Controversial plans for a surfing lagoon and accommodation at a Kent country park have been given the go-ahead.
Campaigners say the development at Betteshanger will cause damage to rare plants and animals that live on the site.
Ahead of a crackdown on vehicles outside schools in Medway, a Chatham mum has hit out at not being given an exemption permit.
The School Streets scheme will ban cars from certain roads near primary schools during drop-off and pick-up times from Monday.
The parents of a seven-year-old girl who died trying to cross the Channel to Kent say people smugglers do not see them 'as humans'.
Rula drowned when the boat she was in capsized in northern France last weekend.
Businesses on a road in Sandwich fear their trade will suffer after it suddenly had to close for emergency repairs.
A property on King Street has also been boarded up after cracks started to appear.
On international women's day, a female student mechanic from Sheerness says she is out to prove critics wrong.
Maddy Lovett was told by some at school that only men could do the job, and she should consider cooking or beauty therapy.
And in football, Gillingham will be hoping to bounce back from a disappointing mid-week defeat tomorrow.
They lost 2-0 at Barrow and dropped out of the league two play-off places.
Here are some examples of what we've seen, which you've seen in the last few years. 10. "Kent Online News" Hello, and happy Friday. Thanks ever so much for downloading today's podcast on the 8th of March. Our top story, controversial plans for a surfing lagoon and accommodation at a Kent Country Park have been given the go-ahead. The development at Bettshanger was initially rejected last summer, but developers have since amended their proposals. Campaigners say it will be hugely damaging for rare plants and animals in the area. Nicholas is a planning officer for the Kent Wildlife Trust. "The locations for the hotel and the surf lagoon are going to have direct impacts on habitats, particularly the surf lagoon on lizard orchid and fire-o-cling wing habitats, which is the curled dock leave. And that's the same for the hotel with the fire-o-clearing. The hotel is also in close proximity to priority habitat for water vol, and so there's going to be a direct impact there. The measures are going to cause a lot of harm in terms of noise and light pollution, as well as recreational disturbance from the increase in visitors. There are tells of habitats which are there to mitigate for a previous development across the road, and they're going to be in such close proximity that they're going to be driven away. Other species such as the lizard orchid is directly where the footprint of the sea surf lagoon was going to be, and the measures to translocate are unproven and unlikely to work. There's a whole raft of mitigation measures and compensation measures that have been put forward, and in terms of the lizard orchid, the measures put forward are untested, it's happened once before, and it was unsuccessful, and we're not convinced that what they're proposing is going to work in this instance either. Given how rare the species is and how important it is at a national level, there's great concern that those liggas orchid are just going to be lost. The company behind the scheme say they have management plans to help mitigate the disruption to wildlife. Debbie is among those opposing it and spoke after last night's meeting where plans were approved. It's obviously deeply disappointing, and it's a dark day for biodiversity and the exceptional wildlife at the park. It's also a dark day for democracy because the planning decisions have gone against their own planning policies and the national planning policy framework. Richard Stiles is also angry about the decision. I did expect the officers to recommend the acceptance. I think they're very developed very often because they're afraid that there'll be a planning inspector appeal. I find it unlikely that the developers are going to sit here for seven years, and I think a lot of the people who were chasing whilst are believing that they're going to be able to go surfing next week is not going to happen, and we were talking in minimum seven years. If those lizards orchids can't be transferred, and I don't think they can, the whole thing will fall to pieces anyway, so it's a setback. It's not very good, and it doesn't show over in a very good light, I'm afraid. The reason why there aren't water parks on country parks is because there are spaces for the public for quiet enjoyment. They're not places for people to go running around and surf and all the rest of it, and have hotels on. There was plenty of other land that they could do that with. There was no need to use this country park. I think the Discovery Park is a perfect place for it. It's connected up. You've got railways. You've got a new signet parkway station, which they spend a fortune on building. That would be an ideal place to put it there. At least that site would be used out of some use. Bosses at Betts Hanger Country Park say the hotel and surf lagoon will bring new jobs, more visitors, and a sustainable future. The site is currently operating at a loss of £1,000 a day. Ken's online reports. A great-end man who used his poorly grandmother's bank cards to pay for Xbox games has been ordered to do unpaid work. Benjamin Pey also harassed his mum for money and threatened her when she refused. The 24-year-old who doesn't have a permanent address admitted fraud and was given a suspended prison sentence. A met police officer from Kent has been dismissed from the force after he was found to have Crystal Meth. Dino Atkins Tyler was arrested following a search of his home last September. A misconduct hearings found he breached the standards of professional behaviour. He was also given a conditional discharge in court. Now, ahead of a crackdown on vehicles outside schools in Medway, a chat and mum has hit out at not being given an exemption permit. Nicholas got more on this for the podcast. While the school streets game will bang cars from certain roads near primary schools during drop-off and pick-up times from Monday, one of them is Simon's Avenue, where Greenvale School is based. She's unclear why, but thinks it might be because she's near to the junction with Hague Avenue. The local authority has since said Mrs Phillips has not been granted an exemption because the family has alternative ways to access their property. As part of the project, ANPR cameras will be used to catch and find drivers who break the rules in the first six months. Only a warning will be issued, but after that, there will be a penalty chart. Anyone found guilty will be fined £70, which will be reduced to £35 if paid within 21 days. School streets will be in place between 8 and 9 in the morning and 3 and 4 in the afternoon. Another resident has been sharing his view on the scheme. Alexander Young lives on Greenfield Road in Gillingham, where St Mary's Catholic primary is based. He's been chatting to all of it from KMTV and is hopeful it'll reduce congestion. There's always been a problem down here with the traffic and we used to be able to park on that side of the road now without having a ticket. We can't do that now, so they've been changing the rules slowly for the last 15, 20 years. How have you been informed much about what this new school scheme means? It's not very easy to understand, you can grasp basically the situation, but as long as we can come and go when we like, and as long as we can park, because I pay for my parking ticket down here, so as long as we can come and go whenever we like, I don't see the proper. I really don't. And have you noticed the big issue with congestion around, take up a couple of times down here? Oh, crazy. It's absolutely crazy. I don't even know how to drive the cars they're in, you know. They've got these great big gas-goesling machines and I'll actually move some cars for them sometimes because I can't even drive them. So you do support any scheme that will help reduce that traffic? Absolutely. Yes, of course. I don't see a problem. Kent Online News. Jimmy Carls been criticized after reportedly mocking a deaf woman who went to see his show in Dartford. Carly Arlen suffered hearing loss while serving in the Army and says she was targeted by the comedian who noticed she was wearing a hat to cover her hearing aid. The 51-year-old described it as unacceptable. We've asked his people for a response. The Orchard Theatre declined to comment. A man's been fined thousands of pounds for illegally transporting waste following a police chase in Sittingborne. Matt Jackson from East Church was spotted in a flatbed lorry on the A249 and was eventually caught at a scrap metal site off Eurolink Way. Chex found the 32-year-old from Warden Road didn't have a license. The parents of a 7-year-old girl who died trying to cross the channel to Kent say people's smugglers don't see them as humans. River drowned when the boat she was in capsized in northern France last weekend. Her family had spent years traveling from Iraq, speaking through a translator Mum Nor, who's heavily pregnant, says she needs someone to listen to her. She was beautiful. I lost her from my hands, my little princess. She'd seen nothing in this world. We wanted to make their lives better. Hassan is one of Ruiz's brothers. She was very dear to us, but she's gone now and I want her to come back, but she won't. She soon acts as stopping the boats is one of his top priorities. Kent's online reports. Two men have been charged after police in Tumbridge seized a large amount of toiletries that are thought to have been stolen. Toothbrushes, nappies and nicotine replacement products were found when officers stopped as suspicious vehicle in Sovereign Way, a 19- and 26-year-old during court later this month accused of shoplifting. He's been confirmed the peacock store in Ashford is closing for good. Staff who work at the County Square Shopping Centre have been told the unit will shut on the 23rd of March. Now businesses on a road in Sandwich fear their trade will suffer after it suddenly had to close for emergency repairs. A property on King Street has also been boarded up after crack started to appear. It's thought a problem underground has caused subsidence and investigations need to take place. Melissa Scott works at the Sandwich Bakery Company and has been speaking to reporter Chantal Willa. It kind of happened out of the blue. We only realised when one of the previous local councillors who now is with DDC uploaded it on Facebook, no warning and literally it was the next day. So we got that notice in the evening and then the next day the road shut. So it was very much a "oh what do we do?" So yeah there was no warning or anything like that. We understand work has to be done but I think there could have been more of a thought of the businesses in the town especially because 90% of the roads are local businesses. So how has it affected football so far? Would you say there's been a decrease? Oh automatically even from the first day. Yeah after speaking we've got other businesses as well just seeing how that all worked. It's definitely a bit more of people going "oh am I loud down am I not am I am I not." It's definitely changed for us obviously we usually get people to come in and get their bread. They'll pull in over at the lay by they can just pop in and get their bread and go. So we've definitely seen a decrease in that. Obviously we're a bakeries so we're not online so that's totally different. But yeah it's definitely lowered the football dramatically. Considering we've got mother's date this weekend obviously that's usually quite a cake driven weekend so we'll see what happens but yeah it's definitely dropped quite a bit. And there's a daunting prospect that it might be until May, did you know that? Yes so we only found that out after obviously originally it was 21 days and now we've been told it's been extended to May obviously no no reasonings as such. We have got we have asked as a group of us obviously we've made our feelings known to sandwich our council they have arranged for a meeting with the builder tomorrow and to discuss what's going on but obviously we don't know what's going to happen is it May is it extended is it not so because we're not part of the process or acknowledged as part of the process we have no idea especially for deliveries and stuff we have to go that further out to be able to collect it ourselves to somehow get it in. So it's it's just one of that it's quite worrying it's very worrying. The company in charge of the work Walker Construction declined to comment. Kent Online News A new 12.6 million pound hospital ward for people with mental health conditions has opened in Maidstone. The building on Hermitage Lane replaces out of date facilities based in Medway and increases the number of beds from 10 to 16. This is called Ruby Ward and also has dedicated space for therapy sessions and for gardens. A documentary about Kent's Paul O'Grady will be on TV over Easter the life and death of Lily Savage features interviews with his family and friends including Graham Norton, Julian Clary and Sir Ian McKellen the presenters final TV project Paul O'Grady's Great Elephant Adventure will also be shown a year after he died at his home in Ashford. On International Women's Day a female student mechanic from Sheer Ness has told Kent Online she's out to prove critics wrong. Maddie Luffett was told by Summit School that only men could do the job and she should consider cooking or beauty therapy. The 16-year-old's now studying at college in Broadstairs and spoke to reporter Ellie Hodgson. I've always enjoyed cars but I didn't actually think about fixing them till I was like probably like eight years old and then from there it was like mechanic, mechanic, mechanic. What age did you first fix or you know experience fixing up a car? I'd always help my dad like passing tools and things when I was younger but I didn't actually help him properly hands on probably only until a few years ago so probably from like 14. What is it about fixing cars that you enjoy so much? Makes me feel smart really to be honest, gives me that boost. Yeah I don't know I don't really know how to explain it really but it's just having that knowledge and keeping my brain going that I really enjoy because it's always something new you might do the same job three or four different times maybe on the same model of the vehicle but it's always different nothing ever goes the same. And I guess doing the sort of job that you're doing and we'll be doing you know that's your career right that's what you want to do is your career you know what sort of difficulties do you face and like how do you overcome them do you not mind the challenge of that? I'd say because I'm the only girl with my class so that was really nerve wracking especially because I joined my new class halfway like halfway in they were already there for three months and then I moved in so that was that was difficult but they they were really good with welcoming and I've never felt out of place there the same at work never felt out place I have had people you know like immaturity or school where they'd say things are okay else should be mechanics you should go do like cooking and with hair and beauty and things like that but not a bit of me really that's it makes you feel when people say stuff to you like that initially I just want to prove them wrong but I haven't really got anything to say to it because I know that I can overcome it and I can do it I used to be like get upset about things but it's just it's not really worth the bother really because I'm out here doing my love every single day and that's what gets me going really she's hoping to be fully qualified by her early 20s and wants to work in the motorsports industry head over to Kent online today to see pictures from a former nightclub in Folkston a special report looks back at the history of La Parisien known as the Priz it was at the centre of the town's party scene for almost three decades before closing in 2015 and there's a lot to celebrate across Kent this weekend here's our what's on editors Sam Laurie with a look at some of the events and activities taking place it's shaping up to be a great weekend ahead the sun is shining at least some of the time and its mother's day on Sunday which means it's a great excuse to spoil the mother figures in your life if you're still scratching your head for last minute ideas we've got a list of fantastic treats that mum will love from afternoon teas to wine tastings there's also some great discounts you can take advantage of including a mum's go free offer at Howlett's Wild Animal Park in Canterbury all weekend you can find our full list of ideas on the what's on website and speaking of three days out we're just about to kick off this year's National Lottery Open Week where you can get into some of Kent's top attractions for the price of a lottery ticket or a scratch card all you need to do is show your lottery ticket or scratch card at the gate and you can get into places such as Leeds Castle, Dover Castle, Bournemouth Castle and National Trust properties across the county for free the scheme runs until next Sunday so you can take advantage of free entry and exclusive offers for a whole week now as always there's lots of great theatre happening in Kent this weekend and when you won't want to miss is Sixth The Musical the smash hit show and its fabulous pop princesses are currently at the Marlow Theatre in Canterbury and will be performing there until Saturday night it's pretty much sold out but if you contact the theatre you might be in with a chance of grabbing the last couple of tickets finally TV host and comedian John Bishop is at the Churchill Theatre in Bromley on Friday and Saturday now these shows really are sold out so lucky you if you've already got tickets but if not the stand-up star will be back in the county with a night at the Assembly Hall Theatre in Tumbridge Wells in November so make sure you get in there quick before those tickets all get snapped up to so whether you're spending some quality time with mum this weekend getting sport rotted yourself or hitting the town to see what's on at your local theatre I hope you have a fantastic weekend. Thanks Sam. Ken's online sport. Football now and Jillingham will be hoping to bounce back from a disappointing mid-week defeat tomorrow they lost 2-0 at Barrow and dropped out of the league two playoff places the back at Priestfield this weekend and host Tran Mirovers here's assistant coach Robbie Stockdale. We've got a great opportunity now with three games of the week and start with Tran Miro here on Saturday too it's got another little run and you know we've been pretty good before that game on Tuesday and we hope to play in a similar fashioner again on Saturday I think to reach the form of direction game Solford we drew with the league leaders here in Stockport we were in good form going to Tuesday where it was a heavy pitch, another manager spoke after the game in hindsight maybe changing a couple of players might have helped but you also feel that those players deserve another opportunity and sometimes as a player you get into a rhythm of playing and you know I've got to be honest I'm pretty level headed I think that's my job I don't think we're as good as what everybody says when we win a game and I don't think we're as bad when we lose a game I think I sort of live in the middle and my sort of idea of where the team is sort of floats between that I think there's always room for improvement we came off the game at Rexham and at Solford and I'm still sure the players could swear I think we can get better so that's why that's how our job that's why you know we spend a lot of time analyzing our run games and you're right it was a frustrating night where we did quite reach those standards and hopefully we will again we went to chamois quite early in minor steves sort of time at the club and they did a you know the beat is 3-1 on a day we felt we had lots of the ball and you know the another stubborn team to break down was some good players you think of that but again I go back to it's about us you know we play to our levels we're a match for anybody in this division and we just came off it a little bit Tuesday no drama's we'll get back on it. Defender Maxima has also been chatting to reporters as the season nears its end. 10 to go I think. Yep. You excited? You feel the excitement into March? Yeah it is exciting I think we can tell you the last time we was in sort of a promotion it's maybe underjusting yeah a longer yeah it's exciting and I think we've got some good games coming up with games that we feel are winnable so we're just gonna take that confidence into those games. You mentioned that time. That was a long time ago wasn't it refreshing to be involved in a battle at the top end yeah certainly yeah it's a different kind of excitement so no it's good and we know that the squad down there that we've got is capable more than capable of getting in turn playoffs. But it's making sure we do those things to get us in there rather than pushing on our results. I suppose top or bottom there's still pressure on the results but deep ways in that. Yeah it's pressure even if you were in a table you probably still got in this league you probably still got a chance of getting in the playoffs so I think you go into every game wanting to win unless it's mathematically correct you probably it's not as much pressure or whatever but you still want to win the games. Can you believe how tight it is? Yeah you know what I haven't actually looked at a table I know in ninth I think it's nice but I tend to look at the league more when we win rather than lose so I didn't look it after again. Just heard though yeah. But I guess you don't need to stream too many results together to be in a really comfortable position. Yeah I think we sat down a couple months ago with the gaffer and the staff and there was a sort of there was like stats that we needed to hit and whatnot and we're coming along nicely in them but we still got work to do so we won't we won't stop until the last game seems over. Well where that takes us we don't know yet but where in as high as we can. Kick off tomorrow's at three and Kent Cricket have set out plans for their women's team to turn professional the horses have won the league championship several times and have five T20 titles to their name the club wants to put in a bid to the England and Wales Cricket Board to go pro from the 2025 season. That's all from us today thanks ever so much for listening don't forget you can follow us on Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok and threads. You can also get details on the top stories direct to your email each morning via the briefing to sign up just head to kentonline.co.uk news you can trust this is the Kent online podcast. (upbeat music)
