Catch up on all the latest news across your county with Abby Hook.
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00:00Good evening and welcome to Kent tonight.
00:29Live on KMTV, I'm Abbey Hook, here are your top stories on Tuesday the 14th of May.
00:35Rough waters ahead, the businesses saying they might have to leave Medway if Chatham
00:40Docks close.
00:41We've got businesses in Holland, it might well be that we just decide we can't do it
00:46here anymore and that would be a great shame.
00:49Shutting the doors on Sheppey, residents furious as TSB Bank announces closure.
00:55It's having a knock on effect on the whole businesses of the Isle of Sheppey.
01:00Disability and inclusion in Kent, we explore how marginalised groups in science want to
01:06see real change.
01:08I just want to see a world where who you are is basically an asset rather than a deficit.
01:25First tonight, a shipping company on the River Medway is not ruling out the possibility
01:39of moving abroad if regeneration plans go ahead for Chatham Docks.
01:44GPS Marines say although they aren't located within the port, they rely on business there.
01:49It comes as a planning decision to change part of the working docks into a business
01:53hub was deferred last week following a legal challenge.
01:56Our local democracy reporter Gabriel Morris has the story.
02:03It's future unclear with ageing infrastructure.
02:06The landowner of Chatham Docks says it's time for change and has proposals for redevelopment.
02:12Planning permissions submitted to the local council could see these still works being
02:16turned into a business park.
02:18And a short trip down the river is this tugging company.
02:22They say the end of Chatham Docks would impact their operations.
02:27This is the last bastion really where we can be and we've got businesses in Holland.
02:33It might well be that what we just decided we can't do it here anymore and that would
02:37be a great shame.
02:39Without businesses like this, the super sewer in London would not have been built.
02:45It's as simple as that.
02:46Or it most certainly wouldn't have been built without huge disruption of places like Chatham
02:50Dock and businesses just like this one.
02:53Bear in mind, for every tonne of CO2e that we put up in the air, every tonne kilometre,
02:59road puts out nine, rail puts out 1.9.
03:04Currently planning is only for a small section of the docks, but a master plan by Peel Waters
03:08would see land here being turned into hundreds of homes, offices and outdoor spaces.
03:14It adds huge amounts of benefits to Medway.
03:18We think it will triple the amount of jobs that's on the current site.
03:22It'll create a much better environment because at the moment you're faced with a dock wall.
03:26We've got a beautiful water basin there, about 20 acres.
03:29It opens up the river, connects St Mary's Island to the site.
03:34So you can actually, if you're living on St Mary's Island, at the moment you're faced
03:37with heavy manufacturing, literally on your doorstep.
03:42These proposals have been nothing but controversial.
03:45Last week nearly 100 protesters came out against the regeneration plans.
03:51But all progress has been stalled as Medway Council deferred their planning decision last
03:55week following legal challenges.
03:59I wanted to try and find a solution where we protect every job we can, but I've got
04:03a priority which is delivering the local plan.
04:07This application we're talking about today doesn't necessarily change any of that in
04:11one sense, but I want to make sure that we get this application, as with every application
04:17that comes through to Medway Council, determined in the appropriate manner.
04:21Of course there are some challenges with that.
04:22We're going through the legal process which we're now having to do, and it will come back
04:27to committee in due course when we've gone through those legal challenges.
04:30It's unclear when that vote will now take place.
04:35Gabriel Morris in Chatham.
04:38Our petition to save a local bank branch in Sheerness has reached more than 1,000 signatures.
04:43Residents say the closure of TSB will be a nail in the coffin for the high street.
04:48But TSB say that customer transactions at the branch have fallen by more than 40% in
04:53the last five years.
04:54Oliver Leader de Sacks joined me earlier with more.
04:58So TSB is one of the last banks left on the Isle of Sheppey.
05:02Only Nationwide will be left after its closure, which was announced last week for the September
05:0724th later this year.
05:09Around 36 other branches across the UK will also be closing.
05:13TSB say there's been a real shift towards online and digital banking recently.
05:19Less people coming into these high street branches, which kind of justifies its closure
05:24from their perspective.
05:25But some residents say this will be a nail in the coffin for the high street, which has
05:29seen numerous banks disappear over the years.
05:33With more than 1,000 people signing the petition to save the bank and some protesting outside,
05:37you can kind of get the strength of feeling on the streets of Sheerness.
05:42Countdownline spoke to some of the protesters and the complaints kind of varied.
05:46Some were worried about what it meant for vulnerable people and older people who can't
05:49readily access online banking the same way and may be left without a branch near them.
05:56For context, campaigners say there's only 23 miles in terms of journey to Chatham for
06:02another TSB branch, but TSB say there's a post office and free to use ATM within a
06:07mile of the branch in Sheerness.
06:10Some others are more concerned about the business perspective and what it will mean for primarily
06:14cash based businesses.
06:16One of those residents we can hear from right now.
06:18I work locally and I shop locally.
06:22And my main concern is for all these banks shutting down is that some businesses run
06:28on cash only.
06:30And so therefore it's getting harder and harder for us to get cash.
06:35And I had a prime example a little while ago, I went to a business and the internet had
06:39gone down.
06:40I didn't have any cash on me, so I couldn't do any shopping.
06:44So this is going to happen more and more, I fear.
06:48And it's just becoming, it's having a knock on effect on the whole business, businesses
06:53of the Isle of Sheppey.
06:56Tonight we'll be airing the next brand new episode of the docu-series Kent Discovers
07:00Tonight after Kent Tonight.
07:03The series looks at the fascinating research happening across Kent, the UK and the world.
07:08Well in today's episode we'll find out about some of the barriers disabled scientists are
07:13met with at different stages of their career and where change needs to start.
07:17Let's take a look at the trailer.
07:18I'm Emerus.
07:19I'm Hameed Haroon.
07:20I'm Feifei Wadia.
07:21I'm Jessie Boland.
07:22I am Julie Gibbons.
07:23I am Jota.
07:24I'm Jennifer Lynch.
07:25I am Sarah.
07:26I'm Jennifer Lee.
07:27And I would like to see a world where science and scientists are representative and where
07:30everyone feels they belong.
07:31We're here at the Addicting School which is an outstanding special needs school to find
07:39out about other ways that we can make science more inclusive and accessible for everyone.
07:43It's about making sure that every child is reaching their potential, can access science
07:47as much as possible.
07:48We seem to be quite reactive in terms of disability rather than proactive.
07:55When you take an intersectional analysis of the academic pipeline you see obviously massive
08:00drop-offs at each stage in terms of how many disabled people are in academia, in chemistry.
08:06When I was younger I didn't see anybody like me doing science.
08:11That whole idea that I'm only disabled because you're making me disabled.
08:19Well, I'm pleased to say Dr. Jennifer Lee from the University of Kent and Professor
08:24Jota Dimitriadi from the University of Reading are both joining me now and you're both members
08:28of the Nadsen STEM Action Group.
08:30Thank you both so much for coming on the show.
08:32We saw that wonderful trailer there, Jen.
08:35If you tell me a little bit about the Action Group and what it was like to sort of present
08:39and lead a documentary looking into some of these issues that you've been looking into.
08:45I mean, the Nadsen STEM Action Group, there's a group of us who regularly meet.
08:50We have done since 2020 in COVID and we are all committed individuals who are passionate
08:57that nothing should happen about us, without us.
09:00So we were really passionate about making sure that science and disabled scientists
09:04are there at the forefront of new discoveries.
09:08And Jota, where does some of those changes need to start?
09:13Thank you.
09:14At early stages of the educational journey for young people, we do know that there's
09:20a lot of exciting, wonderful, inclusive work happening at schools from early years in mainstream
09:27and special schools, but the support is still needed and resourcing is very important.
09:35And Jota, how has the Action Group initiated change so far?
09:38What have you noticed from the sort of conception of what you have been doing?
09:42How has that had an impact?
09:45First of all, it enabled people from our community to have a voice, not to feel alone, not to
09:52feel that the issues or challenges they face are challenges that they only face and there
09:57are structural changes that need to happen.
10:00Together, we are stronger and our voice has been shared and disseminated to research organisations,
10:09to other special interest groups.
10:12And we hope that we are going to inform policy and make positive change to practice.
10:19And Jen, we saw you presenting, leading that documentary there in that real glimpse into
10:24what this whole 12 minute piece is about.
10:26I suppose, what did you learn doing this?
10:29What did you learn about the research you've been looking into?
10:32I think how important it is to have an intersectional perspective when we're looking at diversity
10:37and inclusion in science.
10:39So we need to not just look at gender, not just look at race or ethnicity, not just look
10:43at sexuality, not just look at disability, but we need to look at everything in the round
10:48holistically because people are more than just one aspect of their identity.
10:53And of course, this focus, the focus here is on Kent, you're from the University of
10:57Kent and from the University of Reading too, so how key is this to not only sharing it
11:02in Kent and the UK, but the world too, sharing this story?
11:08It's crucial.
11:10And what is also really important and what I'm passionate about is celebrating the work
11:15that is happening at special schools as well.
11:19Sometimes science may be considered that is not inclusive for all.
11:24And the work that special schools are doing are really important to demystify some of
11:29these misconceptions and include everybody because science is all around us.
11:34So it's very important to shout out to the world about all this work.
11:38Incredible work you're both doing and great that we can have it here on KMTV as well.
11:43Now that will be airing later on this evening, but we're going to go to a very quick break
11:47now with more news coming up in a few minutes time.
11:50See you then.
15:08Hello and welcome back to Kent Tonight live on KMTV.
15:18Now tributes have poured in for one of Kent's most prominent health experts following his
15:22death.
15:23Former Olympic fencer James Williams served as Medway Council's Director of Public Health
15:28for seven years, shepherding the five towns through the pandemic.
15:32Originally serving in the army, Williams competed in three Olympic Games with his passion for
15:37sport playing a role in how he helped address health inequalities across the southeast.
15:42Medway Council leader Vince Maple called him an inspirational leader and Medway's three
15:47MPs say they're devastated by his death.
15:52Now to sport and Kent cricket a seventh in the county championship division one standings
15:57after claiming their third draw of the season so far at Canterbury.
16:00Meanwhile our colleagues over at Kent online are calling for pictures of football teams
16:04around the county all to be compiled in a special euro supplement next month.
16:09Well with more on this and the rest of today's sports here's Bartholomew Hall.
16:22Hello we start with cricket where Matt Walker says his Kent side have shown great promise
16:26after batting out Worcestershire for their third draw of the county championship season
16:30so far.
16:32After being dismissed for a total of 407 in the first innings Kent were 146 for four and
16:38still 65 runs behind the visitors behind by the close of play on Monday evening.
16:43The result gives Kent 10 points on the division one table leaving them seventh.
16:48Their next face Somerset this Friday at Taunton.
16:51Here's the head coach reflecting on the match.
16:52There's no real demons in the pitch particularly but when you're behind in the game scoreboard
16:57pressure you know every mistake is going to be pounced on and the momentum shifts can
17:03shift pretty quickly in those situations but yeah I thought in the end it was pretty comfortable
17:10in the end.
17:11Finchie played a nice role there, Deebs as well to sort of settle the nerves after a
17:15couple of early wickets and yeah it sort of didn't get twitchy at any stage really.
17:22All we spoke about really after that innings and just now in the dressing room that we
17:27stick to those principles and we bowl like that and keep bowling like that we will get
17:31rewards absolutely.
17:32I thought you'd say we put a great shift in there but there'll be some early bodies but
17:37a couple of days to recover and off we go again.
17:41Jake Hill says he has no answers for his lack of pace at Brands Hatch in round two of the
17:46British Touring Car Championship at the weekend.
17:48The 30-year-old racer from Platts Heath qualified 12th on Saturday which is his worst starting
17:54position since joining the MB Motorsport team in 2022.
17:58Hill then progressed to a fifth place finish in race one before a steering issue in race
18:02two sent him into the gravel at Druids.
18:04The DNF there meant Jake, who described it as a tough weekend overall, had to start from
18:09the back of the pack in the final race in which he finished 12th.
18:14Hill now falls to fourth in the standings overall with 59 points.
18:19Chatham Town have parted ways with assistant manager Danny Kedwell.
18:23The former Chats player joined the club's backroom staff in 2021 after a short spell
18:28as manager at Cray Wanderers.
18:30It comes after Chatham finished second in this season's Idsmeon League Premier Division
18:35where they missed out on what would have been their third successive promotion in the play-off
18:39finals.
18:40The 40-year-old played 16 games for Chatham last season where he got his last goal in
18:44a 3-1 defeat against Horsham back in April.
18:47Kedwell thanked everyone for their support and gave a special mention to chairman Kevin
18:51Hake in a post on social media.
18:53He now joins Ashford United as their new manager.
18:57And as expected, Maidstone's Alessia Russo has been selected for the England Lionesses
19:02squad for the upcoming European Championship qualifiers.
19:05England women will play four games across June and July as they aim to defend their
19:09European title in Switzerland next year.
19:13And Abby, talking about being part of a squad, I've got a couple of teams to tell you about
19:16which would make anyone jealous to join.
19:19Here we go.
19:20We're going to start with the Crayford Arrows Reds.
19:22This is a girls' team from Bexleyheath near Dartford who have won a boys' league.
19:28They finished top of the South East London and Kent Youth League under 13D Navy.
19:32Now it's their first time playing at this level because according to their manager they
19:37felt they wanted a bit more of a challenge playing in the boys' league.
19:40And it was tough.
19:41They edged out their opponents Halls AFC and Sutton Dynamo Blues to get there.
19:46So a massive congratulations to them.
19:48It's amazing to see.
19:49I know.
19:50I know.
19:51Absolutely.
19:53It's incredible.
19:54The second team I want to introduce you to is the unbeaten Folkestone Invicta under 13s
19:58boys' team.
19:59Now they had a near perfect season, only drew one game, but unbeaten in the rest of them.
20:04They won 14 overall and they completed the doubles.
20:07So they won their league and they also won their cup.
20:11And in that cup final they beat Snowdon and Aylsham 8-3.
20:15So this is a real strong team.
20:17They're being compared to the Arsenal Invincibles, of course, having won their second successive
20:23league title.
20:25But actually when they were in the lower league, before they were promoted, they spent around
20:28four seasons there.
20:30So really struggling to get out of it, but clearly after doing so have turned things
20:34around and had a bit of a fairytale season.
20:37How special for them.
20:38Yeah, absolutely.
20:39Now we are obviously heading closer to the Euros, so a time to look back at the season
20:43that's just gone and continue celebrating football.
20:46You'll know our colleagues over at Kent Online and the Kent Messenger newspapers are looking
20:51for the best football team pictures from the season, getting people to send in pictures
20:55of their team, wherever it is they come from in Kent, and it'll be all part of their special
20:59Euros supplement next month.
21:01Amazing stuff.
21:02Good stuff for all those local small teams and youngsters in football and doing so well
21:06as well.
21:07Bartholomew, thank you for those details.
21:17Now, don't forget you can keep up to date with all your latest stories across Kent by
21:21logging on to our website, kmtv.co.uk, there you'll find all our reports, including this
21:27one about a new care home in Gravesend which may have to shut down before even opening
21:32its doors.
21:33Freshly made beds, a seating area and dining room and a team ready to go, but with no residents.
21:42Clarence Place Care Home in Gravesend has been ready to open for six months, but workers
21:47here are frustrated as their doors remain closed, saying they still haven't been registered
21:53by Kent County Council.
21:55It's cost Tricia around £200,000 to renovate and it's been given the green light by the
22:01Care Quality Commission, but without KCC's approval, these beds remain empty.
22:07Maybe three or four years down the line, we would be able to function as a fully private
22:14care home, self-funded, but that's just not possible.
22:19Yes, I understand that KCC want to make sure that we are able to provide the care that
22:24we say we're going to provide, but the only way we can do that is if we're given a chance.
22:30This is one of 17 empty beds the care home has waiting to be filled, but they say it's
22:36not through lack of demand for the service, but due to certain barriers stopping them
22:40from opening their doors.
22:43The house itself, I've just fallen in love with this house, the history, the feel of
22:48it, there's so many hidden places, I know this house through and through now, I've been
22:54everywhere. So the whole situation is very frustrating, not just about cooking, just
22:58about the whole business, the house, the people, our little team so far.
23:04In a statement, KCC said it's been in ongoing conversations with Mrs Patel. It says it's
23:10awaiting documentation for the application to join the contract. The council says Clarence
23:16Place is registered with the CQC as a residential home and is currently able to undertake privately
23:22funding residents which do not require nursing care. It says once the documentation is received,
23:29it will consider the application.
23:31Despite challenges faced, the team at Clarence Place say they won't give up until they can
23:35finally open their doors and fill these beds with those in need. Sophia Akin for KMTV in
23:42Gravesend.
23:44Now let's take a very quick look at the weather forecast.
23:53This evening's cloudy with rain over in Margate and Folkestone. Temperatures of 13 across
23:58the board though. Wednesday morning, staying cloudy again over Kent, lows of 14 down in
24:03Dover. But the afternoon brings some sunshine and a bit more cloud in Maidstone with highs
24:09of 17 in Tunbridge Wells. And the outlook, there's a thunderstorm on Thursday and rain
24:16for the rest of the week, staying warm though.
24:19Next night, from raving about restaurants to pristine pitches, many businesses in Kent
24:33are building up their budgets and perfecting their profits. Well, there's lots to break
24:36down in this Business Roundup. Here's Alex Skaife.
24:40First up, the award-winning restaurant chain Wagamama have opened up a brand new location
24:51over at the Dockside Shopping Outlet in Chatham. This is the 164th Wagamama open in the UK.
24:58The restaurant, which had its grand opening only yesterday, has reportedly created over
25:0360 new jobs in the Chatham region.
25:05Next, proposals have been unveiled for a new hotel, spa and wedding venue in Ash, one
25:10of the country's top golfing locations. The London Project, which will see a massive expansion
25:16to the London Golf Club, includes several new amenities such as a 240-bedroom hotel,
25:22a spa with lodge accommodation, the restoration of South Ash Manor to be used as a wedding
25:27venue and the creation of a sports turf academy. The new plan will be submitted to both Tunbridge
25:33and Morling Borough Council, and if accepted, the expansion could be completed in 2028.
25:39Finally, new computer-generated images show how the Folkestone Harbour Arms, The Good
25:44Yard, would look when turned into a Covent Garden-style food hall. This transformation
25:49comes as part of a wider plan for up to 1,000 new homes to be built along the seafront,
25:54including already-constructed homes at Shoreline Crescent. According to head of Sir Roger's
26:00De Haas Folkestone Harbour and Seafront Development Company, the new designs will look to serve
26:05customers all year round.
26:07That's all for this week's Business Roundup.
26:16Well, that's all we've got time for this evening. You've been watching Kent Tonight live on
26:20KMTV. There's more news made just for Kent throughout the evening as well with our 8pm
26:24news bulletin with Bartholomew Hall. But don't forget, you can keep up to date with all the
26:28latest news by logging on to our website at kmtv.co.uk. And keep us over on your social
26:34timelines by liking us on Facebook and following us on Twitter and TikTok too. That's all we've
26:39got time for this evening. I'll see you again soon. Bye bye.
26:58you