Stephen Manion

This week i visited Australia for a family Funeral. I managed to return to Dover for an important meeting on School reorganisation.

The County is looking at the closure and merger of a number of schools due to falling numbers of students.

While i recognize the pressure the county is facing from central governemnt to deliver on this, i also recognize the local community's concerns as to how this will be carried out.  Recently i have been working with the head teacher and board of govenors of St Josephs Roman Catholic school in Aylesham to see if an alternative to closure can be found which would keep the identity and Christian ethos of this school while allowing the county council to reduce the number of vacant palces in the village. The proposal involves co location at  the county primary school.

The council meeting discussed this and other aspects of school closure across the district and i am still working to secure the future of the school while being mindful of the need to generate the reduction in vacant places which the county council requires.

At this time of year the parish councils hold their Annual Meetings.

My colleague Cllr Nick Kenton and I feel that these are important events to not only tell the residents in our ward about our work but also to get their feedback on what concerns them.

Many of thses meetings are well attended and may represent a chance to demonstrate to the public the close relationship which we have built between the parish councils and ourselves. We both serve as members of parish councils as well as being district councillors, so we understand many of the issues facing this tier of local government.

We will continue to support the parishes and enjoy the opportunities it offers to support thses communities