Annual Report: Borough Council Member Martin Round
Its been a difficult 18 months, let alone a year, for all of us and in many different ways. The only certain thing has been uncertainty. Whilst we are moving back to some forms of normal practice and we have resumed Elections and Annual Meetings it has been a time of void and poor engagement in some respects.
Because of Covid most processes and admin systems have been postponed, cancelled, amended or forgotten. Effectively this report must reflect 2 years, because Local Govt matters such as one set of Elections and any by-elections were put back for another year and all Members and those seats, that were due for Elections, were asked to stay on for another year with no Annual Meeting last year. With a finitely balanced majority, the Coalition in Leadership were able to optimise that. This is something that at some point always matters in Party politics and sadly it immediately lessened my parties influence in opposition as one of my groups Members simply could not and would not stay on due to personal issues/family health matters. I am a Conservative where we are the Opposition. However even in opposition my group has challenged the Coalition Leadership on matters, very often more relevant to the rural areas, but we have also challenged and succeeded in making our points in town affairs, (such as air pollution, traffic, the bus station, the Museum, the Theatre). But where the Leadership parties ensured their “dead weights” hung on we actually lost a “Front bench” spokesman and Chair of Audit, someone that was not just a seat and a vote but one with some gravitas and authoritative insight…...and then we lost another Member and again a vocal one; the Deputy Mayor who sadly passed due to a sudden illness, just before Covid actually gripped the nation. This all coincided with my own very serious illness that took me away for some months, however Covid actually gave me the time and far less demands on travel to enable a good recovery.
Another factor in our organisational knock-ons meant that several Members, that would have resigned where that seat would have had an Election with a new candidate/Member, those Members “hung-on” just so their vote was precious in Committees and Council meetings. These Members were rarely active or contributory. Whilst Teleconferencing made meetings easier to attend some just attended to secure a precious vote. It also meant that some did not take attendance that seriously, so some others had to be much more attentive and contributory!
But being a Council Member is not just attending official Council or Committee Meetings. The Constitutional system means that few Members can actually be involved or aware of every single matter presented at every Meeting. That’s why some of us want to change it! Briefings, Training sessions, Workshops, “pre-apps” for Planning or Site visits, Chair and Vice Chair Groups and specialist focus or sub-groups that may be convened are also relevant. These can actually be much more important or informative and beneficial and gives an opposition group more opportunity & influence in directions. We also have meetings for our own political groups and my group also has its own “Strategic Group” of “Front bench” spokespersons where we ensure we cover every matter on a weekly basis. I serve on that with the Economic Regeneration, Leisure & Culture/ERL role as Vice Chair of Committee. I also sit on Audit and Standards Committee and the Policy and Resources Committee. As a VC there are many more meetings, especially if there are difficult issues or serious challenges! This also tends to lead to other roles. It does mean you are better informed and then you make sure you keep on being informed and thus this leads to more activity and work, especially if you impart that knowledge to others: often. As a Member it also gives access to some people where you can dig for more information too! So I dig often. Such knowledge may be seen as power, but if it is beneficial for my residents, my community and a better Borough, then surely it is worthwhile. Would the community want, if they knew, that their elected Members didn’t partake in these meetings and groups and their Members were happy to be ignorant and less enabling or active? Some Members are literally never seen, and when they do get seen, they don’t say anything. I am not of that model!
I can seriously say I rarely have a day off or away from Council business in some guise or another, unless I can actually get away somewhere. And thats been almost impossible in the last year. Although I have kept away from Planning issues directly, in terms of Committee work since my illness, this does however remain my biggest demand and of course I maintain my training and insight in this respect. And could still be called up. The role of VC of ERL is naturally aligned to Planning issues with matters such as Strategy/Policy, Transport plus Businesses/Employment, Training and Estate/asset management all interwoven.
I am looking forward to welcoming a new Co-Member after the Elections, but I must thank Karen for her filling the breach over the last couple of years after a mid term by-election was necessitated. But other than another Co-Member once these Elections are over I suspect it will be “the same old same old” and just further episodes of those same issues. And the new Member will have to find their roles and vocation.
Members, being volunteers, take up roles they hope to fulfil. Every Member is different. There are several fundamental roles:
-Council Meetings/Committee work and roles and very often a greater or lesser political activity (some choose very little, some are more able and choose more and take Chairs or VCs!)
-Political work; this may be for your local Association writing leaflets or social media, raising funds, campaigning to being part of the thinking and direction for the Party “in the Council House/Town hall” or the organisational aspects of the Party locally/nationally.
-The Civic or civil roles, engaging in the community and doing various works and/or taking part in “outside body” roles. There is also the ultimate role becoming Deputy Mayor and Mayor. This can involve a few pleasant events and charity raising activities, none of which we have seen for about 15 months.
-Case work: dealing with issues raised by generally single individuals where they have a problem. This ranges from Housing matters, Planning issues, Neighbourhood and boundary problems, litter, public nuisance from smoke and smells to rodents, and many concerns about Crime and anti-social behaviour. This includes issues where we and MBC are not the statutory authority or the provider, but we still nonetheless may be involved or we refer to others.
-Ward work: this is where there may be repeated and same case work matters or where we realise there is a broader concern and it needs to be addressed somehow. This can also be where “top down” strategic issues or actions evolve that are affecting the Ward or they are likely to.
Few Members can get involved at all levels, and every level has its own demands and degree of work or more work, especially if you do work on a key project or priority; it simply takes too much time. In the Headcorn Ward there is a lot of Case and Ward work that I choose to prioritise both reactively and pro-actively. That tends to dictate my time and energy.
But the Planning issues have been the bulk of Ward work over the last 2 years, for the benefit of this report and most of them relate to enforcement. The biggest area of work, although it comes in different forms, is chasing up on Enforcement matters. Its case work and Ward work. It happens every week. When I did serve as Vice Chair of Planning, I requested regular updates on the work of Enforcement teams to Committees. That seems to have been neglected due to Covid and a lack of personnel unable to go out and visit places and people. When we did have reports Headcorn Ward made up almost 50% of the whole Boroughs concerns. The other 50% were invariably in close and neighbouring Wards like Staplehurst. But the nature of Enforcement was changing, and our Officer teams were literally being less responsive. So with like minded Members (you have to get several people animated to make an impact), then my Group pressed Officers into some better response. The frequent staffing reviews and incessant turnover of personnel in this work meant there was a lack of momentum and therefore some of us had to press and lobby Officers and try to make headway with some of the Elected Members from other groups. But as I report March/April 2021 there has been some recruitment and improvement. That is something that just continues, trying to impress upon Officers and “townie” Members how much this matters to Rural areas and its residents.
Some elements of this work is frustrating as we cannot inform the public what we are doing, how and where as this alerts people whilst it increases tensions or sensitivities. It is also very easy for things to be misinterpreted and in an age where any action or opinion is likely to upset somebody, then certain things are kept quiet. It also protects those of us that are active, as I personally don’t want another “Code of Conduct” enquiry or other threatening legal action hanging over me.
Nonetheless Enforcement work covers many areas: Environment and waste crime or littering, fly tipping and the dumping of various commodities in inappropriate places. Then there is Planning that covers occupations of fields by caravans or mobile homes and recent increases in another field of work where new homes and those developments have not provided the necessary conditions that were required or quality standards have not been fulfilled. Add the issues of Flooding, Water and Drainage plus Trading Standards. Anti-social behaviour and various manners of crime then the Ward is very demanding. As Ward issues these matters require endless dialogue with MBC Officers and referrals with follow-up to other agencies. But I take it further. As in some cases I do not believe some Officers will push for the answers or solutions.
I believe the Planning system and some Laws and Policies need review. Whilst I do not sit on the Strategic Planning and Infrastructure Committee I make sure I attend periodically and engage in many parts and processes of the Local Plan Review. There is much we may not like in respect to Planning, but whilst much of it is contained in National Law, I still want to see improvement in quality standards and indeed type, size, design and the sort of provision we currently provide. We must also see greater thought and action in the bigger scheme of things such as roads, schools, doctors, Childrens and Youth provision and care support. If we are to have more housing then we need to have better homes, better served by better services. So I lobby where I can to promote better housing especially for the elderly and disabled and better access to housing for the young. We also need a better way to provide homes for our Gypsy and Traveller population. This could be addressed far better.
I engage with our MP and discuss the roles of Planning Inspectors, who seem to favour anybody and anything anywhere! With my MP I have met Senior Officers of the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government on this matter and how Enforcement seems to be impotent on certain matters. These are the people that set the policies and laws and write them! We have also met Environment Agency Directors to discuss their reluctance to tackle some local issues.
Whilst I mention some big elements of work and dialogue there are also many other issues that all form my work.
Golding Homes: Whilst several Housing Associations provide Community/Affordable Housing in the Ward, a large part especially the old stock, is managed by Golding Homes. In the last 2 years I have actually had a major increase in case work reflecting tenants in these homes. There have literally been some horror stories. This is reflected across the Borough. My fellow Members in Park Wood and Shepway have been inundated with high/heavy case loads in this respect. This culminated in meetings with Officers. In early 2020 as Covid arrived Golding Homes were placed in the Housing equivalent of “special measures” by their inspection body. There was an immediate restructure with new management and new approaches. Some Members met Officers to update and scrutinise and develop better lines of communication for action early 2021 and we await the next chapter!
As mentioned above I continue to engage both locally and nationally with the Environment Agency on matters such as flooding and drainage, waste crime and the management of SSSI/Site of Special Scientific Interest. It is still work in progress.
I do serve on Outside bodies & continue to be a Director of ACRE/Rural Kent and although this is project work that reacts to rural issues it has been a struggle getting the projects and getting them funded, nonetheless the Coffee caravans thrive that setup in isolated villages and bring people together over a coffee and then discuss local issues, signpost and refer, and even advise further. Rural Housing initiatives also thrive.
I also serve as a go-between for Headcorn Aerodrome and sit on the Aerodrome Consultative Committee dealing with issues that range from the use of firearms in re-enactments, low flying shows, public safety and National security and Defence. It may not strike people, but after Lydd Headcorn is the next air runway from Europe or the nearest to Europe without 24 hr Border Force security. It is also very convenient for a RAF Chinook to practice Emergency and Humanitarian efforts or refuel before the English Channel. Local communities are all very supportive of the Aerodrome and it is popular amongst most residents and thankfully we get very few complaints, however a minor enclave of local residents who choose to live near the Aerodrome now seem animated to find fault with the planes and the Aerodrome and now challenge the authorities with the processes that approve the activities. This increases my work.
As part of the work in the Policy and Resources Committee we have agreed to undertake a Boundary Review. The Boundary Commission will review Ward numbers and make-up and relevant “democratic representation” in terms of how many Members the Council should have. The Borough has got bigger to 178,000 residents and as such the 55 Members and the size of Wards needs address as proportionately the current set-up does not fairly represent good democracy. There are umpteen possible ways to deal with it. The Constitution that works on Elections in thirds, three out of every 4 years does not help! So this may be a way of getting a better democracy? But it will take months of work.
And I couldn’t conclude a report without mentioning the impact and issues of Covid in some way. Maidstone Borough Council have been one of several authorities at the forefront of many aspects of work for Covid. MBC are the statutory Public Health authority, so formed part of the multi-agency County and Regional responses to the National crisis. This meant staff were deployed in unfamiliar roles and some functions of the Council were suspended. And like most big organisations we set up a response committee approach with various actions and procedures for our own organisation. Like so many we worked from home using laptops. We set up Skype for meetings with Teams in readiness. Business rates were suspended and with other income deplete the Council finances were looking to be inadequate. Adjustments were made. Some Members were directly involved whilst others advised or input in certain ways. It gives me great pride to say that Headcorn had one of the first Covid assessment Centres and one of the most productive Vaccine Centres at the Aerodrome. Local Doctors and staff from several practices locally achieved wonders and served nearly all of the Wealden areas right into the edge of Sussex.
Covid also meant local Councils were charged with awarding, processing and monitoring Business Grants. Businesses come under the role of Economic Development and regeneration as well as our Rates Collection services, so that took some organisation and responsiveness. MBC performed it magnificently and exceeded the performance of other Councils up and down the country. I am proud that in my role as VC of ERL and member of Audit Committee the overseeing role fell on my Committees shoulders. The grants can never make up for lost trade and not all qualified for a grant;it was never a perfect solution, but that help will have saved many from much worse.
