Paul Carter's view of 2011 and 2012

Looking back on 2011, it’s been a demanding and tough year. We have had growing uncertainty in the economy, growing uncertainty in Europe and the Euro, and uncertainties in job security (including my own!).  But we have much to be proud of at KCC.

A year ago, we faced huge challenges:

• Failure in Children’s Services
• The biggest financial challenge ever imposed upon local government through the Comprehensive Spending Review
• The consequent need to reshape and restructure the whole organisation
• A global and national economy going nowhere fast, with rising unemployment, particularly amongst our young people
• The need to define a new role for local government in education
• And early in the New Year, Pfizer announcing their withdrawal from Sandwich with 3,000 consequent job losses.

There are still big challenges ahead, but I am very proud of the progress we have made over the course of the year:

• The significant reorganisation has been difficult and tough for everyone, however we have had no choice in taking 25% out of our base budgets and reducing staffing levels by some 10%. We are now starting to see a more joined up, leaner organisation emerge and I am very confident that this new approach will support good quality front line service delivery for our residents.
• We are on target to deliver an underspend of £1m in the delivery of this year's challenging budget (£95m in savings) and we have now launched our draft budget for next year with an additional £97m of savings needed. This is an intelligent and well thought through draft budget that does everything it can to protect front line services and I am pleased to confirm to our residents that there will be no council tax increase next year.
• Children’s Services is now out of intensive care in record time, with the OFSTED unannounced inspection concluding that there are now ‘no priority areas for action’.  Whilst there is still much to be done, I have every confidence that that robust health will soon be restored to Children’s Services in Kent.
• The interim report for the Kent Health Commission, designed to support and give shape to the Government’s new health reform agenda, is now on Andrew Lansley’s desk and the final report is due in March. This will bring to life the ambitions of our innovative general practitioners in Kent developing ways of improving patient care and making better use of public money.
• On Friday 16th December we moved ahead with launching our Big Society Fund - £3m of which will support both existing and new third sector organisations and social enterprises linked to this.
• At the newly named Discovery Park (Pfizer site) in Sandwich, 800 jobs have now been secured. National Government have responded with Enterprise Zone status that will help to stimulate new business in the area and £40m of Regional Growth Fund allocation for the East Kent economy.
• In the autumn statement, it was good to see one of our main objectives in ‘Growth Without Gridlock’, a new Third Thames crossing, being endorsed by national Government. We are also making good progress in getting the A21 dualling at Castle Hill up the priority list within the Department for Transport.
• It has been enormously pleasing to see academic attainment continue to improvement, particularly in our primary schools. The statistics on unemployed young people (NEETs) continue to buck the worsening national trend, and the number of apprenticeships in Kent has also risen by over 70%.

Looking forward

We have an ambitious delivery programme for 2012 and I am keen to build on the momentum of these successes. I have no doubt that the year ahead will bring new challenges and new opportunities to the county, but in Kent we have a significant advantage – a strong organisation that knows where it is going!

On another note, my New Year’s resolution for next year must be to improve our relationship with the local press. It has felt in recent weeks that some stories have been particularly biased against KCC. I know there has been several high profile issues related to the organisation in the past few weeks , however I am very concerned that on many occasions the good stories we have to tell are simply falling on deaf ears. My frustration is that, despite the reality, this constant sniping at KCC impacts on morale for our hard working staff, and if we are not careful the consequence will inevitably be a knock on effect to front line service delivery. I would love to see more stories played with a straight bat in 2012, giving credit where credit's due and letting the public actually decide for themselves.

Wishing everyone a happy and healthy 2012!

Paul

KCC staff are furious

Disgruntled county council staff have given vent to their anger over a reported six-figure payoff being handed to the authority's managing director in an extraordinary series of comments criticising the way it has been handled. And they have also taken aim at the county council leader over his decision to be away from his desk throughout January to take part in a vintage car rally in South Africa.

The comments – leaked to the KM Group – were posted by staff on the council's own intranet under an initiative known as 'Talk To The Top', where senior managers respond to questions from employees. Dozens took the chance to express their dismay at events surrounding the abrupt departure of managing director Katherine Kerswell.

County councillors voted to scrap the post of managing director yesterday amid a furious political row. Conservative leader Paul Carter was accused of acting like a dictator by the opposition parties. But recent events triggered a hostile response from many staff, although a number were subsequently deleted by senior managers.

Comments posted by staff included:

• "Surely if an employee chooses to leave then they should forfeit any golden handshake? Any other member of staff who left for their own reasons would not be entitled to this."
• "Why did KCC elect to be less than transparent over Katherine Kerswell leaving? Several weeks ago, KCC claimed it was rumours and lies... and here we are today with Paul Carter declaring she is going!"
• "Why on earth would KCC lie to its own staff about Katherine Kerswell leaving? Two weeks ago, we were told rumours in the paper about her leaving were false only to find out they were true. Staff are losing their jobs right now – the money could have saved several jobs! How can we be expected to work through tough times when we are being... clowned around by our own employers? Staff should be more important and told the truth at all times."
• "Isn't it about time staff were treated with some dignity and respect and not treated to the media fodder that usually gets spun our way?"
• "I'm sure many employees would like to work for 16 months then decide to pursue new interests and be given a giant helping hand to do this with nearly half a million pounds. It is time KCC employees stood up and had their concerns listened to."
• "For most of us living on the breadline, six-figure send-offs is soul destroying – more so because it is the little people who, to coin a Star Trek phrase, 'make it so'."

There was also open criticism of KCC leader Paul Carter over his request to staff for sponsorship to support his charity vintage car rally in January, which will see him away from County Hall and in South Africa for most of the month:

• "Sorry Paul, charity begins at home – perhaps instead of going on a jolly you can go on a conflict resolution course instead."
• "It just beggars belief that so much money can be chucked around like confetti and those of us struggling to make ends meet are then asked to waste what little we have on jollies!"
• "Massively insensitive – I am totally lost for words. I feel sick."

Responding on the forum, Mr Carter said:

"I can understand and sympathise that feelings are running high regarding job losses. However, the email was aimed to try and help four very good charities in the hope we can raise substantial sums from the generosity of staff, friends and business colleagues. In the first few hours we have already raised over £100 for these good causes, let's keep the momentum going."

kentonline 16th Dec 2011

Kerswell out of it

Cllr Carter will wear a toga of Imperial purple on all public engagements, and feast on roast peacocks daily. We, on the other hand, will be fed to the lions. There will be no circuses. There will be no bread. Does anyone remember voting for this?

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Kent County Council have finally decided that Katherine Kerswell is not in fact managing director. This is the latest instalment in a story that has been running since November 16th, when the rumours first emerged that Katherine would be leaving her post for reasons for reasons unknown.

At the time she was 16 months in to her four-year contract, and appeared to have ruffled the feathers of the Conservative backbenchers with her program of change and improvement within the Council. Initially there was confusion as to whether she had actually left or not. Even when Kent County Council put out a statement that Katherine "is and remains" managing director, some confusion remained given that there was no sign of Katherine at the KCC offices.

There was activity behind the scenes, there were lawyers, there were rumours. However, throughout the exercise there was uncertainty and a lack of transparency, and this remains the case. On November 28th KCC held a meeting that was behind closed doors and did not have a published agenda. This is probably when they decided what to do about Catherine. It seems that they decided to pay her a lot of money to go away - £450,000.

This begs a number of questions. Firstly, did she resign or what she made redundant? Secondly, why is this very expensive exercise in failed recruitment shrouded in secrecy? The most worrying question, in my opinion, is what happens next.

The senior officer grades at KCC have just been cut and reorganised by Katherine, and a number of posts are being filled by interim managers. It seems reasonable to guess that one of the reasons that contributed to Katherine's departure is a clash of styles between the members and the officers.

Paul Carter: bringing out the Tourettes in people since 2005

Councillor Paul Carter seems to be suggesting that KCC doesn't actually need a managing director or Chief Executive, and that he will simply sweep up those functions within his own existing role as Leader.

"I and my cabinet have made the decision that to deliver further efficiencies and a more streamlined organisation we can operate very successfully without a managing director." He said local government now had cabinets working with the leader as the executive and so no longer needed a chief executive or managing director."

It seems to me that this is a spectacularly bad time to combine roles of leader and Chief Executive. Even if Paul Carter was a supremely talented human being, it would be a lot to ask of him. As it is, the MD's salary of £200k represents a saving of 0.01% of Kent's £2 billion budget, while the cost to KCC of doing without a managing director has yet to be calculated.

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Kent County Council is under further pressure over the news that its managing director is to quit and is reported to be walking away with a six-figure payoff.

Unison said reports that Katherine Kerswell is in line for a settlement worth £450,000 were a smack in the face for its staff and demoralising at a time when hundreds of lower paid staff had lost their jobs at County Hall.

KCC finally confirmed that Katherine Kerswell will leave this month after weeks denying that it had any plans to axe her post - despite mounting rumour and speculation. Mrs Kerswell, who has not been at her desk for the best part of a month, is only 16 months into a four-year contract.

Unison branch secretary David Lloyd said:

"It is demoralising for our members to see this at a time when they are struggling to save their own jobs and would never get anywhere near this kind of payout even if they had worked for 20 years or more. It really is a smack in the face."

Opposition parties said it was disgraceful that taxpayers were being kept in the dark over how much she will walk away with. They also raised questions about why she was receiving any payout if she was resigning.

KCC says it has signed a confidential agreement, meaning it cannot say what the terms of the settlement are. However, some details will have to be published next year when the authority publishes its annual accounts as part of new government transparency regulations.

Labour opposition leader Cllr Gordon Cowan said:

"This is public money and after all, it will be taxpayers’ who fund this. KCC should be upfront and say exactly how much she is getting. It will have to come out at some point but they should say so immediately."

Liberal Democrat spokesman Cllr Tim Prater echoed:

"From the statement the council has put out, it reads like she has resigned. If she did, why is she being paid off at all? That is the question every taxpayer in Kent deserves an answer to."

Mrs Kerswell joined the county council in March 2010 from Northamptonshire county council following the departure of former chief executive Peter Gilroy. A statement released by KCC said:

"Katherine Kerswell has done an exceptional job at Kent reshaping our approach to service delivery and recasting our overall management arrangements. She is a first-rate public servant with tremendous skills at making large organisations work well. Her management direction has helped produce very significant savings to the council and confirmed Kent’s position as a leading authority."

kentonline 12th Dec 2011 Paul Francis

Japanese invasion strikes Herne Bay

An invasive sea creature known as “marine vomit” is threatening to engulf the Herne Bay coast. Carpet seasquirt – which spreads rapidly and aggressively - has been discovered growing on boulders and reefs in waters surrounding the town.

It is the first time the unsightly species has been seen in the UK outside of harbours and marinas. The seasquirt – believed to be native to Japan – reproduces rapidly and can threaten other marine life, including oysters and mussels.

The news has sparked fears the spongy creature will cover huge parts of the Herne Bay coastline, with the Environment Agency saying there’s no way of stopping it. Environmental officer Ian Humpheryes said:

“It spreads so rapidly and aggressively. We can’t even look for its natural predators because we don’t know what its home environment is. It should be living offshore, so the fact it’s made its way to our beaches doesn’t bode well. Within two weeks it can spread from something the size of a fingernail to a foot across. We’ve had invasive species before, but they don’t grow as fast as this stuff. The sad thing is we have no idea what we can do about it.”

The species – which spreads on dirty boat hulls, fishing equipment and even floating seaweed – can destroy shellfish like oysters and mussels. But marine biologist Dr John Hayes, of Reculver-based Seasalter Shellfish, says the company is playing a waiting game. He said:

“It’s certainly cause for concern, but we’ll need to wait and see what happens. If it proves to have no enemies then it’s going to be a big problem, but hopefully something might come along and eat it all up. All these sea squirts are a pain in the backside.”

HB Gazette 8th Dec 2011 joewalker@thekmgroup.co.uk

Nuke Switzerland

If you're a terrorist, you've got a friend.

If you're a drugs baron, you've got a friend.

If you're an arms dealer, you've got a friend.

If you're a corrupt general, you've got a friend.

If you're a repressive dictator, you've got a friend.

If you're an international tax dodger, you've got a friend.

You've got a friend, in a bank, in Switzerland.

The Swiss bankers know that it's dirty money, but still they take it.

They take the dirty money, and they take their percentage.

And they've been doing it for decades.

There is a very simple way to make a better world.

Nuke Switzerland.

Inquiry on village green stops!

The first three days of the Inquiry steadily improved as we found our feet and got better at highlighting the key points in the evidence of each of our witnesses. However, it all came juddering to a halt on Day Four.

We arrived at 9.50am on Thursday to find that Mr Ground was in the loo at the back of the Christchurch North Room. He had fallen prey to some kind of bug (norovirus from an oyster, perhaps?) and was forced to miss work for the first time in 16 years.

We all agreed with the Inspector that the best plan would be to assume the Mr Ground would also be out of action on the Friday, and to restart the Inquiry on the next available date. Matching up the diaries for Mr Ground, Canterbury City Council's representative, Kent County Council's representatives, the Inspector, and Ros and myself gave us the earliest possible date of Monday 12th March (!) to resume the Inquiry - North Room, Christchurch again.

All of the evidence given so far, and all the work done in the Inquiry so far, is all fine and safe - we don't have to start again from the very beginning (phew!). The second phase of the Inquiry will probably take most of the week starting 12th March - we'll be starting with a couple of days of our witnesses, then Canterbury's witnesses (all employees), then a site visit, and finishing with legal submissions.

The delay means that the issue remains unresolved for longer, but it does give both sides more time for preparation. To be honest though, I don't see how Canterbury can be any more thoroughly prepared than they already are: most of their witnesses were there for most of the time through the first three days. (Why? Mr Ground and Janet Taylor, Deputy Head of Legal @ CCC, were present throughout and taking notes, so would have been able to tell their witnesses what had happened each day.)

I was surprised that Janet Taylor didn't step up the mark to fill the breach left by Mr Ground: she has been our point of contact in CCC from the very start of the application over two years ago; she is (presumably) the one who has been given Mr Ground his instructions; she was there all day every day; she (and the CCC witnesses) were in briefing meetings with Mr Ground before each day started, and at every coffee and lunch break. With her legal qualifications and experience (over 25 years in CCC) and familiarity with the case, I would have thought she would be ideally placed to step in for Mr Ground for a couple of days. After all, that bit was simply asking questions, rather than writing the legal opinions. It would have saved time and money.

VG status will protect and preserve the Downs, regardless of who's running the Council. The Council will still be able to do the day to day maintenance, and the longer term coast defence work - just as they do now. In the Inquiry they were saying that they had legal advice that VG status "might" make coastal defence work harder to organise. Our research shows this is a red herring, so we asked to see their legal advice - they suddenly became very shy and fell silent.

The application doesn't involve any tax payers money - it's only the objection that starts running up the bills. CCC are of course entitled to object, but I do wish they would come clean about their true reasons for objecting. In the CCC Executive 13th Oct, they pointed out that without VG status they would be free to "lease the land, offer a concession, charge for use, and build on it" - I think this closer to the real reason that they're opposing the VG application.

Inquiry on village green starts

An official inquiry into the 'grass roots' fight to make the Herne Bay Downs a protected Village Green started with allegations of council waste and bullying. Canterbury City Council were accused of adding massive legal costs of hiring a barrister to cross examine locals, to the £30,000 they have already spent in legal fees.

Campaigners Ros McIntyre and Phil Rose, who want to keep the green by the prom a much-loved area for dog walkers and blackberry pickers, sat opposite the massed ranks of the council as the inquiry started on Monday. With their initially hesitant questions they bravely stood up to the suited and booted professionals who are being paid by CCC up to £500 a day to take them on. [Correction: it's £850 a day.]

Phil said:

"They might have a top barrister who is charging £8,000 plus £500 a day to rip our case apart, but we have the might of a grass-roots democratic movement behind us. The council plan to build what they call a QE2 Costal Park, got just 41 votes in a national poll and to keep it undisturbed as a village green got 1,181. The council reckon by hiring expensive top legal minds to beat us back they will do what the minority want but we will fight them. This inquiry could well last a long time as we have 49 witnesses and they are all demanding to be heard."

Ros added:

"There was an argument at the start as the council had stopped one of our witnesses giving evidence against them as she was in fact the local councillor for the area. A lot of what they have come up with is nonsense. They simply just want the freedom to make as much money from the land as they can. They still want to build some beach huts but what about the future? The village green status protects it forever so it will be saved for our children."

Inquiry chairman, barrister Lana Wood made it clear she is paid by KCC to host the inquiry as a public duty. She said:

"I am a barrister employed by Kent Council because we have a duty to carry out a public inquiry. When local people complain about CCC hiring a barrister they are referring to Richard Grant who is acting for them."

Mr Grant quizzed the first witness of the inquiry Mr Alan Joiner, 82. He told them how he had enjoyed walking both his and his daughter's dog for 23 years across the green and during the summer had picked blackberries and held family picnics and hoped it would stay that way. Other witnesses were due to give similar evidence this week as the inquiry moved from St Andrew's church hall to Christ Church.

HB Times 1st Dec 2011

Council fights bid to turn Downs into Village Green

Canterbury council bosses were this week racking up a huge legal bill battling to keep control of picturesque land in Herne Bay. A five-day public inquiry to stop the Downs being granted Village Green status opened on Monday 28th November, with top London barrister Richard Ground fighting the city council’s corner against local campaigner Phil Rose.

Mr Rose wants the mile-long stretch between the Kings Hall and Bishopstone Glen to be made a Village Green – taking its control out of council hands and protecting it from development. He made the application in September 2009 after plans surfaced to build beach huts on the eastern side of the site.

The council refused to support the bid, but independent inspector Lana Wood will rule on the case after the inquiry ends on Friday. It is expected complicated legal issues about what the land is actually owned for will play a huge part in her decision.

Mr Rose has collected more than 1,000 questionnaires from people backing his fight, making it the most strongly-supported application for a Village Green ever made in England and Wales. To qualify for the status, land must have been used by locals for “lawful sports and pastimes” for at least 20 years.

Mr Rose told the inquiry those who answered questionnaires had used the land for as long as 86 years. He also listed more than 70 sports and pastimes the land is used for, including dog walking, football, sledding, sunbathing and bagpipe playing. He said:

“We have met every single one of the tests required to register the application land as a Village Green.”

Barrister Mr Ground said most of the Downs has been owned by the city council or previous public authorities since the Second World War – large parts for longer. He added the council had no intention of developing the land or stopping anyone from using it for recreational purposes.

HB Gazette 1st Dec 2011 joewalker@thekmgroup.co.uk

Road casualties

Britain has one of the best records in the world for road casualties. However, hundreds still die on the roads every year. In 2010, the police recorded 1,850 deaths, 22,660 people seriously injured and 184,138 who received light injuries.

Using official data recorded by police in Great Britain between 1999 and 2010, the BBC has plotted every road collision in which someone died. In all, 36,371 fatalities are marked on this interactive map.

As with any large collection of data, there will be errors that are reflected in this map. These arise as all details of these incidents are generated by the police who fill out a paper form that is then transcribed into a computer database.

Click the picture to find out more...