Lee Castle Reporting Back: June 2026

June marks the final few weeks before the new ward boundaries and council geographies for the 2027 unitary authority elections are announced. Once this information has been published, I will share a more detailed update explaining what the changes mean for our area.

Throughout June I attended several Community Speedwatch sessions in Littlebourne, as well as one in Wickhambreaux. All of the sessions were successful for a variety of reasons. Encouragingly, Littlebourne is beginning to see a genuine reduction in vehicle speeds, and I am pleased to report that additional Speedwatch sites within the 20mph zone have now been approved. If you can spare just an hour to volunteer in any of our villages, please do get in touch.

In Littlebourne, I have been dealing with a range of casework, including social housing and property adaptations, bin collections, and a significant backlog of Kent County Council highways matters, including footpath clearance, vegetation management and pothole repairs. I will be meeting with Councillor Sole, who has previously helped to progress outstanding highways issues, to continue chasing these matters.

In Bekesbourne and Patrixbourne, I have been working with the new tenants of the former Gomez site, ISS. They have agreed to install new lighting and adjust it to minimise light pollution. This is an excellent outcome for local residents, as well as for the surrounding countryside and wildlife.

Also in Littlebourne, I held a councillor surgery with Councillor Sole, which was well attended. We discussed a wide range of issues, including housing, planning and policing, and it was a valuable opportunity to catch up with residents and hear their concerns.

In Adisham, proposals for a potential housing development on a local field are progressing. As I will be away when the village holds its public meeting, I have been liaising with the land agent to ensure I remain fully informed of the proposals and local concerns.

The City Council's Biodiversity Grant scheme is now open for applications. If you have a project that could benefit from funding, I would encourage you to apply.

There are also several important consultations currently taking place, including the tenant engagement consultation and the final stages of the Community Governance Review for parish and town councils. Please do take the opportunity to have your say.

I also dealt with an environmental health matter in Stodmarsh.

In Bramling, I assisted a resident with planning enquiries.

In Wickhambreaux, I have continued to chase repairs to the historic pillbox, which has unfortunately been vandalised with graffiti, as well as assisting with a number of planning matters.

In Ickham and Well, I have continued to follow up on outstanding highways issues and vegetation clearance, alongside other local casework.

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