Sevenoaks News

BBC KENT
Cyclist suffers serious injuries
A cyclist has suffered serious head and chest injuries following a collision on a road in Kent.

Police said the 45-year-old man was involved in a collision with a car in Toys Hill, near Westerham.

He was flown by air ambulance to a hospital in London in a critical condition. The driver of the car was reportedly uninjured.

Officers are examining the circumstances surrounding the accident and have appealed for witnesses. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Plaxtol man's recycling revolution
A Plaxtol man has received industry recognition after revolutionising the recycling world.

Chris Dow, 46, of Tree Lane, is the mastermind behind the opening of the first plant in London to recycle waste plastic bottles back into useful food packaging material.

The Dagenham-based facility will mean that some 35,000 tonnes of recovered plastic bottles will be diverted from landfills. [more]

NEWS ITEM SUBMITTED
Heavenly evening at Hever
An evening of classical Viennese music performed by the Sevenoaks Symphony Orchestra and the choir of the Sevenoaks Philharmonic Society, conducted by Darrell Davison, was attended by over 500 people on Saturday 21 June to raise money to build a school for the children of Agortorme, a small rural community in Ghana. The event was organised by the charity International Needs UK (INUK).

In the beautiful setting of the Walled Gardens at Hever Castle in Kent, the programme of music included such delights as Mozart’s ‘Magic Flute’ and many Strauss masterpieces including the Blue Danube Waltz and the Anvil Polka. Fiona Hammacott, gave some captivating solo performances which included excerpts from Die Fledermaus and Lehar’s Merry Widow and Giuditta operettas.

On a pleasant evening, by the lake and rose gardens of Anne Boleyn’s childhood home, the event was a resounding success, with in excess of £15,000 being raised from the event to date. All expenses of the evening were met by Pi Consulting UK Limited, a firm of occupational pension consultants based in Wimbledon, to allow all proceeds to go to INUK. [Insert photo]

For further information please contact:
Julia Tyrrell, Pi Consulting on 020 8410 3443 or by email: jt@piconsulting.co.uk
Karen Tomkins, International Needs UK on 020 8688 3939 or by email: inuk@ineeds.org.uk

SEVENOAKS DISTRICT COUNCIL
Westerham business reaches new food hygiene heights!
The first food business in the District to be re-inspected as part of the new 'Scores on the Doors’ public information service has shown a huge improvement in its food hygiene standards.

Rendezvous Café Brasserie was amongst the first premises in the District to have its food hygiene scores published on the innovative ‘Scores on the Doors’ website, following a routine inspection by the Sevenoaks District Council's Environmental Health team on 27 November 2007. [more]

SEVENOAKS DISTRICT COUNCIL
Swanley benefit cheat brought to account
A Swanley benefit cheat to illegally claimed nearly £2,700 in benefit was brought to book after a joint investigation by Sevenoaks District Council and the Department for Work & Pensions. [more]

SEVENOAKS DISTRICT COUNCIL
Planning advice review
As part of a package of improvements to the planning services, the Council will introduce charging for some types of pre-application planning advice from 1 July 2008 so it can provide an enhanced service.

When developers or applicants wish to have a meeting with the Council’s planning officers or receive advice on a major proposal there will be a charge of £250 plus VAT.

If they wish to receive written advice on minor applications or small matters there will be charges of £50 or £100 plus VAT depending on the scale of the proposal.

However, there will be no charge for householders seeking views on the acceptability of a house extension. [more]

SEVENOAKS DISTRICT COUNCIL
Resident sought to keep council standards high
Sevenoaks District Council is looking to appoint an independent member of the public to its Standards Committee to help ensure its councillors work to the high ethical standards expected of them by the public.

The Standards Committee aims to promote and maintain high standards of conduct of elected and other District Council members as well as town and parish councillors. It consists of six District Councillors, three Parish Councillors and four independent representatives.

The successful person would be expected to attend three meetings a year, in addition to monthly hearings, at the Council's Sevenoaks offices. Travel expenses are paid. Meetings take place during the week beginning at 7pm, whilst hearings will take place during normal office hours. [more]

KOS MEDIA
Mayor lifts the lid on his battle with the booze
For 20 years alcohol ruled Michael Mahy’s life.

If he was happy he would toast his success with a drink. If he was sad he would drown his sorrows.

At the peak of his alcoholism, the former hotel worker consumed two-and-a-half bottles of vodka a day.

He would fall down stairs, was regularly ill and alienated friends. He was, he said, a “complete and utter mess and wreck”.

But that all changed when he sought help at Yalding-based Kenward Trust. People from across the UK are referred to the Christian charity, which runs 10 residential ‘rehab’ clinics to beat drink and drug addiction.

It dramatically turned Michael Mahy’s life around. The 58-year-old, who has been sober for 18 years, was made Mayor of Swanley last month. [more]

SEVENOAKS DISTRICT COUNCIL
Time running out for young people to have their say
Young people living in the District are being reminded that they have just under a month left to influence an important new plan that affects many areas of their lives.

Sevenoaks District Council is currently consulting with young people aged from nine to 18 as it develops its new Young People’s Action Plan, which is set to be published in March 2009.

The plan will contain a range of actions designed to continue to make the District a better place for young people to live, and the results from the survey will allow the Council to understand what is most important when working with and providing activities and services for children and young people in the area over the next three years.

The Council is particularly keen to hear from young people who travel to school outside of the District, as well as sixth form students who may not have been in school to take the survey due to exams.

Young people going to an independent school, at a special school, or not in school at all are also encouraged to give their views.

There are two separate surveys, one for children in years 5 and 6 at primary school, and one for young people of secondary school age - 11 to 18 years old. They can be completed online by going to the Young People's section of the website. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Man injured in horror incident in Otford
A man was seriously injured when the agricultural JCB he was driving overturned onto a car with two people in it.

The JCB, which had a crane and weighed an estimated 10 tonnes, fell onto a Mercedes in St Michael's Drive, Otford shortly before 9am.

Both occupants miraculously escaped unharmed, but the driver of the JCB was not so lucky. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Sevenoaks pumps run dry amid strike
Some forecourts in Sevenoaks have been running out of fuel after the tanker drivers' strike prompted panic buying.

But as experts continue to appeal for calm, petrol station owners have predicted that stocks should just about hold out.

The four-day strike, by tanker drivers delivering fuel to Shell outlets, is due to end tomorrow morning. [more]

KOS MEDIA
Muesli magnate enjoying the fruits of her labour
From designing power stations to fuelling bodies the natural way, Lotte Garner has put her energy to good use.

As founder of Sevenoaks-based whole foods company Southern Alps, the former mechanical engineer now sells dried fruits and muesli that has been produced without the use of preservatives or sugar. Her change of career came about when a friend suffered an adverse reaction to dried apricots several years ago.

“Our friend did a lot of sport and she ate dried apricots as a healthy, easy snack,” Lotte, 41, said. “But she began to get very strong stomach cramps and after a couple of days she fainted. The doctor said it was caused by the sulphur dioxide in the apricots. We looked at what was available and saw how much of it contained preservatives and sugar. We thought ‘what is the most logical way to dry it?’ and we saw that warm air was the easiest natural way.” [more]

SEVENOAKS DISTRICT COUNCIL
Council staff are bowled over!
Sevenoaks District Council councillors and staff had a wicket time, and stumped up money for a good cause recently when they donned their whites for their second ever charity cricket match.

A Leader's Select XI and a Chief Executive's Select XI did battle at the Vine Cricket Ground on Monday evening (9 June) with all the proceeds from the event going to a charity chosen by the captain of the winning team. [more]

NEWS ITEM SUBMITTED
Mexican Evening at The Horns, Otford
Wednesday, 18th June we are having a Mexican Gourmet menu for this evening. £19.95 per person. For bookings, please telephone 01959 522604.

The Horns, Otford www.thehornsotford.co.uk
66 High Street, Otford, Sevenoaks, Kent TN14 5PH

CANCELLED

SEVENOAKS DISTRICT COUNCIL
Government praises steadily improving Sevenoaks
Sevenoaks District Council continues to improve its performance according to the Government's independent financial watchdog, the Audit Commission.

The Commission's Annual Audit and Inspection Letter, made available in June 2008, says that the Council continues to be an 'Excellent' authority, with high standards of service, visionary leadership and is a top performing council in terms of efficiency and value for money. [more]

SEVENOAKS DISTRICT COUNCIL
Ride with the team that’s taking on the fly tippers
The Clean Kent Campaign is a multi-agency initiative helping to keep Sevenoaks District cleaner and greener by tackling the issues, and effects of littering, graffiti and flytipping as well as taking action against those responsible. To mark the launch of the latest Community Safety Partnership three year action plan, local reporters and photographers are invited to join the Clean Kent Neighbourhood Response Team on Monday 9, Thursday 12 and Friday 13 June 2008 to see firsthand how it operates. The team will be at various locations in Sevenoaks District during the three days. [more]

SEVENOAKS DISTRICT COUNCIL
Save your pocket, share a car!
There is the perfect chance to counter ever rising fuel costs and help the environment next Monday (9 June) on National Liftshare Day.

With over 38 million empty car seats on the UK’s roads every day, it is also the ideal opportunity to ease traffic congestion and help the environment by reducing CO2 emissions.

To help find a car sharing companion local residents and commuters can register for free at the Kent Car Share website www.kentcarshare.com. [more]

SEVENOAKS DISTRICT COUNCIL
Meet the key players that help keep us safe
To mark the launch of the Sevenoaks District Community Safety Partnership's latest three year action plan, local reporters and photographers are invited to meet some of the key people involved in the Partnership.

The meeting takes place on Monday 9 June from 12.15pm to 1pm at Sevenoaks District Council's offices in Sevenoaks. [more]

SEVENOAKS DISTRICT COUNCIL
See the District's CCTV nerve centre
Local reporters are invited to see for themselves the District's CCTV control room and speak directly with Cllr Keith Loney, the Council's Cabinet member with responsibility for Community Safety, and Sharon Wright the Council's CCTV Manager, about the system.

The event is taking place on Monday 9 June at 1pm at the Council's offices in Sevenoaks (following on from the Community Safety Partnership meeting). [more]

NEWS ITEM SUBMITTED
Top TV Star Helen Baxendale at British Strawberry Shoot

Stonepitts Farm, Seal Chart, Sevenoaks was the chosen location for a major national supermarket's Fresh British Strawberry campaign. At 5.30 in the morning Saturday 31 May they were invaded by an army of 50 crew and lorry loads of gear including cameras, enormous spotlights, generators, catering vans and a huge Winnebego for the celeb Helen Baxendale of Cold Feet, Crossing the Floor, Dangerfield, Bolshe Vita and many more TV star appearances.

Helen wheeled her trolley up and down the immaculately "strawed-up" rows of Cambridge Favourite strawberries amongst phalanx of pickers all hard at work in the early morning sunshine - truly "Darling Buds of May" style !! Stonepitts provided 8 exras for the advert including farm owner Martin and Jackie Clews' daughter and daughter in law Jo and Kate.

Stonepitts Farm is the only remaining local PYO soft fruit farm in the area and will be open for its 43rd season in a couple of week's time. They have six different varieties of British strawberry and three varieties of raspberry, which probably is why they were chosen by the supermarket as one of the jewels in the crown of "Garden of England" soft fruit growers. That and the superb views of our treasured North Downs as seen across the beautiful Holmesdale Valley. Visit www.stonepitts.com for more. Delicious !!!

Martin & Jackie Clews

Stonepitts Farm Tel: 01732 763123 Fax: 01732 763798 info@stonepitts.com

SEVENOAKS DISTRICT COUNCIL
Week of events marks launch of new safety strategy
To celebrate the launch of the new Sevenoaks District Community Safety Strategy, a week of events primarily intended for the local media has been lined up beginning next Monday (9 June).

The Strategy set out plans to tackle crime and the fear of crime over the coming three years. [more]

SEVENOAKS DISTRICT COUNCIL
Have something to laugh about at comedy night!
An award winning comedian will be bringing his unique brand of humour to the District when he visits Sevenoaks in less than a fortnight. John Ryan’s warts-and-all ‘Hurt Until It Laughs’ comedy show looks at what makes men tick when it comes to uncomfortable health matters and asks the question ‘Why do man hate going to the doctor?’. [more]