Doug, you have so many personal connections with the area it is hard to know where to begin. Could you talk us through your local links?
I was born in Hythe on North Road and attended Saltwood Primary School and the Harvey Grammar School. More recently, I worked at Hythe & Lyminge Age UK. My family used to live in Sellindge and my brother attended Sellindge Primary School. My sister was married in Saltwood Parish Church. My father worked for many years at Lympne Airport, as Air Traffic Control Officer. My ancestors were from Elham and involved in prospecting for oil there – not something I would approve of now, of course!
This county council division covers a wide area and quite a wide variety of different communities, from small villages like Postling and Stelling Minnis to larger places like Lyminge, Elham, and Hawkinge too. How do the issues affecting each differ?
Each has its own issues, of course, but all are threatened by over-development. We are forced to accept Otterpool to meet the government’s housing targets and new Tory planning legislation threatens massive over-development across Kent and the South East. Elham Valley is at high risk of unwanted and un-needed development to meet arbitrary targets for new housing. The development areas proposed by the government will allow yet more building on our countryside without input from local communities. We need to fight the Tory drive to destroy the environment in the name of quick profits for the companies that support them, otherwise we will see the destruction of nature, increased air, noise and the light pollution, and the loss of countryside known to benefit people’s mental health.
Social care is one of the responsibilities of the county council and it is something you can bring a personal perspective to, isn’t it?
I worked for many years in social care, supporting families here in Kent and in other parts of England. It is crucial that support is offered when needed due to illness, bereavement or unemployment. We must keep families together and protect children and young people. They must be our number one priority, which is why we MUST protect our countryside for them.
What would your priorities be as a county councillor?
1 Children and families 2 Children and families 3 Children and families. We must have good education, healthcare, social care and policing and no more Tory destruction of services that families need. We have seen cuts, cuts, cuts to local authorities and big, juicy contracts given to Tory friends and Tory donors.
This a beautiful part of a beautiful county, isn’t it? How do you see the threat to our countryside?
I have loved this part of Kent all my life and I am determined not to see it covered over in concrete just so that some developer in the Cayman Islands can make a few million pounds. We need housing to respond to residents’ needs – not luxury houses, massively polluting and bringing extra traffic and strain on services for those fleeing absurd house prices in London. There is a massive threat now to rural communities due to Tory policies, which won’t protect British Food Standards but will allow cheap, low quality produce from the USA and China.
Four Green Party county councillors were elected in Kent on 6 May – more than ever before – so electing you would give Greens the same number of seats as Labour and really increase the party’s influence throughout the county, wouldn’t it?
The Green message has really resonated recently and it is the most important message for our times – crucial for green jobs and a green recovery from the pandemic. Greens also have the right message on social care, education, housing, transport and healthcare. We can work with other opposition parties to stop the Tories from destroying families and our countryside.
It’s a two-horse race with the Conservatives in Elham Valley – why should people vote Green?
It’s a very clear choice: Failed Tory policies of cuts, cuts, cuts, with services reduced and money funnelled to rich Tory developers OR a Green Recovery from the pandemic bringing green jobs in transport, energy, insulation of homes, the NHS, education and social care.
You became a Hythe district councillor and town councillor in 2019 – what have you enjoyed most and how would the experience help you as a county councillor?
At Hythe Town Council, where the Greens and our allies have a majority, we are implementing policies to make our community safer. We were arguably the first council in the UK to introduce the Community Hub model which took the pressure off GP surgeries by providing services to all those most at risk. We have made big progress towards becoming carbon neutral, including by planting about 1,000 trees. We listen to the community. At Folkestone & Hythe District Council, where the Tories have a wafer thin majority with some so-called independents and UKIP, we have seen wanton destruction of the environment, a failure to address childhood poverty and a real lack of probity. We would rather not see the Otterpool development go ahead but if we are unable to stop it the best thing we can do is keep raising concerns about issues such as carbon emissions, traffic and increased demand on over-stretched services. We continue to fight the unwanted Princes Parade development, with the Tories continuing to ignore public opinion and even a vote in full council. Greens are fighting Tory irresponsibility every inch of the way.
