At a Kent County Council meeting this week councillors endorsed a KCC proposal to implement a trial lorry control area aimed to substantially reduce inappropriate HGV movements. The trial area is likely to be to the south of Maidstone.
The County Council is already in advanced discussions with the Government about obtaining the necessary legal powers to permit KCC officers to undertake the enforcement. A similar scheme is already in place in London. Up to now, most HGV restrictions in Kent have tended to be flouted by lorry drivers.
About 20 climate protesters interrupted a Budget meeting with loud hailers and whistles at County Hall today causing the meeting to be suspended whilst they made their statement to the largely empty chamber. Only Liberal Democrat and Labour Councillors stayed to hear what they had to say.
The protesters said that the County Council had failed to explain the urgency of the climate change situation to Kent residents, failed to agree effective emission targets, failed to set aside money to carry out the necessary changes and failed to set up Citizens Assemblies which could discuss residents views on the environmental impact of KCC policies.
Britain's network of buses is faltering, leaving many people isolated and unable to get to work. A radical government would consider making bus travel free
The great story of the British bus, which arrived in 1824 and by 1950 accounted for 42 per cent of all journeys, is running into difficulties. Use in this country is at its lowest level since records began 50 years ago. Only 4 per cent of all journeys made last year were by bus. Outside London there were nine million fewer journeys in Britain in 2018-19 compared with the previous year, a result of higher fares and cancelled routes. The inconvenience caused has not been evenly spread. Most cuts have fallen on less populated and rural regions. Some busy places have only two bus rides a day. Smaller villages might see a bus perhaps twice a week, while others are cut off entirely.
No Liberal Democrat breakthrough in Kent and Medway but good progress throughout region.
The Liberal Democrat share of the votes cast in Kent & Medway for the December 2019 Election was 10.3%. This was a notabable improvement on 2017, with the number of Liberal Democrat votes 4.8% higher than in the previous General Election. This increase was slightly better than the 4.6% recorded in England and the 4.2% recorded across the United Kingdom. The Liberal Democrat share of the vote increased in every Kent & Medway constituencyapart from Canterbury - which was sucessfully defended by the remain-supporting Labour MP, Rosie Duffield.
Alan Bullion is the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Gillingham and Rainham
In response to speculation that Boris Johnson might try to revive the failed 'Boris Island' airport project in the Thames Estuary, Alan Bullion said: "I spoke up against the potential destruction of farmland and bird and wildlife sanctuaries on the peninsula in 2014 during the Euro election at a public meeting organised by the RSPB and Kent Wildlife Trust. We will continue to oppose any such move at all costs in order to protect our precious Kent countryside and its food production and rare species."
By Hannah Perkin, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Faversham & Mid Kent
Our roads are jammed, our towns are choked with fumes. But hardly anyone takes the bus these days. Why?
In the past few weeks I have visited many areas in the Faversham & Mid Kent constituency. I have usually had to travel by car. It is just impossible to get around by bus or other public transport. Lenham is just 10 miles from my home in Faversham but it can take almost 1 ½ hours to get there by public transport. It takes me over an hour to travel the 20 miles to our county town, Maidstone.
The Liberal Democrat Transport Spokesperson, Baroness Randerson, drives an electric car. Jenny Randerson is acutely aware of the problems electric vehicle owners have finding public EV chargers, especially outside large towns. She is determined that the Liberal Democrats should do whatever it takes to provide accessible and convenient EV chargers for everyone.
