Local News

Regeneration Road Closures Now In Place

Regeneration Road Closures Now In Place

The major roadworks, for the town centre regeneration, have commenced and will be in place until late September / early October.

The A2 St Michael's Road and B2008 Milton Road are partially closed for the next 17 weeks. The affected area on the A2 St Michael's Road is between the junction with Dover Street and Station Street.

HGVs and through traffic will be diverted along Dover Street, West Street, A2 London Road, Key Street, the Key Street Roundabout, The Old Sheppey Way, Bobbing Interchange, B2006 Staplehurst Link Road, St Paul's Street, Mill Way, Eurolink Way and Crown Quay Lane.

Vehicles under 11ft 9in (3.5m) and heading eastwards towards Teynham will still be able to use St Michael's Road, Dover Street, B2008 Milton Road, B2006 Eurolink Way and Crown Quay Lane.

Cars going west will be able to use St Michael's Road, Station Street and West Street.

The following roads will become two-way during this period, namely:-

  • Dover Street between St Michael's Road and Milton Road (past The Water Palace Chinese Restaurant)
  • West Street between Dover Street and Station Road (between The Golden Hope and Wilkos)
  • Station Road from West Street to the back of The Forum Shopping Centre

Some restrictions may still apply outside the overnight working hours - so stay tuned to 106.9 SFM for the latest updates.

MP Welcomes New M2 Junction 5 Proposal

MP Welcomes New M2 Junction 5 Proposal

Gordon Henderson MP has welcomed the announcement by Highways England of their preferred option for a new M2 Junction 5 at Stockbury.

The new design, known as Option 4H1, benefits from a flyover, taking through traffic on the A249 over the existing roundabout. Work on the £85m scheme is set to start by March 2020.

Gordon told SFM News: "I opposed the previous design because it introduced more traffic lights to the junction and did not provide the through route for A249 traffic via a flyover. I have been lobbying government and Highways England for many months, as I know Kent County Council and others have, and I am delighted our voices have been heard. The long overdue improvements will be welcomed by the thousands who currently queue there each morning. The new junction will also address the safety issues at the existing roundabout and on the approaches on the A249. The area has one of the worse safety records on the road network."

 

 

Traffic Chaos As The Town Is Hit With Flash Floods

Pic @WindyWilson88 on Twitter

 

Parts of the M2, A249 and A2 are submerged in water following heavy downpours and thunderstorms earlier today.

 

A Met Office Yellow Warning remains in place for Sittingbourne overnight and into tomorrow morning's rush hour.

 

A249 remains closed in both directions between M2 Junction 5 (Sittingbourne) and M20 Junction 7 (Maidstone). Highways England expect this to be in place until tomorrow morning.

Highways England tweeted:

Traffic in the centre of Sittingbourne was also hit hard by flash floods causing long delays including Crown Quay Lane, Gas Road, Mill Way, Pavillion Drive and Asda Car Park.

Follow the hastag on Twitter (#SFMTravel) for the latest and don't forget to tune into Pete Flynn In The Morning tomorrow morning from 7.00am for the latest traffic and travel updates.

Phase 2 Roadworks About To Commence

Phase 2 Roadworks About To Commence

The official advice from the Spirit of Sittingbourne, who are progressing the plans for the town centre regeneration, is to avoid travelling through Sittingbourne town centre if possible from 29th May until the 3rd September.

This period will see the largest and most disruptive phase of the development and full details on exactly what is happening can be found on our associate website: www.sittingbourne.me.

CCTV Image Issued After Burglary In Iwade

CCTV Image Issued After Burglary In Iwade

Investigating officers have released CCTV images of a man they would like to speak with following a burglary at a home in Iwade earlier this year.

The image has been released following a report that a man entered the kitchen of a home in Sheerstone in January and stole a purse. A card that was inside the purse was later used at a newsagent.

Following multiple enquiries officers have identified a man who they believe might have information on the stolen card.

Anyone with any information is asked to call Kent Police on 01795 419 119 quoting XY/004133/18 or, alternatively, they can call Kent Crimestoppers, free and anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

A Male Body Found In The Swale

A male body has been found in the Swale after a closure of the northbound carriageway of the A249 Sheppey Crossing.

Highways England (@highwaySEAST) tweeted at 04:00

#A249 #Sheppeycrossing northbound is currently closed due to police incident. Diversion is via the old Sheppey bridge. Please allow extra time for your journey this morning.

Kent Police confirmed they found a male body at 04:44 after being called our to report of an abandoned vehicle on the northbound carriageway of the A249 Sheppey Crossing.

The death is not being treated as suspicious.

The northbound carriageway was closed during rush hour with traffic being diverted via The Kingsferry Bridge. 

The Sheppey Crossing re-opened at 08:00.

 

Sunday Soul Show Crew Raise Money For Hospice

Sunday Soul Show Crew Raise Money For Hospice

106.9 SFM's very own Gary Croucher and Thomas Felton, from 'The Sunday Soul Show', have presented a cheque to Pilgrim's Hospice for £300.

The money was raised from their latest sell-out 'Boogie Nights' event, showing 'Saturday Night Fever' at a themed night, at the Criterion Theatre, Bluetown in Sheerness, earlier this month.

The boys next event is 'During The War' on Saturday 6th October at The Holiday Inn Coniston Hotel here in Sittingbourne - details to follow, watch this space!

Cannabis Plants Seized From House in Bapchild

Cannabis Plants Seized From House in Bapchild

A cannabis factory has been found after officers from Kent Police executed a drugs warrant in Sittingbourne.

The plants were seized at around 8.00am earlier today (Wednesday 25th April) on Wihtred Road in Bapchild. More than 150 mature plants were found and all in the final stages of drying ready to be sold.

Police Sergeant Jason Hedges, from Swale's Community Policing Team, told SFM News: "we actively seek to disrupt any criminal activity within Kent and today's warrant is a prime example of this. Had we not found these plants they would have been ground down and sold as drugs within Kent and perhaps beyond. Anyone who suspects there is criminal activity taking place near them, or suspects a person to be committing offences should always report it so it can be investigated."

Officers have not yet made any arrests but are carrying out ongoing enquiries.

Local Woman Dies After A249 Crash Near Stockbury

Local Woman Dies After A249 Crash Near Stockbury

Kent Police were called at 6.33am this morning (Tuesday 24th April) following a collision involving two cars on the Maidstone-bound carriageway of the A249 near Stockbury.

Police officers, South East Coast Ambulance Service and Kent Fire and Rescue Service all attended the scene and a woman in her 60's from the Sittingbourne area was pronounced dead at the scene. Her next of kin have been informed.

Both carriageways were closed while emergency services dealt with the incident and were fully re-opened at 1.35pm this afternoon.

 

Controlling Man Jailed For Offences

Controlling Man Jailed For Offences

A teenage girl was forced to carry a mobile phone with an earpiece and microphone attached by a controlling man so he could eavesdrop on her conversations.

Rique Wall would also insist she speak to him for hours on end, dictated when she could leave her Sittingbourne home, and carried out a number of sexual offences against her.

Wall, 32, of Kimberley Road in Croydon, committed the offences between April 2014 and July 2016.

He was jailed for nine years at Maidstone Crown Court on Thursday (12th April) after being found guilty of four counts of sexual activity with a child and one count of controlling or coercive behaviour.

The Investigating Officer, Detective Constable Steve Rees of Kent Police, told SFM News: "Wall targeted the young girl when she was exceptionally vulnerable and took advantage of her need for support. He then subjected her to a long period of emotional abuse and controlling behaviour, which included supplying her with mobile phones and equipment so he could control who she spoke to and stopping her from leaving her home and seeing friends. I'd like to pay tribute to the victim for her courage in overcoming her abuser and helping to ensure he serves a long period behind bars, without her support Wall may never have seen trial. We have specially trained officers on hand ready to aid and support any victims of sexual abuse and controlling behaviour. If you are a victim, please get in touch."

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