In her speech at the meeting of full council Linden Kemkaran said that, seven weeks after the election, she had a number of ‘exciting propositions’ that she and her team will take forward through the formal council governance process in the months to come that will see Kent taxpayers’ money spent in a more effective and efficient way.
- The 5% cut in allowances agreed by all Members will generate more than £200,000 which will boost Members’ grants which can be donated to grassroots community projects in their divisions.
- Scrapping the Net Zero Renewable Energy Programme of property modifications would save £32 million over four years.
- Discarding the Net Zero plan to transition the KCC vehicle fleet to all electric would save a further £7.5 million by 2030.
- Giving notice on unnecessary memberships and subscriptions could save £180,000.
- Bringing children’s care homes back in-house and purchasing four properties would yield a saving of £1.5m over two financial years starting in April 2026, with the opportunity to increase this by opening further facilities in years to come.
- Home to school transport is one of the authority’s largest areas of expenditure and Cllr Kemkaran said work is ongoing to streamline the service and cut waste while still getting Kent children to school.
She said: “My team, with the help and support of our own Reform UK DOLGE team, has found these savings in just a few short weeks and they’ve done it while undergoing essential training, getting to grips with their new roles and generally finding their way around in a brand-new job.”
The full council meeting comes in the week the Leader has written to the Government on a number of subjects including a letter to the Chancellor asking that the Inheritance Tax plan which will affect the farming community be reconsidered and to the Home Secretary saying the pressures on Kent in relation to unaccompanied asylum seeking children remains too high.
She said: “I want the Government to either make faster decisions or fund us properly to deal with the implications of their delays. By my reckoning they already owe us some £200,000 and I would like it back.”
In the council chamber
A letter has also gone to the Department for Transport suggesting some of the Dartford Crossing charge increase be diverted to the Kent highways budget, given the pounding the county’s roads get as the gateway to Europe, which represents an investment in the national economy.
The Leader told Members today that, since May, the highways capital budget has been increased by £10m to £79.3m, the highest in four years, and almost £6m worth of large road patching, which fills multiple potholes and prevents new ones, will have been completed.
Correspondence has also been directed to Jim McMahon, Minister for Local Government and English Devolution, asking for an extended timetable on local government reorganisation so it can be more thoroughly considered and the people of Kent fully consulted.
Cllr Kemkaran says she is also redoubling the efforts to bring Eurostar back to Kent, stopping at the Ashford and Ebbsfleet stations.
Plans taken forward by the previous administration to sell Sessions House in Maidstone are being reviewed, with the Leader outlining her team’s desire to bring the space in Sessions House back as a workspace for Maidstone-based staff resulting, she said, in a saving of £14m of projected borrowing on the refurbishment of Invicta House.
“Instead we’ll spend a relatively small amount of money fixing the immediate issues in Sessions House making it a functional place of work for our office-based staff in Maidstone, and Members to enjoy for as long as we are here.
“I also bring you good news in terms of KCC’s overall financial position. Since we took office in May, the level of debt has reduced by some £16 million, a saving of £2000 per day in interest payments alone. Our “no more borrowing” policy will reduce debt by over £33 million by next March.”
Further information
View the full council meeting here: Webcast library - Kent County Council Webcasting
