Section: Kent

This new constituency of Weald Central … includes several of the wards from the east of Tunbridge Wells, and more from the west of Ashford. Ashford also loses some north western wards to Maidstone, but gains two large rural wards in the North Downs area. The largest town in the proposed new constituency is Tenterden (pop 8,000) larger than Cranbrook (pop 7,000). Personally, from childhood affection for this part of the Weald, I think the proposed new constituency makes sense.

Natalie Elphicke MP, our DDC leader and our KCC leader, have released a press statement dated 2 July regarding the Inland Border Facility on the White Cliffs. This promotes a Win-Win for Dover, stating that they have achieved the necessity for two key border sites at Dover. The press release omits the information that DEFRA has withdrawn from our site, and that only a quarter of the area will now actually be used. The DfT has spent millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money purchasing this vast piece of agricultural land in Guston and they now find themselves needing to do so again.

As I write, I’m sitting at my desk in the other bedroom, twin to the first, watching a pair of buzzards cartwheeling in the sky. The North Downs are gentle hills, the ridges defined often by trees, the valleys a place for lazy cows chewing the cud. It is peaceful, never dull, always changing.

While urban areas across the country have been reintroducing tramways, as well as other forms of light rail, Kent has shown little sign of interest. But not none! For my idle grazing among the pages of the World Wide Web revealed two separate and unrelated schemes for tram systems in the county.

On Sunday 27 June following heavy rainfall, Southern Water’s Beach Buoy website recorded a discharge from the Margate waste water pumping station. This according to Southern Water was a “Combined Sewer outfall (CSO) release through the sea outfalls which is commonplace after a rain event”. Southern Water has a permit to release screened waste (removing solids) mixed with large amounts of water during a CSO and this is released either 600 m or 2 km out to sea.

Bonnie is a gorgeous newborn fawn at Wildwood Wildlife Park who is being hand-reared after being rejected by her mother at birth. She’s since formed a very special bond with the Keeper Stu!

A trip across the Channel to France seemed amazing. I had seen tantalising glimpses of France from Dover on a clear day. Why wouldn’t you want to go and visit your nearest neighbours?

How soon can robots take over from seasonal workers harvesting fruit in Kent? There is undoubtedly a shortage of seasonal workers this year

There are many farm shops in the Garden of England for fresh food, more aware of the needs of the individual discerning customer base

How to use the library service which embraced the digital age with access to a huge e-library in a time library use is declining