The rise and rise of community-based news reporting
Following on from my first article – “Fake news” or “No news” – the twin threats to democracy – does local news matter? If your answer is ‘no’, [...]
News
KCC “Profiteering” from caring for migrant children under 18
On the 1st April 2019, Kent County Council (KCC) were caring for 254 under 18 unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC). By March 31st 2020, KCC were caring from 450 UASC, [...]
A year on and still no council policy or plan to deal with the declared climate & ecological emergency
A working group is a group that keeps minutes and loses hours. On Wednesday 24th July 2019, Folkestone & Hythe District Council declared a Climate & Ecological [...]
Princes Parade: Will Oaklands Surgery get that £151,200 CIL money?
Updated 23/09/20 Regardless of one’s personal position on Princes Parade, one thing should be perfectly clear and that’s the cost of the legal fees spent by [...]
Kent and Medway NHS Trust continue to send mental health patients hundreds of miles from home for hospital beds
Between the 1st April 2017 and the 4th August 2020, the Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust (KMPT) have sent two hundred and twenty eight (228) mental [...]
Same Story Different Transport
The issue of refugees crossing the Channel and arriving on English soil is NOT new. Back in May 2002, our public face worked as a reporter for the Folkestone Herald and [...]
Folkestone & Hythe District Council issue £6.2 million worth of contracts bypassing normal tendering processes
£6.2 million pounds worth of contracts in 2019/20 were issued by Folkestone & Hythe District Council, using waivers and citing urgency and expediency. In total, 49 [...]
So, Where’s The Money Gone?
So, where’s the money? The financial data below has all come from Folkestone & Hythe District Council. It excludes VAT. It is the Temporary staff costs data from [...]
Something is Rotten in the District of Folkestone & Hythe
There’s more to this than meets the eye. Yes the facts surrounding the Leo Griggs Royal Victoria Site gets murkier. Not only has the site been closed by the Health [...]
Do You Trust This Man?
We recently reported Dr Susan Priest, Chief Exec of Folkestone & Hythe District Council had received a £40,000 pay rise, in 2019/20. A member of the public asked a [...]
Cllr David Wimble interviewed under caution for alleged electoral violations
On Monday the 21st Oct, 2019, Cllr David Wimble (Ind) attended Folkestone Police Station where he was interviewed under caution in respect of allegations of committing [...]
Folkestone & Hythe District Council have more than £204,000 in unpaid HGV PCNs, equivalent to ten Council jobs
Updated 22:45 27/07/20 Between April 2017 and March 2020, Folkestone & Hythe District Council have failed to collect £204,074 in unpaid Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) for [...]
Wheelie Cllr Prater!
Updated 19:00 23/07/20 Honestly, if we replied to every Cllr Tim Prater (Lib Dem) article, we’d get little done. Cllr Tim Prater (Lib Dem) is claiming victory for a [...]
Where is the 2020 Air Quality Report?
So the 2019 Air Quality report has been released. This though informs us about the air quality in 2018. However, we ask Folkestone & Hythe District Council, and the [...]
Universal Credit claims slow in Kent as new reality bites for 70,000 claimants.
The number of people claiming Universal Credit (UC) across JobCentre’s in Kent slowed remarkably between May 14th 2020 to June 11th 2020. UC can be claimed by both [...]
£40,000 Pay Rise For Failing Chief Exec of Folkestone & Hythe District Council
She says she understands the importance of transparency and is able to discharge responsibilities to the highest standards of probity. Dr Susan Priest, the Chief Executive of [...]
Affinity & Southern Water Lose Enough Water to Fill 100 Olympic Swimming Pools Each Day in 2019/20
In England, we take for granted a plentiful supply of water. Yet our high population density means the available water per person is actually less than in many Mediterranean [...]
10,000 Lorry Brexit customs clearance centre to be built on the outskirts of Ashford.
Updated: 9:50am (11/07/20) It has been annouced earlier today the government has secretly purchased 11 hectares (27 acres) of land on the outskirts of Ashford (next to [...]
Princes Parade: The Fight Goes On
The Save Princes Parade Group (SPPG) have been informed that they’ve lost their initial request for permission to appeal the Judicial Review they lost. Their [...]
C**k up, Conspiracy or Incompetence?
So is it a cock up, conspiracy or incompetence? We simply do not know, but we’ll let you judge from the evidence we put before you. All the evidence is in the public [...]
Raw sewage flowed into our rivers in 2019 and Shepway Green Party remain silent.
Yesterday, The Shepway Green Party announced that Cllr Rebecca Tamsin Shoob (Green Party) (pictured) has accepted a place on the Ottepool Park LLP In 2019/20 Cllr Shoob [...]
Folkestone & Hythe District Council broke the law by ‘secretly’ relocating homeless people
It would appear the Folkestone & Hythe District Council have been breaking the law by sending households to other districts and counties. The Guardian make it clear in a [...]
The Dog (HMRC) Ate My Homework
How many times when a schoolboy at Bedford School did Michael Stainer use the excuse “the dog ate my homework”? We will never know, but we do know that he has been using [...]
Save Princes Parade Group Lose Judicial Review
Updated 17:25 – 22/06/20 The Judicial Review brought by the Save Princes Parade over the planning permission for the development of Princes Parade (Hythe) has been [...]
Here We Go Again: Gas Safety Issues At East Kent Housing
Updated 17:00 22/06/20 More sources than the 57 varieties of Heinz have stepped forward and informed the Shepwayvox Team that as of 1st June 2020 there were well in excess [...]