ShepwayVox Dissent is not a Crime

Folkestone Parking Enforcement Supervisor Suspended Amid Expenses Investigation

July 8, 2025 // 1 Comment

A senior supervisor working for the private company contracted to provide parking enforcement across Folkestone & Hythe has been suspended from duty pending the outcome [...]

Kent Proposes £1.78 Billion Elderly Care Contract Over 8 Years Amid Rising Nursing Demand

July 7, 2025 // 0 Comments

Kent County Council is preparing to rewrite the rules on how it provides care home placements for older people in a move that could cost up to £1.78 billion over eight years [...]

Otterpool Park Update: Council Exposed to £50 Million Risk, Still No Homes Built

July 7, 2025 // 3 Comments

Updated @ 14:26 Folkestone & Hythe District Council (FHDC) is now deeply financially committed to its flagship garden town, Otterpool Park. Over the last financial year [...]

Methane and CO₂ Emissions at Princes Parade Clash with Council’s Climate Commitments

July 5, 2025 // 1 Comment

Updated 09:30, 7 July 2025 The future of Princes Parade—a contentious strip of coastal land owned by Folkestone & Hythe District Council—has resurfaced as a [...]

Selling the Family Silver: Is Folkestone & Hythe District Council Mortgaging the Future?

July 4, 2025 // 0 Comments

Folkestone & Hythe District Council has built up a sizable war chest in recent years — not through increased government funding or soaring council tax, but by selling [...]

Section 106 Disaster in Folkestone: £1.7 Million Missing, No Affordable Homes Delivered

July 3, 2025 // 2 Comments

Fourteen affordable homes promised. £1.716 million pledged in Section 106 contributions. Not a brick laid, not a pound received. Instead, Stoneleigh House and its adjoining [...]

Have Your Say on Princes Parade: Council Hosts Public Drop-in Sessions Amid Calls to Protect Open Space

July 3, 2025 // 1 Comment

Residents are being invited to shape the future of Princes Parade at two public drop-in sessions tomorrow & Saturday, as Folkestone & Hythe District Council renews [...]

Millions in Borrowing Unexplained as Executive Pay and Councillor Costs Surge at Folkestone & Hythe District Council

July 2, 2025 // 0 Comments

A quiet storm is brewing over three core issues at Folkestone & Hythe District Council: conflicting borrowing figures between the council and central government, [...]

Reform UK Under Fire: Kent Councillors Use Transparency Law to Hide Already-Public Addresses

June 30, 2025 // 0 Comments

Across Kent, voters expect honesty, accountability and transparency from their elected representatives. But an investigation by The Shepway Vox Team reveals a disturbing [...]

Council Leader Jim Martin Knew of £21M Princes Parade Offer, Leaked Email Reveals

June 30, 2025 // 5 Comments

At a full meeting of Folkestone & Hythe District Council on 26 February 2025, Cllr Jenny Hollingsbee (Con) asked Council Leader Cllr Jim Martin (Green) whether he was [...]

Folkestone & Hythe District Council Fails to Spend £11.88 Million on Promised Projects

June 29, 2025 // 1 Comment

Folkestone & Hythe District Council has left £11.88 million of budgeted capital spending unspent over the past two financial years. This money was earmarked for [...]

Eight Years of FOI Failure: Folkestone & Hythe District Council Under Fire for Data Scandals

June 28, 2025 // 1 Comment

At Folkestone & Hythe District Council, transparency has become something of a myth. Between 1 April 2017 and 31 March 2025, the council failed to meet its own Key [...]

A Dog’s Breakfast of Data: Folkestone & Hythe District Council’s FOI Figures Go Walkies

June 28, 2025 // 1 Comment

Dog mess is one of the most frequent and fragrant grievances in local government. In Folkestone & Hythe, it’s been cited hundreds of times in complaints, council [...]

Folkestone & Hythe District Council Has Lost 1,200 Council Homes Since 2002

June 27, 2025 // 2 Comments

Over the past 22 years, Folkestone & Hythe District Council has lost 1,200 council homes. That figure alone should raise concern. But when we examine the underlying [...]

Folkestone & Hythe Council Faces £10m Housing Repairs Backlog Despite Budget Surplus

June 27, 2025 // 0 Comments

Folkestone & Hythe District Council is under scrutiny after delaying £10 million in vital housing repairs, despite posting a major budget surplus. Tenants question where [...]

Folkestone & Hythe District Council Caught in FOI Scandal Over Unsafe Housing Enforcement Data

June 26, 2025 // 0 Comments

Folkestone & Hythe District Council is facing a growing credibility crisis after a series of Freedom of Information (FOI) disclosures reveal it cannot provide consistent [...]

Councillor’s “Nutjob” Remark Sparks Legal Warning Over Equality Law Compliance

June 25, 2025 // 0 Comments

This blog assesses the Folkestone & Hythe District Council (“the Council”) Equality and Diversity Policy 2025–29 against UK equality law, focusing on the Equality [...]

Kent Councillor Faces GDPR Questions Over Use of Private Email for Casework

June 24, 2025 // 0 Comments

A Kent County Councillor’s unconventional approach to correspondence is drawing scrutiny over data protection compliance. Tim Prater (pictured) – newly elected in May [...]

Temporary Staffing Costs at Folkestone & Hythe Council Fall Below £1 Million for First Time in Three Years

June 24, 2025 // 1 Comment

Folkestone & Hythe District Council’s spending on temporary staff has fallen below £1 million for the first time in three years, marking a significant shift in how the [...]

Two Answers, One Truth: FOI Scandal Exposes KCC and Folkestone & Hythe DC

June 22, 2025 // 0 Comments

When people ask how public money is spent, they deserve a straight answer. That is the promise of the Freedom of Information Act. But when councils give different answers to [...]

Exclusive: Kent County Council Spends £1.1 Billion Fighting SEND Appeals — 84% of Annual Budget

June 20, 2025 // 3 Comments

Exclusive: Kent County Council (KCC) has admitted to spending over £1.1 billion in legal costs defending Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) tribunal appeals [...]

Folkestone & Hythe District Council Temporary Accommodation Costs Hit Record £926K as Affordable Housing Falls Short

June 20, 2025 // 4 Comments

Folkestone & Hythe District Council spent £919,871 on temporary accommodation in 2024/25—its highest annual total on record—despite investing in affordable housing [...]

Council Leader Jim Martin Accused of Lying About £21m Princess Parade Offer

June 18, 2025 // 9 Comments

At a full meeting of Folkestone & Hythe District Council on 26 February 2025, Cllr Jenny Hollingsbee (Con) rose to ask a pointed supplementary question to Council Leader [...]

Folkestone Harbour Development Approved Despite Legal Failures on Equality Law

June 17, 2025 // 5 Comments

Folkestone & Hythe District Council’s planning committee has approved the major seafront development—without a single councillor raising, mentioning, or addressing [...]

Folkestone & Hythe District Council in Breach of Transparency Laws Over Procurement Card Spending

June 17, 2025 // 1 Comment

Folkestone & Hythe District Council is in hot water — or perhaps melted gelato — after failing to publish Government Procurement Card (GPC) transaction since Nov [...]

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