Local News

Officers from the Environment Agency’s Environmental Crime Team, along with Kent Police officers, seized a vehicle from a farm near Iwade on Thursday (25th February).

The seized vehicle is an 8-wheeled tipper truck and is believed to be have been used to fly tip waste in the Rainham area.

Alan Cansdale, Area Environment Manager for Kent at the Environment Agency, told SFM News: "This sends out a strong message that we will use all our powers possible to stop waste crime which harms the environment, wildlife and the community, as well as undermining the work of companies that operate legitimately. To help avoid your waste ending up at an illegal waste site, we encourage you to ask for your waste collector’s waste carrier’s registration number and ask to see their waste transfer note, they must have these".

The owners of the vehicles now have until Thursday 18th March to claim to have the vehicles returned to them by the Environment Agency and if no legitimate claim is made, the vehicles will be sold or crushed.

Members of the public can report illegal waste activity anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via the online form.

You can check your waste collector’s by clicking here: waste carriers registration or you can call 03708 506 506.

The Environment Agency can seize and impound a vehicle, trailer or mobile plant without a warrant if it suspects:

• waste is being carried without a valid waste carriers licence
• the vehicle has been or is about to be used in an alleged waste crime offence
• the waste duty of care is being or has been breached

When a vehicle is seized, the police and the registered keeper are notified in writing and to claim the vehicle they need to register their claim within 15 working days of the date of the notice. The Environment Agency may need to keep the seized vehicle and any contents for the duration of an investigation or criminal proceedings and if the vehicle isn’t claimed, or nobody is entitled to it, they can then sell, destroy or dispose of the vehicle and all of its contents.

Earlier this year the Environment Agency and partners launched the Joint Unit for Waste Crime, aiming to stop serious and organised crime in the UK.

Band D households in Swale will be asked to pay  £3.54 per week for Swale Borough Council services in the coming financial year.

The proposals for Swale’s share of the council tax were agreed at a full council meeting on Wednesday (24th February) evening.

The rise will see band D households paying £184.32 a year for Swale Borough Council services, a rise of £4.95.

Cllr Roger Truelove, Leader of Swale Borough Council, told SFM News: “The budget for the coming financial year is under severe pressure. We’ve managed to resist these pressures with regular support from Government through Covid related grants and with good internal financial management, but we still have a long road ahead as the local economy starts to recover. With the budget set for 2021-22, we can manage the challenges for the next year through the same combination of Government grants and sound control of expenditure we’ve demonstrated this year".

He went on to add: “We will only be asking for a council tax increase of 9p a week for band D properties, though I am aware that people’s overall charge will be affected by a larger Kent County Council precept which accounts for almost three-quarters of the total council tax bill for residents. The budget for the coming year outlines how we will carefully manage internal spending as well as drawing on our reserves to ensure we are delivering our core services and making improvements to the borough. We will be setting up the Rainbow Housing Company to provide more affordable housing, a project which is financially stable and allocating funds from our reserves to encourage growth and recovery in the borough. We’ll make it our priority to stimulate the local economy, our visitor economy, our heritage, our environment and public realm and our local community groups.”

Charges for Swale Borough Council services are only one element of the final council tax bill residents receive. Householders’ council tax bills also include charges for Kent County Council, Kent Police and Crime Commissioner, Kent & Medway Fire and Rescue Service, and parish or town councils where these exist. These are set by the respective organisations and are collected on their behalf by Swale.

The council tax bill for a band D household for 2021/22 will be made up of:

• £1,418.79 - Kent County Council
• £218.15 – Kent Police
• £184.32 – Swale Borough Council
• £80.82 – Kent & Medway Fire and Rescue Authority

* along with any town or parish council precepts in areas where these exist.

The full report from the full council meeting can be found here.

Witnesses are being sought by Kent Police after a man suffered serious injuries in a collision near Faversham yesterday (Monday 15th February).

At around 3.45pm yesterday afternoon a white Vauxhall Astra van was travelling along the A2 London Road from Faversham towards the Brenley Corner roundabout when it was involved in a collision with a pedestrian.

The pedestrian sustained serious injuries and was flown by the Kent Air Ambulance to a London hospital, where he remains in a critical condition. The van driver was not injured.

Officers from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit are appealing for dashcam footage and any witnesses, who have not yet spoken to the police, to come forward.

Witnesses are asked to contact the SCIU appeal line on 01622 798538 or they can email: sciu.td@kent.pnn.police.uk quoting Ref: HW/CF/011/21.