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Catch up on all the latest news from across the county with Kristin Hawthorne
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00:28Transcription by CastingWords
00:31Hello and welcome to Kentonite Live on KMTV. I'm Kristen Hawthorne and here are your top stories on Monday the
00:374th of May.
00:38A fight for funds. Stroodwoman says she feels caged without an accessible home.
00:43I'd love to just say, like, just to go to the toilet like anybody else would want to do, but
00:50I can't.
00:51Opposing proposals. Mepham residents fight against applications for new homes.
00:56When all is said and done, it's something I don't want to see happen to this lovely village.
01:00And setting seals. Medway Market celebrates a successful launch at Chatham Docks.
01:05We just want local traders, who we know times are hard at the moment, to hopefully trade with us for
01:13the future.
01:23Our top story tonight.
01:25A Strood resident is trying to raise funds to make vital adaptations to her home so she can regain some
01:30independence and, in her own words, feel human again.
01:33Chloe Higgins was diagnosed with functional neurological disorder last August.
01:38Since then, she has lost movement below her waist, turning even the simplest parts of daily life into a struggle.
01:45Despite being assessed as needing support, she's been told help could still be months away.
01:50In the meantime, she's left living in a home that simply isn't designed for her needs.
01:55Our reporter Maisie Walker has this story.
01:57It almost felt like I was going round and round in a washing machine.
02:02That constant motion and jerks and being, like, almost manhandled.
02:10Every home has its challenges.
02:13But for Chloe, everything shifted overnight when she began living with functional neurological disorder.
02:18She lost movement below the waist.
02:21And since then, even the most basic parts of daily life have become a struggle.
02:25She sleeps downstairs, washes in her kitchen and relies on temporary ramps just to get in and out of the
02:32house.
02:32So these are the wooden ramps that Chloe uses to get in and out of the house.
02:37But, of course, the motion of going over can cause her extreme pain.
02:41Despite being assessed as needing support, she's been told help could still be months away.
02:47In the meantime, she's left living in a home that simply isn't built for her needs.
02:52Chloe pays for a one-night hotel stay each month just so she can have a proper shower,
02:58often relying on her sink to wash the rest of the time.
03:02A huge financial strain on her already tight income.
03:06It's not dignified for anybody to have a wash in the kitchen.
03:10And it's very difficult when you have to lean over a sink with a bowl of water and a jug.
03:20Especially when you can't physically hold that jug either.
03:23But the biggest thing for me is the cage feeling.
03:29Because I'd love to just say, like, just to go to the toilet like anybody else wants to do.
03:36But I can't because there is no toilet.
03:39I'm stuck using a command.
03:41I hate that.
03:43Chloe is trying to raise funds to make essential adaptations to her home
03:47so she can regain some independence and, as she puts it, feel human again.
03:53I'd actually have my life back.
03:56Be able to just go out and do something.
03:59Just to have a shower would greatly improve things.
04:06Maisie Walker for KMTV, Strood.
04:11Water issues at a hospital in Dartford have pushed into their sixth day.
04:16Patients, staff and visitors to the West Block at Darant Valley Hospital
04:20have not been able to drink water from taps or use it to wash
04:23after a water safety notice was put in place.
04:26It comes as a result of an internal fault with the hospital's heating system,
04:30which has led to potential contamination of both hot and cold water.
04:34It follows reports that the supply issue has promoted
04:37horrendous working conditions, leaving no clean crockery in the kitchen
04:40and staff having to clean patients with wet wipes.
04:43A spokesperson says the rest of the hospital is unaffected by the issue.
04:49As planning proposals for over 1,000 homes in the countryside village of Mepham
04:53have been put forward, worried residents have come together
04:56to campaign against them.
04:58They say the environment needs to be protected
05:00and fear that the peaceful nature of the town would be lost forever.
05:03But where else do they say the houses should go?
05:06I've been finding out.
05:07As developers propose plans for hundreds of new homes on the green spaces in Mepham,
05:12residents living in the area say their beloved countryside would be lost forever
05:16and have come together to campaign against the change.
05:20Because of the rural locality of these areas,
05:23because of the village landscape of these areas,
05:25because of the individuality of these areas as well,
05:27within these communities and these applications don't fulfil the need
05:35for these local communities in these areas.
05:38So I think it will radically change Mepham forever more.
05:41I'm absolutely horrified.
05:43I think so many applications all at once is bamboozling us or trying to.
05:47There are many plans proposed and if approved,
05:51the developments could see almost 1,500 new homes built across the parish.
05:56The largest application is for 725 homes off Cammer Road and Norwood Lane,
06:02with other proposals including sites west of Norwood Lane
06:05in Blackthorn Farm in Culverstone Green
06:08and land near the Parade and Longfield Road.
06:11Plans also include new roads, open space and in some cases,
06:15facilities such as a school, shop and sports centre.
06:19The residents say they don't want any houses to be built here
06:21and these kinds of spaces need to be protected.
06:23But with government housing targets to be met, what is the alternative?
06:27Gravesend, Norfleet, Swanscombe.
06:29There's a big hospital in Gravesend which has just been left.
06:33I understand that developers bought it but they've done nothing with it.
06:37Even heard that the Civic Centre might be closing in Gravesend.
06:40That would reveal another brownfield site you could say.
06:43I think they should go to Gravesend. To be honest with you, I mean Gravesend is always a big area.
06:47Of course, there is still the argument that younger people need homes to buy or rent.
06:51Well, there's a need but if you look at, for example, the Rose Farm development in Iceded Rise,
06:56they're not affordable for young people to get onto the property market.
07:00Well, they're saying they're making them affordable
07:02but there's no way a first-time buyer can afford them.
07:05You know, even if they lower it by 20%, it's not enough.
07:08We do need houses. My daughter's renting at very high rent.
07:12My grandsons have got very little chance of buying houses
07:16but there are plenty of brownfield sites that are being left to ruin.
07:21You've got so many things which basically point to, let's do this building.
07:25The government thinks we need the housing.
07:28Let's build it on the existing brownfield sites where they've got all the amenities they need.
07:31Building on these sites is both profitable and meets the Labour Party target of building
07:38but it's not good for the environment.
07:41The application is due to be discussed at the planning committee on May 5th.
07:44For now though, campaigners say they will continue fighting to protect the countryside on their doorstep.
07:50Kristen Hawthorne, KMTV, MEPM.
07:54Well now for a quick look at the weather.
08:02Tonight could feel quite chilly with temperatures reaching around 12 degrees in Dartford and Maidstone
08:06dipping to 11 degrees across the county.
08:08Then into the morning we have 11 degrees across the border, cloudy skies, wind speeds picking up just slightly.
08:14And then into the afternoon we have highs of 17 degrees in Maidstone and Dartford again
08:20and then 14 towards most of the rest of the county.
08:23Cloudy skies on Wednesday, clear skies on Thursday and Friday, 12 degrees on Wednesday, 14 on Thursday
08:29and then highs of 17 on Friday.
08:37And finally, 90 vendors bundled into a boathouse in Chatham for the first ever Midway market on Saturday.
08:44The new market launched in the Chatham Historic Dockyard Slip 5, a huge former shipbuilding space.
08:52Opened by the mayor and attended by local celebrities, boxer Johnny Armour and former Gillingham striker, Danny Kedwell,
08:59the market hopes to mark the return of the traditional community market of the town.
09:03Chloe Brewster reports.
09:06Opening opportunities to local traders.
09:11It was all hands on deck for Midway market's launch this weekend.
09:16Uniquely located inside a disused shipbuilding space at Chatham Historic Dockyard,
09:21it hopes to mark a return of the traditional market to the town.
09:25We're looking to bring local traders, the community all together, different cultures
09:30and just have a traditional market, which we haven't had for years.
09:34People are often talking about Rochester.
09:37And as a kid I went to it and all I remember was great times.
09:41But there's nothing like that around here.
09:43We just want local traders, who we know times are hard at the moment,
09:48to hopefully trade with us for the future.
09:51Part of our role as mayors is to support new businesses in the borough, is to promote Midway.
09:57So obviously when we hear about opportunities where people are coming forward, really,
10:02to serve the community in this way, we're keen to help.
10:05Our high streets are struggling.
10:06So, I mean, we want people to be, not have to travel to get what they want, really.
10:12So the wider the choice we can have, the better it is.
10:15And because this is at the Dockyard, this is just such a fantastic place.
10:19We want people to come here, and to increase the offer on site is actually great.
10:23Well, it's an early Saturday morning, so I had to go and get myself a coffee
10:26from the Kent coffee shop to type me over.
10:29But as well as coffee, there's food, there's vintage clothing, there's toys, there's flowers.
10:35There's actually 90 vendors signed up to be here today.
10:38This is a great opportunity for the handmade workers who live in Kent on Midway.
10:43This is a great chance to market your stuff, sell and let the people know about it.
10:47I was scrolling like you do on social media, and I saw the advert, and I thought, ooh,
10:54a new market.
10:55So this is the first time for me in a very long time.
10:59So I thought it was a good opportunity and a fresh start.
11:03I think being at the Dockyard, and it's repurposing an old building,
11:08and it's like bringing all the old elements together and reusing.
11:15The event also featured entertainment alongside family attractions and food stalls.
11:20The market plans to operate from 8am to 4pm on the first Saturday of every month,
11:25with free entry and parking available on site.
11:28The organisers hope the market will be anchored into the community's calendar in the future.
11:34Chloe Brewster for KMTV in Chatham.
11:38And that's it from us this evening on KMTV.
11:41But in the meantime, you can check out all our special programmes
11:43visiting our website, kmtv.co.uk.
11:47And we'll see you this evening for the bulletin.
11:49Until then, bye-bye.
12:15We'll see you next time.
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