At the Folkestone and Hythe Full Council meeting on 20th February the Liberal Democrat group of Tim Prater and Gary Fuller declined to support the Conservative budget, both abstaining in the vote on General Fund Budget and Council Tax 2020/21 which increased average Band D council tax by £5.04 (1.91%) to £268.38.
The amendment, which fell 14-15, would have removed the required £29m funding for Princes Parade Development from the Council's Capital programme. The vote was lost after two members that voted to stop Princes Parade development in June - Labour's Ray Field and UKIP's Terry Mullard switched sides and backed the Conservative administration in opposing the scheme. The only Conservative Councillor to back the amendment was Peter Gane.
in 2019, I was approached by a local resident about whether there was the possibililty of a new pedestrian crossing across Shorncliffe Road to lead to the footpath entrance to Folkestone West train station. That's a route used by hundreds of Sandgate and West Folkestone residents - school pupils, commuters and others - each day.
The Friends of Folkestone Museum present a talk by Lord Boateng on Saturday 21 March, 2pm-3.45pm in the Education Room, Folkestone Museum. The title of the talk is 'Growing up in Africa'.
Lord Paul Boateng , the former Cabinet Minister and British High Commissioner to South Africa, immediate past Chairman of the English Speaking Union, presently Chair of Book Aid International and of the International Council of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award will reflect on an African child hood with readings of prose and verse and share his views on the significance of the English language in diplomacy trade and international development. Lord Boateng who is also a Vice President of the London Library was a speaker on behalf of Book Aid International on the relevance of Books and Literature in his own childhood and career as a lawyer politician and diplomat at last years Hay Literary Festival and will be appearing again at Hay later this year. Tickets are £5 (£4 for Friends) to include refreshments. All funds are to support the Museum.
Although this represents a large profit for Cozumel since they bought the racecourse a few years ago, it removes a partner from the scheme that was likely to push for the development - especially on their land - to be more commercial than the Council. If they had remained as partners, it is likely over the long term they would have made MUCH more profit, and sought that the value of their land was maximised - that's what property developers do.
