Catch up with all the news across the county with Isabelle Miller.
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00:00Hello and welcome to Kentonite live on KMTV.
00:27Here are your top stories on Thursday the 7th of November.
00:31Banking on more funding.
00:33Netflix star in Canterbury to help keep a vital food bank stocked.
00:38So to fix this would help ease the pressure on some of the other things that we've got
00:42going on as well.
00:43Moving up a gear, Buckmore Park Circuit invests thousands to stay on track.
00:49So these facilities will also mean that they can come here and use the simulator rooms
00:53which is now such an important part of training for a motorsport career.
00:57Will they be built?
00:59Key decision to be made on controversial development in Sittingbourne.
01:03Even though they're sure a new doctor surgery would come, new schools would come, it simply
01:08won't be able to cope without numbers.
01:19KMTV has been told a food bank in Canterbury that more people are using their service compared
01:25to this time last year.
01:27Volunteers have seen a 14% increase in households depending on food deliveries in just the first
01:32week of November.
01:34Today the food bank had the help of Netflix star Ashley Walters who thinks it's a position
01:39a lot more people are now finding themselves in.
01:42Our reporter Abbey Hook was there while he helped pack parcels.
01:46Alright look, any beans?
01:50Yep, two tins.
01:52From top boy to top shelf, Netflix star Ashley Walters swapped the streets of London for
02:00the isles of Canterbury food bank and it's all to tackle the increasing demand on the
02:05charity and the increasing pressures on families that usually wouldn't rely on a food bank.
02:11During the pandemic a food bank opened in our local church and you know on the street
02:18we live on it's quite well to do, you know there's like people, you assume people have
02:23got money to support themselves but during that period of time we saw some of our neighbours
02:28you know queuing up at the food bank and it really woke us up to the fact that actually
02:35no one's too far away from being in that position if something like that happens.
02:40In just the first seven days of November more than 200 parcels have been sent out and
02:46that's already up by more than 14% compared to this time last year.
02:51More than half went to children.
02:53This is also linked to education in a strange way because if kids are not eating or struggling
03:00to eat or have got parents that are worrying about them eating the next day then they're
03:05not focusing on homework, they're not focusing on, do you know what I mean, being in the
03:09right frame of mind for education.
03:10If you don't have breakfast in the morning you go to school you are not thinking about
03:14maths you're thinking about when I'm going to eat, do you know what I mean.
03:17This issue branches out into a lot of other political issues that we're having at the
03:21moment so to fix this would help ease the pressure on some of the other things that
03:25we've got going on as well.
03:27Including government cuts to winter fuel payments impacting pensioners.
03:32It's another reason why the food bank have launched a winter campaign now ahead of Christmas
03:37with a reverse advent calendar.
03:39The idea to put a different item in a bag every day of November so by that busy Christmas
03:45period that can be a really difficult time for a lot of families they have a full bag
03:49of essential items and today on day seven it's a tin of beans.
03:55But the government says this dependence is unacceptable so it's extended the household
04:00support fund, increased the national living wage and is developing strategies with the
04:05child poverty task force.
04:07But on a busy day for the food bank up to 50 new enquiries will come in, that's 50 new
04:12families who are making that choice between heating or eating.
04:17I think there was a time when food banks were considered to be the organisation of last
04:21resort.
04:22But we find now that people are coming to us almost immediately, are being appointed
04:28to us by other organisations so it would be lovely to live in a world where food banks
04:34were no longer necessary but I don't see that happening any time soon and as I say
04:40we're prepared for really whatever the winter will throw at us.
04:44They're predicting to deliver nearly 3,000 parcels over the next eight weeks while doing
04:50their best to reverse food poverty this Christmas.
04:53Abbey Hook for KMTV in Canterbury.
04:59An inquest has opened today into the death of a man from Tunbridge Wells who was found
05:03dead last month.
05:04The court heard that Wayne Woodgate was found face down covered with a plastic sheet and
05:09leaves.
05:10The 54-year-old was last spotted in Tunbridge Wells but found dead in Peasmarsh in East
05:15Sussex.
05:16To tell us more about the story I'm joined by our reporter Zinia Nakhvi.
05:19Zinia, so can you tell me what were you told about the sentencing?
05:25So last month as many of us know Wayne Woodgate was reported missing on October 17th specifically
05:32and he was last seen in the Good Station Road area of Tunbridge Wells.
05:37Then six days later on October 23rd Mr Woodgate was found next to the A268 in Peasmarsh, East
05:45Sussex.
05:47And what's come out from court today?
05:50So Mr Woodgate's dead body was found covered in a plastic sheet in a woodland but the assistant
05:57coroner told the court in Maidstone at the inquest today that police think that the site
06:02where his body was found is not where he had died and he cited the medical cause of death
06:08as compression of the neck but the inquest will continue on March 27th.
06:1359-year-old Stephen Castle has been charged with his murder and is expected to stand trial
06:18in April.
06:19Mr Woodgate's son George said Wayne was a dedicated family man who brought joy and warmth
06:25to everyone he met.
06:27His eldest son Glenn added that his dad was a face of Tunbridge Wells and a fundraiser
06:33has since been set up to help cover the costs of his funeral.
06:39Now work is set to get underway to deliver a new sports and leisure hub in Ebbsfleet.
06:43Ebbsfleet Green which is a new neighbourhood within the Ebbsfleet Garden City development
06:48is set to benefit from a host of new shared facilities.
06:52Features will include new sports pitches, tennis courts and a community hall.
06:57The new community between Swanscombe and Norfleet features around 950 new homes which are being
07:03built by Red Rose South East Division.
07:06Work started on site in 2016 with the final homes forecast for completion next year.
07:14Now don't forget you can keep up to date with all the latest stories across Kent by logging
07:20on to our website kmtv.co.uk.
07:23There you'll find our reports including this one about the Collins Dictionary Word of the Year.
07:29In 2023 the Collins Dictionary Word of the Year was AI, which stands for Artificial Intelligence.
07:35Another popular word in that year was RIS, a Gen Z slang term meaning style or charm.
07:41Can you guess what it is this year?
07:44It is closely tied with the colour green and pop music.
07:47It's BRAT.
07:49I asked people at the University of Kent to see if they could guess what the word is.
07:54RIS, AI or BRAT?
07:57I'm going to go RIS.
07:59I'm not very down with the lingo of today but I'm going to go with RIS.
08:04RIS.
08:05Yeah.
08:06I was expecting him to say that.
08:09RIS.
08:11BRAT.
08:11I know it's BRAT.
08:13But BRAT summer.
08:15Yeah.
08:15Most people understand the word BRAT to be a badly behaved child, but the word has secured
08:20an added definition meaning confident, independent with a hedonistic attitude.
08:24And this is thanks to the popular pop singer Charli XCX.
08:28Her album BRAT took the number one spot on the charts, starting a cultural movement for
08:33those who wanted a BRAT summer.
08:35US presidential candidate Kamala Harris even gave her social media a BRAT rebrand to attract
08:41younger viewers during the summer.
08:43The Commons Dictionary says that thanks to Gen Z and social media, a lot of the popular
08:48words this year have come from online trends, such as the word ERA, which also made it onto
08:53this year's list.
08:55Interestingly, only one political term made it onto this year's list, despite it being
09:00a year full of elections.
09:02As the effects of social media, online trends and artificial intelligence become more prominent
09:08every day, the future words of the year are increasingly unpredictable.
09:13Kristin Hawthorne for KMTV.
09:21Shoppers in Kent have been reacting to the news that Australia is set to introduce the
09:26world's first law to ban children under 16 from social media.
09:30The new law is aimed to improve safety online and protect younger users.
09:35The topic has been widely debated, with some experts saying that it may stop children from
09:39being able to navigate online spaces, while campaigners believe that excessive social
09:44media use is rewiring young brains.
09:47We asked people in Gillingham High Street what they think of the proposal and if it
09:51should be introduced in the UK.
10:09I think it should be, because I think there's so many nasty things on the internet and at
10:17the age of 16 or under, you're not really ready to be embraced and that sort of stuff.
10:23There's only so much parents can do to stop that, but we do need extra help.
10:31And, sorry about that technical difficulty, let's look at the weather.
10:40Cloudy skies all across Kent this evening.
10:43Lows of 8 degrees over in Margate and Dover.
10:47Into tomorrow morning, temperatures will hover around 9 degrees and no sunshine to start the day either.
10:53Going into this afternoon, still very grey.
10:56Easterly winds picking up slightly with highs of 12 degrees in Dartford and 10 degrees in Maidstone.
11:02And for the rest of the week, grey skies on Saturday and Sunday.
11:06Temperatures picking up into next week.
11:08Some sunshine peeking through the clouds on Monday the 13th.
11:20Now it's time for a quick break, but coming up, Chatham's Buckmore Park karting circuit
11:25is set to receive major investment as part of plans to modernise the site to keep it
11:30competitive in a changing motorsport scene.
11:34And what should we be watching this week? Perhaps something American.
11:37Another episode of Kent Film Club coming up after Kent Tonight.
11:40And Chris Deasy will be here to talk all about the movies.
12:03.
12:33.
13:03.
13:33.
14:03.
14:33.
15:04.
15:05.
15:11Hello and welcome back to Kentonite live on KMTV.
15:15Now a decision will be made this evening on controversial plans to bring 8400 homes to rural Sittingbourne.
15:22It's been recommended for refusal by Swale Borough Council with concerns over urbanisation.
15:28The developer, Quinn Estate, stands by their proposal, saying it would open up hundreds of acres of green space to the public.
15:35Local democracy reporter Gabriel joined me earlier.
15:41So tell me more about this development.
15:44Well, it's some 8,500 homes which are proposed to go.
15:48On the outskirts of Sittingbourne, it would connect seven villages together.
15:53Now, there is a lot of concern coming from locals about this.
15:56They say, well, it would be the end of village life.
15:58They have worries over infrastructure.
16:00They say they've already struggled to get a doctor.
16:02They believe it would bring a population increase of around 20,000 people to the local area.
16:07And they say, well, even though they're sure a new doctor or surgeon would come, new schools would come, it simply won't be able to cope without numbers.
16:14There would also be a new link road onto the M2 to join into the new garden village is what the developers are dubbing it.
16:22But they say, well, that's great, but it's going to damage the wildlife, the habitats and ruin the green space, which they've enjoyed for generations.
16:30Yes, because there is a lot of greenery outside Sittingbourne just around here, isn't there?
16:36And what's happening tonight exactly?
16:38Well, tonight it is the planning committee.
16:40This is where councillors will get their say on these plans.
16:44Not all planning permissions, which go into a local council, have this opportunity.
16:49But because of the scale of this, officers thought, well, the councillors should have the final say on it.
16:54Now, officers at Swellborough Council are recommending the councillors to refuse this tonight.
17:00They've done it on the ground.
17:02They're worried about the scale of the urbanisation, which could happen if this went ahead on the outskirts of Sittingbourne, echoing similar views to the villagers.
17:12It's not 100% certain that councillors will follow this, but we know there is a track record.
17:17Particularly, I've been to a couple of Swellborough Council planning committee meetings where schemes like this have been refused and rejected in the past.
17:26Worth noting, this development is not in the local plan, so it means there are other areas in Sittingbourne and Swellborough where they could build homes on.
17:38This is not designated land to build homes on, so that will help the councillors out this evening if they do choose to go down the path of rejecting it.
17:46But we don't know what would happen. It is split into two planning applications.
17:50There's a north one, up by Tenham, and a south one, which is this huge stretch down here.
17:54So that, they might choose to go for one, not the other.
17:58They might choose to defer it. They could choose for a site visit.
18:00There are a number of different options they'd have to go for, but it will have to come with a reason to defer it.
18:05They could go along with what the officers said. It's going to cause too much urbanisation for the rural communities.
18:10If they do do that, so they go ahead with the rejection, there's nothing stopping the developer resubmitting new plans.
18:15They could scale it down, they could increase the number of affordable homes, or maybe just go for a smaller section.
18:21The developer could do that, or they could appeal it through central government.
18:25Thank you very much.
18:27Next tonight, Chatham Racing Circuit, Buckmore Park, is set to receive major investment as part of efforts to modernise the site and keep it in pole position as the home for kart racing.
18:38The track has seen the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris excel on their way to Formula One,
18:44but with the introduction of state-of-the-art simulators, it's hoped Kent's role-fostering future talent won't be overtaken.
18:51Bartholomew Hall has been down to the track to find out more and joins us now. You were there today, right?
18:56I was. That's why I'm not in my usual reporter's suit today.
19:00I'm in my skivvies today because I did have a chance to go out on the track, and we'll see a bit of that in a moment.
19:05I had to put on the full race suit and helmet. Really fun day.
19:08What we can see on the screen here is the vision for what Buckmore Park is going to look like.
19:12This is a computer-generated image of what they're calling the paddock.
19:15It's a 200,000-square-foot building, two floors that, as you can see there, has got a viewing platform, great view of the track.
19:23But they're hoping that it can be used on non-track days as well, as an entertainment hub, a restaurant,
19:28but also as a place for people to go and use, as you mentioned, the state-of-the-art simulators,
19:34which is a very big part of the motorsport scene that's been on the rise in the past 10 years.
19:39That's the hope of Buckmore Park, is to not just be a place where people can go on the track,
19:43but they can go and foster their skills across the motorsport scene.
19:46Let's take a look at how I got on today.
19:59So many great British motorsport careers began passing through these corners,
20:09and that's what bosses here at Buckmore Park want to see continuing on into the future.
20:14But bosses say that it might not be on the track that an ex-Lewis Hamilton or Orlando Norris is discovered here.
20:21Instead, it'll be over there.
20:23The plan is to replace a previously overlooked paddock building with a 20,000-square-foot hub,
20:29including a restaurant, sports bar and 18 top-of-the-line motion simulators.
20:34We have obviously leisure karting, and appealing to the general public is a big part of our business,
20:40but we also have a lot of the big F1 stars that have started here at Buckmore Park,
20:44and that is with our Owner Driver and Visiting Series.
20:47So that's why it's really important to build the facilities so that they can still come to us.
20:52That's where we see the stars of tomorrow coming through.
20:55So these facilities will also mean that they can come here and use the simulator rooms,
20:59which is now such an important part of training for a motorsport career.
21:04Behind the plans is husband and wife duo Leonora and Richard Martel-Certes,
21:09who say they want the circuit to become the go-to place for both racing leisure and competition.
21:15Following Formula One's burst in popularity since the release of Netflix's Drive to Survive,
21:20the track owners say they want to capitalise on Kent's new wave of motorsport fans
21:24and cater to its changing landscape.
21:27Buckmore Park has always been a place that motorsport fans and people when they're young get into karting,
21:32and karting is typically the route that people go through for motorsport.
21:34We wanted to create somewhere that people could come whether they're into motorsport or motoring,
21:38and it's somewhere that is family-friendly and they can come, drive simulators,
21:42they can have some great food, drink, meet like-minded people and generally have a good time.
21:47The vision continues on that set by Leonora's father and motorsport legend John Certes,
21:52who bought Buckmore Park back in 2015.
21:55Yes, I think my dad would be really pleased to see what we're launching today.
21:59For him, he always had so many plans with Buckmore and sadly he wasn't really able to see his vision fulfilled,
22:06but I know for certain that he'd be absolutely delighted with how that's going to secure the future of Buckmore
22:13and really staying at the forefront of not just karting but now motoring and motorsport in the UK.
22:19Buckmore Park has a long and at times complicated history,
22:23from royal visits, future international stars passing through its ranks,
22:27to almost shutting down entirely during Covid.
22:30But with planning approval alone standing in the way,
22:33it's hoped when the paddock opens in 2027,
22:36the Kent Circuit will be future-proofed in the ever-evolving world of motorsport.
22:41Follow me home for KMTV at Buckmore Park.
22:45And finally, after Kent tonight will be a brand new episode of Kent Film Club,
22:50so I thought we could end the programme talking about American films because of the election this week.
22:55We'll start with Home Alone 2 Lost in New York, which features America's new president Donald Trump in it.
23:01I've never actually watched it, but just tell me about his role in it.
23:05Well, he has a very short role and I actually saw it in Dover just before Christmas.
23:10And when I first watched it years ago, of course, he was nowhere near the White House.
23:14And surreal, because you've got Macaulay Culkin's character walking into the big hotel.
23:18Of course, it's all Trump Towers, etc.
23:20And he asks him the way Donald Trump looks and says,
23:24you look familiar, and he does just that.
23:27Oh, there you go, here he is, yeah.
23:29And there we are. I remembered it correctly.
23:31Oh, there you go.
23:32And looking rather quizzically.
23:34That was a very short cameo.
23:36And Donald Trump has actually had Razzie nominations before for worst actor.
23:41Well, it was a very short amount of time to be worst actor for.
23:45OK, so what comes to mind when thinking about American identity?
23:49Do you know, it's funny you ask that because Clint Eastwood, who is 94, has made what may well be his last film.
23:56It's called Jura No. 2.
23:57And it's almost like, I mean, when you consider that Clint Eastwood himself has always been a Republican supporter,
24:04but has made films very socially liberal.
24:06And it's called Jura No. 2.
24:07And it's a courtroom drama that plays on those issues of what happens when family and justice and truth all collide.
24:15And I think that Clint Eastwood is probably a really good barometer in that sense of somebody who understands the, you know,
24:21I mean, he's always been associated through the Dirty Harrier films with the gun.
24:24And so, you know, Republicans love him.
24:27But also, I think a lot of more social liberal, even Democrats.
24:31I remember when he was embraced by Barbra Streisand when he won the Oscar for Million Dollar Baby.
24:34You know, really understand that he's a very serious filmmaker who tries to get at the heart of American identity.
24:40His films always seem to be set in a different state, in a different genre.
24:43So I kind of think that's probably a really good barometer in terms of what we dealt with in the news yesterday,
24:48which I think surprised a lot of people that Trump would get his second term.
24:52And, I mean, in terms of any suggestions who are happy, for people who are happy with the outcome,
24:58and maybe a suggestion for film people who are maybe a little bit disappointed this week could watch as well.
25:03Well, I think it's ironic that, of course, there's a film called The Apprentice out at the moment,
25:06which is based on what, you know, the origin story of Donald Trump.
25:10And it might be like Fahrenheit, you know, the Michael Moore film Far Out 9-1-1,
25:17which was an attempt to try and scupper George W. Bush's accession to a second term.
25:24It kind of backfired because you then had other, you know, the entrenched supporters saying,
25:29no, no, no, no, no, we're not going to let this work our way.
25:32I mean, you've got sort of, you know, you see in biblical epics, the passion of the Christ,
25:35those who feel that, you know, you have the conservatives versus the liberals.
25:39You look at, and Jesus films are often a good way into that through, you know,
25:42the passion of the Christ versus the last temptation of Christ.
25:45So there are lots of genres where you see these issues come to the fore.
25:48And it's sort of, you really see very marked, differently sort of configured American identities.
25:53America is a very diverse place.
25:54And we sort of saw that yesterday in terms of the way the results were distributed
25:58through the different Midwestern states, for example.
26:01Yes. And I'll refer back to when we mentioned Home Alone.
26:03So that is a Christmas film. Again, haven't watched it.
26:05So this is what I've been told. Is it too early to watch Christmas films?
26:09Last night, I saw Red One, which is a new Christmas film that came out the cinemas yesterday.
26:15Will it still be screening in cinemas by the middle or the end of December?
26:19It's not the best Christmas film, and I've seen more than a few in my time.
26:22So the answer that, well, I'd be a hypocrite if I said yes to your question.
26:26But we had Bad Santa in 2004, which came out at the very beginning of November.
26:31And I think it lasted about two weeks in the cinemas,
26:33although that was an 18-rated adult Christmas film.
26:35But no, the season has well and truly begun.
26:38It has indeed. And that's it for Kent and I this evening.
26:42We'll see you next time.
26:52.