KentOnline

Controversial plans to expand the Wincheap park and ride in Canterbury have been approved.
A meeting to discuss the proposals descended into chaos when the fire alarm went off last night.
Campaigners had gathered inside the Guildhall to protest the idea – they’re worried adding another 228 spaces to the car park will destroy wildlife and lead to possible flooding on the water meadows.
Also in the podcast: calls for us all to be trained in CPR and a sculpture goes on display to get more men talking about mental health.

Hundreds of trees at a Kent park are going to be cut down so work can be done to prevent flooding which could put lives at risk.
Bosses in Maidstone say if the dam at Mote Park failed, up to 40 acres of the town could end up under 12 feet of water.
They’re spending almost £2m upgrading the sluice gates, boat house and dam near the lake there.
www.kentonline.co.uk 

It’s understood a Kent man who was one of Britain’s most prolific paedophiles has been stabbed to death in his prison cell.Richard Huckle from Ashford was found dead at HMP Full Sutton yesterday after being handed 22 life sentences in 2016 for abusing up to 200 children while working in Asia.Also in today’s episode, a domestic abuse victim is urging other woman to speak out, Uber could be banned from Medway, a village for veterans near Maidstone has taken a step forward, and the Gillingham boss has been giving us his reaction to this weekend’s game.
https://www.kentonline.co.uk/

The Medway African and Caribbean Association (MACA) was set up in the 1980s and since then has become a voice for black people in North Kent. 
Carol Stewart, the chairperson of MACA, joins me to talk about recognising young black achievers in the community, the need to teach black history in schools and bias in the police force.

Police in Kent will be able to cope with a serious road accident AND Operation Brock after Brexit, according to the county’s police commissioner.
There have been concerns after a crash on the M2 caused huge disruption for drivers on Tuesday night.
Some say the emergency contraflow system on the M20 after the UK leaves the EU will become a big problem if there’s another incident elsewhere in the county.
Also in the podcast: fears about fire safety in new build homes, childhood obesity figures revealed and world homeless day marked in Canterbury.

Plans to build a new theatre, council offices and car park in Tunbridge Wells have been scrapped.
Protesters gathered outside a meeting in the town last night – claiming the Calverley Square development would cost too much money and impact on Calverley Gardens and nearby homes.
Also on today’s podcast: Kent gets more funding for extra police officers and Gillingham are out of the EFL Trophy with a group game still to play.

A recording of a phone call made to police by a man accused of murdering his former partner has been played in court.Mum-of-five Sarah Wellgreen was last seen at her home in New Ash Green on October the 9th last year, and now the jury at 39-year-old Ben Lacomba’s trial has heard audio of him reporting her missing two days later. He denies murder.Also in today’s episode, a professor at the University of Kent has quit the Home Office’s drugs advisory panel over claims of political interference, Kent’s first rainbow zebra crossing has been unveiled at a hospital, and the Gillingham manager gets ready to take on Ipswich Town in the EFL Trophy.
https://www.kentonline.co.uk/

KentOnline’s been told the cost of deliberate fires on farms in Kent has hit its highest level in four years.A new report says the price tag of all blazes in the south east increased to almost 6 million pounds last year – that’s up 43% with more than a quarter thought to have been started on purpose.Also in today’s episode, we’ve been looking at what Kent would be like if it wasn’t for charities, and we hear from Gillingham manager Steve Evans after their game at the weekend.
https://www.kentonline.co.uk/

This week we were joined by Josephine McCartney, chief executive of the Kent Community Foundation, to discuss then significance of the charity sector in Kent. 
She explains how integral they are, and why the county would be on its knees without them.

Canterbury MP Rosie Duffield has spoken out in Parliament about being the victim of domestic abuse.She shared her experience during a debate on a new law, and receieved a standing ovation from her colleagues.Also in today’s episode, a Medway mum is calling for more support for families who lose a baby, we hear from the writer of the new David Copperfield film, and Dina-Asher Smith tells us what it’s like to be the 200m world champion.
https://www.kentonline.co.uk/