A family of Show People say they have no choice but to continue living on green belt land as they cannot find space on the county’s “overcrowded” Traveller sites.
They've applied to change the use of land near the M25 to create permanent quarters for the 25 adults and 12 children to pitch on.
Also in today's podcast, the University of Kent has confirmed six courses are set to be cut, following a consultation.
Undergraduates at the campuses in Canterbury and Chatham who will see the subjects “phased out” over the next years say they are devastated.
A court has heard how a cowardly thug dragged his girlfriend along Herne Bay pier and threatened to throw her into the sea during a campaign of controlling abuse.
He subjected his partner to coercion and sometimes violence, which culminated in the harrowing ordeal on the town’s landmark, during which he asked her: “Can you swim?”
Fears of “traffic Armageddon” have been sparked by plans to build a 300-home estate and huge secondary school on the outskirts of Whitstable.
Proposals are being considered for the sprawling development on land off the Old Thanet Way.
And, hear from Gillingham boss Stephen Clemence ahead of their league 2 match with Morcambe.
It's another chance of the Gills to get into the play-off places but they've not had a win in the last four games.
10. Kent Online News News you can trust. This is the Kent Online Podcast. Kate Faulkner Hello. Happy Friday. Thanks ever so much for downloading today's podcast on the 22nd of March. Coming up, a family of show people say they've had no choice but to illegally move on to Greenbelt Land near Dartford because Kent's travellers' sites are full. But first it's been confirmed plans to cut courses and jobs at the University of Kent are going ahead. Anthropology, art history, health and social care, journalism, music and audio technology and philosophy are all being phased out over the next few years. It means no new students will be taken on but those already doing the degrees can finish. Hundreds of people protested against the decision but bosses are pressing ahead following a consultation. I've spoken to Ashley Hendra who's a third year anthropology student to get her reaction to the news. Never pointed but not surprised. I think that's the way. I think that's what we've always kind of anticipated going into it. I think from the go the administration had made their minds up and the consultation period and the extension period were basically just their legal obligation and I don't think they ever had any intention of doing anything differently. Taking a look at the courses that are going to be phased out. We've got anthropology, journalism I think is in their music and audio technology philosophy. Does this feel like a real attack on the humanities? Yeah absolutely that's always been the position of the campaign is that we felt like it was a real backward step in terms of education. One lecturer said that Kent was becoming a Polytechnic and that's the way that universities are going. They want to appeal to STEM students and they want to appeal to the courses that international students want to come to because they charge twice the fees that home students pay and it's the position of the administration. We feel that international parents won't send their children to do humanities degrees or Mickey Mouse degrees as Rishi student I could say. So it's a real shame in terms of the progression of education. We feel humanities are vital in society and not everyone wants to do a STEM degree. No one is scientifically minded or that way inclined. So the fact that these degrees are very cut out it means that less than less students we have to come to universities. So it's a real backward step in education. Now you're a third year anthropology student, is that right? So you're sort of coming to the end of your studies there. Has this sort of tainted the experience for you? You've worked so hard to get to this point and you're looking so forward to graduating that sort of the end of it now is a bit sad, a bit disappointing. Yeah absolutely. I've had to dedicate a lot of this this term at least to the protesting when I should have been doing my dissertation work and my other uni work and my job. So definitely feels like it has tainted this last year. I mean I've made some really good friends through the whole experience and I got to know my lecturers and have had amazing conversations with the wide anthropological community. I've got to actually personally talk with some of my heroes in anthropology which has been so amazing but I definitely feel that my time at Kent has been tainted. I received my acceptance to Oxford Postgrad a few days ago and it should have been completely joyous but I had intended on staying at Kent to do my postgrad because I love my lecturers so much. Oli Sturdy is in his second year on the anthropology course. He's been chatting to Nicola about how the cuts will affect him. There definitely is an element of personal impact. I mean naturally lecturers aren't going to want to stick around for next year perhaps knowing that they end up that teach up here, they'll lose their jobs. So I've seen lots of modules being cut for next year. So in those terms that will affect my going forward but it's the first years that I worry about who will have the next, they're looking ahead two years and they're saying well you know these people aren't going to want to stick around, they're not going to want to get one module which may not even run in the years coming. So it's difficult for me and the people in my year but it's even harder for the first years. Have you heard from any lecturers at all? I mean have any already said that they're planning to go before you've graduated? We've got no information yet on which lecturers will be staying or leaving. One thing that we've sort of maintained throughout this is that we're fully on the lecturer's side. We've kind of said this a lot on the campaign that we respect their decisions to stay or go. And a lot of the lecturers that I've spoken to have actually committed to that teach out period which means that they'll stay here until that course basically runs out and they will make sure they're there for that whole duration. So a lot of the lecturers have actually committed to staying. How big an impact do you think it will have when you put on your CV that you have a degree in anthropology from the University of Kent and then employers perhaps in future could see that that course is no longer running? It's hard to say. I think there will be an impact. I don't think it'll be huge because if anthropology at Kent does have a good reputation despite it being cut it's not a reflection on the quality of the course. The course is fantastic and that's the feeling that I share with everybody who takes it. But you are right for employers to go to the University of Kent at the College of Web page and see that the course stopped running. It's obviously not going to look great on our first glance. Obviously this decision has been made and announced today. Are you planning any further protests? Because I know you started quite a big campaign. Is it worth trying to do anything to change minds now or do you think that's it? As far as I can see it's a done deal and it probably was a long time ago, even before today. As far as more campaigning, we want to continue spreading the word about what's happening and also spreading the word that this is something that isn't just isolated at the University of Kent. This is something that we'll start to see around other universities. Then just happens to be one of the first and most drastic forms of these changes that we've seen so far throughout the nation-wide universities. We want to continue spreading the message. There will possibly be more protests. It's hard to say at the moment. The students are very dissatisfied so I'm sure there will be something. All of us love this course so much. We love our lecturers so much. We recognise the importance of this course in particular in the country. It's one of the only places where they can combine environmental sciences and social sciences. To take away a huge part of that social sciences is its appalling and it's very misguided. The university released this statement yesterday. Following a period of consultation, we have now shared decisions with staff and students on future course changes at Kent. Through working together we've been able to make adjustments that support continued delivery of some courses that were under review such as modern languages and a new offer of English language and literatures. However, a number of other courses will be phased out as we adapt our portfolio to better match future student demand. We will now be working with affected staff to talk through their options as a result of this, including confirming the resources required to support students on these courses with teaching and supervision to the end of their degrees. These changes will also support growth in key areas such as business, psychology and biosciences and sit alongside broader strategic plans at Kent to ensure we put students at the heart of everything we do. Kent Online News. A woman who drive off after knocking down a man at a pelican crossing in Chatham has been sent to prison. The victim, who was in his 70s, suffered multiple injuries when it happened on New Road in August 2020 and he died at the same 30-year-old Naomi North from Church Road in Swanscombe has been locked up for four years and banned from driving for 12. A man who threatened to throw his girlfriend into the sea off Hearne Bay Pier during a campaign of controlling abuse has been jailed. Stewart McMahon also attacked her with a dog lead and held a blade to her throat during their one-year relationship. The 48-year-old who doesn't have a permanent address has been locked up for two years and nine months as well as being given a seven-year restraining order. The owners of a family funfair say they've been left with no choice but to live on Greenbelt Land because travellers' sites in Kent are overcrowded. John Bailey's family have been running Bailey's funfair for the last 100 years and need plenty of extra space to store equipment such as rides and side shows. They find it impossible to squeeze into existing sites in the county. Lucy has more details for the Kent Online podcast. John Bailey has owned land on the corner of Clemente Street and Church Road in Sutton at Ho near Dartford for the last three years, up until recently it's been used as paddocks. The 64-year-old lodged an application with the council back in November to change the use of land so he can create seven permanent plots for travelling show people complete with washing, storage and testing areas for equipment. But the plans were thrown out at the planning committee last month who said it was an inappropriate development of the metropolitan Greenbelt. And how has John reacted to that? Well, he says they're not asking to build a block of flats. They just want to park up, live quietly and fit in with people. He said there is nowhere on the county's existing travellers' sites that can accommodate a group of 25 adults and 12 children. Hence, the planning application, John also says there have been cases where living on designated green spaces has been allowed for other communities but show people don't have the same rights. Show people are not considered an ethnic group as they don't descend from Romani, Roma or Irish travellers. Instead, they're known as cultural travellers. And what happens now? John plans to appeal the rejection but in their report, the local council claimed the region has an adequate supply of plots and did not consider there to be an unmet need for travelling show people within Dartford. Council officers also did not think the application met the requirements to be very special circumstance and therefore recommended it for refusal. There were six objections from neighbouring residents to the planning application who had concerns over increased traffic, use of the Greenbelt and noise pollution. But there were also 14 letters of support from people who said the family do good work for the community and to a positive addition to the area and is charitable with members once being part of the Dartford Alliance. Five people have been arrested after a hammer attack in Fannet. British transport police were called to Birchington when someone was hit over the head with a weapon. His injuries were not serious. Officers seized the hammer as well as a knife. A tonne bridge man has been charged with stealing more than £3,000 worth of goods from shops across West Kent. The 19-year-old allegedly took items including meat, alcohol and energy drinks. He's also accused of burglary and thefts from vehicles. He's due at Crown Court next month. One person has been arrested in Tundridge Wells on suspicion of being linked to an organised crime gang. Darius Dragunus was stopped while driving along London Road. Officers found several bags containing what was thought to be stolen goods. The 51-year-old from Barking Road in Place Doe in London has been charged and will face court next month. Its feed plans for 300 homes and a new secondary school near Witzdable could cause traffic Armageddon. Developers want to build on a 65-acre plot of land off the old Thanet Way at Bodkin Farm in Chestfield. Residents have raised concerns about access to the site and application is currently with the council. It looks like plans for a new 20-marper-hour scheme in Seven Oaks will be given the go-ahead. Two-thirds of those who responded to a consultation were in favour of lowering the limit for some residential areas and roads by schools. It's been recommended for approval by councillors. A mum has launched a crowdfunding campaign to open a new sensory room for children in 10-10. Beth Whatman set up rockets on the high street when her oldest son was diagnosed with autism. It's been so popular she now needs to move to a bigger site. I've been speaking to Beth about what their current site offers. So we've got a sensory room, we've got an interactive room with an interactive floor, playroom. So we do these sensory sound play sessions for under-fives and send children. But we also offer free support hubs. We do free send sessions as well. So it's not just a place for the children to come to and to meet other children. It's also a great place for families that have got children that have been diagnosed or awaiting diagnosis. We also have support hubs for them as well for the parents. So we do music classes at rocket sensory, we do messy play classes. But the main thing obviously is to sensory. My son, my five-year-old, he has autism. And when he was around two, it's when I realised it was quite obvious then. And there was nowhere locally in my town that would work for him and nowhere that I could take him where he could play, that he would be regulated and happy and I wouldn't feel stressed. So that's what got me thinking into opening rocket sensory. So it was actually my son that gave me the idea. Just because I thought, where else can mums like me take the children without feeling judged? Prior to rocket sensory, I taught music classes to to little children. So I had that experience with that side of things and I had some children with special needs that used to attend my music classes and I thought let's just go for it. And I didn't anticipate just how important it would be for our for our little town. And it's just grown and grown from there really. Can you tell me a little bit about the benefits of sensory play for children with autism? Sure. So the benefits of sensory play, you can have calming benefits with it. It can be alerting. There's lots of people think with sensory play that it's just for babies and toddlers and it's completely not. I mean, it's very important for babies and toddlers for their pathways and their brains and development and everything but it's also so vital for children that do have sensory needs. Take my son, for example, so he has very high sensory needs and sometimes I can just take him to the sensory rims and he'll bounce on the trampoline, he'll look at all of the lights and that will really regulate him and that can avoid meltdowns in the evening. It really helps him. Other children, it might be that they're very, very alert and that they actually need calming. So they go in, they might prefer to be in our calm room and the interactive room and then that sets them up for a calmer evening, maybe even help them get off to sleep at night. So it's so, it can be used actually in so many ways. Obviously it's great for all of the senses and we try to, even with our messy play classes, for example, we try to scent things like lavender and lemon to try all different ideas to try and help with their sensory needs really. But it is one of those things, I mean, I often get people's sale and I bring my child along, he's poor, he's autistic, is it just for babies? And it isn't, you hear a baby sensory, but actually it's just as important for those children that still need stimulation. Kent Online News. There are fees, multi-million-pound plans to turn folks and bus station into a public square could create an anti-social behaviour hotspot. The site in Bovary Square is being transformed into a green space using cash from the government's leveling up fund. Passengers say it could have a negative effect on the area and the money could be spent on more important things. There are plans for a new artificial football pitch near Tunbridge Wells after rain stopped play for five weeks. Mossors at Langton Green Community Sports Association want to spend £1.5 million on an all-weather 3G facility which could be used by more than 800 children. Some residents have raised concerns about the environmental impacts of the plastic and the disruption it would bring. Tom Walker's been on KMFM to tell us about his new track, Head Under Water. It's about how he overcame the pressure he felt after the success of his debut album. Tom's been telling Ben on the kit list what it's like to work on his music in LA. We are loving Head Under Water. It is such a beautiful song. Tell us a bit about how this one came together. Well I was working with a bunch of producers out in Los Angeles, which is like not my favourite place in the world. I'll be honest, I was born in Scotland, it's way too hot in LA for me. Every time I go out I feel like I'm instantly like getting a sunburn. But these producers, the McDonald Brothers, they really like revitalised my passion and the fire that I'd lost a bit for music. They were just so amazing at what they do and they're such great writers and they all play every instrument. They're all amazing singers. Writing with them in the studio was the most fun I think I've had in the last four years of writing and you know I essentially been an entire album worth of music before I got to this point and me and them wrote this whole album in kind of six months after meeting each other. So it really was that kind of spark that just set everything off and Head Under Water was one of those tracks. And that's kind of what the tune's about. You know I was kind of felt like I was getting a bit lost in the depths of the darkness, not really enjoying music, which should be like the best job ever. But I think I was feeling the pressure a bit of you know the success of my first album and I just wasn't, I wasn't making music for the right reasons but when I got over them it just became like the most fun job in the world again. So that's kind of what the song's about. His new album I Am is due out this summer. If you missed their chat on Monday you can listen back at kmfm.co.uk. And the Princess Royal has been in Kent for a service to mark her former school's centenary. Ben and Den is based just outside of Cranbrook and was founded in 1923 by three female teachers on a mission to create future leaders. Princess Anne gave a reading during the service at Canterbury Cathedral. Ken's online sport. Taking a look at football and Gilliam will be hoping to get back to winning ways when they travel to take on Morecomb this weekend. They currently tenth in a table and have gone four games without a victory. Tomorrow's opponents are just two points behind them. Gill's head coach Stephen Clement says he's fighting to get back in the playoff places. Sounds like it's been a better week on the training ground for you. Well there's been more players to train so that's been a start but no it has just been nice to have a full week with them and yeah we've managed to do some good work with them and yeah obviously to start the week we were sort of assessing where they were at because obviously one of the two of them had lost quite a bit of weight so we're only just starting to eat it again. But now we're in a lot better place now than we was last weekend. I've told them to do that some of them yeah so as long as they're eating the right stuff and it's not miles bars and all the stuff that I can eat now. Good news on Josh Andrews then hopefully for the weekend then and is Don Jeffrey still on course as well for the end of the month? I think I said Don was sort of start of April tonight. I think he was more start of April so and I think that's still the case. He's progressing nicely so there's been no setbacks and the physios are pleased to him so yeah he should be back in the not too distant future as well. I think my experience of being around the playoffs and being involved in these situations before is you've got to be in it on Easter weekend and Easter weekend always sorts out the runners and riders those two games over Easter. So I've said this to the boys as well so we've got to make sure we're in it over Easter weekend and then we've got to make sure we stay in it and then we've got to make sure we take it right to the last game but we've got to win some football matches. Colin Mahoney was up here and he was saying it sort of maybe shackles off at some time. When I was in it really you got to go win the game you got to go. Definitely I've used that saying on a number of occasions in the dressing room yeah the boys you want them to play with no fear and just go and you know there's ability in that dressing room I really believe there is. Play with no fear go and take the opposite the opponent on and I believe they'll have a great chance. I think we've probably wasted too many halves of football this season but I thought the first half in our last game was a lot lot better followed by the second half so we put a 95 minute game together. We've got to go and build on that now that was an away game and we'll come a tough place to go. We've got to go and build on last week's performance. You've talked about belief it's important that there is that time still left isn't there there's time to sort of turn it around again. Cool series look it's a challenge for everyone I love it. The challenge down to my staff, my players, the supporters. Let's just give it everything. We've got seven games to go. All right we've got there's 21 points to play for. Let's all believe together we can only achieve this together so we've got to all keep believing. No negativity let's all get behind each other and see what the season brings we're still in there. Kickoff tomorrow is at three. 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 by the briefing to sign up. Just head to kentonline.co.uk and while you're on the website why not check out the latest review from The Secret Drinker. News you can trust. This is the kent online podcast. [BLANK_AUDIO]
