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Catch up with all the latest news from across the county with Chloe Brewster.
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00:00KAREN FOLEY- Hello, and welcome to Kent Tonight Live
00:26on KMTV.
00:27I'm Chloe Brewster, and here are your top stories on Tuesday, the 13th of October.
00:32Green, not greed.
00:34MEP and Residents protest over proposed housing plans.
00:37We'd like Gravesham to do what they said that they would do and force developers to build
00:43on brownfield sites.
00:45Help for veterans.
00:46Medway Council hosts first ever wellbeing fair for former Armed Forces members.
00:52Feet in the legs was a lifesaver.
00:54And finally, kicking down barriers.
00:58Kings Hill FC hosts its biggest ever SEND football tournament.
01:03They are opportunities that perhaps don't exist as much as they should for the SEND community.
01:20Your top story tonight.
01:22MEP and Residents have gathered outside a planning inquiry in Gravesend to protest plans to build
01:27up to 150 homes in their village.
01:30The proposal for Norwood Lane includes affordable homes and public open space, but residents
01:36raised concerns about housing development across agricultural land, opting instead for
01:40the properties to be built on brownfields.
01:43Naila Mohamed was at the protest today.
01:46Green, not greed.
01:48Green, not greed.
01:50Today marks the first day of a planning inquiry looking into developing property on the green
01:55fields around Mepham.
01:57And these campaigners want their voices heard.
02:00We're fully aware of the situation with the economy and that building homes is something
02:06that is perceived as a way of achieving a better economy.
02:11But unfortunately, most of the houses that get built are aspirational homes.
02:14And what we really, really want to see is the brownfield first approach.
02:18We'd like Gravesham to do what they said that they would do and force developers to build
02:24on brownfield sites.
02:26As you can see behind me, the protest is still going on.
02:29Since I've been here, quite a lot of people have been coming and joining the protest outside
02:33the council.
02:34And as you can see on the signs, the message here is brownfield first.
02:38The protesters want developers to build properties on the site like Gravesend, rather on Greenfield
02:44site, which are little villages like Mepham.
02:46Developer Taley Wimpe proposed plans for up to 150 homes in the land near Norwood Lane,
02:52including affordable housing and public open space.
02:56But for Mepham residents, the new housing would cause more problems than it would solve.
03:01We've got a beautiful multicultural town here.
03:04We need to regenerate that, not desecrate the villages and the greenbelt.
03:08That's the future for our children.
03:10That's our future.
03:11Once that's built on, it's gone.
03:13The infrastructure's not there for it.
03:14We have power cuts in Mepham.
03:16We have two trains an hour, one bus an hour, oversubscribed doctor surgery.
03:21This can go on.
03:22I mean, we get flooding.
03:23Mepham's on a hill.
03:24So when we have potential rain, the drains can't take it.
03:27It's just, we get severe flooding.
03:28So the whole lot, street lighting, we have lack of street lighting.
03:31So it's all got to be worked on, really, before you even think about putting more of a
03:36residence in the area.
03:37Back in May this year, the council's planning committee declined the application for the houses.
03:41This was appealed by the developers.
03:44Before the appeal was due to start, the council withdrew their objections and are now not involved
03:50in the appeals process.
03:51In a statement, Taylor Wimpey said,
03:53With the public inquiry now underway, it would not be appropriate for us to comment.
03:58We recognise the strength of local feeling and will continue to engage with the council,
04:03the local community and other stakeholders throughout the inquiry process.
04:07Gratian Borough Council also said it would be inappropriate to comment while the public
04:11inquiry is ongoing.
04:12A final decision will be made at the end of the three-day inquiry.
04:16Until then, residents are waiting to see if their greenfields will remain untouched.
04:22Nayla Mahamud for KMTV in Gravesend.
04:25Green, not free.
04:27A second man has been charged with attempted murder following a shooting in Swanley last
04:32week.
04:33Kent police were called to Acacia Walker around 8.50pm on Thursday, where a man in his 20s
04:39sustained injuries consistent with gunshot wounds.
04:4228-year-old Dave Smith of Barnfield Road in Orpington has now also been charged with attempted
04:48murder and possession of a firearm with intents to endanger life.
04:53He has been remanded to custody pending a court hearing at Sevenoaks Magistrates Court on Wednesday
04:58the 14th of October.
04:59Two other men were bailed and an investigation remains ongoing.
05:04The second wave of people have been released from prisons up and down the country as part of
05:09Labour's early release scheme.
05:10700 prisoners walked out the gates last week, with a further 650 scheduled for today.
05:16It can be a worrying time for some, which is why we spoke to Victimsupport.org, a charity
05:21which has launched a helpline for victims.
05:24Well, we at Victimsupport heard from a lot of victims either this week and over the past
05:30few weeks and months who are quite anxious and concerned and worried about early release.
05:35They're worried about what it might mean for their safety.
05:38They're worried about what it might mean in their case.
05:41And actually, for many victims, they've been kind of left in the dark because they might
05:44have seen a lot of media coverage.
05:45They might even have received a letter, but they might not actually know what's been happening.
05:50So I'd say it's been a really, really quite challenging and difficult and uncertain time
05:55for lots of people over the last few weeks and months.
05:57And how much uptake have you seen on that early release helpline?
06:01So we've seen a fair few people call us when it's only been 13 days since we've been running
06:05it, so it's been less than two weeks.
06:07It's early days.
06:08But we know that there's a lot of people who are calling up because they just want that
06:12information.
06:12They feel like they don't know that they've seen, you know, we see a lot where there's
06:17been a particular news story, particularly on that first day when it was dominated, the
06:20news coverage, where lots of people did get in touch because they saw on the news and
06:23they thought, how am I affected by that?
06:25I want to find out.
06:26And it's really helpful to be able to have that source of information, to have a phone
06:30line that you can just call.
06:31You can just call and work out what that information is or how to get it.
06:36If we can't give you that information because we're an independent charity, we can point you
06:39to where you can find it.
06:41You can find more details on their website or call 0808 1689 111 to find help near you.
06:48But now Saturday was World Mental Health Day, which is when Medway Council hosted its first
06:53Veterans Wellbeing Fair.
06:55The event aims to provide support and hobbies for veterans, serving personnel and the families
07:00all in one place.
07:02The organisers of the fair say it's important to support these groups as the military is
07:06a big part of Medway's history.
07:08Henry Luck has more.
07:10Medway Council has hosted its first Veterans Wellbeing Fair here at the Royal Engineers
07:19Museum in Chatham.
07:21This event aims to provide mental, physical, financial and social help for veterans, serving
07:30personnel and their families.
07:33As many people know, the reason Medway's my home is because my dad served in the Royal
07:37Navy.
07:38So I was part of an Armed Forces family.
07:40And those stresses and pressures are real and genuine.
07:43So I think it's about, you know, days like today, of course, the wellness and well-being
07:47factors are focused on veterans.
07:50But of course, many of those things are available for people who aren't veterans, who are perhaps
07:55part of the existing Armed Forces or indeed part of the wider community here in Medway.
08:00So hopefully after this wonderful event, it will travel to shopping malls, village halls,
08:09schools, maybe working institute groups, all across Kent, all going well.
08:15So this is literally the genesis of something which is going to grow.
08:20The fair has taken place on World Mental Health Day, which is about sharing lived experiences
08:27of mental conditions.
08:29And there's plenty here to help visitors with that.
08:33Many of the organisations here at this Veterans Wellbeing Fair even offer new activities and
08:40hobbies for veterans and current servicemen to enjoy.
08:44One of them being model making.
08:47Meeting the lads was a lifesaver because it brought me out of myself.
08:54I live on my own.
08:57And I was going through a bad patch.
08:59But meeting these boys on a Friday, it's brilliant.
09:03There's quite a few backstories for a lot of the, you know, the people in the club and
09:07that.
09:08Yeah, they've suffered stress and all that sort of thing.
09:11And so it helps sometimes for them to be able to talk to like-minded people.
09:16In other words, other veterans, etc.
09:18Events like this go a long way in helping people open up about their mental health challenges.
09:26One conversation at a time.
09:29Henry Luck for KMTV in Chatham.
09:33The UK economy is forecast to grow by more than previously expected this year, which widely
09:38means things like more investment in the UK, more jobs and that feeling of being better
09:43off.
09:43It's up to 1.3% growth in 2026, with that growth proposed to then drop by 0.1%
09:49in 2027.
09:50But what does this all mean?
09:52I spoke to Judah Price from the Kent and Victor Chamber of Commerce earlier.
09:56For the people in Kent, it's not going to make a jot of difference.
09:59They will barely notice, to be honest with you.
10:00It's just another set of numbers.
10:02But if you are a large international firm, so let's say you're a manufacturer of cosmetics
10:07or something, and you're looking to spend tens or hundreds of millions of pounds on building
10:11a new factory, going into a new market.
10:14This type of forecast gives you a degree of reassurance that actually your money would be well invested,
10:22because it's going to take ages to see that return.
10:26But so from a big picture point of view, yeah, it's good news.
10:32And I think it's encouraging.
10:33It's the sort of thing that the government will be excited about, because it will hopefully
10:37mean that other large investors, companies looking to spend lots of money, will see the
10:43UK as being a better proposition than maybe other countries in the world.
10:48So, yeah, it sort of means different things to different people.
10:52But overall, it's good news.
10:53And the report by the BBC about the IMF's findings said it actually, the growth is going to slow
10:59slightly into 2027.
11:01And by slightly, I mean 0.1%.
11:04And they were kind of making a thing about how that could see rising energy bills, for
11:08example.
11:09Is it actually going to make a difference of 0.1% of growth?
11:12Yeah, it sounds like a really low figure, doesn't it?
11:14But again, when you're talking sort of hundreds and hundreds of millions or billions of pounds,
11:18actually that 0.1% is quite a huge, huge chunk of cash.
11:22So, again, to some people, it means an enormous amount.
11:25But again, on a day-to-day basis, it's really tricky.
11:27The thing to sort of always keep in mind is that whenever the IMF or the IFS, one of the
11:33many budgetary organisations that are out there, whenever they're making their predictions,
11:37it's based on what they know to be the situation now.
11:41Now it's time for a break.
11:42But coming up, we meet the football club breaking down barriers and creating more opportunities
11:45for children with SEND.
11:47All that and more after this short break.
11:49See you in a bit.
12:15See you in a bit.
15:12Hello and welcome back to Kent Tonight Live here on KMTV.
15:15Prime Minister Andy Burnham has told MPs he will push for new post-Brexit deals with
15:20the EU at a summit next month, saying there will be deeper cooperation.
15:24Well, back in June, we conducted our own Brexit referendum, seeing if viewers change their
15:29vote 10 years on.
15:30So joining me on the sofa is Nayla Mohamed, who spearheaded our investigation.
15:34So Nayla, I mean, people might be a bit sick of hearing about Brexit.
15:38We thought we were over it.
15:38Why is Andy Burnham talking about it again?
15:40Because Brexit is one of those things that will have such a long-lasting effect.
15:44And the fact that Andy Burnham is speaking about this now is just proof of that.
15:49In his speech, he talked about there being a summit next month.
15:52And it's going to be with the EU.
15:54And what he's going to do is he's going to talk about wanting some deeper cooperation with the EU
15:58to see if we can kind of move our way in back a little bit, especially on some of the
16:03deeper
16:03issues there, such as youth mobility, food and drink, and particularly something that's
16:08been quite highlighted a lot recently is energy.
16:11This is in an aim to drive economic growth within the UK.
16:15The EU, because of Brexit, have made plans to, what he says, the plans that are risking
16:21UK manufacturing.
16:22And he wants to get that back into the UK's own hands.
16:25So he wants to get an arrangement that works for us particularly, but also while benefiting
16:30the EU at the same time.
16:31And he's very keen to get a closer relationship here.
16:34But he did make it very, very clear that his Labour manifesto will not change.
16:39It will stay, despite him wanting us to be closer back to the EU, particularly regarding
16:44commitments around customs union.
16:46That's his commitments very much still here.
16:48Freedom of movement and not returning to a single market.
16:53And tell me a little bit about the investigation.
16:55What did your results show when we went out and surveyed people in Kent?
17:00Well, we did the investigation back in June.
17:02It was about a month-long process.
17:04And we went out and we spoke to people face-to-face, asking how they would vote again.
17:08And it's very much the case, you know, Brexit, is it worth it?
17:11That's the question that people were kind of thinking 10 years on.
17:15And our results did find that people had changed their minds.
17:19Well, a lot of people who had voted to leave were now up to stay because they weren't particularly
17:24happy, especially with travel between borders.
17:27So they very much wanted to kind of come back and rejoin the EU.
17:31And this is something that you spoke to Nigel Farage about yesterday when he came to Kent,
17:35actually.
17:35And the question was asked on what did he think of the investigation?
17:38And this is what he had to say.
17:41Well, they regret the fact that the promises made to them haven't been carried out.
17:48Well, I wake up some mornings thinking, hang on, you know, how can boats be allowed to come
17:54to Britain?
17:54How can any of this be allowed?
17:55This is not what we voted for.
17:57So that's the frustration.
17:58But if you ask people would they vote to rejoin with a massive fee, a commitment to join the
18:04euro and back to open borders, the answer is no again.
18:06Are you sure?
18:07Do you think the answer is no again?
18:09There's no question about it.
18:11And, you know, we haven't done well economically with growth figures in the last few years.
18:16We've done far better than Europe.
18:19The founders of a new Hindu temple, which has attracted thousands, are looking at a historic
18:24market building to call home.
18:27Maidstone Ganapafi Temple is temporarily open behind Hamlet Hotel in Larkfield every Saturday
18:33and its grand opening saw nearly 500 people attend last month.
18:37The place of worship is looking to move to Lock Meadow in Maidstone as the team is looking
18:41to support people in hardship and create community activities.
18:46Founder Gvifa Sampangi said the response has been overwhelming and very humbling and we
18:51hope this is only the beginning of a much bigger journey.
18:55Now it's the time for your sports news.
19:08Brighton's under-21s will visit Priestfield Stadium for the group stage of the Jersey Mike's
19:13Trophy.
19:13The Jills will want to avoid another early elimination from the tournament after losing
19:174-1 at home to Cambridge United in their first game.
19:21Historically, Gillingham haven't gotten through to this stage since 2020-2021 season.
19:26Cambridge have already won their first two, sitting top of the group on six points.
19:30Jills boss Gareth Ainsworth said,
19:32I want to win this game.
19:33We'll try and go strong.
19:37Dover's Jake Dixon will go to the final round of the World Superbike Championship.
19:42He was eighth in Sunday's Super Bowl race in Portugal, then brought his Honda across the
19:48finish line at 10th in race two.
19:50He was just one round remaining of the tournament in Spain this weekend.
19:53Talking about his mid-table finishes, Dixon said, I don't want to be finishing in these positions
19:58because that's not what I came here for.
20:01Will Sparrow from Marden has earned himself a return to America after winning the FAT Karting
20:07League National Junior Championships.
20:09The 17-year-old won the title with a race to spare and will head to California for a shot
20:14at the World Finals.
20:15If he does well enough, the sixth former could get a Formula 4 assessment and a fully funded
20:20seat after just missing out on the chance last year, finishing fourth.
20:24He said, I won the first final, but then I got driven over in the second race, so I want
20:29to do a lot better.
20:32And Biddenden's junior wheelchair tennis star, Matt Nozen, has won at the Variety Disability
20:38Sports Awards.
20:39The multiple-time Grand Slam champion was announced as a winner in London, earning the
20:45Soho Place Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement.
20:48He has represented Great Britain at the Junior World Team Cup in Belgium.
20:53Nozen said, having a platform like this is so special.
20:56It's not just about receiving an award, but also about having a ceremony that allows everyone
21:00to recognise your achievements.
21:04That's all for your sports news.
21:16And sticking with sport, Kings Hill FC has hosted its biggest ever SEND football tournament,
21:24giving more than 200 students from across Kent the chance to compete.
21:29Now, in its fourth year, the event brings together players, coaches and volunteers to help break
21:34break down barriers to the sport.
21:36With opportunities still limited for children with additional needs, the club is determined
21:41to keep driving change.
21:43Our reporter Maisie Walker went down to the club to find out exactly what is going on there.
21:48So, take a look.
21:50Kings Hill FC hosted its biggest ever SEND football tournament, aiming to tackle the lack of sporting
21:57opportunities for children with additional needs across the county.
22:01The pitches were packed with students from across Kent, and from the moment the first
22:06whistle blew, it wasn't just the players who had to stay on their toes.
22:10This is the fourth school disability tournament Kings Hill has hosted, and over 200 students
22:15are here competing for that final place.
22:18The tournament was made possible by a dedicated team of volunteers and coaches, who give up their
22:24time to support events across the club.
22:26We've gone from zero to around 80 players within Kings Hill Football Club, so to be able
22:32to get the schools from sort of zero to 200 players within a couple of years, it means
22:38quite a lot, and we've got aspirations to make that bigger.
22:43We've got plans in for second 3G at Kings Hill, and if we can get that, it would mean that
22:47we can increase this to potentially 400 players, because we've got schools on the waiting list
22:52for today that couldn't come, because we're at capacity.
22:56They are opportunities that perhaps don't exist as much as they should for the SCND community.
23:03Also, they allow children to network, meet other children, they create a sense of belonging
23:10for those young people to be able to come out and represent their school, and to be able
23:15to be physically active, you know, there's so many benefits to that for these young people.
23:21But what did the students make of the tournament?
23:23Oh, it was great fun, great opportunity for people throughout different years, especially
23:30like my school, because we have two different age groups that we did two different teams
23:36for.
23:36I loved it here.
23:37Yeah, I'm really thankful for a lot of my team, and how we coped with it during tough
23:42battles.
23:43And tough battles being the rain, how did you cope with that?
23:46Very, very hard, obviously, but I had to use my coat and my jumper to keep me warm,
23:51but I think my team kept me going.
23:53What was the best part, would you say?
23:55When I scored.
23:57And what did it feel like when you scored, when you're proud of yourself?
23:59Yeah, if I play well, I can get a really good team, and maybe get, like, pro.
24:07While there is still a long way to go to ensure children with additional needs have equal access
24:12to sport, the team at Kings Hill FC are determined to keep pushing for change, long after the final
24:20whistle blows.
24:21Maisie Walker for KMTV in Kings Hill.
24:25Well, it's a lovely opportunity for them, but that AstroTurf in that rain looks rather
24:29slippy.
24:30I know I'd be slipping over.
24:31And speaking of the rain, now it's time to take a quick look at the weather.
24:42It will be a clear night for Kent, with temperatures reaching 14 degrees in Dover, and lows of 11
24:47in Ashford and Royal Tunbridge Wells.
24:49Going into tomorrow morning, it will be a sunny start with Dover again.
24:52He's seeing the highest temperatures with 13 degrees and lows of 9 in Maidstone and Ashford.
24:57It will also be 11 across most of Kent.
24:58However, in the afternoon it will go partly cloudy, of 19 degrees across most of the county
25:02and lows of 17 in Royal Tunbridge Wells.
25:04Looking at the rest of the week, we'll be seeing cloudy skies, unfortunately, although
25:08we are escaping the rain for the rest of the week.
25:20A Roman statue found in Tainan will soon be displayed at the British Museum.
25:25The ancient artefact was found back in 2024 during an investigative dig before the construction
25:34of a new housing estate depicting the Greek sea god Triton.
25:37The cheeky statue is believed to be more than 1,700 years old at the time historians said
25:43the find was one of the most significant and exciting discoveries to have emerged from Roman
25:49Britain in recent times.
25:50But now, after years underground here, it has been donated by the house builder to the British Museum,
25:57where it will feature in their Roman gallery.
26:01You've been watching Kent tonight live on KMTV.
26:04There's more news made just for Kent throughout the evening.
26:08Don't forget, you can always keep up to date with the latest news from across your county
26:12by logging on to kmtv.co.uk.
26:15You can keep us on your social timelines by liking us on Facebook and following us on Instagram
26:21and on TikTok.
26:22On there, we are at kmtvkent, across all of those platforms.
26:27We have plenty on there.
26:29And obviously, always check out our website as well, as we put all of our reports on our
26:32website there.
26:33And if you think we, you have a story you think we should be covering, then get in touch.
26:38You can just send us an email at kmtvdesk at kmtv.co.uk.
26:43Thanks again for watching.
26:44See you soon.
26:47See you soon.