Folkestone’s Leas Lift is threatened with closure, unless a solution is found to remove or stabilise iron track on the unused side of the lift. The Community Interest Company that manages the lift applied to Shepway District Council to have the track removed, claiming that rotting timber sleepers are making it potentially dangerous.

However, their application was refused by Shepway, who cited that the tracks are a key feature of the listed structure. The council believes that other options should be considered, but the Leas Lift Company plans to lodge an appeal.

A Folkestone Academy student has won a competition to name Lydd Air’s newest aircraft. Year 7 student Jamie Smith’s idea of ‘Ferryfield Queen’ was selected in a competition run between the airline, Academy FM, and the school. The name celebrates the airport’s history, which was originally known as Lydd Ferryfield. Student Jamie visited Lydd for a naming ceremony, and will be given a flight in the aircraft.

The Leader of Shepway District Council, Robert Bliss, has claimed that Kent County Council are giving the people of Romney Marsh false hope over a new power station at Dungeness.

At a recent public meeting, Kent County Council said it had commissioned a nuclear specialist to help make the case for Dungeness C. However, in a press release sent to Academy FM, Shepway’s Councellor Bliss quoted his colleague Councellor Tilson in saying that “the prospects are very, very limited”. He also stated that this was why Shepway was looking into other options for the marsh, including consulting on a storage site for nuclear waste.

Shoppers in Kent are being encouraged to visit their local market as part of the national Love Your Market campaign. The two-week campaign , which is run by the National Association of British Market Authorities, is set up to encourage residents to support their local market and gives local traders a chance to put their business ideas to the test.

In light of the campaign, Medway council has offered budding entrepreneurs the opportunity to try trading at Strood and Gillingham markets for the cut down price of £10 on Saturday 7^th July.

The National Trust has launched a fundraising campaign to raise £1.2 million in order to buy part of the White Cliffs of Dover. The mile long piece of land will complete a stretch of over 5 miles between 2 of the trust’s visitor centres.

Purchasing the land will allow the trust to prevent building, ensure public right of way and conserve nature, improving wildlife habitats. The current owner of the land has offered it to the charity, but there is a deadline of the end of this year. It is the charity’s biggest ever fundraiser for a coastal area.

A man from Ashford is to stand trial for the assault of his half-brother. Elliot Diffley is alleged to have been stabbed by his half-brother, Patrick Diffley, at an address in Ashford on March 29 this year.
The 27 year-old, from Gorse Mead, denied wounding his brother with intent to cause grievous bodily harm when he appeared at Maidstone Crown Court on Monday (25th June). Diffley was remanded in custody by Judge Michael Carroll until his trial starts in August.

Prince William paid a visit to Port Lympne Wild Animal Park last week to see three endangered black rhinos before they were reintroduced to the wild. He flew to the park, in Lympne, by helicopter and came face to face with the five year old rhinos, even helping to feed them. The duke, who is a patron of the Tusk Trust conservation charity also called for action to stop poaching in Africa, saying that technology and education could help the fight.

Labour’s candidate for Kent’s police commissioner was burgled on the day she was selected to stand in the election. Ashford councillor Harriet Yeo said items stolen from her Kingsnorth home on Sunday included gold jewellery.

The Conservative candidate for the role is Medway Councillor Craig MacKinlay, and the new commissioners will have the power to hire and fire chief constables, hold them to account and set forces’ budgets. The elections for the new positions will take place in 41 areas, including Kent, in November. At the same time, the current police authorities will be scrapped.

A woman who was followed and stopped by police because she was suspected of using her mobile phone while driving has been jailed for possessing drugs.

Kellie Reed, of Green Lane, Rochester, was pulled over in Gillingham in December last year after police spotted her after she swerved across the road. Her speech was slurred and she failed a breath test. Police then discovered a bag of cocaine in the footwell of her Ford Ka and 125 more packets in her bag.

Reed told Maidstone Crown Court that she had been in an abusive relationship and her partner had left her with drug debts. She told the court that dealers had persuaded her to pay off the £10,000 of debt through dealing. The 41-year-old is now serving 2 years and 8 months for possessing drugs with intent to supply.

A national memorial to remember the 1.7 million people killed in the two world wars is being planned for Dover’s white cliffs.

Plans to build 12 white granite walls on the cliffs have been inspired by the Vietnam Veteran Memorial in the US capitol Washington DC. The 12 walls will represent each year of conflict.

It will include the names of servicemen and women, merchant navy personnel and civilians recorded on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission register.

Organisers want to complete the memorial by 4 August 2014, the anniversary of the outbreak of World War I.