KCC

Swale Borough Council, on behalf of Kent County Council (KCC) has today (Friday 2nd May) confirmed the results of the County Council Election on Thursday 1st May 2025.

The results were as follows:-

Sittingbourne North (Turnout: 23%)

Kent County Council (KCC) has today (Friday 4th April) confirmed all the candidates standing in the County Council Election on Thursday 1st May.

The cadidates are as follows:-

Sittingbourne North

• CARNELL, Derek William – Swale Independents
• DAVEY, Stephen Arthur – Green Party
• DENDOR, Michael Rodger – Conservative Party
• PALMER, Chris – Reform Party
• WISE, Ashley – Labour Party
• ZENG, Mary – Liberal Democrats

Sittingbourne South

The New House Youth and Sports Centre on Chalkwell Road, closed as a result of Kent County Council budget cuts in late 2023, has gone up for sale.

The Freehold building is For Sale by Online Auction set for Thursday 6th February by Clive Emson Land & Property Auctioneers, based in Maidstone. They have the property listed with a guide price of £500,000. 

Kent Police have confirmed that a shop has been visited following concerns raised with the local beat officer in Milton Regis.

Kent County Council (KCC) has today (Thursday 4th July) issued a Statement regarding the recent traffic problems in Sittingbourne and the Isle Of Sheppey following the closure of the Kingsferry Bridge and the continuing work at the Grovehurst/Iwade junction of the A249.

A KCC spokesperson told SFM News: “We understand how frustrated people living and working in the area feel about the severe traffic delays they have experienced this week while work continues on three major road schemes near Sittingbourne and the Isle of Sheppey.

Swale Borough Council have raised concerns about Kent County Council (KCC) proposals to change youth services across the borough. 

The council has written to Kent’s Cabinet Member for Communities and Regulatory Services, Cllr Clair Bell, to set out its opposition to cut externally commissioned youth services, as part of proposals to create new family hubs to support children and families. 

The leader of Swale Borough Council and the chair of the council's Environment Committee have raised concerns about the potential borough-wide impact of the closure of the Faversham Household Waste and Recycling Centre (HWRC).

Kent County Council have proposed three options for saving £1.5m from their HWRC’s and every one of those options includes the closure of Faversham HWRC. Two of the three options would also see Sheerness HWRC close for two days a week.

A programme to support people struggling to feed their families and pay their bills has reopened across the borough.

Swale Borough Council has received more than £500,000 from Kent County Council’s (KCC) Household Support Fund to help households access food boxes, get vouchers to pay their electric, gas and water bills, and buy items needed to keep warm until March 2024.

The money is being used to support organisations within the local community who have been on the ground helping people navigate the cost-of-living crisis.

Kent County Council's (KCC) proposed cuts to bus subsidies were debated, for the final time, at a Full Council Meeting on Thursday (20th October) afternoon.

The public consultation prompted 2,562 responses from residents, plus 55 individual letters and 4 responses from local MPs across the county but at the meeting the Conservative-led Council decided to go ahead with the plans.

KCC Leader, Roger Gough, told the meeting that: "it was necessary to balance KCC's budget for this year but we will still spending £3.8m on buses that would otherwise not run".

A day of enforcement action to combat the incorrect and fraudulent use of Blue Badges has been carried out in Swale.

Kent County Council’s Counter Fraud team joined Swale Borough Council’s Parking team as they visited several streets and car parks last Thursday (4th August) to check that the badges were being used by the authorised person and in the correct way.