Medway Council: November Engagements
The following is a list of meetings that I attended in the month:
- 3rd of November: Shadow Cabinet
- 4th of November: Member Testing Panel (Medway 2.0 Digitisation)
- 5th of November: Briefing with Council’s COO on Procurement
- 10th of November: Conservative Group Meeting
- 11th of November: Briefing with Director Place
- 13th of November: Full Meeting of the Council (Absent)
- 18th of November: Briefing from the Kent Disabled Football League
- 20th of November: Health & Wellbeing Board
- 24th of November: Briefing on Council’s Temporary Housing
- 27th November: Business, Support and Digital Overview and Scrutiny Committee
- 28th November: Appointment Panel shortlisting meeting
- 29th November: Supported the Mayor’s charity at an event in Rochester
Council Highlights and Policy Debates
The major highlight of the month was the Full Council meeting on the 13th November when the Council adopted the Labour Administration’s own solution for LGR known as 4D. This would create a new Unitary Authority probably to be known as North Kent consuming Gravesham, Medway, Swale and an area around Bluebell Hill.
LGR: Vanity over Collaboration I note the Labour Administration pushed through its own LGR plan (the ‘4D’ model). This action demonstrated a preference for trying to ensure Labour has a chance at running one of the new unitaries over genuine consensus. Any long-term structural change to local government must be based on genuine, wide-ranging consultation with residents and neighbouring authorities—not simply the partisan choice of the Executive. The adoption of this model shows poor faith and a failure to meet the Government’s criteria. I will be writing a separate blog on LGR in due course.
Committee Scrutiny: At Health and Wellbeing Board I asked questions on the Active Travel Update, inquiring if targets had been set for adults walking, and asked why there had been an increase in professional challenges specifically around lack of action and not following procedure in the Annual Safeguarding Report. I also demanded to know why Medway’s Section 47 rates were double the national rate and what specific action was being taken to address the underlying causes. For Suicide and Self Harm Prevention, I stressed the need for strategies that specifically target Medway and mandatory training for all partners involved in dealing with those at risk.
At Business, Support and Digital Overview and Scrutiny Committee I scrutinised the Labour Administration on EV Charging points, Decarbonisation in Waste Strategy, Bus infrastructure, Benefits Subsidy, the Overspend in Legal Services, Overspend on Software Licences, and future capital spend in ICT budgets.
Medway Council Moving Vehicle Fines Write-Off
This month the Council announced that it had written-off more than £1M of fines issued but not collected. Now this is good news for those who were fined, but you really do have to ask what is the point of issuing fines if you can’t collect them. It just adds weight to the view that this Labour Administration is incompetent.
A Failure of Fiscal Stewardship The write-off of £1M in uncollected fines is not mere incompetence; it is a symptom of institutional mismanagement and a failure of enforcement. This is vital taxpayer money that should be offsetting pressures in Children’s or Adult Social Care. In a Council already relying on Exceptional Financial Support (EFS) to balance its books, the Leader must explain why they allowed this amount of legally owed revenue to be lost. This is a failure to exercise basic fiscal stewardship.
Medway Labour Raise the Palestinian Flag over Gun Wharf
The Leader of the Council, Cllr Vince Maple, seemed delighted to be raising the Palestinian Flag over Gun Wharf on Friday 28th November. Personally I found this to be deeply offensive, not only because it ignores the suffering and fear of our Jewish community following the October 7th attacks on Israel, but the flag has been used to terrorise the Jewish community here in the UK since Israel engaged the terrorists of Hamas in Gaza.
A Failure of Leadership Judgement The Council Leader’s duty is to unite Medway, not to engage in geopolitical posturing. This action raises serious questions about the Leader’s focus: is he prioritising local services or chasing national political headlines? It was notable just how few Members of the Council turned out for the Flag raising and there was no publicity on the Council’s official social media channels. When a flag is raised over Gun Wharf it is raised on behalf of us all. Recently, Cllr Maple has shown himself to be politically inept, and raising the flag of Palestine must raise questions over his wider judgement.
In my view the only flags that should ever be raised over Gun Wharf are the Union Flag, Cross of St George and the Medway Flag.
Ward Report: Hempstead & Wigmore
Cllr Jim Gilbourne and I continue to receive correspondence on the School Street Scheme around Fairview Primary School. The issue is older residents finding it difficult to get exemptions for medical appointments. Having engaged with Cllr Paterson, the Labour Administration’s relevant portfolio holder, he refused to meet with me to discuss.
I was in touch with a family I had supported with an EHCP application earlier in the year and who were having difficulty with school transport.
The planning application for 326a Hempstead Road appears to be on hold due to a breach of the original application. Hopefully this application to provide secure accommodation for young people will now go away.
Hempstead Village Fayre Committee turned on its Christmas Tree lights on the 29th November. The tree looks fabulous and a great effort by all involved.
Need Assistance with the Council
If you live in Hempstead and Wigmore Ward and need help with a matter to do with the Council, please contact:
Andrew Lawrence (andrew.lawrence@medway.gov.uk) or Jim Gilbourne (jim.gilbourne@medway.gov.uk)
