Local News

Swale Borough Council has voted to endorse a proposal that would see Swale join forces with Ashford and Folkestone & Hythe.

At a council meeting last night (Wednesday 19th November) councillors voted for option 4b, which would see Kent and Medway divided into four new unitary councils.

In the proposed system unitary councils would deliver all council services in one area, in the same way Medway Council currently operates.

Five different options were discussed by councillors, each supported by a business case that had been put together by KPMG, working with all the councils in Kent and Medway.

Cllr Tim Gibson, leader of Swale Borough Council, told SFM News: “This vote was by no means an easy decision for councillors, and everyone who spoke was clear that the concerns of local people were at the forefront of their thinking. We have chosen option 4b, which I believe will ground our future in a partnership of equals. We would be aligning with areas who share our DNA - communities that balance rural villages, with bustling towns and coastal communities. The size of the new council should be large enough to provide financial stability, but not so large that the connection between councillors and their residents is broken.”

As well as creating a new unitary council covering Swale, Ashford and Folkestone and Hythe, option 4B will merge:

• Dartford, Gravesham and Medway in the north
• Sevenoaks, Tonbridge and Malling, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells in the west
• Canterbury, Thanet and Dover in the east.

The proposal will now be submitted to the Government, by Friday 28th November, and a consultation on all the submitted proposals that meet the Government’s criteria will take place in early 2026, with a final decision expected in the summer next year.

Two popular venues in Sittingbourne are set to close after shock confirmation that they will cease trading tomrrow (Saturday 16th November).

The Appleyard (formerly The UK Paper Leisure Club) on the Avenue of Remembrance and the Sports Bar (formerly the UKP Pavillion) on Gore Court Road are believed to currently be £250,000 in debt and are set "to be taken over by American shareholders" according to SFM News sources who attended a members meeting on Thursday (13th November) evening.

The shock closure leaves hundreds of local residents searching for last-minute alternatives for christmas parties, weddings and other large events they had booked at the venues.

Rumours had been circulating locally that it could be closing but a club statement shared on social media in the last few days confirmed: “We, the members, voted not to oppose the recommendation by the trust to the closure and sale of the Appleyard. It will cease trading on 16th November.”

The statement went on the read: "The Appleyard has been running at a loss for the past 18 months, which is unsustainable".

It's believed the venues have been run as a trust for the last 108 years and that the members would be responsible for any debts if it were not sold. The statement went on to say that "the sports pitches off Gore Court Road will remain usable until the site is sold but all buildings will be closed”.

The statement finished with: “At this stage, as far as the future is concerned, no one knows".

The Appleyard’s last event will be The Christmas Craft Fair, taking place between 11am and 3pm, tomorrow (Sunday 16th November).

The Public Inquiry stage of the Secretary of State's ‘call in’ of the proposed Highsted Park development has now concluded (wednesday 5th November 2025), almost a year since Swale Borough Council’s Planning Committee was set to determine the application.

The Public Inquiry was examining the two planning applications for a development of up to 8,400 homes to the south and east of Sittingbourne.  It is understood to be the longest inquiry for a housing-led scheme ever considered by the Planning Inspectorate.

The applications were called in by the then Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Angela Rayner MP, on 7th November 2024, meaning the final decision will be made by the government, not the council.

Following the call in, the council’s Planning Committee considered the applications to indicate what decision would have been made. In both cases the committee would have refused the applications, and this was the position the council maintained throughout the inquiry.

The council presented detailed evidence to the Planning Inspector on key issues, including the significant impact to the landscape, loss of ancient woodland, harm to heritage assets, loss of high-quality agricultural land, and the proposals' conflict with the adopted Swale Local Plan.

Cllr Tim Gibson, leader of the council, told SFM News: “I want to thank all the residents, community groups, councillors, parish councils and officers who dedicated an enormous amount of time and energy to participate in this long and complex inquiry. We believe the case against this unsustainable development is overwhelming. From the beginning, we have been firm that this proposal is the wrong development in the wrong place. We presented a robust case to the inspector, and we now await the final decision, hopeful for an outcome that respects the wishes of our local communities and protects our borough’s character.”

With the Public Inquiry now closed, the planning process now moves to its next stage. After a short window of opportunity for parties to the Inquiry to comment on the legal agreement that is being prepared in the event that planning permission is granted, the Planning Inspector will review all the evidence, and prepare a detailed report on the applications.

This report will include her findings on the key issues and a formal recommendation to the Secretary of State on whether the planning applications should be approved or refused.

The new Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Steve Reed OBE MP (who was appointed to the role on the 5th September) will make the final decision, taking the Planning Inspector's report and recommendation into account.

There is no statutory timeframe for the decision, but it is typically issued several months after the inquiry closes. Swale Borough Council will share the final decision with the public as soon as it is published.

The Happy Pants Ranch animal sanctuary, in Newington, has confirmed positive for the highly pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1 strain.

DEFRA (The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs) announced that a number of the captive birds at the premises had tested positive on Monday (27th October) and were destroyed.

A 3km controlled zone was immediately implemented on Monday evening, and requires anyone who owns birds in this vicinity (which borders Upchurch, Hartlip, Iwade and Kemsley) to monitor and safely house them inside.

DEFRA also confirmed that some strains of the disease can spread through to humans in close contact with infected animals, or exposure to contaminated environments.

Earlier today (Wednesday 29th October), the remaining 61 birds on the ranch were culled - these included ducks, geese, rehea, seagulls, hens, cockerels, pigeons and pheasants and a well-known local avaian celebrity the emu called "BB".

Amey James, who runs the Happy Pants Ranch, was "teary-eyed" when she spoke to local press confirming that "last Wednesday I found a duck that appeared to be lethargic and brought it inside for a shower and feed. Within 24 hours, it had died, which I thought was strange, but put that down to genetics or an underlying illness at the time".

A lockdown on the site has been implemented for the next 7 days but can be extended by DEFRA. Only Amey and three other volunteers will be allowed on site and all movements in and out must be logged.

Speaking on social media Amey said "I don’t think in all my 10 years of running the sanctuary and keeping birds, I’ve ever had a more devastating blow - and there’s definitely been a few over the recent years.. but this has ripped mine - and all the crew's hearts right out. I can’t even begin to explain it". 

If you wish to donate to The Happy Pants Ranch Animal Sanctuary please visit: https://gofund.me/5e39bdcab