I hope that you have had a good Christmas break and New Year. The snow hung around long enough to give is a white Christmas in the Elham Valley, but also the frozen ground that prevented the East Kent hunt from holding their traditional Boxing Day meet. Instead members of the hunt brought the hounds into the Square in the village to meet well-wishers. The cold weather did not deter over 500 runners in the Saltwood Boxing Day fun run, organised by the Channel Rotary club and I was delighted to start the race which this year raised funds for research into motor neurone disease.

As we get back into the swing of things our focus is inevitably on the future and the things we are planning to do in the twelve months ahead. I believe that one of the major priorities for 2011 for the area is how we can get more growth in the local economy, to create the new jobs we need and support businesses.
Just before Christmas I had a meeting in Westminster with the Energy Minister Charles Hendry to discuss how we can establish an agenda for a new power station at Dungeness. I was joined at the meeting by Shepway Councillors Rory Love and Carole Waters. I have been campaigning for a new power station at Dungeness since before I was elected to parliament and intend to keep the pressure up. I was pleased in the meeting that the Minister confirmed that the Department for Energy would support and attend a public meeting in Romney Marsh this month. This meeting will give people the chance to have their say in the latest round of consultations on the Government’s programme for new nuclear power stations. One of the biggest issues we have faced through these consultations is the objection of Natural England to the development of a new power station within the protected habitats sites at Dungeness. I want us to turn this argument around and establish an agenda for how we can overcome these objections, even if this requires new research to be conducted into the habitats at Dungeness and how it might be possible to restore them after the development takes place of compensate for some loss of habitat. The benefits that the new power station could bring to the local economy are too great for us to leave any stone unturned in our campaign to make it happen.

Later in the month I will be supporting a meeting of the Shepway Economic Regeneration Partnership to be held at Lydd Airport and focused on supporting local business growth. The meeting will bring together people in business from right across the District and anyone interested in attending can find out more information from the Channel Chamber of Commerce in Folkestone. The Government is also consulting on proposals to support local business growth. Whilst they have already committed to cut business taxes they are looking at providing financial support and incentives to local councils to help existing and start-up business in their communities. I want us to able to take advantage of all the opportunities that can come our way in 2011.