Furious residents are calling on council bosses to scrap “insane” roadworks that are set to shut four town centre streets over the next five months.
More than 800 people have signed a petition describing plans for a bus contraflow system in Dover as "madness".
Also in today’s podcast, an inquest has heard a teenager who died after taking too many painkillers had been prescribed the pills despite two recent overdoses on the same medication.
She was given a month’s supply to manage back pain by a GP who later admitted he “should have given her less”.
As we mark Baby Loss Awareness Week you can also hear from a mum who lost one of her twin boys due to a rare complication during pregnancy.
She’s told the KentOnline Podcast of her grief and guilt as she expects another set of twin boys.
Neighbours are angry about a car park in Ashford that’s been left “smelling like a toilet” due to foul water caused by a blocked drain.
Those living nearby say they can’t even open any windows because of the overbearing pong.
And we’ll have an update on a brown bear in Kent who is to undergo brain surgery today, in what will be the first operation of its kind in the UK.
Two-year-old Boki, who lives at Wildwood Trust near Canterbury, was diagnosed with fluid on the brain earlier this year and the surgery is his best shot at living a normal life.
We're going to take a look at what you're going to do. Kent online news news. You can trust. This is the Kent online podcast. Kate Faulkner. Hello. Hope you're OK. Thank you for downloading today's podcast on Wednesday, the 9th of October coming up today will hear from a Kent mother who shared her story as we mark baby loss awareness week. We'll also have an update on Bucky the brown bear as he prepares to undergo history making brain surgery. There's a lot of people calling on bosses to scrap controversial roadworks in Dover. Four streets in the town center are due to close over the next five months to make way for a bus contraflow system. It's all part of the new fast track line, which will start running in November and follows a public consultation last year. It'll eventually connect Whitfield with the town center and over Priory railway station reporter Sam Lennon has been speaking to Leslie Neil who lives in the town. Why have you set up this petition and what does it want? Only recently because I was furious when I saw KCC's planned closures for the streets around the town, namely Pen Sester, Bridgington Street, Biggan Street all together over starting in October all the way through till January. It will inconvenience so many people, not including drivers, bus users, people who work at the college, people who study at the college whose car park is around the back there. I don't think the council even know that. I was just so furious that it's getting over town council see that the people are at the heart of everything that they do and get their cutting off the main artery through the town. It's just insane because there's already roads these fast track buses can use at zero cost. Well, one point you made was that it could be disastrous where when there's a clog up with the port traffic and it was better off for the bus to go through Ladywell. So you would only sort of skim your road, which is one of those places that can get bad, very badly swabbed up. Yeah, if the bus came down Ladywell, it wouldn't even need to go down Ladywell. It could come down Ladywell across Maison Jew and up towards Castle Hill, which is its main, which is it's going to be its route even after it's whatever it goes. That is its main road back up to Gus and so there's absolutely no need for the country flow system down Pen Sester. Elsewhere today, the family of a fan of teenager who died after taking too many pain killers have questioned why she was given them after three previous overdoses. 19 year old Ellie Knight passed away in January, three weeks after being rushed to hospital and in quest is heard she'd visited a GP complaining of back pain and was given a month's worth of medication. A coroner delivered a narrative conclusion and expressed her condolences to Ellie's family for confidential support on emotional issues. Please call the Samaritans any time on one one six one two three. Can't online news. A teenage boy's been taken to hospital after suffering facial injuries near Tunbridge Wellway Station. Police were called to a disturbance in the early hours of this morning. Two boys aged 17 and 14 have been arrested on suspicion of robbery. Detectives investigating reports of a sex attack in a supermarket on Shepey say the incident was not as first described. A woman told officers she was followed into a toilet cubicle at Tesco and Shunez earlier this month. Police say they've spoken to witnesses and carried out a sex attack during the night. They've been talking to her family. They've been talking to her. They've been talking about her investigation before coming to a conclusion about the circumstances. A mom who was supported by a medway charity after one of her twin babies passed away has spoken at the start of baby loss awareness week. Emily Cook was expecting identical boys but developed a rare condition known as twin to twin transfusion syndrome. It's where the baby share a placenta but one gets more blood than the other. Emily has been speaking so we kind of thought maybe he would die. Then two days later we went back for a scan and they confirmed that he would have passed away which was such a strange day because they kind of said all Fletcher's doing really well. He's got all his blood and they'd given him a blood transition and he'd kept that blood which should show that he wasn't fighting for more share of the percentage anymore. It was a real bittersweet day and I think lots of twin parents that have had twin to twin will probably feel that guilt of almost relief that Fletcher was OK but obviously heartbreak that Harrison passed away. So yeah that was kind of at 24 weeks and then I had about three weeks before Fletcher was born. He was born early at 27 plus six. I did not enjoy the rest of my presidency. I'm not going to sugarcoat it. I hated it if I'm honest. I was so anxious every day. We were in a London hospital and they were amazing. They saw me kind of every couple of days. Yeah I really didn't enjoy it and so felt like my body was ready for me to go into labour. As part of the laser surgery, sorry, you do also, you know, one of the risk is that you can go into pre term labour. So I was kind of aware that could have happened. It was still a bit of a shock when I went into early labour. Yeah, nonetheless, they both arrived and I got to hold Harrison. We had some time with him, actually held him first. We had some time together and that's when we had photos with him and then we met Fletcher, who was in the innate unit. But was he cried when he was born and was, you know, he was eight hundred and thirty grams. He was so small. He wasn't even two pound but he was, yeah, raring to go and he hasn't stopped since. I just can't imagine the range of emotions that you were going through on that day. I mean, did it help that you said the doctors were incredibly honest and I hadn't heard of this particular procedure before and like that what could happen and you say, you know, for the vast majority of people, it will work. Unfortunately, in your situation, it didn't work but they they were honest about that and that and they told you, you know, everything that could happen. Did that help you mentally prepare? I don't, can anything help you mentally prepare for that situation? I think it did for me because they were really honest about how if Harrison had survived how poorly he would be, you know, they could see that his brain had had a lot more blood than it needed and that he probably suffered some brain damage. You know, and I would look after him no matter what I would need to do and our life would have changed. But it was just they were really worried about him and they said that to me, they were like, we're really worried about him. I don't, yeah, I don't think he's going to survive. And if he did, he's going to be very, very poorly. And that in itself is really hard because it doesn't, you know, just because he's that day doesn't mean that, you know, he would go on to be okay. So I think I just, yeah, I felt, I felt better in the moment of them being so honest. I think other people found that probably harder. So Pete, that family members may be, you know, have more questions of like, well, you know, why? How's this happened? And it is rare. It is uncommon. I don't think I realized how rare it is until I've been pregnant again with identical twins. Because for me, that was my whole life. Like, that was what that was my journey. That was what happened to my twins. Like every other announcement I'd ever seen of twins, I'd hold my breath and think, I hope they don't have to end a twin transfusion. I just was so aware of it. I was, I was the opposite of, you know, in that, that naive bliss that some other people have. And so, yeah, it was really hard. And the mixed emotions were so crazy. I think as well, anyone on that journey, I just remember feeling a bit of relief, actually, not that Harrison had died at all, but that actually I could, I didn't have to do another surgery. I didn't have to have another procedure. I just, you know, my especially when Fletcher, Harrison were born, I felt like my job growing them was done. And that actually all the doctors and amazing nurses were ready to take over. And that's how I view it. I think I know other people with premature babies can, you know, blame themselves or, and they shouldn't. But I definitely felt ready to your body can only do so much at the end of the day, can't it? And if those babies are ready to come out and be looked after, as you say, by the doctors, how important was it that you, you got to meet Harrison, you got to hold him, give him a cuddle and have those pictures taken? So important. And I think for baby last people find it so hard to talk about because it's often you don't have like the tangible memories that you'd have with, you know, if your mum passed away or someone that you've physically had around for a while. But when you have those, like we have his footprints are beautiful and his feet are just so scrummy. And we have them in our lounge with his, you know, his little H, that his brother did knock off the side. And we've had to clip that together. Yeah, we're like, I know you're the older twin, but you know, you don't have to take his H. And so we have that in our house and we talk about him and we have those photos and I think that makes him more real. And because he was odd, but you know, he's our son, like we have two children and I think it's really important. She received counselling from Abigail's footsteps who have released a new podcast series. We've shared it on socials. Kent online news. Two men who carried out a violent attack in Snodlin have avoided being locked up. The pair are thought to have used either a baseball bat or pickaxe handle to beat their victim in December 2020, leaving him with multiple fractures to his face. A 29 year old got a suspended sentence while a 20 year old was given a custodial term, but allowed out due to how much time they'd served on remand. A man's been treated in hospital after being hit over the head with a sock containing pool balls and a pub in Gillingham. It happened following an argument that the flurdily on Gillingham wrote a 59 year old man's be charged and is doing court next month. Work is starting to clear a section of land near Gravesend that was being developed without planning permission. The unauthorized works at Fowler's Steinwood in Vigo Village started in April 2020 and after a lengthy legal battle all structures and waste will now be removed, one that has been sentenced to 12 months in prison for breaching an injunction which ordered the work to be stopped. Council at John Burden is leader of Gravesend Barre Council. This is a site that's hit effectively between Mepham and Vigo. It's predominantly countryside area, trees, woodland and being protected for many years as a woodland area. So it's something that should be preserved as such and it involves that local community. Access to it is limited and when that show opened up the site they widened the access road to enable them to do what they did. So it caused a lot of damage in below. And what has happened to that site for anyone who hasn't been following the story, just explain what damage has been caused on that land. Basically what they've done is they took ownership of the sign. It was woodland and what they've then gone and done is widen the road into the sign so they can get vehicles down that effectively have a previous track. They've opened up the site clearing a lot of trees, making a big empty cleared site in the woodland so that they could then use it and then then subsequently put caravans on their other vehicles and General Deborah. So they've actually caused a lot of damage on what was woodland. Yeah, obviously devastating for that part of the woodland and devastating for the nature that lived and thrived there. Tell us what's going to be happening this week after what has been a very lengthy legal process for all involved. Absolutely. It has been extremely lengthy process. I appreciate that. It's begun a proposal two, three years. The problem behind that was we obviously had to get all the legal information together. We've had a lot of help from both met them and particularly via parish council and the residents around the site collecting that information so that we had full details we go to call with. We took the land user to call and got a call order requiring the removal of all the debris all the site and reinstate them, which it then failed to deal with. So he then subsequently had to do a prison term which we fully supported. And again, it's still failed to do anything with the site. So with further legal information, advice and back out from residents and via parish council, we've been able to go back to call to seek possession so that we can then enforce the remedial action on some. So this week you've got teams going on to the site and they're pretty much able to clear everything that's there. Are they, John? Is that what they'll be doing? That's right. What they'll be doing is going on site and we're moving everything that's there that shouldn't be there. So we're talking about our vehicles, caravans, general debris, rubbish, anything that shouldn't be on the land. Those previously as forestry in Woodland would get removed. Sounds like it's going to be quite a big job. How long do you think it's going to take? Obviously, until we open up and see the full extent of the site and what they've done there, it's going to be a member two or three weeks, I would imagine. If not longer, hopefully we won't find more than we're anticipating. And if we do, obviously the remedial work to take longer than that, we are being helped by Mep and Parash, who are putting together some work to replant the area of the trees. If I go, there's also been working in the background, helping us as well. So it's going to be a team effort from all of us to reinstate it. And one thing I'll see your listeners of you as many people worried about is the cost. And we will be looking to recover them. Yes, I was going to say there will be concern over the cost and also what happens to everything that you have to collect. Presumably you have to scrap it all as well. We do. Everything we collect will get effectively dumped. We have to get rid of it in the correct manner. So if it means it has to go to a contaminated site for a remedial action and that will happen. The total bill for this will be met by the person who calls the problem first place. So we will be seeking recompense from them and repain of all their costs. Kent Online News, a medway school has issued a warning letter to parents after a student needed medical attention as a result of vaping. Raina Mark Grammar School is urging families to speak to their children about the dangers of underage e-cigarette use. New measures will also be introduced to safeguard pupils such as harsher penalties for those caught doing the wrong thing and stricter monitoring. Several photo alerts are in force after heavy rain overnight in Kent. The Environment Agency say river levels are rising in areas including Ashford, Denton and Eden Bridge, low-lying roads and land are particularly at risk. The Deputy Prime Minister is being asked to scrap a bit of paperwork that campaigners say has blighted part of Kent for the past decade. A development consent order was granted for the Swanscombe Peninsula in 2014 and the idea was to build a theme park there. That's never happened and charities want it to be a wildlife site instead. Jamie Robbins is from Bug Life there among groups who have written to Angela Raina, who's the Secretary of State for leveling up housing and communities. He's been speaking to Angela. If that nationally significant infrastructure project status was removed, it puts decision-making back in the hands of local decision-makers. It means the local council can decide what happens and they can work with the local community to develop a plan for Swanscombe Peninsula. That's what they want and we know from working for many years now with the community and other wildlife charities. What people want there is green space and nature on their doorstep. They never wanted a theme park and after 10 years they certainly don't know. Do you think you're a bit in limbo at the moment then? You literally can't really do anything. Although you have like great ambitions for that area, you're a little bit stuck because of this bit of paperwork, essentially. In limbo is exactly the term to describe the Swanscombe Peninsula at the moment. Local decision-makers can't do anything to secure the future of the site. Meanwhile, the community living there have been wondering for 10 years if the green space they go for their mental health to walk the dog to enjoy a sunny day for a walk along the Thames. They need to know if that's going to be there. And very simply 10 years without any local democracy or people being able to input into what's happening just isn't acceptable. It was 2014 that the nationally significant infrastructure project direction was issued. And if by now nothing's happened, it never will. And just a reminder for anyone who hasn't heard, I'm sure they have by now. Why is the Swanscombe Peninsula so important for wildlife? The Swanscombe Peninsula is very simply one of the most special wildlife sites in the southeast. It demonstrates what nature can do to reclaim these brownfield sites with cementworks and landfill sites and all sorts of industrial activity on that over the years. Nature is thriving. There's ever 2,000 species of inverter but including the one renamed critically endangered distinguished jumping spider. There's nightingales, there's manor kids, there's water vols and this is, you know, this is on people's doorsteps and a stone's throat from London. It's an hugely special wildlife site, which is exactly why Natural England notified it as a special scientific interest back in 2021, you know, cementing its position as one of our most important wildlife sites. Kent Online News. People living in part of Ashford say their street has been left smelling like a toilet because of a blocked drain. Dirty water is filling up part of a car park in Court Wharton off Beaver Lane causing a stench for nearby takeaways and people living above them. The council say they are aware of the problem and staff have been sent to the site to investigate and find a permanent solution. People living in a colder second made stone are so fed up with parking problems, they've written to their MP about it. Residents of Bexborne Close want double yellow lines at the entrance and single yellow ones elsewhere to ensure they can still access their garages and driveways. The area of Sandling Lane only has five bungalows and eight townhouses but owners say parking issues could lead to an accident. MP Helen Grant says she's contacted the county council about it. Now a brown bear living at a Kent animal park is due to have life-saving brain surgery today. Bockey has fluid on the brain which has led to seizures and it's hoped a first of its kind operation will give him a better quality of life. Mark Haben is one of his keepers at Wildwood Trust near Canterbury. It's been an interesting condition to observe and what we've seen is where he's had bouts of high energy or particularly if he's been climbing up the trees. It's really after those high energy outbursts that we're seeing these fits and that's when the condition seems to flare up more so but it does impede his life. We want him to be able to charge up trees, run around jumping ponds without suffering negatively from that. We don't undertake anything like this lightly and it's a really big group decision with veterinary inputs and with all of our team's input as well. It's a decide whether or not do we go down this re-resurgery. What would you do if your dog or your cat and I know it seems like an unusual comparison but but dog suffer from this condition as well. We know that and we felt that on balance conducting the surgery with well-known veterinary specialists who've done it before that is absolutely the best thing for Bocky and it's the right thing to do for him. During the procedure he will be anesthetized so he's trained for hand injection, he'll go to sleep, will maneuver him inside and then he essentially have brain surgery which involves running something called a stent from his brain from his skull, through his body towards his bladder where he can pass out excess fluids that are otherwise accumulating and causing this pressure build up. We're hoping that his recovery will be quite swift. It's in terms of the wounds from the surgery, very similar to any other small procedure to be conducted so it's a matter of keeping that clean, minimizing his activity levels in the initial weeks probably following the procedure, stopping him going out into the main paddock and climbing up all of those trees and then really assessing on a day-to-day basis as to when we feel that he can resume life as normal and be a young bear again. A controversial block of flats that have been compared to the Titanic has gone on the market in wittstable. There are concerns Thames House will be used as holidaylets rather than being lived in by locals. The block is on the market for 4.5 million pounds. Head over to the Kent online homepage for an exclusive look inside 40 million pound flats being built in Mates don't. A great two-listed building that used to be a car showroom is being converted into apartments. Len House on Mill Street will eventually have 81 and two bedroom properties along with shops which will create 150 jobs. And the world's oldest school has unveiled plans to repurpose a pub in Canterbury. The King School was founded in 597 and bought the jolly sailor at Northgate in 2019. But it's been empty ever since. They've now asked Council for permission to turn it into a day house for its pupils. Cans online, sports. Football now and Gillingham have lost to ebbs fleet united in the Kent Senior Cup. The young Jill side went ahead early on but ended up losing 3-1 in the second round tie. It means ebbs fleet are through to the last eight of the competition. Now 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 the 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. [BLANK_AUDIO]
