Firstly, let me wish a Happy New Year to all Sevenoaks Chronicle readers! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas with your friends and family.
2024 was a momentous year politically, with a General Election and a change in Government. I’m incredibly grateful for the trust you placed in me once again to be your MP—it truly is the greatest privilege to represent you. I maintain this is the best job in the world, and I’ll never stop fighting for our community.
Last year, by working together, we once again achieved a great deal, and I wanted to use my column to reflect on these, and well as highlight where we will be pushing for more progress in 2025.
I have continued to work with councillors and residents to oppose proposals put forward to build on local Green Belt land, including making representations during the Local Plan process against developments at Pedham Place, Brittains Lane, and in and around Bessels Green. Just before the Christmas break, the Government published the revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and confirmed the mandatory house-building target for our district. The new homes target is now even higher than initially indicated by the Government in October and stands at 1,149 homes a year and will means building more homes than the size of the Sevenoaks Quarry site, every single year. While it is of course imperative that we build homes for local people, we must also protect the Green Belt, and ensure new homes come with the right infrastructure for communities living here. I do not support building on the Green Belt without community consent and will continue to stand up for our green spaces.
Supporting our local businesses remains vital, and I love meeting the inspiring entrepreneurs who make Sevenoaks so unique. Last year I hosted the Google Digital Garage workshop at the Bat and Ball Centre, and it was great to see entrepreneurs coming together to sharpen their digital skills and embrace new opportunities. I also ran my annual Apprenticeship Fair, where it brilliant to bring together businesses and young people looking to start their careers.
Since the Labour Budget, I have also spent time with our farmers, who continue to face mounting financial pressures as a result of Labour’s damaging "Family Farm Tax." Farmers and business owners are at the heart of our community, and I’ll always stand up for them and the vital work they do.
After our hard-fought campaign, and my petition run at the start of last year, Southeastern introduced the half-hourly evening rush hour service from London to Otford and Swanley. I regularly receive emails from commuters telling me how much this service has changed their journey to and from work, and I can’t help but smile when I see it on the boards on the concourse. I know overcrowding remains an issue, and that is why I’ll keep pushing for more capacity where it’s needed, as well as additional services. We’ve also seen more morning trains from Sevenoaks, better Saturday services, and extra carriages on weekends. I know the delayed roll out of Contactless is incredibly frustrating, but I am pushing TfL for a new launch date and will let you know as soon as I hear more.
Local bus services are also pivotal to many residents, and especially school pupils. This year I have pushed for improvements to many local bus routes across the whole constituency, including securing the #477 trial in Swanley for those wanting to visit Bluewater or Darent Valley Hospital. I will continue to fight in 2025 for the service to be made permanent, as well as exploring a bus route to take patients to Pembury Hospital from Sevenoaks.
I continue to work closely with local councillors and our superb Police and Crime Commissioner, Matthew Scott, to ensure everyone can feel safe in our community and I am so pleased that The Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) we campaigned to secure for the for Vine has this year been introduced. I visited the site 6 months after its introduction, and it was great to hear the police had seen a remarkable 93% decrease in anti-social behaviour in the area. It was a shame that the Liberal Democrat district councillors did not support the Order’s implementation, a decision I hope they now regret. Antisocial behaviour is not a ‘low-level’ crime and that’s why I am determined to bring it to a stop. I also had the pleasure of attending the Kent Police Passing Out Parade where I met the police officers of the future. Having more police on our streets is a common theme when I send out my feedback surveys so I look forward to working with and supporting the new officers who will be joining the local teams here in Sevenoaks.
Towards the end of 2024 I was honoured to be asked to serve as the Shadow Secretary of State for Education. I have always loved visiting our local schools and meeting teachers and pupils, and I will work hard form a constructive opposition. As part of my many visits to local schools, this year I attended the Orchards Academy in Swanley topping out ceremony and it was great see the latest with the redevelopment, following our campaign to securing the funding. The Labour Party’s disastrous policy to introduce VAT on private school fees is also being felt across our community, and I will continue to be in touch with both private schools and our state schools to discuss how this change will impact all pupils across our community, especially those with Special Education Needs and Disabilities. Every young person in Sevenoaks deserves the best start in life, and I’m determined to help all our schools thrive.
Finally, following on from the fire safety issues which had been identified at Sevenoaks Hospital, I was pleased when Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust (KCHFT) assured me that other than the 19 inpatient beds which have been temporarily moved to Tenterden, all services will continue to be delivered locally. This is incredibly important news for our community, and I know was a huge relief to many of you who like me use and love the services provided. There are also some very early-stage plans to look at extending the services available in Sevenoaks and in 2025, and I continue to stress in all communications the importance of the hospital to everyone who lives here.
As you can see, there is still lots for us to be getting on with as we look ahead to 2025, but by continuing to work together I know we will continue to make Sevenoaks an even better place to live, work and do business. Over the last twelve months I have received and replied to over 21,000 emails – which range from discussions about policy, to helping you all with local issues. I wish all readers, whatever their political preference, a Happy and Healthy New Year, and if there is anything I can help support you with, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
