SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Factory u-turn scuppers bypass
The proposed bypass around Borough Green will not be built after Kent County Council admitted it should not have granted permission for the new road.

The dramatic twist has prompted brick-making firm Celcon to withdraw its application for a new factory. The company had pledged to fund the bypass in return for securing permission for the new factory at Ightham Sandpit, which is in the Green Belt and an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Tycoon's £48million appeal thwarted
Sevenoaks woman Beverley Charman will keep her record £48million divorce payout after her ex-husband's attempt to reduce the sum was thwarted by the House of Lords.

Insurance tycoon John Charman was arguing that his original offer of £20million was sufficient, and was aiming to appeal against the Court of Appeal's ruling by taking his case to the highest court in the land, the House of Lords. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
MoD boffin jailed for booby traps
An eccentric ex Ministry of Defence boffin who worked at Fort Halstead has been jailed for 18 months for setting a mantrap at his garage. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Memorial event raises £25,000
A charity event in Knockholt in memory of a woman who died of cancer has amassed a staggering £25,000, organisers believe. The fundraiser at Letts Green House on Saturday saw 700 people enjoying a host of activities. Events on offer included wine tasting, a fireworks display, a performance by the John Miller Orchestra and a lucrative tombola. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Public tip-off snares benefit cheat
A Hartley benefit cheat who tried to swindle taxpayers out of nearly £2,500 has been successfully prosecuted following a tip-off from the public. [more]

NEWS ITEM SUBMITTED
Perform Drama Workshops 4-8 Year Old Children
Perform was established in 2000 by Lucy Quick. The sessions are all fun packed and they help to build the children’s confidence and improve their concentration. As well as having fun, children will learn memory skills, improve their vocabulary and more. We believe that the best time to do this is when children are under 8, which is why we offer classes and workshops to really young children. It is about bringing out a child’s true potential. Parents also love it and say that timid and shy children become more confident. It’s amazing what they can achieve and it’s great to watch the children grow over the sessions.

Our Sevenoaks school resumes on Saturday 1st September 2007 at St Johns C of E School Bayham Road, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN13 3XD Please call 0845 400 4000 for a Free Trial Session

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Town included in booze crackdown bid
West Malling is one step closer to having booze control zones after council chiefs voted to include the town in consultations.

Councillors also chose Leybourne to be incorporated in the process at a Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council community development advisory board meeting on Wednesday night.

Borough Green, Wrotham and Platt have already been identified as possible locations. [more]

Kent Messenger
MP's backing for affordable homes
Sevenoaks MP Michael Fallon has backed a campaign to ensure that more land is provided for affordable homes. The Tory member for Sevenoaks was responding to calls by Barbara Thorndick, chief executive of West Kent Housing Association (WKHA), for rules to be changed so that the association could buy land for homes at a reasonable price.

Mr Fallon, who had asked Ms Thorndick about the availability of affordable accommodation for nurses when Sevenoaks Hospital re-opens, said his postbag and surgeries made him well aware of the lack of affordable housing.

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Parking overhaul dubbed a success
Shoppers and local businesses have welcomed changes to parking in Oxted, according to community leaders. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Council chief warns of lean times
Lean times could lay ahead for Sevenoaks residents, according to a community leader. At a meeting of Sevenoaks District Council on Tuesday council leader Cllr Peter Fleming told members about a meeting he attended with other local authority chiefs. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Two Bangladeshi workers arrested by immigration officers
Two Alleged illegal immigrants have been discovered and arrested by immigration chiefs at an eatery in Kemsing. The two unnamed individuals, from Bangladesh, were caught by border and immigration officers on July 16 at Rajdharbar Indian Takeaway on Dynes Road. They will be processed in line with border and immigration guidance and procedures. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
'Suspicious' blaze at police house
Police are investigating a "suspicious" fire at one of their own houses in Sundridge. It is the second blaze Kent Fire and Rescue Service have tackled at the property in as many months. The emergency services were called to the house in Main Road, near Sundridge Recreation Ground, at 9.55am on Tuesday by members of the public.

A fire service spokeswoman said: "We did ask the police to attend for traffic control and to look at it in case it was suspicious. There was a fire in a first floor bathroom. We used one hose-reel, but there were no reports of any casualties or people trapped."

Firefighters from Sevenoaks, Tonbridge and Edenbridge helped bring the blaze under control and it was out by 10.36am. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Playhouse boss pledges to sign 'within weeks'
The boss of the Sevenoaks Playhouse has pledged his company's commitment to the venue - despite taking four months to sign the contract. On March 12, Paul Corcoran's Kino Holdings was awarded a 25-year lease by Sevenoaks District Council to run the London Road-based arts centre.

One of the changes to the council-owned building included renaming it the Stag Theatre "within days". But more than four months on, the theatre sign remains unchanged and Kino's involvement is still yet to be made official.

On Monday Mr Corcoran quashed growing rumours that something was amiss. He said: "We are very, very committed to the project and to building and going forward with it." [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Planners overspend by £254k
The planning department at Sevenoaks District Council is on course to exceed its budget by a whopping £254,000 because it cannot keep its staff. And a new IT system costing £148,000 - not factored into the original budget - will send extra costs in the department soaring to £402,000. Other departments at the council are now being expected to bail the planners out of their predicament.

Councillors say the £254,000 overspend is not their fault, blaming the department's inability to recruit and retain officers. They claim the council is unable to compete with salaries offered for similar jobs in the private sector and that to cope with the workload it has been using agency staff. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Mother pleads for crossing to 'save lives'
"Save lives please" is the plea from a Kemsing mother who has launched a petition to make roads safer for children. Julie Boulind, 36, of Dynes Road, started the campaign for a pedestrian crossing on the junction of West End and Childsbridge Lane because she says drivers do not adhere to speed limits, making it very dangerous for children. Mother-of-three Mrs Boulind said: "People speed down Childsbridge Lane and there's often buses and coaches parked there making it very busy and difficult for children to cross. There's always glass on the road there and just a couple of weeks ago there was a car on its side on the pavement."

The appeal, which has attracted 116 signatures from people in the village, also has the support of Kemsing Primary School and the parish council, both keen to see traffic calming measures installed. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Further fears as developers bid for land
Sevenoaks care home operator Rockdale Housing Association has infuriated neighbours by pursuing a deal which would add even more homes to a proposed estate. Rockdale backs on to the Upper High Street garden on which Kentmere Homes has caused controversy by applying to build 11 homes.

But to make matters worse for neighbours, Rockdale is now looking to sell Kentmere a parcel of its land - complete with planning permission for nine flats.

Furious residents, who have been vehemently fighting Kentmere's existing scheme, have said they did not object to Rockdale's flats plan last year because the homes were earmarked for the elderly.

Kentmere would be selling them on the open market, and not necessarily as elderly accommodation. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Fete goers letting off steam
Steam train rides, face painting and a dog show were among the enjoyable attractions on offer at the Vigo Village Fete on Saturday. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
High street traffic lights
Motorists face several weeks more misery after one lane of the High Street was closed on Monday so the outside of buildings owned by Sevenoaks School can be painted.

Temporary traffic lights have been installed while the work is completed. This could take up to a month. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Pregnant woman in M25 crash
A pregnant woman was taken to hospital after an accident on the M25 on Tuesday. A lorry and a truck collided on the clockwise carriageway towards junction four at approximately 9.25am. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Lots of choice in town for student holiday jobs
Young people looking for a summer job in Sevenoaks would appear to be spoilt for choice as a wave of town centre businesses are advertising for new staff. Several local traders have commented on the difficulty of employing sales staff within the area. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Strays given state-of-the-art new home
Dogs and cats will be housed in style after the unveiling of the new Battersea Home in Brands Hatch. MP Michael Fallon officially re-opened the facility which now includes kennels, training rooms, bathing areas and a cattery. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Circus treat for school pupils
Infant and junior schools in Limpsfield have joined together at the circus to celebrate the end of the school year. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Fury over plan for parking charges
A storm is brewing over plans to introduce car parking charges in West Malling. Motorists in the town could be hit with fees for the first time at the High Street's short-stay car park, following a review by Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council (TMBC). But residents and businesses say the plans could prove to be the final nail in the coffin for struggling traders. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Well known businessman dies on way to doctor
A stalwart of the community and well known businessman died suddenly in Sevenoaks on his way to a doctor's appointment on Tuesday. The cause of Jim Davis' death is not yet known. His family is awaiting details of a postmortem examination. He was 79. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Pilots' club runs out of fuel as closure looms
Biggin Hill Airport's last social club is to fold when its lease expires at the end of August. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Sun shines for school fair
The sun came out on Sunday in time for the Valence School summer fair in Westerham. Huge crowds enjoyed dozens of stalls and attractions such as displays from Westerham firefighters and birds of prey. No doubt helped by the weather, the Pimms stall went down well, while the games consoles up for grabs ensured the raffle and auction were both a triumph. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Public meetings hear about change in refuse collection
Public meetings are being held across the Malling area where the refuse collection service is about to change. Some 10,000 households across the Tonbridge and Malling Borough will see a switch in September.

The collections are going to be fortnightly but, crucially, food waste will still be taken each week.

Ightham, Kings Hill, Hildenborough, Platt, Trottiscliffe and Plaxtol are among those communities affected. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Camera's appearance remains a mystery
The reason for the sudden appearance of a CCTV camera in Dunton Green remains a mystery. Although the mobile camera was erected in London Road without explanation earlier this month, the contact details of the private company it belonged to - Modal Data - were clearly displayed on the equipment. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Lily Allen drops in to school to make leavers' smile in second celebrity guest appearance
A school in Sevenoaks has been treated to visits from two celebrities in successive days.

Students at the New School at West Heath had extra reason to Smile at their leavers' day on Thursday when a surprise guest flew in to present them with their end-of-year awards.

Pop sensation Lily Allen - who broke onto the music scene last year with her hit Smile - arrived by helicopter to congratulate students on their year's achievements. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Crime in area has fallen by 14%
Westerham can celebrate a year of reduced crime as new police figures show overall incidents are down by 14 per cent. This success is mirrored in Brasted, Chevening and Sundridge where overall crime has fallen by more than 15 per cent. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Club celebrates 35 years
Sevenoaks Decorative and Fine Arts Society has celebrated its 35th Anniversary with an event at Chartwell. Members of the society at the event on Friday enjoyed a talk and a tour from a National Trust representative about the history of the house, which was once the home to Sir Winston Churchill. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Head's beard shaved off for charity
The assistant headteacher of a school for children with visual impairments in Seal nobly sacrificed the beard he has worn for an incredible 33 years on Thursday last week.

And to add insult to injury, brave Paul Sykes of Dorton House School endured the whole experience while being mercilessly heckled in an assembly hall packed with students. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Year 12 skills course success
Sixth-form pupils from Wrotham School have become the first in the country to complete a course normally studied by university undergraduates.

Eight members of Year 12 completed a pilot scheme from the University of Greenwich as part of the pupils enrichment programme, which helps students to gain skills that can be used later in life. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Ofsted inspectors praise nursery school - classing it 'outstanding'
A nursery school in Plaxtol has been given top marks by Ofsted. The nursery, which is held the Memorial Hall, School Lane, was inspected earlier this month by Susan Scott - who dubbed it "outstanding" across the board. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Tribute band to play
Thin Lizzy fans from Otford and the Sevenoaks area can look forward to brushing up on their air guitar skills as top tribute band Limehouse Lizzy gear up to play Otford Memorial Hall. The gig is being organised by Residents Against Development in Otford to raise money for their funds. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Dampener put on smoking proposal
Smokers eating at Sevenoaks' Thai Square may not be allowed to enjoy a quick puff in the restaurant's garden after 11pm if town planners' recommendations come into force. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Extension plans turned down
Town planning chiefs have objected to an application from a prominent Sevenoaks district councillor. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Racing start for fundraiser inspired by little chlo??
A couple are holding a charity event at Brands Hatch tomorrow (Friday) in a touching tribute to their baby daughter. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Landmark tower to be lopped
The chimney of the disused paper mill in South Darenth - an historic landmark that can be seen from miles around - is to be reduced in size by 12m.

A structural survey has concluded the top part of the chimney has to come down for safety reasons.

This follows planning permission granted by Sevenoaks District Council to Fairview New Homes to build 210 homes on the site in New Road. [more]

NEWS ITEM SUBMITTED
Sencio School Holiday Activities
Sencio offers holiday activities to stretch the imagination - an exciting range of fun-filled activities to keep children active throughout the school holidays. Whether your children like sports, arts and crafts, pottery or jazz dancing, we offer something for everyone.

This year Funtastic has an exciting range of fun-filled activities to keep all ages active during the summer holidays. There's loads to do whatever your age!

Across the district we have parties, water fun time, swimming crash courses, gymnastic courses, cheerleading, badminton, trampolining courses, football with Charlton and many more.

For those of you who are more creative the programme includes arts & crafts, bead making and clay modelling.

To download a holiday activity programme for young people up to 13 years, click your centre below:

Edenbridge | Sevenoaks | Wildernesse | White Oak in Swanley [more]

Also check dates in the event calendar

KOS MEDIA - KENT NEWS
Battersea Dogs Home unveils site at Brands Hatch
The world-famous Battersea Dogs and Cats Home has unveiled its newly refurbished site in Kent. Sevenoaks MP Michael Fallon opened the state-of-the-art facility at Brands Hatch, close to the race track. A welcoming and tranquil temporary home can now be provided for up to 60 lost and abandoned dogs and 35 cats from across the county.

Manager Richard King said: “We are all very pleased with the new facilities, which enable us to continue providing the very best standard of care to our dogs and cats.

Battersea Dogs and Cats Home is a charity that receives no government funding and this new site at Brands Hatch was only made possible by the donations we received from our supporters and the general public.”

The charity bought the site in 1996 but a lot of work was needed to replace the original kennels and cattery. [more]

KOS MEDIA - KENT NEWS
Bayliss braced for Brands
Reigning World Superbike champion Troy Bayliss says he is determined to get his race for the rider’s crown back on track at Brands next month.

The racer endured a disappointing race weekend at Brno – crashing out of race one and finishing race two in sixth.

But the Australian says he hopes the good luck he’s experienced at the Kent circuit in the past will help refuel his championship ambition. [more]

BBC KENT
Benchmark hospital plans unveiled
Final designs for a hospital which its architect says will set new standards for NHS facilities have been unveiled.

The 512-bed Pembury Hospital in Kent, due to open by 2011, is said to be the first in the NHS which will give every patient their own en-suite bedroom.

"It is a benchmark which will set the scene nationally for hospital design," said spokesman Darren Yates.

The hospital at Pembury, near Tunbridge Wells, will replace both the existing Pembury and Kent and Sussex hospitals. Building is due to start early next year if detailed planning approval is given for the £226m private-finance scheme. [more]

KOS MEDIA - KENT NEWS
Eurostar's Ebbsfleet tickets now on sale
Tickets for the first Eurostar trains from Ebbsfleet International went on sale on Tuesday.

Seven services to Paris and five to Brussels will start running from the station from November 19.

It will increase the number of Eurostar trains serving the county from 12 to 16 trains every day, said Eurostar.

Ashford International will continue to have services to Paris, Lille, Disneyland Resort Paris and the seasonal services to Avignon and the French Alps. [more]

KOS MEDIA - KENT NEWS
Bollywood glamour celebrated at new exhibition
The glamour of Bollywood is being celebrated in a new exhibition of film posters from India.

Bollywood Now has just opened at Sevenoaks Kaleidoscope Gallery and runs until Friday, August 17.

The exhibition features current Bollywood film posters and highlights the incredible cultural influence that the Indian film industry now has, on the rest of the world. [more]

KINO AT THE STAG
Comedy Night at The Laughing Stag
Comedy Night at The Laughing Stag REX BOYD, WES PACKER, DYLAN BRAY with your MC: KEVIN DEWSBURY

Sunday 5th August 6.30 Bar to open, 7.30pm Start

Limited tickets, buy in advance @ £10.00
For more information, please call 01732 450175

BBC KENT
Family woken by lightning strike
A couple and their nine-week-old baby had a lucky escape when lightning struck the roof above the bedroom where they were sleeping. Simon and Carole Murphy said their bed was only about 8ft (2.5m) below the bolt's point of impact on their home, in Edenbridge, Kent. But they said their daughter Hannah "seemed to sleep through most of it".

Fire crews were at the house for more than four hours. Half the roof was damaged by the lightning and the blaze. The ceiling of the second-floor bathroom in the three-storey home collapsed during the fire. [more]

BBC KENT
Two-year-old dead in family crash
A two-year-old was killed in an accident which also badly hurt the toddler's mother and father and another five-year-old child, police have said. The family, from west London, were in a car which crashed with a limousine on the anti-clockwise M25 in Kent, just before junction three at Swanley. Another six vehicles were involved in the incident, with five more people sustaining less serious injuries.

The Kent crash was at about 1530 BST, and it saw a stretch of the M25 between junctions four and three shut for about 10 hours. The mother of the dead toddler was taken to Darent Valley Hospital in Kent, while the father was airlifted to a hospital in Whitechapel, east London. The limo driver was spoken to by police but not arrested, a spokesman said. [more]

BBC KENT
Motorcyclist killed in M25 crash
A motorcyclist died in an accident involving three vehicles on the M25 on the Kent/Surrey border.

Surrey Police said the accident on the Kent-bound carriageway happened at about 1835 BST.

It took place near Clackets Lane service station, between junctions six and five. [more]

KOS MEDIA - KENT NEWS
Conway makes up for blows with strong showing
Mike Conway enjoyed his finest race weekend of the GP2 season so far – with a solid two races in front of the Silverstone crowds.

The Sevenoaks racer, a close friend of F1 ace Lewis Hamilton, chalked up a runners-up place in race one on Saturday and finished it with a fifth-place in Sunday’s race two.

The second place finish was his best so far in what previously had been a difficult debut season in the championship. [more]

BBC KENT
Painting sold for castle's future
A painting said to depict King Charles II's favourite mistress, Nell Gwyn, has been auctioned for more than £1.5m.

Portrait of a Young Lady and Child as Venus and Cupid, a 17th Century work by Sir Peter Lely, went under the hammer at Christie's in London.

It was sold by an independent trust to raise money for the future of Chiddingstone Castle, near Edenbridge, Kent, where the painting once hung. [more]