Over the last year we have had some major scoops. Revealing that SDC had bought the Otterpool Farm land for £5.2 million in the post The Cat Is Out Of The Bag on Jan 8th 2016.
We liked this post because it was about listening and listening carefully to what was said at the At the Resources Scrutiny Committe meeting on Jan 6th 2016. Mr Lee Walker mentioned the sum of £5.3 million being set aside for land acquisition, and with the other information we already possessed it became clear that the money had been spent on the land at Otterpool Park.
In February it was the long awaited report into Cllr Simmons expenses which led to a full blown report being issued by SDC.
We liked this because it meant we had to wade through lots of detail and that is of course where the devil sits.The Expenses Report was picked up by both the Herald & The Kentish Express after we pushed the story continuously for 7 months, mainly on our own.
We liked this story because it brought the offshore industry onshore. It brought it home and it brought it to a neighbour near you, making it relevant to our lives. It demonstrated that offshore is not elsewhere. It demonstrated that offshore is onshore and near you.
We liked this because we discovered Mr Stewart (and others) £320 lunch, which led Cllr Susie Govett to raise questions in the Council Chamber. We liked it because it showed how an unelected official spends – in part our taxpayers money.
We liked this story because it was about transparency, showing the people of Shepway how the money is spent. It also demonstrates that taking the time to look at SDC’s accounts therein by treasure.
We liked this story because it proved where the money went – how the owners control their stakes in Affinity through subsidiary companies registered in Luxembourg, Guernsey, British Virgin Islands, Switzerland and the Netherlands.
We liked this story because it was a ten month long investigation which got us involved with an International Newspaper who continue to dig and probe at this story. We liked it because it brought home the the fact that so much money was and still is running through one address in our great district.
In November we showed you how Damian Collins MP was Kent’s most expensive MP.
We liked this story as we had got to grips with pivot tables and putting data in a way that was easily understandable. Plus we liked it because it showed that Damian had put a claim before IPSA for ‘fees’ of £6000 for his wife’s company which was not paid as it was not eligible under the IPSA scheme
We liked this story because it empowered you the citizen as it enabled you to inform your Cllr what rights they have to access Council information.
All in all it’s been a good year. We have a global readership, a national readership but most importantly a local readership. We are grateful to you all who have read us and shared us, we thank each of you.
You our readers are vital to us as are the people who share information with us, for that we are truly grateful. We hope you all have a great new year and we look forward to bringing you more newsworthy stories in 2017. Have a good one people.
I think the entire team deserves a triple gold medal for “speaking truth unto power” and for having the balls to ignore those who can’t take criticism or face the truth. I wish the local press were as interested in local issues. My only regret is that those who are challenged seem incapable of any response. Maybe you should invite/offer a right of reply? Happy New Year
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
I think the entire team deserves a triple gold medal for “speaking truth unto power” and for having the balls to ignore those who can’t take criticism or face the truth. I wish the local press were as interested in local issues. My only regret is that those who are challenged seem incapable of any response. Maybe you should invite/offer a right of reply? Happy New Year
A huge big thank you to you for ‘kicking against the pricks’ (Acts 26:14 KJV)
You might very well think that I don’t mean the biblical sense of the word ‘pricks’
I couldn’t possibly comment.