Catch up on the latest environmental news from across the county with Sofia Akin.
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00:00 (upbeat music)
00:02 - Good evening and welcome to Kent on Climate
00:16 live on KMTV.
00:17 I'm Sophia Akin and in this show we discuss
00:20 all things related to environmental issues in the county.
00:24 How is climate change impacting Kent?
00:26 What are communities in the county doing to tackle it?
00:29 And how can you help at home?
00:31 Each week we'll be taking a deep dive
00:32 into a new environmental issue in the county
00:34 and I'll be joined by expert guests.
00:37 In today's show we're talking about a new scheme
00:39 encouraging housing developers to leave land
00:42 in a better state than it started
00:44 and how the ban on vapes could help littering
00:47 and animal abandonment on the rise post Christmas.
00:51 But first tonight, Gravesend commuters say
00:53 they'll either have to add an hour onto their commute
00:56 or find new employment if the Tilbury Ferry stops running,
01:00 leading to more driving and potentially more emissions.
01:03 The future of the service has been thrown into doubt
01:05 following funding issues,
01:07 leaving Kent County Council the sole funder.
01:10 But with passenger revenue insufficient
01:12 to cover the crossings alone,
01:14 KCC say they can't afford to prop it up.
01:17 Well, our reporter Gabriel Morris has been at the port
01:20 and has been speaking to the commuters affected.
01:24 Since the early 1500s, there's been a ferry service here.
01:28 It transports workers and locals
01:30 to and from Gravesend to Tilbury.
01:33 But its future is in doubt as Thurrock Council
01:36 has pulled their funding due to being in special measures.
01:40 The service is seen as a vital lifeline for locals,
01:43 transporting more than 100,000 people every year.
01:47 I go uni, so it's the quickest way,
01:50 easiest way to get to uni.
01:52 If the ferry didn't run,
01:53 how would you get to Gravesend?
01:54 There's no other way.
01:57 I just have to drive, or it's gonna be difficult.
02:00 I don't know.
02:01 'Cause I'm even taking a walk,
02:03 I don't know what will happen.
02:04 That means I'll be getting to work much very late,
02:07 and I don't know what will happen then.
02:10 A return fare will currently cost you around five pounds.
02:14 And it really isn't a long journey.
02:17 It takes a couple of minutes to make the crossing,
02:20 but the alternative would be two trains
02:23 and a bus taking more than an hour.
02:26 The future of the funding lies with Kent County Council.
02:30 They currently pay around 55,000 pounds a year
02:34 to subsidise the crossing.
02:35 But with them soon to be the sole funder,
02:38 it'll cost them four times as much by March 2024.
02:42 They say they can't afford it.
02:45 I totally understand that Kent County Council
02:47 are carrying the financial commitment for this crossing
02:50 in light of the problems faced by Thurrock Council.
02:52 And Kent taxpayers shouldn't be expected
02:55 to stump up the entire amount.
02:56 However, the impact that the ferry has on people's lives,
03:00 what I'm asking for is for Kent County Council
03:02 to continue with the subsidy,
03:03 come together with partners like Grosham,
03:05 Dartford, Thurrock, private companies,
03:07 and see what we can do together
03:09 to find a solution to the long-term survival
03:11 of the crossing.
03:12 With a rough future ahead,
03:13 the issue's been brought up in Parliament.
03:15 The Thurrock MP raising the issue
03:17 of what will happen to the free ports in Tilbury
03:20 if the service was cut.
03:22 Obviously, those funding decisions
03:24 are for the councils required,
03:25 but I would encourage them to consider
03:27 the importance of cross-river transport
03:30 as highlighted by my honourable friend
03:32 in her local community,
03:34 and do that as part of their upcoming local transport plan.
03:36 We approached KCC for comment,
03:38 and in a statement we were told,
03:40 "We understand the important role this ferry service has
03:43 "in serving both Gravesend and Tilbury.
03:45 "We have a responsibility to the Kent taxpayer
03:48 "to ensure we are spending money wisely."
03:50 We were also told they're keen
03:52 to get people's views on the service,
03:54 which is why there's a public consultation.
03:56 And that closes at the start of next month,
03:59 but Kent County Council are keen to stress
04:02 there are no foregone conclusions.
04:05 Gabe Ramirez for KNTV in Gravesend.
04:07 Next tonight, from February,
04:10 housing developers across the country and county
04:13 will be expected to produce a biodiversity net gain
04:16 and leave the land in a better state than it started.
04:19 But what does this mean for Kent?
04:21 Well, I spoke to Vincent Ganley,
04:23 the managing director from environment consultancy,
04:25 Blue Adonis, to find out a little bit more
04:27 about how this new legislation will help Kent's wildlife.
04:31 Thank you for joining us tonight.
04:33 So I just wanted to start off by asking you
04:35 a little bit about the bio,
04:37 oh gosh, I'm gonna restart that one.
04:39 (laughing)
04:41 It's a mouthful, this phrase.
04:43 Thank you very much for joining us tonight.
04:46 I just wanted to start off by asking you
04:47 about the biodiversity net gain
04:50 and ask a bit about that.
04:51 It's being introduced this month.
04:53 So what's this going to mean for Kent as well?
04:56 Yeah, sure.
04:58 So biodiversity net gain is becoming legislation
05:03 in mid-February, literally just a few weeks away.
05:08 It's been pending as legislation for quite a period of time.
05:11 What it relates to is that any development
05:16 and needs to see is mandated to create 10%,
05:21 more than 10% biodiversity net gain on site.
05:26 And if that can't be achieved on any given development site,
05:30 it's required that biodiversity net gain
05:35 is achieved offsite.
05:37 And what that means for Kent is that,
05:42 of course, the value of development sites
05:47 for biodiversity and access for nature for people
05:50 is highlighted as something very significant.
05:53 And there needs to be seen a measurable net gain
05:56 in biodiversity for any developments
05:59 in any local planning authority across Kent.
06:02 Many of the local planning authorities
06:04 are requiring 20% of more,
06:06 so even more significant net gain
06:10 in valuable green space for people in nature.
06:14 And if it can't be required onsite,
06:18 then where it's achieved offsite will be areas
06:23 which will receive investment through development
06:29 to enhance and improve habitats,
06:33 such as priority grasslands, woodlands,
06:37 and hedge rows across the board.
06:40 - Tell me how does Adonis Blue fit into this?
06:42 What does your sort of organisation do
06:44 and what's the involvement there?
06:47 - Sure, so developers will have a requirement
06:52 in many cases to actually offset
06:55 what they can't achieve onsite.
06:57 Adonis Blue is a wholly owned subsidiary
07:00 of Kent Wildlife Trust and has a mission
07:04 to achieve what is in the 25-year environment plan
07:08 for the government to support 30% more land
07:13 managed for biodiversity and nature by 2030.
07:18 So as part of that, what we all have been doing
07:22 is working with landowners and Kent Wildlife Trust
07:26 and E&GOs, charities across the sector,
07:30 to look at the available land,
07:34 what the potential uplift there is for biodiversity,
07:38 and prepare ourselves to actually take any requirement
07:43 from the developer and place that into areas
07:50 where we can achieve biodiversity net gain across Kent
07:55 in these areas, which will match up
07:58 and create the local nature recovery strategy in the future.
08:01 So we're working on behalf of the development commitment
08:06 to achieving that biodiversity net gain,
08:12 working with the planning authorities,
08:13 putting all the planning documents into place
08:16 to make that happen, and engaging the landowner
08:20 to take on that biodiversity net gain commitment,
08:23 designing that land for the betterment of biodiversity.
08:28 - And I just wanted to very quickly,
08:29 we've got one last question.
08:30 We don't have a lot of time left.
08:32 There's sort of offsetting comes into this,
08:34 but some people would say developers should be delivering
08:38 biodiversity on-site as well.
08:40 So what would you say to those who are maybe
08:42 a little bit critical of it in some ways?
08:44 - Yeah, no, I totally agree.
08:47 I think we absolutely agree that everything should be done
08:52 to its utmost to achieve as much in terms of biodiversity
08:56 and biodiversity net gain on-site.
08:58 However, we have to accept that there is an extraordinary
09:03 amount of pressure in terms of the number of commitments
09:06 for any development and the green space associated
09:08 with that to achieve value for any given community.
09:13 Also, there's extra pressures for wildlife
09:16 in terms of the fact that development areas
09:19 will no doubt have elements such as cat predation
09:24 and people use.
09:25 So it is, they're not always the best areas
09:28 to create the maximum in terms of biodiversity net gains.
09:31 And sometimes you have to be logical and feasible
09:35 and accept that the biodiversity,
09:37 an element of the biodiversity net gain to its optimum
09:40 can be achieved on-site and that should be maximized.
09:44 But actual biodiversity net gain,
09:48 if that's not achieved off-site,
09:50 should definitely become a requirement off-site
09:53 and improve our biodiversity networks.
09:55 - Great.
09:56 Well, thank you so much for joining us tonight.
09:57 It's been really interesting to hear a bit more about that.
10:00 - No problem.
10:01 Thank you.
10:02 - Kent campaigners have welcomed the government's ban
10:05 on disposable vapes,
10:07 saying it will help reduce environmental damage.
10:09 The ban will also prohibit certain vape flavours,
10:12 introduce plain packaging and change how vapes are displayed.
10:16 It follows a consultation held over the autumn
10:18 where Kent County Council joined calls
10:20 to ban disposable vapes.
10:23 Maidstone vape campaigner, Tony Hartwood,
10:25 says the environmental impacts he has seen firsthand
10:27 have been staggering.
10:29 - How I kind of first was really alerted to this
10:32 was almost as much through the litter I was finding
10:36 as by seeing people smoking the vapes.
10:41 Because I have to take regular litter picks
10:43 around the county town here in Maidstone
10:45 and half the sack of rubbish I get
10:48 with the usual fast food detritus
10:50 and alcohol tins and things is these vapes
10:54 and they're absolutely everywhere.
10:55 They're in every hedge, they're in every stream.
10:57 They're, I've seen them on the beach,
10:59 you know, they're getting everywhere
11:00 and they're gonna be there almost forever.
11:02 You know, plastic and lithium
11:04 and other materials they're made from.
11:05 It's not gonna break down.
11:07 They're gonna be here forever.
11:08 And like we've got another year and a half
11:11 of there being sold.
11:12 So that's another year and a half
11:14 of this single use plastic building up in our environment.
11:18 - No timeframe has been given to reopening
11:21 a landslip blocked road in Folkestone.
11:23 The road of remembrance was closed on Saturday
11:26 after trees and earth fell from a cliff edge.
11:29 Kent County Council says they're assessing
11:31 the damage to the route,
11:33 but can't say when cars and pedestrians
11:35 will be able to use it again.
11:37 The cause of the landslip is still unknown
11:39 and locals believe it will take some time to clear up.
11:43 Debris still covers both lanes
11:44 and metal fencing and yellow bollards
11:46 have also been put on the road to stop the traffic.
11:50 Well, it's time for a short break now,
11:52 but coming up we'll be finding more
11:54 about the rise of animal abandonment.
11:56 See you in a second.
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15:03 Hi there and welcome back to Kent on Climate, live on KMTV.
15:09 Now, there's been a rise in the number of animals being dumped in Kent over the festive season.
15:15 The RSPCA has recorded an almost 40% rise in incidents of abandonment in the county in the past year,
15:21 compared to the previous two years.
15:24 Labour and RSPCA says cost of living pressures the problem.
15:27 I went along to find out more.
15:30 More than 60 animals were left on the streets of Kent over Christmas.
15:35 That's around 30 a week, a more than 8% rise from the previous year.
15:40 This is putting a strain on local services like Laybourne Animal Centre,
15:44 who say they can only take in so many.
15:47 I think it can come down to a multitude of different things.
15:49 Obviously, we are experiencing a national struggle when it comes to the cost of living crisis.
15:54 I think when people perhaps maybe they've purchased a pet or been gifted a pet,
15:59 they don't realise that that's not the end cost.
16:02 Weekly feeds, insurance, medical bills, especially if there's an unforeseen medical issue,
16:08 insurance, it all piles up and for some people that is just it's too much.
16:14 But equally, we have seen examples of people being gifted pets they're not ready for
16:20 and they realise that the time of their life isn't,
16:23 they're just not capable of looking after that animal at that moment in time.
16:28 Just five days before Christmas, Jingles was found abandoned in a public bin.
16:32 He's since been taken in to the Laybourne Animal Centre
16:36 and they're currently assessing him to hopefully re-home him very soon.
16:40 Jingles is just one of hundreds of animals in Kent who are left without a home every year.
16:45 But it's a problem that's only getting worse.
16:47 Last year, the RSPCA saw an almost 40% rise in dumpings compared to the previous two years.
16:55 And nationally, last year, the RSPCA received more than 20,000 reports
17:00 of abandonments in England and Wales.
17:03 It's a wider problem for organisations across Kent, particularly independent ones.
17:09 Past say three years, I would say it's been getting worse and worse every year.
17:13 It's definitely not been getting any better.
17:15 More animals have been abandoned, the cost of living has gone up,
17:19 the cost of vet bills have gone up as well for medications.
17:22 There's some medications that people haven't been able to get a hold of as easy as well.
17:26 It's just absolutely terrible at the moment.
17:28 Every single rescue that I've spoken to, which is quite a few that we were in touch with,
17:33 are completely filled.
17:34 They're trying to find spaces for animals and there's not as many people wanting to re-home them as well.
17:41 As the number of animals left on the streets of Kent continues to rise,
17:45 local services have urged anyone who's struggling to take care of their own to get in touch.
17:50 Sophia Akin for KMTV in Leybourne.
17:53 Natasha McPhee from Animals Austin found in Kent, who we just heard from in that piece,
18:00 has also spoken out about the next step of XL bully ban coming into force tomorrow.
18:05 Earlier today, the deadline for registering an XL bully dog has passed,
18:09 meaning from tomorrow, possessing one without a certificate is illegal.
18:13 McPhee says she doesn't believe the ban will work and that it's not the fault of the breed.
18:18 Every animal deserves a chance at life and I do believe that the people that handle these dogs
18:24 are the ones in the wrong that have caused this problem.
18:27 The people that breed them unnecessarily breeding this kind of breed of dog has caused problems.
18:36 It's the same as other dogs in the past that have been banned.
18:39 They're all banned for a specific reason and it's because of the dangerous side of them.
18:44 But every animal could be dangerous in their own hands
18:48 I mean I've been bitten more by a cat.
18:50 At the start of the month, thousands of residents in Medway reported not having their bins collected.
18:56 Since then, the leader of Medway council has said he's committed to ensuring a similar incident won't occur.
19:02 In a sit-down interview with KMTV, he spoke about this incident.
19:06 I also asked him about Starmer scaling back on environmental policies.
19:10 Here's a sneak peek of the 24-minute interview.
19:13 We've had huge numbers, you know, tons and tons of waste being collected.
19:18 It's disappointing and frustrating that our colleagues Veolia weren't able to cope with
19:23 the quantity and that had a knock-on effect.
19:25 But let me be really clear, the weekly bin collection continues.
19:29 There were some residents as well that KMTV spoke to who were disappointed as
19:33 they're paying for this service with their council tax.
19:35 So how can you ensure that they're not going to have that and they won't be disappointed in that way again?
19:39 Because of course it's bad for the climate if we're seeing this waste going down the street as well.
19:44 I say this is one particular week in the Christmas period.
19:47 Lots of councils struggle with their waste service during the Christmas period.
19:51 But we're not complacent.
19:53 We've recognised that Veolia again didn't have that capacity.
19:56 We're having the conversation with them.
19:58 We're continuing to have that conversation.
20:00 And for me, it's about learning those lessons.
20:02 We saw Starmer recently as well scaling back on his pledge to invest more in environmental strategies.
20:09 This was something that many were interested in.
20:11 Are you concerned that this could have some voters to think,
20:15 if he's scaled back on that policy, is he going to be scaling back on even more?
20:19 Well look, we're very, very clear this remains an absolute priority.
20:22 But the reality is financial challenges for central government
20:27 were thrown into complete disarray in a little over 50 days of Liz Trust.
20:32 You know, there'll be people watching this interview, this conversation today,
20:36 whose mortgages will be hundreds of pounds more as a result of that.
20:40 So whether it's individuals or whether it is the national government financial situation,
20:45 Liz Trust and quasi-quoting will be a footnote in the kind of history of politics.
20:50 We're talking about the environmental policy though.
20:52 But it all goes back to finances.
20:53 It all comes back to finances.
20:55 And ultimately, the government finances are not in as strong a position as they could have been,
20:59 frankly, if the Conservatives hadn't elected Liz Trust and her failed financial experiment,
21:04 which has damaged, I say, not just central government funding,
21:07 but importantly, the impact on households funding, particularly when it comes to mortgages.
21:12 Well, you can catch the full interview 24 minutes up on our website, kmtv.co.uk.
21:18 But now a decision allowing new pontoons to be installed in Pegwell Bay
21:23 has been met with shock and dismay.
21:25 It's feared the project would scare off grey seals,
21:28 which live at the bay after it was confirmed the number of boats to the area
21:32 could skyrocket from two to three a week to 15 per day.
21:36 But the marine management organisations say they undertook extensive assessments
21:41 and consultations with a range of stakeholders as part of a review of their licence application.
21:47 Now, don't forget you can keep up to date with all your latest stories across Kent
21:52 by logging on to our website, kmtv.co.uk.
21:56 There you can find your fix of climate content,
21:58 including this story about oyster farming in Whitstable.
22:02 Sewage spills have been all over the news lately,
22:04 so I've come to Whitstable to see how it's actually affecting the local industry.
22:08 There seems to be an unexpected silver lining to the spills.
22:12 James tells us they've led to better testing and more focus on food safety.
22:16 Hand on heart, you know, oysters are probably the safest they've ever been in actual fact,
22:20 because four years ago we weren't doing any testing.
22:23 You know, we didn't have a pre-harvesting risk assessment
22:27 and there wasn't the test available for things like norovirus.
22:30 But of course this doesn't mean the industry hasn't been affected.
22:33 As well as having to spend money on purification, sewage spills can halt oyster sales.
22:37 In 2013, imported oysters had to be served at the Oyster Festival after a spill.
22:43 And James believes Southern Water haven't since done enough to improve the situation.
22:47 They knew they were being investigated 10 years ago in 2013
22:51 and they haven't used that 10-year period to improve infrastructure.
22:54 Pressure in water companies has recently increased.
22:57 Protests are more common and activist groups focusing on water safety are gaining more exposure.
23:02 Because it's not the oyster industry that's going to push change,
23:05 because we're a small industry and there's not many of us.
23:08 Here in the UK, sewage and rainwater are carried in the same pipes.
23:15 This means if it rains a lot, the pipes can overfill and to avoid floods,
23:20 it spills out into the sea.
23:21 This is actually legal and has been happening for decades.
23:24 But there are concerns that this is making people unwell.
23:27 The Environmental Agency has been investigating dry spills,
23:30 when sewage is poured into the ocean when it hasn't been raining.
23:33 Southern Water was fined 90 million for raw spills in 2021.
23:37 There are also concerns that spills are happening too regularly,
23:40 which increases concentration of sewage in the sea.
23:43 Despite the spills, James says his local sales are actually better than ever.
23:47 They can eat the oysters on the beach over there and see they're produced here.
23:51 And this year, again, a record year for selling Whitstable oysters in Whitstable.
23:55 So if you're asking me whether it's affecting people's perception of the product
24:00 and whether they want to eat it, the answer is no.
24:02 But smaller companies are often hit harder by extra costs.
24:06 So I headed to the harbour to speak to local fishermen.
24:09 What does happen is people, no matter what type of shellfish it is,
24:13 don't want it from Whitstable.
24:14 Andy fishes wild oysters which live too far out in the sea to be affected by the spills.
24:20 But he's still noticed a drop in sales.
24:22 It does affect sales.
24:23 Sales can go dramatically down and they, strangely enough,
24:27 do go down once they've had a meeting on the beach.
24:30 Put a man on the moon decades ago and we're still dumping sewage in the sea.
24:36 So I'm not against those people that are moaning about it.
24:39 The dockyard carried an infectious energy
24:43 and it reminded me of the importance of the oyster in this town.
24:46 It's put Whitstable on the map, the oyster, you know,
24:49 and I'm all for the oyster beds out there because I'm afraid that's what Whitstable is all about.
24:55 And the tourists have come on the back of that.
24:58 I've never seen it so busy, you know, I've been here since the 70s
25:02 and it was a sleepy old town then, which it isn't anymore.
25:06 Driving test oysters.
25:09 Passed my driving test first time after sea.
25:11 Rufus is a self-proclaimed oyster enthusiast.
25:14 He grew up in Whitstable and now manages a bar that also sells oysters.
25:18 Well, it's part of our heritage, they've been around for a few years.
25:20 Everyone knows about Whitstable oysters.
25:24 We have the oyster festival every year.
25:26 I'd say the population probably triples.
25:28 Really?
25:28 Yeah, like here you'll have queues 10 people long.
25:33 This is their oyster shopping station, this is all full of oysters.
25:37 Legend has it, Romans brought Whitstable oysters back to their families
25:43 packed in snow because they liked them so much.
25:46 One of the main events in Whitstable today is the oyster festival
25:50 and even the museum pays homage to the oyster industry.
25:53 The oyster is a huge part of local heritage
25:55 and protecting the industry seems key to the community.
25:58 As Roberts, KMTV.
26:00 Time now for the weather.
26:02 Oh, looks like it's going to be a very wet and drizzly evening,
26:11 quite mild though, 10 degrees in Canterbury.
26:14 But it looks like the sunshine is returning tomorrow morning.
26:18 A little bit colder tomorrow though, 7 degrees in Dartford, light winds.
26:21 Through to the afternoon, staying sunny and dry,
26:24 7 degrees in Tunbridge Wells, less windy throughout day two.
26:28 And as the rest of the day, the rest of the week goes on,
26:31 sunshine sticking around and staying pretty dry and warm.
26:35 [Music]
26:43 That's all we've got time for on this week's episode of Kent on Climate.
26:46 Thanks for watching. See you next week.
26:48 Good night.
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