Elected Member Annual Report and Review – 2009/10

PLEASE READ THE ACCOMPANYING GUIDANCE NOTES BEFORE COMPLETING THIS FORM

Member Name: JENNY WHITTLE

Electoral Division: RURAL EAST

Year first elected: 2009

Telephone Number: 01622 734897 e-Mail: jenny.whittle@.gov.uk

Are you in paid employment in any capacity in addition to your role as a County Councillor (excluding membership of other authorities)? YES NO

If yes, please give details in the box below I was interim Communications Manager for South East Councils (SEEC) from 1 April-31 December 2009, but am not currently in paid employment.

Are you a Member of another local authority or do you serve on any other public authority for which remuneration is received?

YES NO

If yes, please give details in the box below, including details of any remuneration received

Section 1: Attending County Council Meetings Please list all meetings including how many meetings you attended of your Local Board Name of Board or Number of Number of Position on Board or Committee and Committee Meetings Meetings nature of responsibility attended each year County Council 4 4 KCC Member Representative

Health Overview 10 10 KCC Member Representative and Scrutiny Committee

Conservative 14 15 Group Member Group

Leader’s Group 2 2 KCC Deputy Cabinet Member for Learning and Development

Personnel 1 Varies KCC Member Representative Committee Gypsy and 3 2 KCC Member Representative Traveller Board

Maidstone Local 0 0 No meetings have been held since I Board was elected.

Section 2: Liaising with your Electoral Division Please list here any organisations within the community with which you have contact. What are you doing in your division? (Please specify if you are acting as a member of the body or as a KCC representative) I represent 16 – , Broomfield and Kingswood, , , , , , , , , , , , Thurnham, and . I try to attend as many Council meetings as possible, but will usually submit a written report in my absence. I also regularly undertake “onsite” visits with parish councillors and residents with KCC officers in attendance to try and resolve issues relating to highways (potholes, drainage and flytipping). I also have active residents associations and have met with South Green Residents’ Association on several occasions.

I am a governor at Harrietsham Primary School and have applied to be a governor at Swadelands School. I have visited Hollingbourne Primary School as well. I have liaised with Platts Heath School governors regarding the appointment of a new Headteacher following the retirement of the incumbent.

I have represented and advised parents and children in the primary and secondary schools – admissions and transport - appeals process.

The most significant issue in my Division has been the Kent International Gateway planning application which went to Public Inquiry over a two month period in October- December 2009. I arranged and attended meetings and liaised with the Stop-KIG group, the Joint Parishes Group, KCC highways and planning officers, the Leader of KCC, Maidstone Borough Councillors and officers and the local MP prior to the Public Inquiry. I also met with the Chief Fire Officer which led to Kent Fire and

2 Rescue Service providing written evidence at the Inquiry. I spoke at the Public Inquiry to highlight my concerns and the views that had been expressed to me by residents about the application.

Another key issue for many residents has been the growth of unauthorised gypsy and traveller developments, especially in Lenham and Headcorn. I have met with the appropriate parish councillors, Borough Councillors and Borough planners to discuss issues relating to general policy and enforcement.

Of course potholes has been a major issue; I have liaised with Kent Highways, parish councils and residents to try and get repairs done as soon as possible and have advised parish councils of progress on tendering out repairs to small and medium sized companies.

I have used my Member Highway Fund in conjunction with two other Members to fund a minibus service that runs 4 days a week to replace the Wormshill- service that was withdrawn in November 2009. This eight seater vehicle is well utilised by residents of Wormshill and Frinsted; without this service, many elderly people in particular would be effectively stranded in their villages. This minibus was provided after lengthy discussions and correspondence I had with local residents, KCC officers, the and a superb local taxi firm that is now running the new popular service.

I have submitted applications to fund wholly or contribute towards the cost of dropped kerbs (six in Lenham); traffic surveys, signage, white posts, resurfacing of Windmill Lane (Hollingbourne); traffic surveys and junction improvements (Detling); signage in Boughton Malherbe (Liverton Hill) and Headcorn (Kings Road and Road). I contributed £500 to Lenham Parish Council’s speedwatch exercise as speeding is an issue that is of common concern to residents.

I also took up the cudgels on behalf of residents in Harrietsham following a proposal to increase the 40mph speed limit to 60mph on the A20 just before the West Street entrance to the Primary School. Not only would this have posed a risk to children’s safety, only a year previously a local resident had been killed just metres away during a hit and run incident. I took a petition from residents with 700 signatures on it and arranged an onsite meeting with two Jacobs officers (who had been commissioned by Kent Highways Services to undertake a review of A-road speed limits) and Harrietsham Parish Councillors, which I also attended. The meeting was very useful and it ensured that the authors of the review were fully appraised of the extent of public opposition to the proposed alterations and, secondly, the officers gave useful advice about retaining the current speed limit in the long-term future so that it would not be vulnerable under future reviews. I also submitted the petition to the KCC Cabinet Member for Highways. The Jacobs report with the final recommendations has been submitted to the Maidstone Joint Transportation Board for consideration and the proposal to increase the speed limit in Harrietsham has been dropped.

A resident and parish councillor in Stockbury contacted me about the need for high speed broadband in Stockbury as the current connections are very slow. They arranged a public meeting attended by over 70 people which I addressed and took a petition with some 150 signatures. Shortly afterwards I met with a couple of residents and two officers from the Kent ISG team to discuss funding for broadband. I submitted the petition to the Cabinet Member for Corporate Services and was delighted to be advised that Stockbury’s application for a KCC broadband grant to cover the cost of installing the appropriate infrastructure has been approved by the Cabinet Member.

During the heavy snowfalls, I liaised with Parish Councils, Kent Highways Services 3 and local farmers to help clear routes which had become inaccessible, especially Wormshill which was cut off entirely.

I also had the honour of opening the East Sutton Village Fete in Summer 2009!

Section 3: Assisting Constituents Please set out here how you contact your constituents and how you make it easy for them to contact you. If you have made a contribution in advising and assisting constituents, and/or resolving problems in the delivery of KCC services, please explain this:

My contact details (home address, home and mobile telephone numbers and email address) are advertised in the parish magazines and on the KCC website. I also write regular pieces for most of my parish magazines so they know what I am doing on their behalf and how they can contact me.

I also make regular home visits to constituents as I am a great believer that personal contact is much more useful and appreciated than emails.

I attend parish council meetings, public meetings, village events and make the occasional visit to local coffee shops so that people know who and where I am!

As already mentioned, I have helped liaise with Kent Highways Services on behalf of residents and parish councils to resolve complaints about highways, potholes and drainage matters. I have also helped to secure funding for broadband to Stockbury and a regular minibus service for residents in Frinsted and Wormshill to Sittingbourne. I have advised constituents on school transport appeals and school admissions’ appeals.

I have provided advice to the newly formed South Green Residents Group on approaching Kent Highways Services on issues relating to the condition of local roads, signage off the A249 and speeding.

Please give exact details of where and how you recommended your £10,000 allocation be spent?

Organisation Purpose Amount

Bicknor Parish Meeting Parish noticeboard to £500 promote community activities

Broomfield and Kingswood Resurfacing sports field car £2000 4 Parish Council park

Harrietsham Parish Council Allotment improvements £950

Headcorn Village Hall There is no local cinema, so £2000 Committee I supported the Film Club

Hollingbourne Pantomime Facilities and props £1000 Group

Joint Parishes Group Contribution towards cost of £1000 campaign against Kent International Gateway

Len Valley Active Contribution towards cost of £1000 Retirement Association exercise classes at the Community Centre Stockbury Village Hall Repairs to the Village Hall £750 floor to enable community activities to resume

Section 4: Representing the County Council on outside bodies Please set out here any bodies to which you have been appointed by the Council or which you attend in your role as a County Member, in order to promote joint working and improved service delivery to the public. (List any involvement with Parish Councils and membership of schools governing bodies)

Name of Number of Number of Nature of responsibility Organisation Meetings Meetings held Attended each year Vinters Valley 1 3 KCC Member representative Park Trust

Mid 1 4 KCC Member representative AONB

Harrietsham 4 3-6 School Governor (please note I Primary School have attended all meetings so far)

Swadelands 1 3 (but only Applied to be a school governor School one held and will hear in April (I have since I attended one meeting already). applied to be a governor)

Maidstone Joint 4 4 KCC Member representative Transportation Board

Secondary 3 4 KCC Deputy Cabinet Member for Headteachers’ Learning and Development Forum

5

Swale Partnership 0 3 (but just KCC Deputy Cabinet Member for one held this Learning and Development year)

Section 5: Special Responsibilities Please itemise here any Special Responsibility for which you receive SRA Responsibility Nature of your duties Amount received £ 13,300 Deputy Cabinet I report to the Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Education Member for on the following areas relating to Learning and Development: Early Years and Children’s Centres, primary and secondary schools, 14-19 Learning and agenda, links to regeneration and Extended Services. Development From 15 July 2009-31 March 2010, I visited 56 secondary schools (some more than once), 7 Academies, three special schools, 13 primary schools, two nurseries and five children’s centres. I also attended a Primary Forum meeting (Primary school headteachers) and 3 Secondary Forum meetings (Secondary school headteachers). The main purpose of these visits is to speak with Headteachers, senior teaching staff, governors and pupils about issues of interest and concern which I can then take up at a higher level if necessary.

I have made a particular point of visiting nearly all of Kent’s 31 National Challenge schools (those secondary schools which in 2008 had 30% or less of pupils gaining at least 5 GCSEs including English and Maths). I have been really impressed by the level of commitment and dedication of senior leaders, teaching staff and students to improve results. It is evident, however, that Kent’s education has been underfunded year on year for many years – this year, the funding shortfall per head has led to Kent’s schools being underfunded by nearly £27m. The National Challenge system has delivered significant additional investment into the 31 schools for staff in the core subjects (English, Maths and Science) but will be withdrawn in 2011. Being funded to the national average permanently could deliver sustained improvements in our schools and I will focus over the coming months on the need for a fair settlement for Kent’s schools.

I also work closely with the Chairman of the Learning and Development Policy and Overview Scrutiny Committee to ensure that items raised at meetings of the Committee are properly followed up.

I was involved in the appointment of our new Director of Learning, with whom I work closely to follow up on my visits to schools and what I have learnt from these visits.

I attend education related conferences (NEETs, The Fourth Way, Secondary and Primary Headteachers conferences etc).

I also meet regularly with senior officers in the Children, Families and Education directorate on a huge range of matters including the budget, policy and restructuring of the 6 Directorate.

I am on the PHSE Member Advisory Group and have attended both meetings of the Group that have taken place since my election.

I am regularly interviewed by the local media on issues relating to primary and secondary school attainment and attainment of minority groups.

Section 6: Learning & Development Please set out in this box specific training courses which you have attended to further develop your role in the previous year. Please describe the benefits of attending these training courses.

Democratic Services and Leadership Showcase Training - 17/6/09 Procedural Rules for Council and Committees - 18/6/09 Chairmanship Skills - 1/7/09 Scrutiny and Questioning - 2/7/09 Standards Comm - The Role of Members and the Ethical Framework 20/7/09 Participatory Budget Workshop 21/7/09 Kent Safeguarding Training 30/7/09 Safeguarding Seminar 9/10/09 School Governor induction 30/1/10

Please set out in this box any attendance at conferences, seminars etc Secondary Headteachers’ Conference, 12/11/09 LGA seminar, 16-19 Agenda: Are You Ready? 1/3/10 The Fourth Way Conference (for Primary School Attainment), 15/3/10

Please confirm that you have attended training on Ethical Standards and the Code of Conduct following the County Council Elections in June 2009

YES NO

7 Section 7: Political Activity Please use this space to give a full picture of your Political activities, including attendance at Group meetings and any offices held, and/or responsibilities held within your Group or within the your electoral division or Parliamentary constituency.

I have attended all but one of the Kent County Conservative Group meetings (15 a year) since being elected.

I am a member of the and Mid-Kent Conservative Association Executive which meets approximately half a dozen times a year.

I attended the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester in October 2009.

Section 8: Supplementary Information Please feel free to add any information you feel may assist in defining your role as an Elected Member, or indeed any additional information you wish to add:

Ensure that the section below is signed and dated both by you and your Group Leader. Signature of Member: Date: Jenny Whittle 31/03/10

Signature of Leader: Date: 31/03/10

THIS FORM MUST BE COMPLETED BY 31 March 2010

8