Happy Holidays and Warm Wishes for a Happy New Year

Great interview in the News Shopper read it here...

INTERVIEW: Swanscombe's new councillor reveals financial nightmare of payday lenders

  News By Heloise Wood

Steve Doran, 27, recently won the Swanscombe seat

 

SWANSCOMBE’s new councillor has revealed to News Shopper how she wants to help people struggling with payday loans after her own financial nightmare. 

Labour’s Steve Doran, won the seat earlier this month by a single vote, pushing Swanscombe and Greenhithe Residents Association candidate Vic Openshaw into second place. 

The 27-year-old has campaigned extensively about reforming payday loan companies’ policies after battling with one for 18 months. 

She said: "I took a high rate loan out just because I was struggling to get by in 2010 and because I’m on a low income, I struggled to pay it back at the end of the month. 

"This meant I took another loan out to keep up with the interest which continued for 18 months. "A lot of it is about standing up and saying ‘this happened to me’ because there is a strong stigma attached to it and an assumption about the type of person taking out a payday loan.

"Some of our recommendations I've campaigned for through Sharkstopper (Labour party pressure group) have been made law and if this legislation had been around in 2010 I wouldn’t have struggled in this way." 

Councillor Doran originally trained to be a journalist after thinking politics was not for her

She said: "I did my undergrad degree at Nottingham and then an MA in Broadcast Journalism at Nottingham Trent. I soon realised though I wanted to be making news rather than reporting on it. 

"I always thought politics wasn’t for someone like me – my mum is a hospital housekeeper (check) and my dad works on a building site. "My local Labour party has been really good about my lack of money and is supporting working class people into politics – for example, I don’t have a car so they pick me up for meetings."  

Cllr Doran now works with older people and believes it has provided good experience for her Councillor-role. 

She said: "I work in a residential care as an activities coordinator for people with dementia and nursing needs. "It’s wonderful – every day is different and I come away knowing I’ve changed someone’s life for the better. "In many ways it’s like being a councilor because you’re going to a situation you’ve never seen before and you need to think ‘how can I fix this for you’."

Swanscombe residents breathe a sigh of relief at Thames crossing decision

Swanscombe residents breathe a sigh of relief at Thames crossing decision

By Melissa Hills, assistant news editor, Bexley and north Kent

The three crossing options the Department of Transport are looking into.

SWANSCOMBE residents have breathed a sigh of relief after plans for a new Thames crossing through the village were thrown out.

The Government threw out the proposal to connect the A2 to the A1089 road, north of Tilbury Docks, over fears it could jeopardise plans for the huge Paramount Park development which could create 27,000 new jobs. 

The news has been met with happiness but also frustration as North Kent residents continue to await a decision on Option A which would see another crossing built next to the current Dartford-Thurrock crossing and Option C, which would connect the M2 with the A13 and the M25 between junctions 29 and 30 and would land between Coalhouse and Tilbury forts and travel north towards the Orsett Cock junction of the A13.

The other two options are to be studied further by the Department of Transport and environmental impacts will be looked into.

Graham Blew, town clerk for Swanscombe and Greenhithe Town Council, said: "We are very pleased that Option B has been dropped, but annoyed extra options were not presented like links from the ports. 

"Option C is our preferred choice of the three but we are very frustrated at the timing and that there is going to be further delays.

"We welcome the application into Paramount Park because of its employment options for Swanscombe but we also have reservations. "It needs to be correctly and we need to make sure there is enough infrastructure in place." 

Dartford councilor Bryan Read, lead member for urban regeneration in Swanscombe and secretary of the residents association, said: "We have been pushing for this since day one.

"It was a silly option from the start especially with the plans for the theme park which we support. "We have considered all the options deeply and we get affected everytime there is something wrong at the Dartford crossing. "We are most supportive of Option C or something further down the estuary, we think that's the best thing for everyone in Kent." 

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: "We had over 5,700 responses to the consultation and ruling out the least attractive option now gives some clarity for residents and businesses. 

"We are committed to making a decision on the location of the new crossing as soon as possible, but we recognise that whatever crossing location is chosen it will have significant impact for people in the area and the economy. "These are tough decisions to be made and must not be taken lightly." 

The Government remains committed to introducing free flow charging at the Dartford-Thurrock crossing by October 2014 to help with congestion in the short term. 

The new decision has been met with mixed reaction from local politicians and campaigners. Jeremy Kite, leader of Dartford Council said: "I’m very pleased that the uncertainty over a crossing at Swanscombe has been lifted. "It will do much to reassure potential backers of the Paramount Park proposals as well as lift the worry from residents in the area. "Almost the entire growth and business community of Kent have made clear that Option C is the only sensible route." 

Dartford MP Gareth Johnson said: "The investment we are looking at for Swanscombe its great. "It would be wrong to bulldoze through Kent without looking at the environmental impact, getting the decision right is the most important thing." 

Gravesham council leader John Burden welcomed the news but made clear he still isn't happy with the options. He added: "Our position remains, that any decision on a new crossing is premature if it is taken before the effects of removing the Dartford toll booths are known.

"The other two options, at Dartford and east of Gravesend, are to be studied further by the Department of Transport. 

"The latter would have a devastating impact on the green belt and threaten the villages of Chalk, Shorne and Higham including one of Kent’s best country parks. "I want the government to show more common sense and put off the final decision until after the Dartford toll booths are removed to ascertain the real scale of the problem. "A crossing east of Gravesend would potential endanger important environmental sites and lay to waste historic communities. "Worse, it would open the door to developers who would use this new corridor to fill in the countryside. "Once such a disastrous decision is taken the area would be blighted forever." 

Gravesham MP Adam Holloway was disappointed a proper decision had not been made on the crossing and vowed to fight for local residents.

Peace at last Peace at Last RIP Nelson Mandela RIP

Environment Agency puts Kent on flood alert as high tides combine with gale-force winds

Coast from Dartford to Allhallows

• Current status:

  
  

  Flood Alert

  Flood status last changed at  17:02 on 04 Dec 2013

• Location:

  River Thames from Dartford and Crayford to Allhallows including; Dartford, Crayford, Greenhithe, Denton, Swanscombe, Northfleet, Gravesend and Cliffe
  View map of Flood Alert area
  

• Region:

  Southeast
  

Latest Information:

• High spring tides, combined with a prolonged surge, mean that water levels are forecast to be high. This poses a serious risk for both high tides on Friday. For the 02:30 tide the predicted astronomical tide level is 3.06 mAOD. The forecast surge is 1.06 m. The total water level at Sheerness is 4.12 mAOD. For the 14:45 tide, the predicted astronomical tide level is 3.18 mAOD. The forecast surge height is 0.93 m. The forecast high water at Sheerness is 4.11 mAOD. Forecast wind speeds are northwesterly force 4 to 7, wave heights are low. Our staff are working to minimise the impacts. Water levels may be dangerously high before the predicted astronomical tidal peak. This is because the surge is raising water levels before the peak of the astronomical tide
  15:06 on 05 Dec 2013
  

• Floodline:

  Call Floodline on 0845 988 1188, select option 1 and enter Quickdial number 01261 to get more information
  

• Related Flood Warning Areas

  This area is covered by our general early notification of possible flooding, known as Flood Alert. We can also issue more specific Flood Warnings in this area. Follow the link(s) below to check if Flood Warnings are also in force for the following location(s):
  
  • Severe Flood Warning
    • Properties seaward of the tidal defences in Gravesend, Denton and Greenhithe
    • Coast from Higham Marshes to Seasalter, excluding Sheerness and Queenborough
  • No warning
    • Coast from Dartford Creek to Shorne Marshes
    • Dartford and Crayford

• Previous statuses:

  • No warning 09:07 on 05 Nov 2013
  • Warning no longer in force 08:38 on 04 Nov 2013
  • Flood Alert 20:31 on 03 Nov 2013
  • No warning 08:40 on 29 Nov 2011
  • Warning no longer in force 08:11 on 28 Nov 2011

Breaking News...

A new lower Thames crossing could end up in Dartford, Swanscombe or near Gravesend

by Thom Morristmorris@thekmgroup.co.uk

Dartford Crossing

Rumours are flying that an announcement on plans for the lower Thames crossing could be made tomorrow.

There are no certainties as to when word will be made on which of the three sites the government had opted for. But suggestions have been made that it could come as part of the government’s autumn statement - where the Chancellor updates MPs on the government’s spending plans - tomorrow.

The announcement of plans for a new lower Thames crossing was made in the autumn statement of 2011.

Dartford MP Gareth Johnson’s office said they had not been made aware on an announcement while Gravesham MP Adam Holloway said he had “heard the rumour” and was “quite worried about it”.

The three options for a new lower Thames crossing are: at the site of the existing crossing; connecting the A2 Swanscombe Peninsula with the A1089; joining the M2 with the A13 and the M25 between junctions 29 and 30 as well as widening the A229 between the M2 and M20.

Options for a new Thames crossing

In the House of Lords last week, Lord Adonis questioned when a response to the public consultation on the sites would be published.

The Minister of State, Department for Transport Baroness Kramer said: “The government expects to publish the consultation response and make an announcement before the end of this year.”

Tomorrow afternoon, a further debate on the crossing is expected with the question coming from Lord Hanningfield on “plans to construct a further bridge near the current Dartford river crossings”.

KCC Budget Consultation

Dear GMRA Members and regular blog readers,

Kent County Council launched its budget consultation on Friday 8 November. 

Kent residents are being asked for their views on our spending proposals; a process that is hugely important in shaping our future decisions. 

There are two ways you can get involved and help us set the right priorities for spending:

·        Take 2 minutes to answer 2 questions

·         Help balance KCC’s budget using our online tool

Visit www.kent.gov.uk/budget by Friday 13 December to read the proposals and give us your views – please cascade to your contacts as well.

Community Engagement Officer - Dartford

G37 Sessions House, County Hall, Maidstone, ME14 1XQ

HAVE YOUR SAY... visit: www.kent.gov.uk/communityengagement

Black Friday spreads to Britain...

PlayStation 4 console causes queues at Bluewater as Black Friday promises huge discounts

by KentOnline reporter

multimediadesk@thekmgroup.co.uk 

Shoppers are set to go into overdrive today... as gamers queue for the must-have PlayStation 4 console and bargain hunters seek huge discounts.

Bluewater was expecting the numbers visiting the Greenhithe shopping complex to leap from the normal 90,000 visitors to around 150,000 today - a staggering two-thirds more than an average Friday.

That is due to a combination of factors, including the new PlayStation console going on sale for the first time, the fact most people have got their December pay cheque and huge discounts expected in many stores.

People were already queuing outside Bluewater last night

Already by late yesterday afternoon more than a dozen gaming fans had started queuing for the console, which went on sale at midnight.

The Game store was due to open all night to take orders, even though the actual console had already sold out.

A new phenomenon - Black Friday - was also set to sweep Britain for the first time. Commonly known in the US as the day after Thanksgiving, traditionally prices are slashed hugely as the country goes into the black for the first time.

Now hitting our shores, stores including Asda, Apple, John Lewis and PC World are touting bargains of up to 70% their usual price.

Bluewater was also hoping to draw in those with their December pay packets yet unspent to visit their newly-opened Winter Wonderland of grotto and ice rink.

Kent Community Messaging - North kent - Burglary detectives warn of 'absence checks' techn

Dear GMRA Members, readers and all those living and working in Greenhithe Village, Ingress Park, Waterstone Park & Stone. Please take note of the following announcement:

Burglary detectives warn of 'absence checks' technique

*    Burglary detectives are asking homeowners to be on their guard against a technique that burglars have been known to use to identify vulnerable properties.
*    In other parts of the country, reports have been received of stickers being placed on doors or letterboxes of houses advertising a locksmith service. The sticker has a telephone number on it, but the number is not a registered number. If the stickers are not removed, burglars presume that the house is empty or that the owners are away.
Placing the stickers also gives burglars the opportunity to 'scout out' the house, and look through windows but to be able to explain themselves as 'delivering advertising' if anyone were to stop them and ask questions.
*    Police officers recently cracked a similar case in Sevenoaks where the offender was leaving mud on doors to see if it was cleaned away. If it wasn't, the property was potentially empty and a good target. The offender was caught and sentenced to four years and eight months in prison.
*    Police are now asking that homeowners keep an eye out for - and to report - any suspicious activity to ensure that burglars are thwarted before they get a chance to strike. The advice comes as officers continue their crackdown on burglary as part of Operation Castle, which is a force wide initiative designed target burglary suspects in the winter months.
*    Detective Chief Inspector Neil Parker from Kent Police said: 'At Christmas time people tend to have some high value and new items in the house that are appealing to burglars. That is why we are asking members of the public to keep an eye out for unusual signs that might suggest the house has been 'marked' as a possible target and to report this or anything suspicious to us. It is well worth homeowners investing in items such as timer switches for lights, and alarms for sheds, and if they would like further advice around these they can visit our local Police Contact Points.'