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Catch up with all the latest news in the County with Finn Macdiarmid.
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00:00Hello and welcome to Kent Tonight, live here on KMTV.
00:27I'm Finn McDermid and here are your top stories on Tuesday the 4th of November.
00:33Tax rises rage, Medway business owners react to Chancellor's unprecedented pre-budget
00:38speech.
00:39The new government has made a complete mess of the whole thing.
00:44So it's been a pack of lies since the start of the year.
00:46Green light for green fuel, permission granted for £50 million Hu Peninsula Refinery.
00:52The expansion of our biotech teams, the ability to enhance our research and development,
00:57it's all part of being able to deliver big volumes to local projects like the Lower
01:02Thames Crossing.
01:03And a prehistoric success.
01:06Meet the Jurassic waste collector making fossil fuels extinct in Maidstone.
01:10We hope they're going to wear the dinosaurs.
01:17First tonight, Kent households and businesses could face tax hikes after Rachel Reeves delivered
01:26a pre-budget speech in Downing Street.
01:28The Chancellor refused to rule out a U-turn on Labour's general election pledge not to raise
01:33income tax, VAT or national insurance.
01:36She says she'll make necessary choices in the budget after the world has thrown more
01:40challenges our way.
01:42While Maisie Walk is in Medway getting the reaction.
01:45During a conference today at Downing Street, Councillor Rachel Reeves commented on Kent County
01:50Council's leadership, sparking strong reaction.
01:53Reeves said in Kent County Council and councils they run across Britain, apparently they can't
01:59find a single penny, and instead are going to increase council tax for more than two million
02:04people.
02:05It was an outright lie about KCC.
02:09I was shocked, to be honest.
02:10This is the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
02:13She has got a budget to deliver in just a few weeks' time, and instead of focusing on
02:18the job in hand, she's trying to deflect from her own shortcomings by talking about what's
02:22going on in Kent County Council.
02:24I mean, I've never heard anything like it.
02:27The budget will be announced on the 26th of November, which will reveal tax, borrowing
02:32and spending plans for the year ahead.
02:34Councillor Rachel Reeves has refused to rule out tax rises, as necessary choices in her
02:40upcoming budget will have to be made.
02:42This comes after Sir Keir Starmer's promise to not raise income taxes, VAT or national insurance,
02:49leaving many residents of Kent confused and outraged.
02:52Well, I tend not to believe what politicians say anyway.
02:58Rather than listen to their words, I look at their actions.
03:02So it doesn't surprise me.
03:03It wouldn't surprise me if taxes do go up.
03:06Nobody wants their taxes to go up, but I don't actually believe politicians do it unless they
03:12really need to not.
03:13The new government has made a complete mess of the whole thing.
03:19So it's been a pack of lies, you can start to see.
03:21Well, naturally I'm horrified at the thought of it, but on the other hand, how are we going
03:27to pay for the services that we receive?
03:30A spokesperson for Medway Council said, Rachel Reeves' budget shows that Labour is making
03:35the fair and responsible choices needed to deliver strong foundations for our economy and
03:41to secure Britain's future.
03:44The councillor has been clear that this government will not be swayed by political convenience,
03:49but will do what is right.
03:51And after years of instability under the Conservatives, Labour has restored economic credibility,
03:58begun rebuilding growth, and ensured that fairness and opportunity are at the heart of
04:03every decision.
04:05Here in Medway, we'll continue to fight for a fair funding deal that delivers the investment
04:10and support our community deserves.
04:13Reeves clarified during the conference today that specific policy choices will be set out
04:18on the 26th of November when she delivers the budget to MPs, but residents of Kent don't
04:24seem to be hopeful that their taxes will be unaffected.
04:29Maisie Walker for KMTV, Rochester.
04:33And in the last hour, I've spoken with Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce CEO Tudor Price on
04:38the Chancellor's statement.
04:39Thank you so much for joining us, Tudor.
04:42Now, first of all, a lot of business owners in high streets across Kent are already struggling
04:46with rising costs.
04:47Now, based on what we heard today, what could they expect the budget to look like and how
04:53could they prepare?
04:55There's two sides to this story, really.
05:00From a sort of retail hospitality perspective, if what we suspect is true, which is the chance
05:07of looking to raise income tax, then of course there's an anxiety that that will put constraints
05:12on consumer spend, which of course has a direct impact on retail and hospitality in particular.
05:18The other side of the story here, though, is really around the markets and investment
05:23propositions.
05:25Because what we're hearing from the markets is they're very concerned about the amount
05:28of debt and interest payments that the UK government is paying.
05:32So if the Chancellor can raise income tax, what that will do is they start to send a message
05:37to the markets that they're serious about reducing the interest debts and therefore the cost
05:42of bonds and gilts, which sort of seems a million miles away from the average person in the street.
05:49But these are the sorts of things that free up capital to be invested in big infrastructure
05:54projects, which then, of course, has a huge impact on the local economy.
05:57So I think there's two sides to this story, and I think this is where the Chancellor's trying to sort
06:01of get us ready for both.
06:03Absolutely.
06:04And you mentioned the markets there.
06:05There was apparently some nervousness in the markets after that speech.
06:09Should people be at all worried about what that means for things like mortgage rates
06:13or the value of their savings, potentially?
06:17Probably around the value of savings.
06:18I think if the government gets this right, obviously, then what they'll be able to do in theory
06:23is to sort of bring down inflation, which then will have a positive impact on people's mortgages
06:27and sort of, again, not so much the savings, but certainly instead of those that are carrying
06:31any debt.
06:32But what the government's trying to drive here is growth in the economy.
06:36And this is really where the business community have been holding back any of their decision-making
06:41pending the outcome of the Chancellor's statement in November later this month.
06:46Because they're really worried that there's going to be more burden placed on them.
06:51And, of course, that's going to stop them from sort of investing.
06:53But if they do start to tackle this issue around debt and interest, then actually that
07:00will unlock a lot of potential investment, not just from here in the UK, but from international
07:04sources as well.
07:05And I think we'll see a lot of projects move on.
07:07So from a business perspective, I think the Chancellor is trying to set the groundwork to
07:13say there's going to be an income tax rise and this is what it will do to the market.
07:17So there's some positives to be had.
07:19But I think in the short term, as is always the case, when people feel that they've got
07:22fewer pounds in their pocket, they're always going to be a little bit cautious about how
07:26they spend their money.
07:28I see.
07:28Thank you so much for your time today, Tudor.
07:31You're very welcome.
07:31Next, a fourth arrest has been made following the death of a man in Chatham.
07:37Kent police were called to an address on Castle Road last Saturday morning following a report
07:42of a serious assault at a private address in Castle Road.
07:45Emergency services attended the scene and a man in his 40s was treated by paramedics for
07:49an injury consistent with a stab wound.
07:52The man died at the scene.
07:53The force say that the fourth person arrested is a 51-year-old man, while two other men aged
07:5940 and 41 were arrested on Monday and remain in custody.
08:03A 45-year-old woman who was arrested in connection with the incident has been bailed pending further
08:08investigation and officers are continuing to appeal to any witnesses.
08:12Next, a £50 million biofuel plant has been given the go-ahead on the Hoo Peninsula as part
08:18of plans to boost clean energy in Medway.
08:20Their new facility in Kingsnorth will turn waste cooking oil into low-carbon fuel, in
08:25the process creating around 200 jobs.
08:27Planning permission was granted this week and I went down to the site to find out what the
08:31construction could mean for the area.
08:34When you're trying to make a sustainable alternative fuel to diesel, there's plenty of steps.
08:39Filtering, washing, drying.
08:41And to help with the process, Medway Council have given the go-ahead for a new £50 million
08:45expansion of a biofuel plant in the Hoo Peninsula.
08:48It will add to the existing sites that turn waste cooking oil into a lower carbon alternative
08:53to diesel.
08:55The expansion also aims to help build the Lower Thames Crossing, with the biofuel being
08:59used for construction vehicles on the site.
09:01Our evolution has evolved as the Lower Thames Crossing has received its permissions, as the government
09:09has moved forward with infrastructure projects to help promote growth, and there's no better
09:15example of a local project to us, stimulating that need and growth to a local area.
09:22The LTC Lower Thames Crossing will be the greenest road ever built, and we like to sit as part
09:31of the transition fuels and the matrix of fossil free fuels that they'll use on that site over
09:38the coming nine years.
09:39Now, here at the site, they create a truly ridiculous amount of biofuel, and in fact, this tanker
09:44behind me contains a million litres of the substance.
09:48But many of you out there might be wondering, what is biofuel, where does it go, and how is
09:52it made?
09:53So, liquid gold is our biofuel, our Syntec ASB, it is made from used cooking oil that
09:58we react with a catalyst to form our biofuel and our byproduct that is glycerol.
10:04Per legislation, similar to EN 590 diesel, it has to meet a British standard.
10:11We have the same here, which is the BS of EN 14214 standard.
10:15Yeah, so we do a range of quality control testing on both our feedstock and our biofuel that
10:20include lab tests against the BS EN 1424 standard and operational monitoring for the operatives
10:26outside.
10:27Syntec produces the most biofuel in the UK for the transport and logistics sectors, and
10:32the expansion, which was secured by Nexus Planning, is also said to create 200 jobs.
10:38The planning company added they worked closely with Syntec Biofuel, Medway Council and the
10:42wider technical team to ensure the scheme delivers environmental, economic and operational benefits
10:47in line with local policy and the national planning policy framework.
10:52The plant produces around a million litres of biofuel every month, but because of the
10:56new facility this is predicted to double by next year, coinciding with when the Lower
11:00Thames Crossing is set to start construction.
11:02Finn McDermid for KMTV, in Who.
11:06Now it is time for a quick break, but coming up we will hear about a Folkestone dog owner
11:11who has agreed to put down nine XL bully puppies due to kennel costs.
11:15We will listen to some residents outcry against a multi-million pound seaside project disrupting
11:21their neighbourhood in Greatstone.
11:23And we will hear from Maidstone Borough Council leader Stuart Jeffery who is writing to the
11:28Home Secretary to pardon seven women convicted of witchcraft.
11:32And of course we will as always take a look at the weather across the county over the coming
11:37days, but we will be right back after this very short break and we will have more news from
11:42around the county and right here in Kent.
11:45See you in a few minutes.
18:26Now don't forget you can keep up to date with all your latest stories across Kent by logging
18:29on to our website cametv.co.uk.
18:32There you'll find all our reports including this one about a school in Sevenoaks' new rules
18:37on phones.
18:39A school in Sevenoaks is pressing pause on phones and play on real life.
18:44At the start of this academic year Trinity School introduced a new rule no smartphones allowed during the day.
18:51Every morning students place their phones into small magnetic pouches similar to security tags which lock automatically.
18:58The pouches are kept by the school and can only be unlocked once the day ends.
19:03The aim is simple to reduce distractions and actively encourage students to engage with the present.
19:10Assistant head teacher Mr Richardson has said the results so far have been positive.
19:15We've definitely seen an improvement in the amount of reports to do with mobile phones.
19:20I'm the safeguarding lead here at the school and we've seen a decline in the amount of disclosures to do with maybe online bullying or cyber bullying or group chats.
19:30We still get a few happening maybe in the evenings or the weekends which have a knock-on effect and end up coming into school
19:35and we still deal with those in the right way but we're not dealing with any that are happening during the school day.
19:40While some students were unsure at first many now say they are enjoying school life more without the constant buzz of notifications.
19:48I think at first it was a lot of adjustment because everyone was absolutely furious but then it changed and then now it's kind of quite unnoticeable.
19:56You just walk in, put your phone in your pouch and at the end of the day you get it.
19:59I'm for it. I think it's just going to keep improving. Each year it's about and present.
20:06The initiative has also received praise from local MP Laura Trott who visited the school and encourages others to follow in Trinity's lead.
20:15She said it was great on a recent visit to speak with head teacher Matt Pawson and pupils to hear about the positive impact this change is already having.
20:24Particularly at break times where children are now chatting and playing together rather than scrolling through their screens.
20:30A huge well done to Matt and his team. By putting their phones on silent Trinity students are turning up the volume on learning and friendships.
20:40Maisie Walker for KNTV, Sevenoaks.
20:44Great story from Maisie there. You can find it on our website.
20:47Now it's time to take a look at the weather for the coming days.
20:55This evening we'll see cloudy skies with temperatures averaging at 14 across the county.
20:59Highs of 15 there in Dover. Tomorrow morning sees partly cloudy skies again.
21:03Temperatures rising up to 15 across the county except for Ashford and Tunbridge Wells.
21:07And into your afternoon more clouds to be expected. Highs of 16 across the county.
21:11Lows of 14 there in Ashford. And here's your outlook for the coming days.
21:15On Thursday the county will experience highs of 16.
21:17Towards the end of the week things getting slightly cooler. Highs of 15.
21:20Cloudy skies continuing until Saturday where the sun begins to peek through just in time for the weekend.
21:24Next. While the women accused in the infamous Salem witch trials in America have long since been pardoned.
21:36The convictions of seven women in four witchcraft on Maidstone's Penenden Heath under similar laws in 1652 still officially stands.
21:43But Maidstone Borough Council have been gaining international attention in recent weeks as part of a campaign to change that.
21:50Council leader Stuart Jeffery has written to the Home Secretary calling for a general pardon of the seven women.
21:55And joined us earlier on to tell us more.
21:58Thank you so much for joining us Stuart. First of all, why has this action been taken by you and the council now?
22:04The women were executed back in 1652 I believe. So why now of all times?
22:10Back in the summer we were presented with a petition for a memorial to the women who were murdered.
22:17It was at that point fairly unknown. The scale of the size of the trial that they went through.
22:28Seven women wrongly convicted under this arcane law and then hanged.
22:35And as part of the work that we did exploring, making sure we had a plan to provide that memorial, we thought it would be a useful addition to request their pardon.
22:52We're very aware of the Turing's law, which was passed a few years ago, which pardoned gay men who they shouldn't have been convicted for.
23:04And this was clearly a crime that these women were not guilty of.
23:10So asking for a pardon felt like a right thing to do.
23:14And specifically, we've used it to highlight that historical context of misogyny that was apparent then and is clearly apparent now.
23:24So we're using it as part of our highlighting of the society which needs to root out misogyny.
23:32Absolutely. And what's been the feeling around this in the council? Is there a lot of support or is it a bit divisive?
23:38Tell us about how it's been received.
23:40I mean, clearly there are councillors who are not keen on doing this and that's politics.
23:46Generally speaking, there is widespread support within the council and within the public.
23:54The sort of social media posts I've put out are 90% supportive.
23:58And interestingly, on social media, the majority of people who are unhappy are men, strangely enough.
24:08And obviously you mentioned there the fact that the violence against these women is historic, but as you say, still happens today.
24:16Some might say that this is symbolic at best and others might say it might not make much change today.
24:23What would you say to that?
24:26Yes, it is symbolic. There is nothing else it can be.
24:30Has it resonated? Yeah. I mean, this has gone completely viral, internationally viral.
24:38So people are recognising that it is symbolic and it is the right thing to do.
24:46I was on CNN at the weekend. Tomorrow I'm on New Zealand breakfast TV.
24:52People are really interested in this, on this historical aspect of misogyny and how it relates to modern society.
25:00So I think it is making a difference. It's getting people talking about it.
25:04See, and history is all about not repeating the mistakes of our past.
25:08What lessons do you think in modern society we can sort of take on from this pardoning of these poor women?
25:16I mean, I think, you know, what we learn is that there has been this historical basis for misogyny.
25:23It has come down through the years.
25:25And we, by recognising that, it helps us tackle it.
25:31Equality and equity for women is really, really important.
25:35And we haven't, we still haven't seen that go anywhere near far enough.
25:41We've had, you know, people like the Met Police being labelled as institutionally misogynistic quite recently.
25:48So making sure that we are, we keep this in the forefront of our minds as we, as we write policies,
25:56as we interact in our society, I think is really important.
26:00So keeping it, keeping the focus on this helps us to change, just shift the dial slightly on our culture.
26:08So I'm pleased that if we can do everything we can at every level of society, then we should start to move forward.
26:15I see. Thank you so much for your time today, Stuart.
26:17Now, that is all the time we have for this part.
26:23But coming up, Kent households and businesses potentially face tax hikes.
26:29This is after Rachel Reeves' Downing Street pre-budget speech.
26:33We'll also meet the Tunbridge Wells homeowner who is trapped with the retirement home she inherited.
26:38This came after months of delegation with her freeholder.
26:42We'll be right back after this very short break with all that news and more.
26:46See you in just a sec.
26:48.
32:20listen to their words, I look at their actions. So it doesn't surprise me, it wouldn't surprise me
32:27if taxes do go up. Nobody wants their taxes to go up, I don't actually believe politicians do it
32:34unless they really need to. The new government has made a complete mess of the whole thing,
32:41so it's been a pack of lies you've started to finish. Well naturally I'm horrified at the thought
32:46of it but on the other hand how are we going to pay for all the services that we receive.
32:52A spokesperson for Medway Council said, Rachel Reeves' budget shows that Labour is making the
32:58fair and responsible choices needed to deliver strong foundations for our economy and to secure
33:04Britain's future. The councillor has been clear that this government will not be swayed by political
33:10convenience but will do what is right. And after years of instability under the Conservatives,
33:17Labour has restored economic credibility, begun rebuilding growth and ensured that fairness and
33:23opportunity are at the heart of every decision. Here in Medway we'll continue to fight for a fair
33:30funding deal that delivers the investment and support our community deserves. Reeves clarified
33:37during the conference today that specific policy choices will be set out on the 26th of November
33:42when she delivers the budget to MPs. But residents of Kent don't seem to be hopeful that their taxes will
33:49be unaffected. Maisie Walker for KMTV, Rochester. And I caught up with the Kent Messenger's business
33:57editor Chris Britcher earlier on to find out a bit more about the Chancellor's announcement.
34:01Well thank you so much for joining us Chris and first of all the Chancellor's speech today hinted
34:06tax rises might still be on the table. If that does happen what do you think it could mean for
34:11residents and businesses here in the county? Well I don't think it's going to be particularly
34:19welcomed by anyone to be perfectly honest. We've been under the impression that we weren't going to
34:23have any tax rises. I mean there's the three main ones there's income tax, there's national insurance
34:29and there's VAT. They are enormous revenue generators for the Treasury. Now obviously the
34:36Labour manifesto said they weren't going to touch those. If they go up then we will all be paying a
34:43price. Obviously income tax means our wages will be eroded a little bit every month. VAT means we'll
34:49be paying more for our goods and that will be a pain also for businesses because they'll obviously have to
34:54increase their costs and national insurance. Well we saw the push back last year when the
35:01Chancellor suggested or the Chancellor imposed an increase in national insurance contributions
35:07on businesses. So let us hope that this isn't going to be the path we're going down but I think
35:12it's looking increasingly likely that it is. I see and I think on the minds of many what do you think this
35:19means politically considering this might be breaking or would be breaking one of Labour's election
35:24manifesto pledges? I do think this is going to be a manner from heaven for her opponents if indeed
35:31she goes through with this. You know you the manifesto is your pledge to the voter that is what people
35:39lend their vote to you based upon that manifesto. Growth is is barely there. She's got to do something
35:47and she's got to raise some revenues but so soon into her government's reign in Westminster to be
35:55upping these these these taxes potentially I think would be extremely damaging and I suspect
36:03all you will hear in the run-up to the next election from her opponents will be how Labour are not to be
36:08trusted with any of their promises. I see and we know local councils here in Kent are really quite
36:14stretched. If government funding doesn't increase could that mean more cuts to local services or even
36:20higher to council tax? I mean we've seen council tax going up by the maximum allowed every year I can't
36:28imagine for one moment that isn't going to continue and obviously that then has an impact on the local
36:33services which that council tax goes towards. It's also further complicated by this sort of
36:41devolution of the local authorities which will obviously see the end of the likes of KCC and
36:45Medway council and all our local existing borough and district councils. It remains to be seen quite
36:51how that's all going to shake up and how the money will fall. I think it's uncertain time certainly at
36:56the moment and I think you know it's no secret that there is very little money to go around and
37:02any additional monies and revenues raised are going towards just vital services anyway. I think it's
37:08going to be a tricky and challenging time for our local services as it has been for for several years
37:13now. A woman in Tunbridge Wells says she's losing hundreds every month as she fights to sell a
37:19retirement home she inherited. After her mother's death Karen Inglis was told she could no longer
37:23lease the property and has spent months seeking a buyer so far without success. Freeholder Sanctuary
37:28Housing say the sales process is complex and insists it's working with her. After their refusal to buy
37:34the property off of her she turned to We Buy Any House for a quick sale. She accepted their offer
37:38of £20,000 seven months ago but is still currently waiting on the housing to decide whether she can
37:43sell to them. So when I went to them last summer and asked for them to do that they just then went
37:49oh no you can't do that um you can't do that because you should have never been renting the property out
37:55and I said well but I've always rented it out because I couldn't I couldn't do anything with
38:02it when I inherited it. My friend helped me to word a letter which I then pushed back
38:07and gave to uh sent to them and and in response to that they then billed me for £3,500 solicitor's fees
38:17which I then was like actually I've had like two letters here I think and I calculated it and kind
38:22of went back and just said so that means your solicitor's charging and that was something
38:29ridiculous like 280 quid an hour and then they came back and went oh no typo sorry £350.
38:39Next Eagle Heights Wildlife Foundation in Innsford is closed to the public after a Newington bird flu
38:45outbreak. Eagles Heights director Samantha Leonard says the closure is a preventative move and assures
38:50that all the birds are at the site and currently healthy the move has been made as if even one bird
38:55would contract were to contract the virus government policy could require that every bird on site be
39:00euthanized even after the risk lowers the virus tends to linger on the soil and even on your clothes
39:05so the decision seemed necessary the non-profit fears for the foundation's future due to losing its
39:10essential visitor income now after Andrew Mountbatten Windsor's titles and princehood were stripped
39:16there have been calls to rename roads named after him across the UK including one in Broadstairs.
39:22Prince Andrew Road has divided opinion among residents and Kristen Hawthorne was down at the
39:27road to find out more. Across the UK there are roads named after Prince Andrew but due to recently
39:33having his title stripped due to controversies do people here in Kent think the name should be changed?
39:39I do yes I'm I'm moving back in I've been um away for a year so today I've been phoning gas people
39:47electricity water and of course I asked your address and I have been a bit embarrassed.
39:53I can still leave the name the street name in his name because the controversy has happened it has
40:01happened but for me uh for the fact they are doing something about it you know maybe giving him a
40:10query or other things you know the the name of the street can still remain you know for me it doesn't
40:18bother me it doesn't mean anything to me yeah changing the name now we bring a sort of confusion to some
40:28people. Do you think the Prince Andrew Road street name should be changed? Yes I do. Why? Well because
40:35when I went to buy something even yesterday and you have to give your address and the man who was
40:41selling it to me said that's not a very nice address to have is it? Why can't they change it to just not
40:48Prince just Andrew? I spoke with many other residents about the street name who did not want to appear on
40:54camera. Some said it was just a street name and changing it could be confusing especially for some
41:00older residents while many others said they would like it changed as the sign itself often
41:05sees graffiti and vandalism. A spokesperson for the Thanet District Council said that street names are
41:10usually decided by developers and go through a street naming process. Any change to a street name
41:16must be agreed by 100% of that street's residents as changes can incur costs to individuals. In the event
41:23of an application to change the name of Prince Andrew Road in Broadstairs the request would most
41:28likely be made via the parish council to the Thanet District Council street naming and numering
41:33department. To date the council has not received an application to do so. While opinions remain
41:38divided on whether or not to change it the Prince Andrew Road street name will stay. Kristen Hawthorne for
41:44KMTV in Broadstairs. That's all we have time for. See you after this short break.
42:14you
42:44you
43:14you
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44:44welcome back to Kent Tonight Live here on KMTV.
45:14To sport now, and Jill's players and fans will be delighted to hear
45:17that manager Gareth Ainsworth has returned to oversee training.
45:21He's been absent from the club for a month after heart surgery in early October.
45:25And while he's been off the team, the team has been managed by his long-term assistant Richard Dobson,
45:31with Ainsworth's last game being a 1-0 home loss to Harrogate Town,
45:35which brought to an end the club's record-breaking 21-game unbeaten run.
45:39He took to Jill's social media to announce his return.
45:42Hi, everyone.
45:44Feels good to be back at the training ground while the boys are training.
45:47Let's see how the week goes.
45:49But so far, so good.
45:51Hope to Jill's.
45:53Great to see him back feeling healthy now.
45:56Kings Hill racer Thomas Merritt has finished the season as vice champion
46:00in the BRSCC Fiesta Junior Championship at Brands Hatch.
46:05Across the campaign, the teenager secured four wins, ten podium places, and five fastest laps.
46:11In tricky wet conditions at the final round,
46:12a switch to wet tyres and steady driving kept him in the top positions.
46:17Merritt says he's over the moon to go out on a high in his last year in the junior ranks.
46:22And finally, in sport, to the track,
46:24where Canterbury's Charlotte Henrik has been reflecting on her breakout season,
46:29which has seen her become one of the new major names in British athletics.
46:32The former Simon Langton Girls Grammar School pupil capped the year in August in Finland
46:37by winning the under-20 European gold in the 400 metres.
46:41Despite injuries earlier this year that did threaten her progress,
46:45she set personal bests and impressed on the national stage.
46:49In the international stage, I should say,
46:51Henrik says it's a dream come true,
46:53and she's already looking ahead to the next step in her career.
46:56Now, if you were in Maidstone today,
46:59you might have caught a glimpse of pre-history in the making.
47:03The borough council have rolled out bin-asaurus wrecks,
47:06the only electric bin lorry in the county.
47:10The council say it will ensure the area's net zero 2030 plans are achieved,
47:15but has come with a price tag of £170,000.
47:18Local democracy reporter Olly Lieder swapped Jurassic Park for Moat Park
47:22to find out, is this a roaring success or a dino-sized bite out of taxpayers' wallets?
47:34Meet the bin-asaurus wrecks,
47:36the carbon-friendly apex predator of Maidstone's waste collection,
47:42silently moving through the undergrowth of Moat Park.
47:47You know, we want the children to think about recycling,
47:50thinking about litter.
47:51They see this driving along, they're excited,
47:54and if we can get them excited about recycling,
47:56excited about using litter bins,
47:59then we're doing our job,
48:00because we're keeping the waste from being sent for disposal,
48:04we're keeping stuff from being dropped on the floor.
48:06You know, these parks are beautiful, we don't want litter.
48:09The bin-asaurus wrecks is an expensive beast.
48:11It costs the council around £170,000.
48:15But because it's a herbivore,
48:16because it doesn't guzzle those fossil fuels,
48:19every other bin lorry does here in Kent,
48:23it also makes it cost-effective,
48:26and potentially the future for waste collection here in Maidstone.
48:31Now, I'm sure that people want to reduce their council tax,
48:35so this is more expensive to buy,
48:38but over the lifetime of a refuge vehicle,
48:41it can be 20 years,
48:42we will definitely save money.
48:44I mean, 300 litres of diesel a day,
48:46we're not using.
48:47That's a lot of diesel.
48:48But what difference does any of this make?
48:52It can go faster than that.
48:54Behind the wheel.
48:55Can you hear that?
48:56There's absolutely no roar on the bin-asaurus wrecks,
49:00as it's trundling along here in Moe Park.
49:04That's because it's all electric,
49:06so it won't be keeping you up in the morning,
49:08as it's collecting your street waste.
49:11That's right, yeah,
49:12they'll be amazed,
49:14because by the time they keep the collection,
49:16we'll be in and out without them noticing we're there.
49:21But do passers-by believe the new addition
49:24is a dino-soaring success?
49:28Fantastic.
49:29Good fun.
49:30Brightens up, you know, your day
49:31when you see something like that.
49:33Let's hope people are attracted by it
49:35and take notice of it.
49:37I like the design, but I'm anti-electric.
49:41Maidstone Borough Council's 2013 Net Zero Target
49:44means many of the existing diesel lorries
49:48are heading for extinction.
49:52Love it or hate it,
49:53the bin-asaurus is here to stay.
49:56Ollie Lieder in Moe Park.
50:00Now, don't forget you can keep up to date
50:02with all your latest stories across Kent
50:04by logging on to our website at cametv.co.uk.
50:07And they're not all about dinosaur-themed bin lorries,
50:10I'm afraid to say.
50:11This one is about trains to Europe
50:12being one step closer to returning to Kent
50:15after the rail regulator gave Virgin Trains permission
50:17to use a key international depot in London.
50:20Let's have a look.
50:21I have got something for you.
50:23Let's see what happens.
50:25Ta-da!
50:27I can't see yet.
50:28That's better.
50:31There's a Virgin bag.
50:34And enjoy our new train service in a couple of years.
50:36It's Eurostar dominance no more,
50:39as Virgin Trains have received the green light
50:42to operate international rail services using the Channel Tunnel,
50:45which could put direct routes to Europe from Kent back on the map.
50:50The UK's rail regulator, the Office of Rail & Road, has announced the Branston-owned company
50:56will have access to Temple Mill International Depot, the same one used by Eurostar.
51:02The ORR have explained this could unlock 400 new jobs and 700 million in investment,
51:08as well as potential cheaper prices for customers, encouraged by the new competition.
51:13Branson's plan is to launch these new services in 2030, putting an end to Eurostar having
51:19monopolised the Channel Tunnel since 1994.
51:23But the real question is, will these new trains stop at international stations in Kent, where
51:28the Eurostar has stopped visiting?
51:30So, the first thing to say is that this is really, really positive, good news.
51:38It's really great to have some for a change that we're getting somewhere.
51:42We've taken a step forward on our journey back towards international rail travel from Ashford,
51:47and all in all, I'm optimistic that this is the right thing to do.
51:52I'm delighted that Virgin has won this bid, because on the day at this big event that we had at the end
51:58of September, I had a lovely chat with one of the directors from Virgin, who'd come down especially
52:02for the event, and he assured me that if they were successful, they would stop in Kent.
52:08So, the next step, really, is to persuade the government to reopen these stations,
52:12because, of course, as soon as the stations are officially reopened and brought back up to standard,
52:17we can get those services stopping as soon as Virgin start running their trains.
52:21The Virgin group explained that should the former stations be able to accommodate international services
52:27once again. The new trains will stop in Kent. Those in Ashford seem excited by the possibility.
52:35Well, I think it's such a shame that it's there and it's not being used enough. We spent all this
52:39money getting it there for the local people to use, to go further afield, and it's just not being used
52:46enough. It's such a shame. I think it brings a lot of business to the town as well, and I think it's a very
52:53good idea. Why not? I mean, it's there. It needs to be used for something. It's just a waste of money
52:57if it sits there doing nothing. Eurostar blames Covid-related debt for pulling the plug on its Kent
53:03services. But Virgin Trains also faces financial barriers to be able to bring these stations back
53:09to life. Without updating infrastructure in Ebbsfleet and Ashford stations to accommodate new
53:14international services, these trains will be stopped at a signal, once again awaiting green light.
53:21Megan Shaw for KMTV in Ashford.
53:25Now it's time to take a look at the weather for the coming days.
53:32This evening we'll see cloudy skies, temperatures averaging at 14 across the county, highs of 15
53:37in Dover. Tomorrow morning sees partly cloudy skies again, with temperatures rising up to 15 across
53:42the county, with the exception of Ashford and Tunbridge Wells staying at 14 there. And in the afternoon,
53:47more clouds to be expected. Highs of 16 across the county, lows of 14 in Ashford. And here's your
53:52outlook for the coming days. Thursday, the county will experience highs of 16. Towards the end of
53:57the week, things are getting slightly cooler. Highs of 15. Cloudy skies continuing until Saturday when
54:02the sun begins to peak through.
54:07Now premiering on KMTV after Kent tonight is a brand new show all about the news in Kent,
54:13made for primary school children. News Nuggets tackles stories about local politics and democracy,
54:19and allows our younger generation to explore the importance of our local area. From elections,
54:23to food waste, to who runs our sports clubs. Each episode takes a deep dive into everything
54:28and everything about how our county runs. Here's a sneak peek of episode one, coming on straight after
54:33the break. Three, two, one. Hello, I'm Abi and welcome to News Nuggets. This week we'll be learning
54:41about your local government, voting and democracy. So what are the topics that are most important to you?
54:48Do you think you're doing a good job at what you're doing? Well that's a great question. Your local
54:55council is in charge of really important services like social care, schools, housing. Democracy means
55:02that we get a say on who leads our country. Every five years, people in the UK go to their local
55:08ballot station and vote for a member of parliament. What do you think both of you have learnt today?
55:14Some of my parents friends and stuff, they sometimes think that politics are just fighting and stuff
55:20and kind of being mean. But now that I've talked to all you guys, I understand that like it's not
55:26just that. Politics isn't just about being in charge, it's about speaking up for what you think is right.
55:33So Vince, where are we going now? One of the projects we're going to look at today is the paddock,
55:39which is right in the heart of Chatham Town Centre. How much is all this building going to cost?
55:46So this is costing several hundreds of thousands of pounds. It's a lot of money.
55:51Do you know Frank, I think there should be a bench right here. Yeah, there should with our names on it.
55:58Well joining us in the studio today is Tris Osborne. He's the MP or member of parliament for Chatham and
56:04Ellsford. So I feel like parks are a really good way to do that but there aren't many around our area.
56:10We have a doctor in our area and I think that we should have quicker appointments and I know that
56:17that's very hard to control. Our local council is in charge of our roads, bins and schools. True or false?
56:24True. True. True. There we go. It's true. Well done. Full house. All right.
56:36Brilliant. Well, you've been watching Kent Tonight live here on KMTV. There's more news made just for
56:41Kent throughout the evening but from me for now. That's all. See you soon.
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