Keeping in touch and working for local residents ALL YEAR ROUND.

No - there is no election on (that we know about!) but the latest edition March 2022 of Sandgate and West Folkestone Focus is through people's letterboxes now.

Topics covered in this edition included the recent district budget, County Council bus funding cuts, Princes Parade, phone scams, new access ramps, graffiti clearance, hedges and new charging points!

I've been happy to hep my friend Joy Austin for years in promoting the summer Charity Boot Fairs she has run for years at St Mary's College Playing Field in Shorncliffe Road, Folkestone.

The profit on the pitch fees (after costs) goes to two charities close to Joy's heart: Macmillan Cancer Support and Cardiac Risk in the Young.

You'll have seen that the diggers have again hit the beach and started the regular (and very necessary!) beach management works. I asked Folkestone and Hythe District Council who lead the works on the timetable, and they say:

"Works started on the beach management on Monday 4th April and are expected to last for 8 weeks. We are aware that crosses the Easter holiday and are keeping a close eye on weather and visitor traffic. The contractors are aware we may need to limit operations and movement as need be.

I've written before about the £150 Energy Rebate, and how payments will be made to people in Folkestone and Hythe.

Paying tens of thousands of people by DD is not a thing the Council team has done before (business Covid grants for example were on a much smaller scale, as there are far less businesses than residents), so they are needing to build processes and test systems. They absolutely don't want to get this wrong!