Marc Logen 🇬🇧

Cybersecurity & Cloud Technology Leader. AI Enthusiast. Kent County Councillor for Sevenoaks North & Darent Valley.

[Marc Logen 🇬🇧 @marclogen]

@ClaudeDevs Thank you - but this caused £25 of additional usage credits to be burned. Resetting rate limits doesn’t really compensate.

[Marc Logen 🇬🇧 @marclogen]

@NOWTVSport your @SkySportsF1 coverage this weekend is bad. Audio and video quality is all over the place.

[Marc Logen 🇬🇧 @marclogen]

@Keir_Starmer lmao 🤣🤣

[Marc Logen 🇬🇧 @marclogen]

@LordCrobington @reformparty_uk @Kent_cc @LeaderofKCC

[Marc Logen 🇬🇧 @marclogen]

@LeaderofKCC @Andrew__Kennedy @RGStreatfeild Funny how @Andrew__Kennedy didn’t think this was vulgar. Double standards much?

[Linden Kemkaran @LeaderofKCC]

Reform U.K.

Standing up and speaking up for the people of Kent. Always 🩵

[Marc Logen 🇬🇧 @marclogen]

@Snookersarah @LeaderofKCC Don’t slam the door on your way out again please

[Marc Logen 🇬🇧 @marclogen]

@REFUK_Maidstone @michaelkeohan Sour grapes much?
How this isn’t KCC related business I don’t know. Perhaps you should check your geography and see where Kent is.

[Marc Logen 🇬🇧 @marclogen]

How about build some new reservoirs @sewateruk ??

[South East Water @sewateruk]

Hosepipe restrictions have been lifted with immediate effect. Thank you for your patience while these necessary measures have been in place to allow our reservoir and groundwater levels to return to normal: https://t.co/CfoIIk9FkO

#SouthEastWater 💦 #YourLocalWaterSupplier

[Marc Logen 🇬🇧 @marclogen]

@reformparty_uk

[Elon Musk @elonmusk]

It has indeed somehow become even worse

[Marc Logen 🇬🇧 @marclogen]

❄️ Stay Safe on Kent's Roads this Week
With another cold spell approaching, I wanted to provide an update on the work being done to keep our community moving safely.

KCC Highways teams are working incredibly hard, gritting Kent’s primary routes on a daily basis to combat the freezing conditions. Despite their best efforts, please remember that even treated roads can remain icy, so do take extra care during your commute.

📍 Stay Informed
To see which routes are being treated or to check the latest updates, please use the following resources:

General Information: Visit https://t.co/a3sSP0vQ08

Live Updates: Follow https://t.co/yZGwDySvY8

⚠️ Report a Problem
If you spot a specific issue on a road or pavement that requires attention, you can track or report it directly via the KCC portal: 👉 https://t.co/muuYAmx35t

[Marc Logen 🇬🇧 @marclogen]

@adamhfry When Windows???

[Marc Logen 🇬🇧 @marclogen]

I’ve certainly noticed less potholes around the Sevenoaks area 👍🏻

https://t.co/Y1O46Ud1BN

[Marc Logen 🇬🇧 @marclogen]

@MarioNawfal Just me, or does Rachel Reeves' voice sound exactly like a female Keir Starmer? 🤔

[Marc Logen 🇬🇧 @marclogen]

@adamhfry @1Password When is the PC release? Cant wait.

[Marc Logen 🇬🇧 @marclogen]

🎓 FINAL REMINDER: Kent Secondary School Applications Close Soon!
📅 Apply by 31st October 2025
If your child is starting Year 7 in September 2026, here are the key dates from Kent County Council you need to know 👇

📘 Key Dates:
🗓️ Applications Opened: 1 September 2025
🧪 Kent Test Results Released: 16 October 2025 (after 5pm)
🕐 Deadline to Apply: Friday 31 October 2025
📬 Offer Day: 2 March 2026
✅ Accept/Decline Deadline: 16 March 2026
📄 Appeals Deadline: 30 March 2026
⚖️ Appeals Heard By: 17 June 2026

💡 Apply online and list up to four school preferences to improve your chances.
🏫 Don’t forget to check individual school websites for open days and admissions criteria.
🌐 Apply here: https://t.co/qsVPfGYngK
📚 For more info on school admissions and transport, visit:
https://t.co/Pb9ulWEQMq
📧 Questions? Email [email protected] or call ☎️ 03000 41 21 21
🤝 Please share with other Kent families who may need this information!

[Marc Logen 🇬🇧 @marclogen]

🚶‍♀️🚴 Sevenoaks Walking & Cycling Strategy – Why It Needs a Rethink 🤔

Many residents have asked about the “Sevenoaks Urban Area Local Cycling & Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP)”, created for Sevenoaks District Council by a national consultancy in 2023.
It sets out proposals for new walking and cycling routes across the district — including between Otford and Sevenoaks.

🧭 Having reviewed the full document, I do believe it was written with good intentions — encouraging healthier, low-carbon travel — but many of its assumptions and conclusions don’t reflect the reality of Sevenoaks.

🏘️ Sevenoaks isn’t a city. It’s a compact market town surrounded by villages, steep hills and narrow, historic roads.
There simply isn’t the space to create wide, segregated walking and cycling routes without major disruption or cost.

📊 Much of the data used in the report is outdated — drawn from the 2011 Census and national “Dutch-style” modelling that assumes everyone would cycle if the infrastructure existed.
That may be true in flat cities like Cambridge or Bristol, but it’s not realistic here.

⚠️ Key Concerns with the 2023 LCWIP:

🚧 Urban-City Bias – The plan applies big-city design logic to a rural market town with steep terrain and constrained roads.

📉 Outdated & Assumed Data – Uses 2011 commuting figures and national models, not current local surveys or real-world travel patterns.

🚫 Limited Feasibility Testing – Many proposed routes fail gradient or width standards and rely on taking private land or removing traffic lanes.

📐 Unrealistic Design Standards – The plan strictly follows national “LTN 1/20” design rules, which require fully segregated cycle lanes.
That may work in cities, but in villages like Otford — or along key corridors such as the A225 and A25 — it’s simply not physically or economically feasible without removing existing road lanes or footways.

🧮 Assumptions Presented as Fact – On page 42, the report states:

“Space can be reallocated from the dual carriageway without a negative impact on traffic flows.”
Yet there’s no real-world evidence or traffic-flow data to support this.
No lane-closure trials, no peak-hour studies — only desktop modelling.
These kinds of assumptions are presented as facts, when they should be tested, evidenced and shared publicly before any design decisions are made.

🚗 Impact on Main Roads – The A225 and A25 are key through-routes. Reducing them to one lane would likely increase congestion and emissions.

👥 Weak Consultation Base – Only around 125 participants fed into the plan (mostly active-travel advocates), which is not representative of the wider community.

💰 High Cost / Low Return – Over £45 million estimated cost for only a modest potential shift in travel behaviour.

✅ I absolutely support safer and better walking and cycling, but it has to be practical, affordable and supported by residents.

Our focus should be a Village-First approach:
➡️ Linking the High Street, Primary School and Station within Otford
➡️ Fixing pinch points such as the A225 / Bubblestone Road near the One Stop shops
➡️ Upgrading existing paths and lighting to make walking and short local cycling easier all year round
That’s where we’ll get the best value and real everyday benefit for residents.

📄 You can read the full LCWIP document here: https://t.co/48Fh0SdiSX

🎥 And you can watch the discussion at the Sevenoaks Joint Transportation Board here (my statement begins at 30:23):
👉 https://t.co/cWGMdE4jm7

💬 Please keep sharing your thoughts — your feedback genuinely shapes how I represent our community and helps ensure we deliver improvements that work for Sevenoaks, not against it.

[Marc Logen 🇬🇧 @marclogen]

🚶‍♀️🚴 Otford to Bat & Ball Route Update – I’ve Listened to Residents and Rejected the Current Proposal

On Tuesday 14th October, I spoke at the Sevenoaks Joint Transportation Board (JTB) regarding the proposed Otford to Bat & Ball walking and cycling route.

You can watch the full discussion from timestamp 6:31 (my statement begins at 30:23):
👉 https://t.co/8yjXmOQsZz

I want to thank everyone who took the time to share their views over the last few weeks — through the poll, emails, and comments on my earlier post. Around two-thirds of residents who responded were against the current proposals, and around one-third were supportive.

I’ve listened carefully to both sides. While many see the value in providing better walking and cycling options for the future, many others have legitimate concerns around practicality, cost, and the impact of removing a lane on the A225.

After reflecting long and hard, I have decided not to support the current proposal. I’ve asked the Active Travel working group to go back to the drawing board with me to explore a “Village-First” plan — one focused on improving walking and cycling within Otford and between nearby villages first, where the benefits are immediate, practical, and widely supported.

💬 I’ll continue to keep residents updated as this evolves. Please keep sharing your thoughts — your feedback genuinely shapes how I represent you on this issue.

👇 You can read the full text of my statement below 👇

My statement to the JTB (14 Oct):

Over the last several weeks, we’ve had many meetings about the proposed Otford to Bat & Ball walking and cycling route. I have engaged in the process with an open mind, and I completely recognise that if we are to see a further 17,000 houses built in Sevenoaks over the coming years, then we are going to need more transport options.

I’ve continued to speak with residents directly and gather further feedback — in person, by email, and through our local Otford Facebook group. I did this because the official consultation had too low a turnout to rely on it alone.

That said, the feedback I have now received — though still from a smaller proportion of residents — is consistent and clear. We’ve had responses from roughly 10–20% of the village, but in most community consultations, that’s often enough to reveal the broader picture. The 80/20 principle tends to apply: a relatively small but engaged group often provides the majority of insight into what the wider community is thinking. And when that feedback is strong and consistent, it’s usually a fair reflection of the overall sentiment. From that engagement, the same pattern continues to emerge — roughly two-thirds of residents are against the proposals, and around one-third are supportive.

Many people do see a forward-looking network that could help with school travel, health, and congestion in the long term — and you only have to look at towns and cities built with walking and cycling in mind to know that providing options is the best way. However, many others question the practicality and usage of the planned route, the cost of almost £4m, and the impact of removing a southbound lane on the A225.

But we also have to be honest about where Kent — and the country — is financially.
KCC is carrying over £750 million in debt and faces a large budget shortfall next year, even with potential Council Tax rises — which we desperately don’t want. The public are rightly concerned that we can’t keep spending on projects that don’t have clear local support or measurable outcomes — regardless of where the funds come from, it is still taxpayers’ money.

Officers have indicated that this route would likely need to be split into three separate phases, with no guarantee that funding for all stages would be secured. A partial route would undermine the whole case, and given the current level of uncertainty and opposition, I don’t believe it’s right to continue investing time and money into this proposal.

That said, I don’t believe the answer is to reject all investment in walking and cycling — far from it. People absolutely want safer, more accessible routes; they just want them in the right places.

What I’m hearing loud and clear from residents is that our focus should be on improving walking and cycling within Otford and between nearby villages first — where the benefits are immediate, practical, and supported. For example:

Making it easier and safer to walk or cycle from east to west across Otford to reach the High Street, Primary School or the Station, through better lighting, signage, secure bike parking and modest path improvements.

Exploring options to connect residents in West Kemsing and along Pilgrims Way West to the station with safe, continuous walking and cycling routes.

Addressing known pinch points — such as the A225 and Bubblestone Road near the One Stop shops and bus stop — to improve crossings, visibility and overall safety.

And, where possible, improving existing paths from Otford towards Bat & Ball, without removing a road lane or creating unnecessary disruption.

So whilst during the working group meetings I have expressed my thoughts on both sides of the argument — and while I was originally supportive of exploring the project further — I have reflected long and hard on both the impact of proceeding with the project and the impact of not proceeding.

Ultimately, I have to listen to the residents in my ward. I am no longer comfortable giving my support or recommendation to proceed with the plans as they stand.

I know this will be disappointing to some, and I am sorry for that.
But I am going to ask the steering group to go back to the drawing board with me to explore a “Village-First” package — one that strengthens connectivity within Otford and potentially to Kemsing and Seal, delivers better value, and commands broader public support.

I do appreciate there will be challenges and objections to this, but I believe a reset on the current proposal is the responsible, community-led course.

Thank you.