County Council Member’s Annual Review 2011/2012

Valerie Dagger

Conservative Member for Malling West Division

A year at County Hall. Serving Kent. Serving You.

Kent County Council has 84 Valerie's chief interests in her career to be there tand pu across the views Members representing every part of at County Hall have been in of their constituents. the County. Valerie has been serving education and the Youth Service, Valerie has attended 7 out of 8 the community of Malling West as a although she has served in Strategic meetings of the Full Council. Member since 2001. planning and now in Adult Services. Find out more about the meetings She was last elected in 2009 and, She strongly believes in importance Valerie has attended. of communicating effectively with like all KCC Members, serves for a four year term of office. The next local residents and she writes a monthly report to all the parishes http://www.kent.gov.uk/your_coun KCC elections take place on 2 May cil.aspx 2013. she represents giving information

About Valerie about Kent County Council issues and inviting usefule dialogu with the Contacting Your Councillor Valerie was first elected as a County community. She is particularly Elected Members are here to help Councillor in 2001 and she is the concerned to support worthwhile residents, organisations and Member for the Malling West causes and requests the Members' businesses with enquiries about KCC Division, which includes the parishes grant scheme, particularly local services. They are probably a good of , , youth projects and scout starting point for other enquiries , Platt, and companies. She is especially pleased too. Shipbourne. to be able to support the parishes She is married to Bob, who runs a with her access to the Highway To contact Valerie: business in Tunbridge Wells and she Fund and she has been able to bring has two children, Guy and Alice, about some notable projects across who both work in the family her division. By Post company. They were both well Valerie sees herself not so much as Martins educated in Kent schools. an arm of government, but as a Reeds Lane Valerie is a graduate of the friend to the communities she Shipbourne University of Exeter and she did her represents and to this she is proud Kent Master's Degree at the University of to give her most assiduous and TN11 9RR Sussex. She also did a Diploma in active support.

Management Studies at Mid‐Kent College. She was a secondary By Telephone Work at County Hall Headteacher for twenty two years, 01732 811080 Attending meetings isn’t all firstly at Christchurch School in councillors do, in fact most of their Chatham, then at the Malling time is spent out and about meeting By email School. More recently, Valerie has people in their community, doing [email protected] studied part‐time for a degree in the their best to help solve problems History of Art at the University of and finding out what matters most Kent. to them. However, when decisions

are taken by the council, their job is AllowancesEach Member of KCC Member’s Community GrantKCC has found a great way to help fund local receives a basic allowance (salary) community groups and organisations without fuss or too much bureaucracy. Every to compensate them for the time year, each KCC Member may allocate £10,000 to worthwhile causes within their spent on their duties and to meet community. many of the day‐to‐day expenses of Here’s how Valerie spent hers last year: being a Councillor. Some Members also receive a Shipbourne Village Hall – Fire Alarm System ‐ £2,200 Special Responsibility Allowance Borough Green Scouts – Youth Activities ‐ £1,000 (SRA) when they take on extra Kent Youth Service – Triangle Awards ‐ £500 duties such as serving as a member Shipbourne Primary School – Playground Equipment ‐ £1500 of the Cabinet, Leader of the Hildenborough CofE Primary School – Wildlife Garden ‐ £1,000 Opposition or Chairman of a Borough Green Parish Council – salt bin maintenance ‐ £1,250 committee. Hildenborough Parish Council – goalposts ‐ £1,500 County Councillors can only claim the usual expenses that most & Malling Borough Council – Olympic Presentations in Borough Green ‐ businesses would pay for. £1,250 These are for actual costs for

example reimbursement for fuel If you want to suggest a local group which could benefit from the Member’s and travel which they have incurred Community Grant then you’ll find your local Councillor’s contact details on the whilst carrying out their duties as front page. County Councillor. View Members allowances and expenses

Member’s Highway Fund

KCC recognises that local Members are well placed to decide which small transport and highways schemes would be most useful to their communities. That’s why each Member is allocated £25,000 to spend on local schemes. It’s called the Members Highway Fund and here’s how it was spent last year... Styants Bottom Road – Provision of a new salt bin ‐ £350

Nutfields, Ightham – request for a new salt bin ‐ £350 The Street and Roughway Lane – contribution towards the refurbishment of the existing wooden signs ‐ £1,308

Grange Road, Platt – Guard railing and relocation or sign improvements, Platt Primary School ‐ £4,000

Long Mill – Comp Lane and Grange Road – Installation of traffic calming on both Mill Lane to reduce vehicular speed. Also requires appropriate signage ‐ £20,000

My achievements this year, and ambitions for next year During the current financial year, it has been vital to ensure value‐for‐money projects are prioritised and to make every penny of Kent ratepayers’ money count. Despite the reductions in grant from the government, Kent has maintained front‐ line services and pared to the bone any unnecessary bureaucracy. This has been a painful, but an essential and unavoidable process. I have found my new role on the Adult Services Cabinet Committee a very powerful learning process, which is immensely rewarding. I also hope to see the revised structure of the Youth Service bring a real improvement in the offer of activities and benefits to young people. The future of the old and young in the county must be everyone’s highest concern.

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