Unaddressed systemic issues are holding back Council’s development
This is a guest post I am a Folkestone & Hythe District Council Officer. What is written here is a distallation of my own and other colleagues opinions. All opinion [...]
Mark Anderson
Grenfell Tower: In Memory of the 72 who lost their lives
Five years ago today, 72 people lost their lives in the Grenfell Tower disaster because elected Cllrs, Kensington & Chelsea Council and its arms length, Tenant Management [...]
Good News: Significant strides made by Council making Council housing safe for tenants
It’s not often we are able to tell you Folkestone & Hythe District Council are getting something right. But this is one of those rare moments to let you know that [...]
In the beginning nine Cabinet Members created the £40 million Veolia Waste Contract Fiasco
On July 22nd 2020, the Cabinet of Folkestone & Hythe District Council met to discuss and award the new waste contract. Agenda Item 28 and 29 (The Waste Project 2021 [...]
Mr Anderson’s evidence at the Grenfell Enquiry
On the 13th Oct, Mr. Mark Anderson the former Director of Property Services at the now defunct East Kent Housing, gave evidence to the Grenfell Inquiry. He gave evidence for [...]
Former EKH Property Director Mark Anderson to appear before Grenfell Inquiry tomorrow
Mark Anderson (pictured) will appear before the Grenfell Tower Inquiry tomorrow, 13th Oct between 10am – 16:30. Mark Anderson – the previous Director of [...]
The Long Read: Planning excites passion.
Planning has always been the hottest of all local government topics. It’s the one most likely to stir the passions of local people and yet no sooner have those passions [...]
“It’s nothing short of scandalous” as 40,000 plus EKH council tenants data placed at “significant security and operational risk”
“The servers that the [East Kent Housing] system runs on are due for replacement and the Northgate software is out of support. This poses a significant security and [...]
Karma Comes Around For Mark Anderson?
Before he joined East Kent Housing (EKH), Mark Anderson (pictured) former Director of Property, had according to his Linkedin page, seventeen jobs between 1985 and June 2016. [...]
“We’re Making It Up As We Go Along”
In the last few days, the four Chief Exec’s of Canterbury, Dover, Folkestone & Hythe & Thanet Councils have been meeting with East Kent Housing staff. The four [...]
Part 3: Folkestone & Hythe District Council Financial Irregularities
In this final piece (for now) we look at at very specific part of the time line in the P & R potential £1.5 million pound fraud which came about as a result of failings [...]
EKH Chief Exec Deborah Upton Has Stepped Down
Updated: 16:40 East Kent Housing’s Chief Executive Deborah Upton (pictured) has stepped down from her role following a string of failures by the organisation. Well placed [...]
The Long Read: The Blame Game
In two reports, the HQN Report (not yet seen by Cllrs) commissioned by East Kent Housing (EKH); and the Pennington Report commissioned by the four Councils, evidence of EKH [...]
The Long Read: Penny Wise And Pound Foolish
The Pennington Report – a report into the failings of East Kent Housing and the four Councils of Canterbury, Dover, Folkestone & Hythe and Thanet – makes it [...]
Slum Landlord, Double Payments, Overcharging and Killing Pensioners
Double payments, overcharging, lack of adherence to legislation and a failure to manage the P & R contract, and all the issues raised in Appendix 3: Audit report for East [...]
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 [...]
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 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 [...]
The Long Read: All 4 East Kent Chief Executives should resign over Gas Safety Certificate fiasco
All Cllrs of Canterbury, Dover, Folkestone & Hythe & Thanet District Councils ought to bring a motion before their respective full councils regarding the lack of [...]
Half Truths by Dr Priest at Overview & Scrutiny Committee? You decide
At last night’s Overview & Scrutiny Committee, Cllr Tim Prater (Lib Dem), Cllr Lesley Whybrow (Green) and Cllr Laura Davison (Lab) did themselves proud by probing [...]
The End for Mr Anderson of East Kent Housing
EXCLUSIVE Good journalism they say changes things. It has come to pass that the Director of Property Services at East Kent Housing, Mr Mark Anderson (pictured) has lost his [...]
A tragedy waiting to happen
When land becomes more important than thousands of people’s safety then something is wrong, horribly wrong. On the 6th June 2019 Cllr Tim Prater (pictured below) and [...]
East Kent Councils failing hundreds of tenants over gas safety checks
Hundreds of council tenants lives are being put at significant risk due to their landlords not undertaking compulsory gas safety checks. Hundreds of Council homes owned by [...]
Betrayed by East Kent Housing
Arthur is 86. He has served in our armed forces and has been betrayed by one of his ward Cllrs, by Cllr Alan Ewart- James Cabinet member for Housing (pictured below left), by [...]
Issues with East Kent Housing’s P & R boiler contract?
P & R’ Installation Co Ltd (P & R) £27 million pound contract managed by East Kent Housing for central heating, emergency 24/7 gas and hot water repair [...]