This month got off to a brilliant start, with a triumphant display from across the constituency to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee. Her Majesty The Queen is an inspiration to us all, and it was heart-warming to see our community give thanks for her 70 years of devoted service to the United Kingdom, her Realms, the Commonwealth, her Dependencies and her Territories.
A personal highlight was my visit to meet residents at the Rivermere Care Home, where I discussed their memories from the Queen’s coronation 70 years ago. Thank you again to the care home staff for facilitating my visit, as well as the residents who spoke with me.
I was also honoured to welcome two Ministers to the constituency, over the last month. I have provided more details below, but both Baroness Vere, the Minister for Buses, and Lord Parkinson, the Minister for Culture were most impressed with what they saw, and I look forward to hosting more visits soon.
Sadly, developments towards the end of the month have been less celebratory. Last week’s major strike action caused mass disruption locally, they unfairly disrupted children attending school and sitting exams, prevented patients attending medical appointments, damaged our local businesses who rely on trade from commuters, stopped those planning to mark Armed Forces Day and caused hardship to people just trying to get into work - with some suffering loss of pay. This is unacceptable.
The Government rightly kept the railway running when most passengers stayed at home. Trains were available for key workers, and not a single railway worker had to be furloughed or lost their job. However, this came at a price of £16 billion. That is taxpayers’ money, and it is the equivalent of £600 for every household in this country. That support should not be repaid by strikes.
If you, or anyone you know wishes to raise with me any concerns locally, please do not hesitate to get in touch. I really enjoy receiving and replying to your emails, and together we will continue to make Sevenoaks and Swanley and even better place to live and work.
Laura
LAURA TROTT
MP FOR SEVENOAKS AND SWANLEY
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Below is a snapshot of what we have been working on. If there is anything, I can do to support you, please get in touch.
- The Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill received its Second Reading in the House of Commons and includes some welcome reforms on planning – including the strengthening of local plans and empowering local people in decisions, rather than the Planning Inspector. Housing targets are not included within the Bill, however I used the debate to raise with the Minister the need for Green Belt land to be taken into consideration when such targets are set. Sevenoaks is 93% Green Belt - and I will continue to campaign so that it is protected. You can watch my speech here.
- I welcomed Baroness Vere of Norbiton, Minister for Buses at the Department for Transport, to Sevenoaks to visit Go Coach. Buses are a lifeline for so many people in communities like ours, and this visit was a fantastic opportunity to show the Minister both the innovations that are underway, as well as discuss the challenges that rural buses face.
- Parents across Sevenoaks and Swanley are facing rising childcare costs; it's an issue that I have worked on for many years, and I know that there is a huge amount of support available that isn't always easy to apply for, or straightforward to work out. This month I asked the Minister what the Department is doing to simplify the system so that it is clearer to people what they are entitled to and make it easier for people to claim. I will continue to monitor developments closely so that families can always access the childcare support they need. You can watch my question here, and if you have any thoughts on this, then please do let me know.
- After a break in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic, I was delighted to be able to attend my first Sevenoaks Business Awards, as the Sevenoaks Town Team’s patron. It was an honour to spend an evening with so many of our local businessmen and women, who with the support offered by Sevenoaks Town Council, Town Team, the Sevenoaks District Council Official, Kent County Council and the Sevenoaks Chamber of Commerce, make Sevenoaks the great town that it is.
- I attended the first Sevenoaks Sport and Wellbeing Showcase at Knole Academy – and it certainly did not disappoint. At the event were over 30 stalls representing most of the major sporting clubs in the district, including tennis, football, rugby, hockey, martial arts, lacrosse, swimming, cricket, basketball, and boxing. And, after a difficult few years, it was wonderful to see our local sports clubs once again thriving and celebrating great successes. As a community we are so lucky to have such diverse and dedicated sporting groups on our doorstep, and I would encourage anyone who is interested or keen to get involved to visit the Sevenoaks Sport and Wellbeing website where you can find more details: https://sevenoakssports.co.uk/
- I visited Romshed Farm in Underriver along with Year 10 pupils from Knole Academy and their teachers Isabel Slade and Carolyn Walker. We were met by Fidelity Weston, who had previously been kind enough to speak at my online Environmental Conference last year. Fidelity gave us a fascinating insight into organic farming, and I would like to thank her for taking time out her busy schedule to show us around.
- I had the pleasure of attending the service at St Nicholas Church Sevenoaks to celebrate its 900th anniversary. It was a joyous and uplifting morning, and it was great to see the church so full. My thanks to Revd Angus MacLeay, Andrea Trevenna and all the St Nicholas’s Church team for the brilliant service and making me feel so welcome. There is an incredibly moving exhibition at the church which explores Sevenoaks history through the lives of 13 people who have lived in the parish during those 900 years. I highly recommend it.
- Further to my campaign on hospital visiting restrictions, I am pleased that the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust has now doubled its visiting hours - with visitors welcomed into the hospitals from 12pm to 7pm each day – an increase from the current policy of 2.30pm to 5.30pm. As well as increasing the hours, two visitors will now be allowed at the bedside at any time and patients are no longer restricted to only two visitors throughout the day. I am still calling for restrictions to be lifted in their entirety, but we are making welcome progress – which I know will mean a lot to patients and their families.
- Since the vital works on Gracious Lane Bridge took place, it has been very frustrating that due to issues relating to underground utility infrastructure, access across the bridge continues to be subject to traffic lights allowing travel in only one direction at a time. I have remained in touch with National Highways, who have been equally frustrated that matters beyond their control have held up the final completion of works. However, the good news is that works will now recommence from 4th July, with a target of 31st August for completion. Initially, National Highways will be working behind the temporary safety barrier but will require some full closures of the bridge as they progress. These are currently scheduled for 20-22 July, 25-26 July, 3,11,26-29 August. Thank you for your ongoing patience. I appreciate the above will cause disruption for many of you, but hopefully we are (at last) nearly there. I appreciate the above will cause disruption for many of you, but hopefully we are (at last) nearly there.
- As some of you will know, Pension Credit is a top up for our most vulnerable pensioners. It is worth an average of £3,300 a year and opens up a suite of other benefits such as help with housing costs, council tax reduction schemes, heating bills and a free over-75s TV licence. Here in Sevenoaks and Swanley there are already 1,382 claimants of Pension Credit, but figures from the Department of Work and Pensions estimate that around 25% people who could claim the extra help do not currently do so. If you, a family member or a friend might be eligible, please do visit: http://ow.ly/mfxs50JxO0x. And if you need any help, or have any questions, do contact my office at [email protected].
- It was a pleasure to host Lord Parkinson, Minister for the Arts Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport this month. As part of his visit, we visited Chartwell NT, home of Sir Winston Churchill – and heard about the importance of Heritage Lottery Funding. My thanks to the National Trust for arranging, and in particular the curator Katherine Carter whose knowledge of Churchill and Chartwell is unparalleled. We also went to The Stag Sevenoaks where we met the General Manager Andrew Eyre. Andrew thanked the Minister for the critical funding the theatre received during Covid and explained that if it wasn’t for this and the amazing support from the public, Town Council and District Council, our town could have lost one of our much-loved institutions. Thank you to the Minister for his time. It really was a delight to show him two of our most loved cultural sights. There’s lots more to see, so hopefully he’ll be back again soon.
- And finally, I planted a tree in Bradbourne Lakes, which was kindly donated by the National Trust. Trees have been planted throughout the country as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy, which is a national initiative to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Thank you to all those who joined me at Bradbourne Lakes including Jed Dwight from National Trust, Sevenoaks District Chairman Avril Hunter, Sevenoaks District Council member Margo McArthur, Local District Councillor Irene Collins, Cllr Merilyn Canet and Byron Brown from the Bradbourne Residents Association – as well as the team at Sevenoaks Council for preparing the planting area. I hope the tree will be an enjoyed for years to come.
