Council borrowed £20m in 2022/23, but must repay £35m by 2027/28
Both the Greens & Labour have promised to build more Council homes in their manifesto’s during their campaign. Neither party had sight of the accounts for 2022/23, [...]
Transparency
Procurement Card Data 2019/20: Planes, Trains & Automobiles
How! Just how is it possible they don’t understand when the language is so clear and concise? Are they being deliberately obtuse? The Local Government Transparency Code [...]
A witchhunt, a c*ck up, and an unofficial “reward scheme”
Updated – 13/09/22 @17:43 For starters we’ll serve up the c*ck up salad; followed by the main dish the reward scheme roast; and for deseret, a delightful witch [...]
Council hiding seven years worth of credit card financial payments.
Seven years Folkestone & Hythe District Council have hidden, and failed to publish financial data for their Government Procurement Cards (read credit card), in clear [...]
Nearly One in Four Council Meetings held behind closed doors
Since the local elections of May 2019, which ushered in 13 Tory Cllrs, 6 Labour Cllrs (one later became an Independent) 6 Green Cllrs and 2 Lib Dem Cllrs, 2 UKIP Cllrs [...]
Otterpool Park Update: A consultation & a lack of transparency regarding the LLP
On Friday 26th March 2021, Otterpool Park LLP will hold two virtual public information and consultation events on phase one of Otterpool Park, which includes the town centre. [...]
Otterpool Park Update: The Elephant in the Room
The Otterpool Park Financial Viability Assessment (VA) assumes the development to be 100% debt financed. So having taken the time to look at the VA, and also get the views 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 [...]
£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 [...]
Kent & other Police forces take too much data from victims’ phones, says watchdog
Almost two years ago to the day, we ran the blog post The Long Read: Kent Police can extract mobile phone data without your knowledge, your consent or a warrant. That post [...]
Changes afoot to Overview & Scrutiny are decided behind closed doors continuing the lack of Openness & Transparency.
We have long said the effectiveness of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee (O&S) has been unacceptable and that it has been the lion which never roared. It has been a [...]
Folkestone & Hythe District Council Significant Errors & Non Compliance with GDPR
Recently Folkestone & Hythe District Council compliance with the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) was audited by the East Kent Audit Partnership (EKAP) and [...]
Actions speak louder than words
The Folkestone & Hythe Labour Party openly admit and state in their privacy policy they are a data controller in their own right: As they openly claim that they are a [...]
Are 16 Folkestone & Hythe District Councillors abusing their position?
Could you be persuaded there is a legitimate interest, and it is in the public interest, or any value to the public or any section of the public, for Folkestone & Hythe [...]
The Hypocrisy & Stupidity of our Elected Councillors
They talk the talk but don’t walk the walk our Cllrs. In the May elections all of the opposition parties Green, Lib Dem and Labour campaigned on a platform of [...]
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 [...]
The Long Read: Criminal Bloggers
Equiniti has a small office on a run down industrial estate in Lancing, West Sussex (pictured). Equiniti is where the shareholders register for some two thirds of the FTSE [...]
Pipe down and don’t mention the overcharging and the Billion pound KCC accounts not signed off
A senior member of Shepway Green Party Cllr Martin Whybrow (pictured), a KCC and Hythe Town Councillor has suggested that our public face and the Shepwayvox Team “pipe [...]
Local Tories Landlord, Ray Johnson, says closure of Debenhams will not be a disaster.
Ray Johnson (pictured) for those of you who do not know, is Chairman of the Folkestone Town Team who mentioned that the closure of Debenhams would not be a disaster. [...]
Local Elections May 2nd 2019: Transparency Matters
Transparency and the willingness to be completely open with you the residents of our district, is a state of mind, I believe. And the current elected mindset who control [...]
Local Elections May 2nd – Use your vote wisely
Tory led Folkestone & Hythe District Council have had the highest Council tax in Kent for the last sixteen years. This means we pay more for our services than anyone else [...]
Another significant data breach by Folkestone & Hythe District Council.
“I’m busy. I’m in a meeting” were the words of the monitoring officer and Solicitor to Folkestone & Hythe District Council, (FHDC), Amandeep [...]
This affects you all
Have you received your privacy notice from your employer? Have your children, teenager received theirs from the educational establishment they attend? And what about you the [...]
Official Diaries Part 2: East Kent Hospital Trust says yes. Folkestone & Hythe DC says no.
East Kent Hospital University Foundation Trust (EKHUFT) have released Susan Acott’s , the Chief Executive’s diary. It is not as open as Cllr Paul [...]
Official Diaries: Kent CC says yes, Folkestone & Hythe DC says no
In the scheme of things, who would you say was the more important elected official? Cllr Paul Carter, leader of Kent County Council or Cllr David Monk leader of Folkestone [...]