K O S SITTINGBOURNE/ISLE OF SHEPPEY EDITION yourswale.co.uk FREE midweek yourswale Issue No 56 newspaper Available from Wednesday, THE NEWSPAPER FOR SITTINGBOURNE, ISLE OF SHEPPEY, FAVERSHAM & DISTRICT October 1, 2008 ‘DISGUSTING’ AREA CRITICISED ON WEB WHAT’S ON & WATCH EXCLUSIVE yourkenttv.co.uk I BY JAMES ALEXANDRE BLOCKED drains, overhanging bushes, unfilled potholes and defaced road signs are just some of the eye- sores in Swale highlighted by a dis- gruntled resident’s new website. Paul Dunford, 40, says he launched the online site Swale Is A Mess because he became “finally fed up and absolutely disgusted” after seeing lit- tle or no improvement to the surrounding area – despite repeated calls to the authorities. To date he has lodged about 200 complaints with Swale council and Kent Highways, who are SILVER SCREEN: Take a preview of all the responsible for maintaining the streets, including latest cinema releases. Search ‘film’. problems with 88 road signs. He is now considering withholding his council tax and calling a meeting of other residents in ALSO INSIDE protest at the lack of action. Lorry driver Mr Dunford, who lives in Dobbie COMPETITION . PAGE 15 Close, Milton Regis, told Yourswale he first asked LETTERS. PAGES 16-17 the council in June to deal with a tree in Crown Road which was hanging across a footpath, forc- LEISURE . PAGES 18-26 ing people to walk in the road to get past it. PROPERTY. PAGES 27-31 Three months later the offending foliage was finally cut back but he has continued to comment BUSINESS. PAGES 45 on the state of the footpaths, roads and signs which are still listed on the site. Mr Dunford said: “I started up the website so other residents can see the mess Swale council and Kent County Council have left us in. “They are happy to take our money in council tax but they do nothing with it unless we report stuff to them, and then it takes them weeks to do something.” His campaign has started to attract supporters, Just a few of the many examples of Swale in disrepair featured on the Swale-Is-A-M ess wesbsite. including Roger Harris, 66, of Peregrine Drive, CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 Telephone advertising: 01303 817110 2 yourswale.co.uk Email [email protected] WHAT’S ON & WATCH MP joins the yourkenttv.co.uk yourswale TOP TV CLIPS fight to save NEWS IN BRIEF Charity auction DEMELZA House will host a dinner dance auction on October 24 to mark its tenth anniversary. Prizes being auctioned at the event at light railway Ashford International Hotel include a trip with world sidecar champion Tim Reeves and a 30-minute aerobatic plane I flight. BY JAMES ALEXANDRE Whitstable-born X Factor finalist Ben Mills will perform and tickets cost £40, MP DEREK Wyatt has or £350 for a table of ten, for a three course meal. offered to fly to Finland to For tickets call Demelza on 07939 negotiate a stay of execu- 019046 or 07976 820553. tion for Sittingbourne and Kemsley Light Railway Green survey with its landowner. The Labour MP for Sittingbourne GREEN spaces in Swale are the subject Is it a bird, is it a plane? No it’s Fusion Man. Watch his and Sheppey said M-Real, which of a new online survey set up by the 1 owns Sittingbourne paper mill and council to find out what can be done to flight. See the leisure channel @ yourkenttv.co.uk the land used by the railway, had improve them. declined to talk to the tourist attrac- The questionnaire invites people to tion’s trustees or Swale council offi- comment on how much of this public cials about finding a way of saving it space is used and valued, if they are from eviction and closure. close enough to get to and whether they Mr Wyatt has “expressed conster- give enough of a distinctive identity. nation” at the paper manufactur- The survey is available at Swale coun- er’s attitude and requested an cil’s website at www.swale.gov.uk until urgent meeting with the board, October 31. even offering to fly to their head- quarters in the Finnish capital Helsinki if necessary. Puppy appeal In a letter to Juha Laine, vice FLIGHT OF MERCY: Derek Wyatt has offered POLICE are appealing for informa- president of M-Real, he said: “I to fly to Finland to talk to railway landowners would like to remind you about the tion after eight puppies and two dogs time when the ball was on the other to meet the trustees of the railway worth thousands of pounds were foot. I helped your own senior exec- in the middle of next week. stolen from kennels in a village near utives meet government officials Tony James, general manager of Sittingbourne. and I hosted a welcoming supper in Sittingbourne and Kemsley Light The animals, all cocker spaniels, were the House of Commons when you Railway, said: “We look forward to taken from School Lane, Iwade, bought the company. meeting with M-Real and hope they overnight on Monday last wee. They “I visited Helsinki to cement this will be willing to discuss the whole have an estimated value of £6,000. relationship. When redundancies scenario that faces the railway and All the puppies are six weeks old. Tantalise your taste buds with the Plant To Plate food happened at the mills I assisted will not for any reason rule out any Anyone with information is asked 2 local management officials, spoke to item we want to raise. to contact PC Ben Redpath on 07870 festival. See the leisure channel @ yourkenttv.co.uk the unions and generally gave your “It would appear to me that the 252237 or Kent Crimestoppers on 0800 company 100 per cent support at reason they have agreed to meet 555 111. every turn. with us is combined pressure from “I would welcome a meeting to bet- the press, from our local MP and ter understand why you have taken Swale council. Artist on show this position. Frankly, I am rather “However it is one thing talking surprised there has been no contact about the hole in the fence to M-Real A SHEPPEY-born painter is return- between us.” property which they always have ing to Swale to showcase his latest A spokesman for M-Real said the been willing to discuss, it is a totally work as part of the council’s cultural company was “surprised” the MP felt different matter to discuss the celebrations. the need to write the letter, that it future of the railway.” James Allchin, who has just fin- was always prepared to talk and The railway will be forced to ished studying at the Ruskin School meet with interested parties, and vacate the land by January 28 of Art in London, is featuring in an stressed any suggestion otherwise unless a compromise can be reached. exhibition being held at The Polka was not true. A special members-only day later Dot arts centre in Teynham from The Finnish company, which is this month and its pre-booked Santa Friday until October 26. selling off Sittingbourne paper mill Special services are the only times it The work of the artist, who is winner as part of a package with the land will operate before closing complete- of the first Swale arts bursary award, used by the railway,has since agreed ly on Boxing Day. will be in the Long Room. Designer Wayne Hemmingway at last week’s Construction STOCKTAKING CLEARANCE NOW ON 3 Expo. 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(Offff Street End Rd),, Chatham,, Kent ME5 OAD 01634 813813 lace Showroom © 2007 KOS Media. yourswale.co.uk by KOS Media award-winning publications www..morriisandturner..co..uk FireplaceFirep Showroom See Our Newly Refurbished Editorial enquiries Email [email protected] yourswale.co.uk 3 Bored inmates Picture: AIRWAVES DUCATI are turning to drugs at prison Report highlights need to reduce supply and demand I to be done to improve staff attitudes staff culture among healthcare staff” BY JAMES ALEXANDRE which “undermined clinical care” and with inmates spending less time in address a reluctance among some to their cells. EASY access to drugs and modernise services. Swaleside is near full to capacity The report stated that education with a population of 770 prisoners, a lack of prisoner activity and skills also needed development, 614 of whom are serving life are highlighted in a report although the prison – one of three in sentences. Violence against the per- the Sheppey cluster – was found to son and robbery are the most on conditions inside HMP be very safe with relationships common convictions among the Swaleside. between staff and offenders being population, the majority of which The category B training prison, the “extremely good”. are aged between 21 and 29. Five are majority of whose inmates are serv- 70 or over. ing life sentences, was found to be Education Chief inspector of prisons, Anne working hard to reduce both supply The assessment took place during Owers, said: “Swaleside has to man- and demand of drugs but there was March and April this year and age a challenging population of seri- “insufficient purposeful activity” to made a number of recommendations ous offenders and it is therefore com- WORLD IN SHAKEY’S HAND keep prisoners occupied.