February is LGBT+ History Month and this year's theme is 'Politics In Art: The Arc Is Long', an opportunity to commemorate the many achievements of LGBT activists and artists.
A recent assessment undertaken by Climate Emergency UK of every council's climate change plan has shown serious gaps in Medway Council's own plans. Using public documents, they assessed each council against 28 questions, based on criteria set out by experts in the relevant fields. These scores were then compared to other local authorities and a percentage rank given. In our case Medway Council received an overall ranking of 71% (with 50% being the average score).
Medway Liberal Democrats are shocked but unsurprised by Council Leader Alan Jarrett's comments at January's full council meeting. He failed to mention the climate emergency in his speech, when pressed on its absence, he said 'Putting [climate change measures] in place, it's not like flipping a switch, it's going to be a long process.' This is another example of this Conservative administration not giving the climate emergency the priority it needs.
Medway Council acknowledged in October that they required more time to consider the draft Local Plan, taking the decision to defer the submission of plan. The Council now faces time constraints to publish the Local Plan and whether the Plan meets legal requirements, and positively prepared and consistent with national policy.
Liberal Democrats believe that there is a strong case for re-introducing a rail passenger service to Grain on the Hoo Peninsula. Currently, travel time from the Peninsula to Medway's urban areas and beyond is only accessible by car, contributing to pollution and road congestion. Why not offer the opportunity for those who live in the nearby villages to board and leave the trains local to where they live by the extension of passenger services to Grain and the villages in-between.
Liberal Democrats are calling on the Council to retain and protect the whole of Deangate Ridge, stressing its importance to the social wellbeing and social interest of the local community.
