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Simon Finlay, Local Democracy Reporter

Pub ‘shook visibly’ as juggernaut smashes into building

11 February 2025
Pub ‘shook visibly’ as juggernaut smashes into building

A landlady has described how her pub “shook visibly” as a juggernaut smashed into the building twice after getting stuck in a road closure.

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Fears new bus lane signs will lead to more fines

08 February 2025
Fears new bus lane signs will lead to more fines

There are concerns motorists will be hit in the pocket when new road signs are introduced to deter people from entering town centre bus lanes.

10

Kent and Medway miss out on fast track devolution - KCC elections are on

05 February 2025
Kent and Medway miss out on fast track devolution - KCC elections are on

Kent and Medway have missed out being part of the government fast-tracked devolution programme.

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Ousted Tory MP vows to fight for his old Westminster seat

04 February 2025
Ousted Tory MP vows to fight for his old Westminster seat

A former Conservative MP has become the first to declare he will attempt to fight for his old constituency in 2029.

1

Government delays decision on Kent’s ‘devolution revolution’

31 January 2025
Government delays decision on Kent’s ‘devolution revolution’

A government announcement on the biggest shake up of how local councils are run in Kent for half a century has been delayed.

24

Disabled children’s charity ‘devastated’ at losing £600K council funding

30 January 2025
Disabled children’s charity ‘devastated’ at losing £600K council funding

A charity boss has told of her “devastation” at losing almost £600,000 of public funding to look after parents of disabled children.

3

‘We’ve won a battle but not the war’: Family hubs decision stalled after revolt

30 January 2025
‘We’ve won a battle but not the war’: Family hubs decision stalled after revolt

Campaigners opposed to the loss of children’s services at two family centres have won their latest battle to retain them after a backbench revolt.

Charity faces ‘crunch time’ as council rejects bids to buy building

29 January 2025
Charity faces ‘crunch time’ as council rejects bids to buy building

A youth charity has had two bids to buy its home of 12 years turned down, as the cash-strapped county council looks to sell the premises

1

Anger at claim landowners ‘will pay for housing development’s railway station’

25 January 2025
Anger at claim landowners ‘will pay for housing development’s railway station’

A senior official in charge of a contentious 5,000 home development says the cost of building a railway station will have to be met by the landowners.

10

‘Greedy’ Kent scammers wiped millions of miles off cars and vans

24 January 2025
‘Greedy’ Kent scammers wiped millions of miles off cars and vans

Three “selfish and greedy” men who illegally wiped more than two million miles off cars and vans in a “clocking” scam have been spared prison.

12

Green light given for £10m primary school

23 January 2025
Green light given for £10m primary school

Work on a new primary school which will have space for 420 pupils is expected to start in the summer after being granted planning permission.

2

Fewer parents winning appeals over free school taxis

22 January 2025
Fewer parents winning appeals over free school taxis

The county council has paid out £340k less to parents in the last year after the number winning appeals over free school transport halved.

11

Child given £18k council payout after missing school for two years

21 January 2025
Child given £18k council payout after missing school for two years

A family of a child with special needs who missed out on education for two years has been awarded more than £18,000 by Kent County Council.

4

Cost of ‘bottomless pit’ housing scheme could rise to £8m

19 January 2025
Cost of ‘bottomless pit’ housing scheme could rise to £8m

A huge housing scheme in the heart of the Kent countryside has cost taxpayers millions of pounds -much of it in lawyer’s fees - and is set to rise.

17

‘There was a huge bang as my BMW hit a massive pothole’

18 January 2025
‘There was a huge bang as my BMW hit a massive pothole’

Repair bills for drivers who hit potholes, which now includes a senior county councillor, are on the up - but why are Kent’s roads in such a state?

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Axe falls on children services at Kent family hubs

17 January 2025
Axe falls on children services at Kent family hubs

Campaigners opposed to the loss of children’s services at two Kent family centres have vowed to fight on despite a decision not to recommission them.

2

Kent sends less than 1% of waste to landfill - but recycling rates are ‘stagnating’

15 January 2025
Kent sends less than 1% of waste to landfill - but recycling rates are ‘stagnating’

A new report has found the county sends less than one per cent of its rubbish to landfill sites but recycling rates are one the wane.

2

Six key questions on what Kent’s council revamp actually means

15 January 2025
Six key questions on what Kent’s council revamp actually means

The running of local councils is to change under sweeping government reforms - here is an easy guide in six questions to get your head round them.

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Sweeping change to Kent’s local councils takes a bold next step

09 January 2025
Sweeping change to Kent’s local councils takes a bold next step

The biggest proposed change in the way local government is run in Kent for 50 years has taken another bold step.

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‘No more secret meetings’: County Hall protesters claim devolution reforms will ‘kill democracy’

09 January 2025
‘No more secret meetings’: County Hall protesters claim devolution reforms will ‘kill democracy’

Protesters gathered outside a meeting of the county council this morning to express opposition to planned sweeping reforms to local government.

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