Reform unveils first DOGE-led cuts targeting net zero projects and office move at Kent

Kent's leader, Cllr Linden Kemkaran also voiced her intention to oppose local government reorganisation, claiming that the county has a strategic local authority with a strong identity in the county council and 12 district boroughs, that are "perfectly capable".

The team – which is styled after the United States Government's Department of Government Efficiency previously headed by Elon Musk – requested access to a series of council documents in June, including whistleblowing documents or internal investigations relevant to financial matters.

At the time, Reform UK warned that any officers who obstructed DOGE's work would be considered as having committed gross misconduct.

In a verbal report to full council on Thursday (10 July), Cllr Kemkaran said the team had "been working hard" to find savings and that full details of their work will be outlined in a strategic statement at the next full council meeting.

Speaking to full council, she said: "As the DOGE concept is brand new, I can assure you that we are acting in accordance with the appropriate legal frameworks, and I have tasked the general counsel and chief executive with ensuring that any decisions are compliant with our obligations."

Highlighting some early plans based on their work, she proposed scrapping part of the council's net zero renewable energy programme, including stopping planned property modifications, which she said would save £32m over the next four years.  

In addition, she said that ending the council's efforts to transfer its fleet of vehicles to electric vehicles would save a further £7.5m by 2030.

She later described net-zero laws as "foolish", adding that the country and Kent "cannot afford" to pursue the environmental obligations.

Elsewhere, she said £1.5m could be saved over two years by bringing some children's care homes back in-house, with a commitment to purchase four new properties in order to avoid "unpredictable pricing spikes" in the private sector.

The leader also proposed halting plans to move the council chamber and its offices into a new building.

She said the decision would save money and help bring staff back into the office, adding that proposed modifications to the current building, which dates back to 1824, would provide 500 more desk spaces.

Opposition leaders later questioned the decision, describing the 19th-century council building as a "money pit" and suggesting that energy and upkeep costs would outstrip any savings made by the decision.

On school transport – a budget area which Reform UK has said should receive cuts – the leader said that work is "ongoing" to try and find savings and that councillors will be informed of the plans in the next council meeting.   

The leader also announced that a proposal to cut of its member allowances by 5% would save £202,500.

This money will be reallocated into member grants for each councillor to spend in their divisions, she said.

Responding to her update, the leader of the Liberal Democrat group – Kent's second largest party – Cllr Antony Hook, criticised the administration's lack of paper reports and "thin" meeting agendas.

On net zero, the councillor said: "Net Zero is a statutory obligation, and it's needed to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees. If the administration is serious about doing less environmental work, where is the detail? Why is it not on the agenda for next week's Environment Committee?"

He also voiced surprise at the plans to retain the council's old building, claiming that the announcement "is against what we were told before", adding: "We need to have that discussed in detail, and it beggars belief that that was not on the Policy and Resources Committee agenda just two days ago."

Adam Carey