Kent’s first homeless pods are set to launch later this year with 23 currently being stacked on an industrial estate in Ashford.
They’re designed to be an energy-efficient alternative to building new homes and will offer temporary accommodation to rough sleepers.
Also in today’s podcast, plans to drastically scale back the number of children eligible for special needs school places in Kent have been described as ‘terrifying’ by worried families.
Kent County Council has revealed proposals to address what it says is an over-reliance on special school placements.
A lollipop lady has told the KentOnline Podcast she’s lucky to be alive after collapsing with heart failure whilst on duty.
Paramedics told Debbie Marsh she would have died if she had been alone as she suffered the first stage of a heart attack whilst waiting to help pupils across the road outside school in Medway.
People may have to be prepared to spend money to spend a penny following suggestions increased crime and overstretched council budgets are putting public toilets at risk.
The British Toilet Association says the issue has become a national crisis with councils in Kent reporting fewer blocks today than 14 years ago.
And kmfm’s Tonnes of Tins campaign has launched across Kent to help fight food poverty.
It comes as a new report shows the number of people in “food insecure” households continues to rise – with the summer holidays expected to pile on extra pressure.
We'll see you in the next one. Can't online news news you can trust this is the Kent online podcast. Kate Faulkner. Hello. Hope you're okay. Thank you for downloading today's podcast on Monday, July 8 coming up today will hear from a lollipop lady in Medway whose life was saved by an off duty nurse when she collapsed while on duty and from Kent's Emma Raddikanu after her decision to withdraw from the mixed doubles with Andy Murray. First taking a look at one of our most read stories today, 23 stackable homeless pods are being lifted into place in Ashford as an energy efficient alternative to building more temporary accommodation. The site in Henwood industrial estate will offer shelter to those who need a roof over their head while they look for somewhere permanent to live. Each pod has its own kitchen, bathroom and private balcony. Dr. Rihan Koda-Bakas is from Zad Pods. In Ashford, we took a lot of learnings that we did from other schemes we've done around the country. We've completed around 80 zero operational carbon homes for people at risk of homelessness or certain need of social and affordable homes. With Ashford, we were looking at how do we create a scheme where land is limited? How could we could use an existing brownfield site rather than looking at your fresh or greenfield sites to live our homes in a very, very high quality way? One of the interesting thing about it is not only have we got solar PV panels, batteries and a really high specification for environmental performance, we're actually building above an existing car park, so that land was actually not developable in any other way, shape or form. Using our unique attributes and systems, we were able to bring that scheme forward. There's a very high level of landscaping that's going in there so that the external environment and the internal environment are both being high quality. It means we can provide very good high quality homes for people at risk of homelessness along working with our key partners in Ashford Borough Council. And just for our listeners, what do these pods look like on the inside and also the outside, obviously it's on an industrial estate, isn't it? But it will be quite a nice place to live. Yes, so we do a lot of attention to detail on what we do inside. We play a lot with daylights, we bring a lot of natural daylights inside so they're a nice right in an area. We have a controlled ventilation that goes in there as part of the energy strategy, and what that means is that you get lots of fresh air, but you keep the heat within the building, so that's going to reduce energy bills even further. Then you've also got the solar PV panels on there that's generating more energy when the building is going to consume over the course of the year, which will really help drive down the energy costs of the scheme as well. There are, again, lots of nice floor finishes in there that are hard-wearing, but really, really nice and bright colors, very neutral color decor inside, and with the natural daylight it makes a really, really nice place to live. Our buildings also have breathable wall build-ups, which means that moisture doesn't get tracked within the building, so there's a very low risk of conversation inside, which means that we have low risk of mold growth, so we really focus on addressing those key issues that have been brought up in social housing within recent times, so not just the internal quality, but also with fire safety, making sure that we've got a variety of materials of fire safety in there. We never use anything as combustible planning, which means that we never have done, so that all the buildings are meeting the top levels of fire safety as well. And our homelessness is a big problem across Kent and in Ashford as well. What kind of difference will this make to people's lives who are maybe sleeping rough or so for surfing or even sleeping in their cars? Yeah, I think sometimes it gets underplayed that the importance of having a home in the first place, but having your own front door, so having your own keys to your own place makes a really, really big difference in people's lives. What we've found is games that we've completed in Bristol and in Newport and Wales. It really sort of created these, what we like to determine as sort of upwards firewalls for people, so people that got into a place of themselves, they got very good jobs, held down that employment and led to future employment, which meant that they're sort of in this upwards spiral and having that base home, having your base needs met is a really important thing to create and to kick on in life. And meeting those basic needs is very, very important and we hope that we've done it in a way that not only protects the people that are moving in, but also protects the environment and also looks at creating the homes that we need in the future now. And is this something that could potentially be picked up by other councils in other parts of Kent or the rest of the country? Yeah, we really, really hope so. I mean, we've got about seven schemes with planning approved across the country at the moment. We've got another 10 plus schemes within planning or various days of construction, so we really drive them through as many homes as we can do across the across the UK. We think there's a big impact, a big potential in lots of different parts of Kent. And to look at some of those local authority sites that may have been overlooked for housing because really it's providing windfall housing that's not being developed for other purposes and using that to deliver houses for people that risk homelessness. The project is on track to be finished by September. Kent Online News. A thief from Maystone who racked up almost 100 convictions has been sent to prison. Michael Scott was waiting to be sentenced for other shoplifting offences when he stole meat from Tesco, Sainsbury's and a BP garage in January last year. The 53-year-old who lives in Tunbridge Road was sentenced to 150 days and must pay more than 150 pounds in compensation. A court has heard how a man found with heroin and cocaine in Chatham told police he only became a drug runner because he had a big debt. Robert Herbert was stopped in Maystone Road in 2019 because he was acting suspiciously. He told office he'd hit a low point in his life, the 56-year-old who lives in Stanford La Hope in Essex has been charged and will face a sentencing hearing next year. Major damage has been done to a shopping center near Dartford Crossing after a fire broke out. Crews were called to Lakeside in Thorek at around three yesterday afternoon. Smoke was seen coming through the roof of the car park. No one was injured and an investigation into the cause is now underway. A Kent animal charity has come to the rescue of a pregnant cat who was found taped up inside a box. She was discovered last Friday morning at Luton Rec in Chatham. It's believed she'd been trapped inside for four or five days. She's not been microchipped despite now being a legal requirement and is now in the care of Wisteria Cat Rescue. There are concerns growing for a pensioner who's gone missing from Swanley. 85-year-old Jean Mason was last seen just after seven last night. Police say she may appear confused. She's thought to be on foot or using public transport. We've shed her picture at Kent Online. Kent Online News. Bosses in Kent have opened a review into plans to drastically scale back the number of children eligible for special needs schoolplaces. Kent County Council have revealed proposals to address what it says is an over-reliance on special school placements with concerns some places are being taken by children who don't necessarily have the most complex needs. Families have described the move as terrifying. Anyone wishing to have their say has until the end of the month. Campaigners are petitioning for village green status to be given to land in Wisterbull to stop a sent school being built. KCC wants to build a 120-place educational centre within Church Street playing field. But some residents argue it would be unfair to those who like to use the space for leisure. They say the authorities selected the grounds without public consultation and the village green bid will help protect the land forever. Reports of a gypsy and traveller's sight in Gravesend say living conditions are so bad they're better off in prison. Mira complained to the Denton caravan site off Daring Way and Shamrock Road is not run properly and ridden with rubbish, rats and no hot water. A spokesperson from Council said maintenance at the site is difficult as a hostile environment can often make it dangerous for contractors and staff to gain access. Protesters will gather outside of the Amazon warehouse in Dartford. Today's work is pushed to force the company to recognise a union for the first time in the UK, a vote is taking place today and if backed by a majority, Amazon will be forced to negotiate with the GMB. Kent Online News. A lovely pop lady from Medway says she's lucky to be alive after collapsing with heart failure whilst on duty. Debbie Marsh was helping pupils cross the road outside Houss and Werber Primary School on Monday when she started to feel unwell. I just went to work like normal, said hello to the parents and children and then just got dizzy and it just got worse. I'm glad the salt box was there so I could sit on it because I knew I was going to go, so faint or something, so yeah and then the parent who stayed in the car to keep an eye at me, she came over to see if I was all right. All I remember really is the lady of the two girls coming over and asked if I was right and I said now I'm still dizzy and then she stayed with me and then Ella, one of the new TAs, she came up and ran and got me some water to see if that would help because I just couldn't shake the dizzy nice and then Keeley, who works in the Marlboro Centre now, I remember her coming and she was holding my hand and after that I remember absolutely nothing. And then the ambulance came and what happened after that, what were you called? James and Molly, who were fantastic by the way, said that I had two responders, the ambulance, two police cars and a fire engine come out and an ambulance on standby and I didn't leave him, I was like no, go away and he said no, Deb, you stop breathing and we, someone had to do CPR because you literally stopped breathing, your lips went blue, you weren't not responsive in and out of consciousness and yeah you were pretty, pretty bad. And what did they say would happen if you hadn't got the CPR? They said that I was really lucky it didn't happen on my own because worst case scenario I would have gone into, into shop and had a heart attack. And so now are you a little bit worried that something might happen again? Yes, it is a genetic condition, but this is the worst it's ever been, I've never, I've collapsed but nothing, it's like a faint and I've always come out of it but this time it was major, so to have all them around, please and everything, round and then realise that you know you nearly died, so last night I was like I don't want to go to sleep, am I going to wake up? So I woke up a few times, my poor husband was tired, he was at most the night and then I've just had so many people come and look after me, make sure I don't know why the amount of messages I've had is unbelievable, honestly unbelievable, I'm loved, which is nice but yeah it is actually amazing but I am scared it's going to happen again. An off duty nurse had to perform CPR after she stopped breathing, ambulance crews then took her to hospital, it was caused by a genetic heart condition which led to the early death of her dad and cousin. Shoppers in Dover are being reassured, there are no plans to knock down a town centre mall and replace it with flats, there had been fees, the Charlton shopping centre would be lost to make way for 226 flats, buses say they had a meeting with the landlords three weeks ago and there are no plans for redevelopment. Overnight closures on the M2 and A2 start tonight, the Londonbound carriage way from junction 2 of the M2 to the darrenth interchange with the M25 will be shut for essential maintenance work, it'll be closed from 9pm until 6am every night until next Friday, excluding the weekend, there are fees in increasing crime and overstretched council budgets are putting Kent's public toilets at risk, made stone, Dover, Tundridge Wells, Ashford, Gravesham and Dartford are among the Kent districts to all have fewer council owned and run blocks today than they did 14 years ago, it's raised suggestions people could soon pay to use the facilities to make them more cost efficient. A Kent business man has lashed out at bosses in Tundridge and Moreland for failing to make a decision on his planning application for two years. This admission was made in 2022 to redevelop the Hadlow Manor Hotel at Goose Green into six flats and build an additional six to attach homes, the vacant property has been targeted by Vandals, the owner says the delay is costing him money, council admits some factors have slowed the process down but say it will now be determined by the planning inspectorate. Kent Online News A building which used to be home to a nursery in Chatham before its sudden closure will go up for auction, sunflower nursery moved out of the site in Jenkins Day or more than 18 months ago leaving 48 families in the lurch, it's now been given a £350,000 price tag and will go under the hammer later this month. Plans have been lodged to build new houses behind a service station between Hyth and Canterbury. Developers want to demolish workshops behind six mile garage on Stone Street in Stelling Minnes, and they say the new homes will be a better fit for the tree-lined surroundings a decision is expected by the end of August. Ashford's fifth co-op store is set to open on a controversial new-build estate, bosses of the chain have agreed to open on the large-burton development in Kennington, which will eventually have 725 new houses, it'll be just off Will's Barrowed and will create around 15 jobs. Tennis players have been left angry at plans to introduce charges at formerly free courts in Ashford. From July 21st it will cost £6 per hour to play on two courts at Spear Point Recreation Ground in Kennington, the site operators say it'll make tennis more accessible to everyone, locals say it will put people off playing altogether. Kent Online News Our sister station KMFM has launched a campaign to make sure no one in Kent goes hungry this summer. It can be a particularly tough time of the year for families with children that normally get free school meals. Tons of tins will collect donations to help replenish food banks, Sarah Kolkart from Cranbrook is Chief Executive of Food Charity City Harvest that's just published a report on childhood hunger. It's a really stark, frankly, it is honestly what common sense tells us. If you don't eat properly it affects every aspect of your life, but what we're really seeing in this report is that link between mental health and challenges around food in your early years and how hunger throughout your lifetime has an enormous impact on your mental health and your ability to have resilience towards the things that life throws at you. And so this terrible cycle of being hungry as a child and some of the challenges that then come with lack of education and lack of access to education through hunger and how that then has an adverse impact throughout your life. It does seem quite extraordinary that in 2024 we are talking about children experiencing so much hunger, but we've done many a story about schools, teachers having to buy breakfast for pupils and just such a difference it makes if a child comes to school and they're hungry compared to a child who comes to school and has had a good start to the day and has had breakfast. I mean, it's incredibly concerning. Yeah, you had the NUT report last year that said that 26% of NUT members fed children in their classes last year and they saw that number rising rather than falling and this report talks exactly about that. I mean, if you're looking, there's a section which talks about children and young people. We worked very closely with a group called London Early Years Foundation and so they're looking at addressing nutritional deficits at a very early age. Now, we supply a lot of food in there so they provide a very, very healthy, balanced diet rich in fruit and vegetables to all the children that go through that nursery service, but also because the food is free when it comes from us, it facilitates additional hours to out of families, but then there's also services wrapped around there where there is food to take home and we're working with an increasing number of primary schools where there is an overt offering of a food bank on a Friday or there's also a quiet offering where underneath under the guise of nutritional education and learning how to cook, there's a parcel of food that goes home with a child on a Friday and it means that there's at least two decent balanced meals heading into that household for the whole family unit. So you're addressing what happens in school time, but then also what is happening at home as well. I'm sure it's not an easy answer, but how have we ended up in this position where food poverty is such a big issue? It's a really complicated challenge. It crosses many government departments and it actually affects absolutely everybody in every walk of life now. There's a real challenge with those that were just getting by five years ago that they might have occasionally been the person that put their buy one, get one, three extra in the bin to go to a food bank, but now money just doesn't go far enough. Wages don't stretch far enough. There's a growing group of people loosely classified as the working poor. They can just about pay the mortgage, pay the rent. They can just about pay the electricity, the gas, the water. They can just about find second-hand school uniform shoes for children bought. They can't find us enough money to put a healthy diet on the table or any food indeed. In that growing portion here, we're 40, 50 pounds a week short. Of course, in that group as well, there's no saving, so there's no resilience. You've got a growing number of households that don't have a fridge, don't have a freezer, don't have a cooker because they're very expensive to run. The electricity bill is a challenge. If you're on a card, you'll pay more money than those that pay monthly and you can't replace it, or you can't keep the payments up on it, which is increasing the challenge. There's not enough money once you've paid the core bills to then paid keep a cooker, but then you probably can't afford to turn it on. It's really desperate. Of course, you've got then the big challenge is the isolated elderly, harder for them to cook. There's no meals on-wheels service anymore anywhere because that's a discretionary service provided by councils as their budgets have shrunk. There's no meals on-wheels. There's no cheerful guy that's going to bring you dinner on a Tuesday. You don't have so many community centers. You've got this downward cycle of isolation, depression, malnutrition. There's a big, big complicated challenge here for all age groups. Last year, we collected more than 6.7 tons of food. Find out how you can donate at kmfm.co.uk. It's been 25 years since the closure of a busy Medway hospital. All Saints in Chatham became part of the newly established National Health Service in 1948 and was one of the largest hospitals in Kent. It closed in 1999. A public exhibition is on today, which will include photos and memorabilia. And we're being urged to consider the work of Kent's unsung heroes today as we mark International Paramedics Day. This year's theme is the difference we make, which shines a light on how paramedics respond to life-threatening emergencies and provide care and comfort to patients. To celebrate the day, there'll be Thanksgiving services, community outreach programs and workshops. Kent's Online Sports Tennis now in Kent's Emma Radikhan who says she has no regrets after a difficult end to her Wimbledon campaign. A last 16 defeat to qualify a Lulu son ended British hopes in the singles. It followed her decision on Saturday to pull out of a mixed doubles match with Andy Murray. She said she was attempting to protect a sore wrist and back. I have to prioritise myself and my singles and my body and I think it was the right decision. I stand by the decision and yeah, obviously it was a tough decision though because it's something that I've always wanted to do. I think with every decision people were entitled to their opinions. Of course, there was a bit of a cloud around the decision but I don't think I would have done it any other way. I think in this sport especially as an individual you have to make your own calls and prioritise yourself. Especially with my history, I just had to put myself first. And briefly in cricket, disappointment for Kent. In the T20 yesterday they were beaten by Surrey by five runs. Rain delayed the start of play at the Oval and the Spitfires finished 81 for three after being set a target of 87 and I'll travel to Essex for their next match on Thursday. 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. It's nearly time for fun at Cossington Park Sports Centre. The family-friendly inclusive pool and sports centre from Medway, opening on Wednesday the 17th of July with a brand new fun pool, weight machine and flume, four-lane swimming pool and splash pool for little ones. City purpose, dance and fitness studio with children's party area and a state-of-the-art gym. The countdown is on. Sign up to a membership and find out more at medway.gov.uk/cosingtonpark.
