CURBING traffic congestion, battling crime and disorder and boosting jobs were the top priorities set by Kent County Council in a masterplan for action Towards 2010.

Its targets have been hailed by the ruling administration as the "most radical ever set by a council".

(Con) explains why he believes it will make a difference.

As leader of Kent County Council I have three clear aims – to improve council services, to keep council tax levels as low as possible and to work with people across the county to improve the quality of life in Kent.

Towards 2010 sets out my plans to achieve this. I believe the promises it makes and the projects it highlights will have a real impact on local people’s lives.

I will touch on what some of these promises and projects will mean for you.

A dynamic local economy with thriving businesses helps to pay for good public services and provide the jobs and careers that underpin prosperity and success.

KCC will support small business start-ups, encourage businesses to locate in Kent and regenerate areas of deprivation to help create the right climate for business and job creation.

Our children are our future and we need to ensure they have the right start in life so they grow up with the skills and motivation to get good jobs and have successful careers.

That means ensuring they have the right environment in which to learn – not one where disruptive behaviour and bullying competes with learning.

We will work with head teachers on zero tolerance towards disruptive behaviour, bullying and vandalism in schools. Through master classes by businessmen, entrepreneurs and professionals, we will give all 13 to 19-year-olds the very best careers guidance; and our apprenticeship scheme will give young people at least 1,000 opportunities to work in the private and public sectors.

More competitive sport in our schools will be delivered. This isn’t about winners or losers. It is about motivating our youngsters, team building, striving for success – all those things so important in adult life.

One issue that lots of people raise with me is traffic congestion. There is no easy solution to this but I believe we can manage the situation much better.

From this summer, we will pilot intelligent traffic light management systems and congestion-busting teams in Maidstone, Tunbridge Wells and Canterbury. We will reduce unnecessary queuing through intelligent traffic lights synchronised by the volume and direction of the traffic.

We are working with the police to pinpoint problem areas and we plan visible highways officer teams, trained by the police, to tackle accident spots and other problems.

Rush-hour traffic decreases dramatically in the school holidays. From Easter 2007, we will pilot free public transport for all 11 to 16-year-olds in Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells and Canterbury.

We are already in discussion with a number of schools about staggering school hours. Even changes as little as 30 minutes could reduce congestion.

A recent survey showed rush-hour motorists spend up to half their journey at a standstill and I have great hopes that these changes can help to keep Kent moving.

Keeping this county beautiful means keeping it clean. How we get rid of waste, what we do about litter and fly-tipping are not optional extras. We will expand the Kent Clean scheme and launch a hit squad to tackle these eyesores.

Many people assume changes mean more expenditure. We are carrying out a review of council spending to make sure that we can pay for these projects from existing budgets.

KCC has a good track record on delivering its targets – 76 per cent of those set four years ago were delivered and excellent progress made in another 14 per cent.

I am confident that Towards 2010 will prove equally successful. I hope it will catch people’s imagination and encourage them to get involved in improving life in Kent for all in the next decade.

* Towards 2010 is available on our website www.kent.gov.uk. I do hope you will e-mail me with your comments at paul@kent.gov.uk, or write to me at KCC, Sessions House, Maidstone, Kent ME14 1XQ.

Click here to read Kent County Council's vision for 2010 in full, in PDF format