relate or are part of it.

Thats some of it.

And most meetings are in Maidstone so that involves travel there. (2 or 3 times a day some days spread from 9am starts to 11pm finishes).

And why do I do it, as a Volunteer, for NO PAY? ( I get a small allowance, you can check that on the MBC website). Because I care about Headcorn and I try my best.

Sometimes I wish I hadn't bothered.

October made me realise how much work I put in and also how much abuse and stress I get for it.

Working part time, for lousy pay might be better, especially when I see how little commitment others put in! But I MUST SAY there are others who do put in a lot, and that includes not just the work in the Council House and with officers in Maidstone House, but also "on the street". Thats a key role and some do it better than others.

I wont bore you too much, but it is a review!

Now you have the gist of the areas of work I do I will not verbatim ramble on about the activities, the attitudes and frustrations, I'll just list the diary of activities and please assume theres a lot more to it. Then you may understand why I actually get hurt when abuse and rude gestures suggest we Councillors do nothing, at least some of us really do work at it! And very often I articulate views and DONT just nod, grunt and moan at meetings!

On the 6th I met the Senior Planning team and Cabinet member to discuss Headcorn with Parish Council members. Obviously it was quite charged!
The 7th I went to attend a Licensing Hearing as a Sub member, and was not needed. So I attended a Transport review Sub Group of OSCin Maidstone House. I then met Officers in Headcorn to attend an Aerodrome Consultative Group meeting at the aerodrome. I am hoping to develop opportunities at the Aerodrome.
I then returned to Maidstone House for an OSC meeting briefly before going back to Headcorn to meet the Neighbourhood Plan "Headcorn Matters" group.

The next day the 8th I went to Croydon to meet people called the Business Improvement Development Group to see the process that supported local businesses to set up a tram system. Its more complex than that but I found out! And of course we went on the tram!

I then had a choice, Cabinet of MBC or Headcorn Parish Council, I went to the PC meeting.


9th: OSC Review Group, more emails etc and then join the Mayor with Parish Councillors and friends to promote Headcorn at a Curry Night. It was a lovely evening though.

10th I met a business to discuss a Planning application in East Sutton in the morning and then attended a Conservative Group meeting in the evening.

11th Parish Surgery and Cabinet roadshow in Headcorn.

13th Meet DHA the Developers behind the contentious housing site proposals behind the school to discuss their plans and with County and school people to look at a way forward. Not an easy meeting!

Then meet with a mother and with the County Councillor to discuss schooling issues for a child.

14th meet a business with aspirations to grow and attend with an Officer. I set up the meeting. Its important to support local business.

15th I prepared all day. I presented a petition to the Joint Transport Board to "calm" a hot spot in the Headcorn area. I took a Parish Councillor with me.

The 16th I attended a Planning Meeting of Maidstone BC. The Junction 8 proposal that is so toxic was discussed and defeated, for the 3rd time, but "re-invented". It haunts us! I had worked with other Council members to present a Rural case. Bearsted led. Sadly I missed a Parish Communications meeting for this.

The 17th, another OSC review Group in Maidstone, and then I visit many others, mainly officers in Maidstone House, "having a go" about issues!
20th: Housing Workshop
21st: I had to go to hospital in the morning and then meet the Mayor to celebrate the success of our local Ghurkas at the recent Invictus Games. Then off to a joint OSC Planning and Econ Dev meeting. It went on till 11pm. It was a long tiring day. It was also controversial where we discussed a Strategy. The Econ Dev strategy that is tied into Transport/Roads and Planning/Homes!
22nd and I'm tired, really tired, but have  Financial Ombudsman Training at 9.30pm
At 7pm the KALC group met, the group of all Parishes across the Borough. Another challenging meeting! Planning! Junction 8! Transport, Jobs!!!!
23rd I've got IT problems on the MBC site. I had to sort it out and access my emails. Then meet local School "leaders" to discuss what OSC really does. I love working with young people and helping them, We hoped to get them involved in understanding our "Loneliness" work.
24th Another Tory Group meeting.
25th meet a local volunteer that could help with some important work in view that the Parish Clerk has resigned and his experience is useful for the local business community.
27th  A MBC Budget meeting- critical for all, the Borough and Parishes. More topics came up. A number of opportunities arose, to make money and save money.They MUST be examined. I offered myself for some of the work! I actually understand some of it!

On the 28th I actually did MY PAID JOB and role. Its only consultancy, but I get an hourly rate and I needed the work!

29th I attended a Briefing. Water, flooding, drainage are important to Headcorn.This was an Environment Agency briefing. Naturally I set up meetings as a result and spoke to key people.

30th I met Planning people, Parish Councillors from Ulcombe, Grafty Green and the cabinet member to discuss Local Planning issues.  Another charged meeting! The Mayor and I do these meetings together and it works well.
31st another Tory Group meeting!!!!  (after a hospital consultation in the day).

And what have  we discussed? HOUSES, Planning, jobs, roads and the same old same old issues that affect all of the above:flooding, drainage, the Schools, Parking & Speeding etc! And every angle and new opportunity on these issues is taken up. We really do keep bashing away!

Its not an easy time, not a simple agenda and not a standard solution as we discuss SO MUCH.

And a REALLY IMPORTANT issue came up. The KCC Community Wardens are under threat with funding cuts. There is a consultation and petition. I want people to support this valuable service, so I mention it at KALC, OSC and any other meetings and most chance conversations.

More next month, as some issues "hot up".

4th October

Its a diary full of activity for this month and consists of much the same work, continually bashing away at key issues, lobbying and meeting people about the Local Plan and what I want and believe in.  The activities are more important that writing a blog. I need my time and energy for that, so I will get around to telling you about those meetings soon!