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yourshepway
yourshepway.co.uk
THE NEWSPAPER FOR FOLKESTONE, HYTHE AND DISTRICT

Issue No 121 Available from Wednesday, January 20, 2010

MONEY MATTERS

COUNCIL WARY OVER SHARED SERVICE PLAN

PROPOSALS for Shepway to share essential services with neighbouring councils intended to save millions of pounds are in jeopardy after serious concerns emerged from talks.
Unrealistic timescales and a lack of clarity about set-up costs and how staff would be selected to run projects, together with limited involvement from councillors, have been cited by Shepway chief executive Alistair Stewart. A cross-party meeting of councillors from Thanet, Dover, Canterbury and Shepway failed to agree on a

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I BY JAMES ALEXANDRE

report about the proposals last week. Mr Stewart said: We have been looking at plans to share such services as ICT, benefits, environmental health, mail services and community safety, but we have serious concerns and unless these concerns are satisfactorily addressed we will not be staying in this joint services project. We are also concerned there will be financial disadvantages to councils, like Shepway, which have already started making significant efficiencies and transforming their services.

However, we are happy for our partners to go ahead and would not wish to do anything that would stand in their way. Plans to share human resources, waste and recycling collections and landlord services with the other councils will still go ahead as planned. LibDem councillor Tim Prater, who sits on the East Kent Joint Scrutiny Committee which votes on the plans, said: The proposals at this time have too little detail, too little democratic control and assume a one size fits all approach to joint working that is simply a bad way of dealing with CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

PHOTOGRAPHER KEEPS THE FAITH

An exhibition of long-exposure portraits by an international photographer set to music opens at Folkestones Georges House Gallery this week. Nicola Doves Observance shows people from a spectrum of faiths in a meditative state of prayer and explores whether this internal, spiritual experience can be recorded and communicated to an audience via a photographic medium. The images are accompanied by a soundscape made from recordings of the sitters. Nicola, who moved to Folkestone in 2008, has approached people from across the world to take part, including Gandhis granddaughter Ela Gandhi (above) and Chief Rabbi of Israel Yonah Metzger. Observance is at 8 The Old High Street from January 22 to February 3.

WHATS ON & WATCH

ALSO INSIDE
LETTERS . . . . . . . . . . . . .PAGES 14-15 LEISURE . . . . . .PAGES 16-23, 41-43 MOTORING . . . . . . . . . .PAGES 55-57 JOBS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PAGES 58-60 SPORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PAGES 62-63

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