We Need to Talk About our Cllrs
Folkestone & Hythe District Council has an impact on the lives of residents in the district every day, by providing essential services to those it serves. Its decisions [...]
Local Government
Councillors fail to disclose their election expenses.
Nineteen out of thirty Folkestone & Hythe District Council Councillors are currently committing a criminal offence. Three are in a grey area, and the other seven are [...]
One fifth of Council Housing stock not fit for purpose
On the 5th June, 2017 a report to the East Kent Housing (EKH) board (page 99) made it explicitly clear that “the level of non-decent homes currently stood at around [...]
For your eyes only: Appendix 3 Audit report for East Kent Housing (EKH) – tenant health and safety
Exclusive: The Shepwayvox Team can now publish the damning report which was restricted from the public and East Kent Housing Tenants. Over the next few days we will be coming [...]
Breaking News: Council Spends £1 Million on Gagging Orders
Following a Freedom of Information request, Folkestone & Hythe District Council (F&HDC) has informed our public face that since the financial year 2014/15 to [...]
East Kent Housing: Major failings and historic mismanagement rewarded with £110,000 a year
Appendix 3: Audit report for East Kent Housing (EKH) – tenant health and safety is a restricted document, as such it will not be available for the public to see, nor EKH [...]
Coming Soon: Proposals for more money for Otterpool Park acquisitions, proposals to purchase Ship Street Gasworks and an EKH tenant consultation.
Coming soon to the council chamber – 16th Oct – are proposals and recommendations to be put to Cabinet. These proposals are to allow further spending on land [...]
Misleading omissions, council properties and drugs
At 6pm on the 10th June 2019, The East Kent Housing Board convened at Garrity House, Aylesham. Present were the following people :James Queay – Chair, Cllr Trevor [...]
New gas safety & maintenance contractor selected but should Deborah Upton continue to lead East Kent Housing?
The Governance Manager of East Kent Housing witnessed an East Kent Housing tenant address Deborah Upton, the Chief Executive of East Kent Housing (pictured), about a forged [...]
The Long Read: Is £10 an hour too much to ask?
On the 24th July the full council resolved and approved the following amended Labour motion put by Cllr Connor McConville (pictured), Leader of the Labour Group at district [...]
Otterpool Park Update
Folkestone & Hythe District Council since 2015 have purchased in excess of £30 million pounds worth of property. Some of it at their Otterpool Park development between [...]
Planning Committee roundup from 27th August 2019
The Outline planning permission for the provision of up to 117 dwellings – Y18/1404/FH at the land adjoining Hope All Saints Garden Centre, Ashford Road, New Romney, [...]
Folkestone & Hythe District Council have more than £187,000 in unpaid HGV PCNs, equivalent to ten Council jobs
Folkestone & Hythe District Council have failed to collect £187,763 in unpaid Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) for HGVs parked unlawfully across the district in the last [...]
Folkestone & Hythe District Council Temporary Staff Costs Soar by 80%
Spending on temporary staff by Folkestone & Hythe District Council (F&HDC) has risen by 80%, when compared to last year’s expenditure. In the financial year [...]
Why Westenhanger Castle purchase by Folkestone & Hythe District Council will not come before Council for discussion.
On the 14th Nov 2018 Cabinet discussed Report Number C/18/44. It was made clear in this report that further purchases should be made to facilitate the development of the [...]
35 “affordable” homes may be coming to New Romney
At the next Planning & Licensing Committee to be held on the 27th August 2019, an outline planning decision for the development of 117 homes (30% affordable) in New [...]
Princes Parade Update
Faithful + Gould are Folkestone & Hythe District Council’s preferred consultant for the development of a new Leisure Centre on Princes Parade, Hythe. The team [...]
Unbelievable!
According to Folkestone & Hythe District Council the number of empty properties in the district has fallen from 468 as of the 1st Oct 2018 to 293 as of the 29th March [...]
There ain’t half been some clever b*st*rds
In the last five financial years Folkestone & Hythe District Council have only made two surpluses from their on street car parking. These were 2016/17 and 2017/18 where [...]
P & R closes down, but we are NOT out of the woods yet.
After 15 months of continuous investigation by the Shepwayvox Team into P & R Installation Company Ltd, who won a £27 million pound contract with East Kent Housing; [...]
Part 2: Hythe Against Crime
Hythe has recently suffered a spate of break-ins to its shops and robberies from its cafes. On May 1st 2016 we first wrote about a company known as Hythe Against Crime. At [...]
Part 2: East Kent Councils overcharged £1.5 million by Gas Contractor P & R.
We said way back in May 2018, fraud was happening on the Gas Contract. Now it comes to light P & R have been charging the four owners of EKH fraudently to the sum of [...]
Part 1: Is the Chief Executive of East Kent Housing, Deborah Upton, fit for purpose? You decide.
Deborah Josephine Upton (pictured) has a long history of contracts going pear-shaped on her watch. This has happened while she worked for Medway Council, Circle Housing and [...]
Deficits, Transformation, Car Parking and a big thank you
All four East Kent Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) in East Kent, Ashford Canterbury & Coastal, South Kent Coast (Folkestone & Dover) and Thanet are in special [...]
Folkestone & Hythe District Council take one small step for man, and one giant leap for mankind by declaring Climate & Ecological Emergency
A climate and ecological emergency has been declared by Folkestone & Hythe District Council. Last night, Wednesday 24th July at full Council a motion tabled by Cllr [...]