Chance to raise local community issues which affect us all.

Each year you the residents of the district are offered the opportunity to submit your ideas about which local community issues you believe Cllrs should discuss at Overview & Scrutiny Committee.

There are no hard and fast rules about what makes a good topic, but only issues that affect residents across the whole district can be considered.

According to the Council’s magazine – Your District Today, one can now submit your ideas for consideration up until 28 Feb 2023 at the following link:

folkestone-hythe.gov.uk/your-council/democracy/council-scrutiny

This link takes you here – yes it’s the 22/23 link

One has to scroll to the bottom of the page to find the 2023/24 link

When one clicks on the link, one is taken to a MyAccount login page.

Now given 60% of the district do have a MyAccount, that means 40% do not. As we know, not everyone has access to the internet. Yes the council give an alternative way of contacting them by sending snail mail to the Civic Centre, Castle Hill Avenue CT20 2QY.

But why do we have to use a MyAccount, to leave suggestions? And also what good will that do anyway, given that none of the topics discussed last year by O&S were from residents who’d made suggestions for the 22/23 agenda.

The Chair of Overview & Scrutiny Committee is Cllr Michelle Keutenius (Lab) (pictured). If you believe the Committee should allow people to comment without having to use a MyAccount login, do let her know. Also do remind her that since May 2019, Overview & Scrutiny have not discussed any ideas to date submitted to them by residents.

Many say that Cllr Monk is an autocratic leader who does not listen to the people. Given the history of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee not taking on board residents suggestions for discussion, perhaps the same can be leveled at the chair of the committee.

We’ll leave you to ponder that.

The Shepway Vox Team

Dissent is NOT a Crime