Happy New Year. I hope that 2018 can be a year of peace, prosperity and progress for our community, and the country as a whole. In this, my first column of the year, I would like to thank everyone at Border Force and our emergency services, who have worked over the Christmas period, and in […]
In the early New Year, Shepway District Council expects to bring forward the formal planning application for the development at Princes Parade in Hythe. As most readers know, the plan is for a mixed used development including a new swimming pool, new homes, and leisure and recreational space on the seafront. There is certainly no doubt […]
The Brexit negotiations met and passed a significant stage in the process last week, with the agreement in principle that sufficient progress has been made in settling the terms of our departure, to allow discussions to move on to the future relationship of the UK with the European Union. This agreement addresses one of the […]
December marks a crucial stage in the negotiations for Britain’s departure from the European Union, as we seek to move on from settling the terms of our leaving, to discussing our future trading relationship. We must remember though that whatever agreement is announced following the forthcoming European Council meeting, it does not come into effect […]
The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, delivered his budget statement to the House of Commons last week, where he was able to state that the economy will continue to grow and create new jobs, personal taxes will fall, investment in the NHS will go up, and the national debt will shortly start falling in […]
Last week the government announced it will not be contesting the judicial review that had been lodged against the planned Operation Stack lorry park close to junction 11 of the M20. It is very frustrating that this decision had to be made, as it means further delay in delivering the long term solution to the […]
Following the closure of the Folkestone East GP practice at the beginning of this month, I have asked the South Kent Coast Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to give the me the latest figures for the reallocation of patients to their new surgeries. As of Monday this week, 3,772 people have been allocated to a new […]
The fourth Folkestone Triennial marked its official close last Sunday, and has been another great success. It has brought thousands of visitors to our area, and encouraged us all to get out and explore the different artworks. Bob and Roberta Smith’s ‘Folkestone is an Art School’, and Richard Woods colourful holiday homes, have been popular […]
This week the Folkestone East Family GP practice will close its doors, and from 1st November, the doctors based there will be working from the Sandgate Road surgery. Nobody wants to see a GP surgery close, but since the decision was made by the GPs to end their contract, the priority of the South Kent […]
On Wednesday this week I will be leading a House of Commons debate in Westminster Hall, on Operation Stack, and the management HGV lorries in Kent. The timing of this debate is significant, as the judicial review that has been lodged against the plans to create an Operation Stack relief lorry park to the west […]