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Alan Smith

Alan Smith joined the Kent Messenger as a trainee sub-editor in 1989. In 1998 he switched to a reporting role, chiefly on the Kent Messenger and subsequently on Kent Online.

Details of controversial 5,000-home garden village to be revealed

24 April 2025
Details of controversial 5,000-home garden village to be revealed

People are being invited to find out more about plans for a huge project to build homes, schools and businesses at two drop-in sessions.

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‘People feel cheated out of their right to have a say in development of their neighbourhood’

24 April 2025
‘People feel cheated out of their right to have a say in development of their neighbourhood’

A developer has been given the go-ahead to convert two homes into HMOs after planning officers said there was nothing for councillors to debate.

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New waste plant will process 100,000 tonnes of household rubbish each year

23 April 2025
New waste plant will process 100,000 tonnes of household rubbish each year

The operator of an incinerator that burns rubbish from household waste collections across the county wants to build a new facility.

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Woman found dead in home after fire started by cigarette

23 April 2025
Woman found dead in home after fire started by cigarette

A woman and her pet cat died in a blaze after she dropped her lighted cigarette.

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House could become children’s care home

22 April 2025
House could become children’s care home

A detached house could become home to four looked-after youngsters under new plans.

Inventor tests out new ‘waterbike’

22 April 2025
Inventor tests out new ‘waterbike’

A welder took to a beauty spot to take his new innovation out for its first test run.

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‘Some buses just don’t stop now!’: Frustration months after crash destroys shelter

20 April 2025
‘Some buses just don’t stop now!’: Frustration months after crash destroys shelter

A bus shelter demolished following a car crash is yet to be reinstated, three months later.

Office building earmarked for 10-bed HMO

18 April 2025
Office building earmarked for 10-bed HMO

Plans to tighten rules on HMOs have sparked a surge of applications before new regulations come into force.

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‘Naive’ armed officer keeps job after sending explicit pictures and sharing police documents

18 April 2025
‘Naive’ armed officer keeps job after sending explicit pictures and sharing police documents

An armed police officer kept his job after sharing police documents on WhatsApp and sending an explicit picture while in uniform.

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Investigation after fire engine involved in crash on emergency call-out

17 April 2025
Investigation after fire engine involved in crash on emergency call-out

Two people were injured in a crash involving a fire engine responding to a 999 call on a busy A-road.

Emergency gas works causing delays on busy main route

16 April 2025
Emergency gas works causing delays on busy main route

Traffic is being impacted on a key road artery in and out of a town this evening by a lane closure and temporary traffic lights.

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Charity eyes ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunity to purchase and ‘rewild’ farmland

16 April 2025
Charity eyes ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunity to purchase and ‘rewild’ farmland

A conservation charity needs to raise £500,000 to buy farmland it wants to “rewild” for future generations.

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New children’s nursery to help meet demand for all-year-round care

14 April 2025
New children’s nursery to help meet demand for all-year-round care

A new nursery will provide all-year-round care for working parents to help meet demand as more homes are built.

Town centre spot earmarked for 10-bed HMO

14 April 2025
Town centre spot earmarked for 10-bed HMO

A developer proposes to build a four-storey 10-bed HMO site on a yard where the only access is via a narrow pedestrian alleyway.

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Nightclub to re-open as school for children with special needs

13 April 2025
Nightclub to re-open as school for children with special needs

A former cabaret hotspot is to become a school for SEN children.

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Curry house car park could be carved up for new cul-de-sac

12 April 2025
Curry house car park could be carved up for new cul-de-sac

A developer has submitted a new housing plan for a site round the back of an Indian restaurant.

Celebrations as councillors refuse orchard homes plan

09 April 2025
Celebrations as councillors refuse orchard homes plan

Champagne corks are popping as a village defeats an unwelcome planning application for the third time.

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Farmers market saved after council u-turn

09 April 2025
Farmers market saved after council u-turn

A treasured farmers market has been saved following a council U-turn on parking.

Neighbours’ anger at farm’s plan for 55 acres of polytunnels for strawberries

08 April 2025
Neighbours’ anger at farm’s plan for 55 acres of polytunnels for strawberries

Two new applications for polytunnel sites on a farm will be a blot on the landscape, say neighbours.

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Councillor admits going over 30mph limit during debate on speed camera

07 April 2025
Councillor admits going over 30mph limit during debate on speed camera

A councillor has been told his driving was “irresponsible, dangerous and illegal”, after he admitted speeding in 30mph zones.

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