An extra £6m is being invested in road repairs in Kent
By Marijke Cox, Reporter
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
1:28 PM
County Hall chiefs say they want to keep on top of road repairs following last year’s successful pothole drive
Millions of pounds of spare cash saved through cutbacks at County Hall will be invested in protecting roads following the prolonged spell of wet weather.
Highways chiefs at Kent County Council said the authority had to protect roads, particularly after the significant investment made to fix potholes caused by the big freeze in 2010.
It was agreed that £6m would be added to the rolling budget reserve for highways from a forecast £16.2m revenue under-spend – excluding schools spending – at the council, which is being saved as part of a four-year plan to save more than £300m.
“We’ve done excellent work with highways and if we don’t consolidate that and this rotten weather continues, it could undermine all that work we’ve done,” said cabinet member for finance, Cllr John Simmonds.
“We know that over the next two or three years we are going to have to manage on less money.
“It is absolutely important that we continue to be prudent. This isn’t a spending spree, it’s so we don’t end up spending unnecessary money on pot holes.”
Members agreed that due to the prolonged spell of rain, the £6m should be put aside for roads to stop a backlog of maintenance work.
Cabinet member for highways Cllr Bryan Sweetland said it was pleasing more money was being invested in the network.
“Here in Kent we have 5,000 miles of roads and 7,000 of pavements and footways – that’s a huge asset and we need to keep on top of that,” he said.
“Last year we were successful in securing a £6.2m grant from government partly to repair pot holes, which was done successfully.
“The remainder, about half, was used for resurfacing and this extra £6m will also be used for resurfacing, not for potholes, but for proper resurfacing, new road surfaces and to look at some pavements that we’ve got to bring up to standard.
“We would need many times that amount to look at all of Kent’s roads, but I think this is a good use of money and is welcomed.”
Some £2m of the predicted under-spend is also to be set aside for investment in technology and communications to improve communication with the public.
A business plan is due to be drawn up and, if successful, the funds will be used to implement the proposals.
Early indications suggest that in the long term improved communications could save the authority as much as £20m.
Commenting on the under-spend and finance update, leader of KCC Cllr Paul Carter said: “The finance team has done extraordinarily well.
“There were a lot of sceptics at the beginning of the financial year that said our budget was undeliverable and that we wouldn’t deliver it in line with expectations, but we’ve done that and a little bit more,” he said.
In an update on the council’s finances it was revealed that so far 1,196 posts have been cut from the 1,500 anticipated over the four years. Of those, 605 staff were made redundant.
Source: www.kentnews.co.uk
Inquest into ex-Kent police chief David Ainsworth - Kent Online
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A high-ranking former Kent police chief at the centre
of an investigation into allegations he sexually harassed female
colleagues took his own life, a coroner has ruled.
David Ainsworth, who rose to the rank of assistant chief constable at Kent after 22 years in the force, had relocated to Wiltshire at the time of the investigation.
He was facing up to 24 allegations from women across the two forces.
The then Deputy Chief Constable with Wiltshire police was found hanged while under investigation for making sexist remarks to female colleagues.
Brian Moore, the former chief constable of Wiltshire Police, said the force had offered support to David Ainsworth in the weeks before his death.
The inquest heard Mr Ainsworth felt the force was "gunning for him" and feared he would "lose everything" as a result of the investigations.
But his former boss Mr Moore - now head of the troubled UK Border Force - said Mr Ainsworth's welfare was taken seriously.
Trowbridge Coroner's Court in Wiltshire was told investigations into alleged sexist behaviour covered DCC Ainsworth’s two years with Wiltshire Police AND his 22 years at Kent.
The high-flying officer - who earned £110,00 a year and was nicknamed ‘The Brain’ due to his intelligence - was accused of telling one female ‘nice buttons’, while looking at her top, in one of the claims.
Coroner David Ridley heard the allegations relating to Mr Ainsworth's time in Kent surrounded two text messages - but the court was not told the exact nature of the claims.
But the inquest was told yesterday Mr Ainsworth had been researching suicide methods on the internet up to one month before he died.
The information was revealed through examinations of the officer's personal computer.
They included viewing websites on hanging and started on February 25 - shortly after he received statements of those making allegations against him.
The last search was made on March 21 - one day before he died.
DCC Ainsworth’s partner Joanna Howes previously told the inquest how she found her boyfriend hanging in the garage of their cottage on March 22.
Mr Ainsworth, 49, was removed from regular duties last September as South Wales Police conducted an external inquiry. He joined Kent Police in 1986, before leaving to work in Wiltshire.
While in Kent, he took on a number of roles, including head of the force inspectorate, area commander at north Kent and head of the force communications centre.
David Ridley, coroner for Wiltshire and Swindon, recorded a verdict Mr Ainsworth had taken his own life.
Wednesday, June 13 2012
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Source: www.kentonline.co.uk
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