Recently we have had two excellent announcements for Sevenoaks.
Firstly, I was delighted to hear that funding has been approved for us to build a new Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) school in Swanley. This is fantastic news and will make a HUGE difference to families across the whole constituency including in Sevenoaks town. I have long argued that there is a shortage of SEND places available locally and in 2021 I wrote to the Schools Minister seeking access to additional funding. Earlier this year I also had meetings with the Department for Education and Kent County Council to discuss this issue and make our case. A big thank you to KCC Conservative Leader Roger Gough and Swanley local Kent County Councillor Perry Cole for all their hard work in achieving this. With the superb school annex campus now open in Sevenoaks, and the soon to be rebuilt Orchards Academy in Swanley, the Conservatives are delivering for local parents and pupils.
Secondly, over the summer, I received many emails from concerned Otford residents about a proposal to dispose of the public space at Chalk Pit, Otford. I - alongside local Conservative District Councillors Irene Roy and John Edwards-Winser- raised immediately with the council the many concerns received and I was relieved to hear the notice has now been withdrawn for further consultation with local people. I am very grateful to Sevenoaks District Council, and in particular Conservative council leader Julia Thornton, for having listened to these concerns and taken action. Protecting our public spaces is so important for our local communities, and I will always ensure the local voice of residents is heard.
I’ve also been out and about on visits. As some of you will already know, the River Darent is one of only around 200 chalk streams in the world, and a few weeks ago I have the pleasure of meeting with the Darent River Preservation Society (DRiPS) at Castle Farm (situated between the villages of Shoreham and Eynsford). The Darent is such a clean river, which was rated ‘good’ or ‘high’ for water quality in 2022; and DRiPS in their dealings with the water industry play a vital role in this preservation. It was great to discuss various matters with them including the need for new reservoirs (one is due to be built in Kent in the 2030’s) and the pressures new housing bring on the water supply.
I also held a meeting with Kent Police and Matthew Scott, PCC for Kent on local crime, which is a priority for me. Sadly, within two weeks of that meeting there was a serious robbery and break-in at Francis Jones on the High Street. I dropped by to discuss with owners Gary and Roberta Ware what more needs to be done. I am pleased Kent Police gave the resource needed for the investigation, and that two arrests have since been made. Next month I will be holding a roundtable with representatives of local retailers and the police to discuss what more we can do to avoid future incidents.
Serving as your MP is an honour and I love hearing from you all, so if there is something you wish to raise with me, or discuss, please do not hesitate to contact my office at [email protected].
