Dean Kilpatrick
Local Democracy Reporter

Image source, Google

A project manager is being sought to oversee the upgrade of Rochester Airport.

Medway Council is offering a two-year contract worth £90,000 to the successful candidate after £4.4million of Local Growth Fund money was secured for the project last month.

South East Local Enterprise Partnership's accountability board agreed to a scaled-down upgrade of the airport in June, with the council scrapping plans for a hard-paved runway and a second hangar.

The plan still includes a new control tower, a hub building, runway lighting and "visitor viewing" facilities - but means the airport will only have one grass runway.

It is hoped phase one will create 37 jobs and safeguard a further 25, while also releasing land for the authority's Innovation Park Medway "economic hub" project.

A business case for phase two - which focuses on delivering infrastructure on "newly-released commercial land" and has been provisionally allocated £3.5million Local Growth Fund money - is due to be completed by November this year.

Tony Soutter calls for more support for young, high-level athletes after his daughter Ellie's death.

Sarah Booker-Lewis
Local Democracy Reporter

Neighbours worried about noise from Hangleton Manor were offered reassurances about their concerns by the pub's solicitor.

Philip Day, representing brewery Hall and Woodhouse, told a Brighton and Hove City Council licensing panel that its licence application was aimed at sorting out "inconsistencies".

The most controversial part of the application, discussed at Hove Town Hall on Tuesday, was including the beer garden as part of the pub's licensed area.

Mr Day said that this was to cover a service point in the garden so that people did not have to go to the bar to order food and drink. Customers already drink in the garden.

He told the panel: "If they are in the garden, they can go up to the temporary till point and have their order brought to them.

"The outside benches have room for 200 seated. If you've got a busy summer day, people are outside having a drink and they have to come in to order.

"This does cause customer and staff issues." Mr Day said that as Hangleton Manor was a 16th century Grade II*-listed building, it would be too complex to create a permanent bar outside.

Neighbours were advised to contact the council if they were concerned about noise problems and Mr Day also invited them to contact him directly.

Image source, Sussex Police

Police say they are extremely concerned about a man who has gone missing from home in Worthing without his medication.

Michael Rosse was last seen on Tuesday.

The 60-year-old was wearing a long-sleeved dark blue shirt, blue jeans and brown shoes.

A report by Dover District Council expresses fears over how ports would cope with a no-deal Brexit.

Dean Kilpatrick
Local Democracy Reporter

Medway Council's chief finance officer has been fielding questions after it was revealed the authority's financial reserves have shrunk by a third in the last two years.

An independent audit concluded falling contributions from central government, and increasing service demands such as social care, were among the reasons why the council has resorted to using its savings.

But Phil Watts said the changing nature of local authorities, as well as regeneration projects in the Towns beginning to take shape, also contributed to the noticeable drop.

He told the audit committee: "We've taken quite a hit over recent years on our capital reserves because the capital programme has caught up with itself.

"We've also taken quite a hit on the schools reserves because only a third of our schools are council-maintained now. Over the last four years, we've lost 60-70 schools and they've taken all their reserve bonuses with them."

Councillor Adrian Gulvin (Con) asked what percentage of the reserves has been used to balance the council's regular budget in the past two years, but Mr Watts was unable to give a figure.

Mr Watts added: "We've been using the grant money that has been sitting there to build schools and deliver our regeneration ambition."

Independent auditors BDO said the authority has a good "track record" and is taking the right steps to ensure it remains financially sustainable in the medium-term.

But it also claimed "available sources for identifying further savings over the coming years are limited".

Councillor Vince Maple (Lab) said: "I'm sure there are councils across the country using reserves because, actually, that's what reserves are for at a time of difficult financial settlements."

Tony Soutter calls for more support for young, high-level athletes after his daughter Ellie's death.

The Home Office acted unlawfully when it rejected unaccompanied children in Calais, a court rules.

Duncan Tomlin was held in a police van for seven minutes before receiving CPR, a hearing is told.

BBC Radio Jersey

The airline Flybe has said a route to Jersey would be considered if it was to expand its operations to a growing Heathrow Airport.

In June MPs backed controversial plans to build a third runway at the London airport, with the government winning a key vote in the House of Commons.

The airline is currently seeking clarity from the UK government about air travel after the country leaves the European Union.

Considering the implications of Brexit on the industry, Flybe says as nearly three quarters of its business is domestic - including the Channel Islands - they are less at risk of disruption than other carriers.

A spokesman for the airline said "consistent demand" for routes and "support" from the government and tourism industry were factors in planning new air links.

More on this story:

• Potential Heathrow air links welcomed by Ports of Jersey

• Heathrow Airport: 'Where's Boris?' shout opposition MPs

Stuart Maisner
BBC Live reporter

Achilles, a two-year-old rare Sumatran tiger has been moved from London Zoo to Howletts Wild Animal Park near Canterbury to mate.

There are only around 500 Sumatran tigers left in the wild.

Bells on Sunday comes from the parish church of St. John the Baptist, Egham. The present church was built in 1817 and stands on the site of a former Norman building. A ring of 8 bells was cast in 1912 and in 1971 two more were added. We hear the Egham band ringing Bristol Royal.

Kathryn Langley
BBC Live reporter

An eight-metre model of the Flying Scotsman is the star attraction at an exhibition that captures moments of British history in Lego.

More than 150,000 bricks have been used to build Bricks Britannia at the Novium Museum in Chichester.

There are calls for the company that provides wheelchairs for NHS patients in Kent to be stripped of its contract.

Five organisations representing some of the county's 24,000 wheelchair users say Millbrook Healthcare is failing to meet its obligations.

The company's admitted some patients have been waiting too long for assessments and equipment.

Bob Dale
BBC Live reporter

Border Force officers say they have found 28k of cocaine in lorry at Dover.

They say they stopped the vehicle at the Eastern Docks on its way into the UK on 25 July, and found the drugs hidden in the air dam over the cab.

Image source, UK Border Force

The substance is being tested for purity, but it's thought the cocaine would have been worth £1m.

A Latvian national has been arrested and released on bail.

More children from outside of Kent have passed the county's 11-plus style exam than ever before.

Bob Dale
BBC Live reporter

An electrical fault is thought to be responsible for this van fire in Thanet this morning.

Image source, Maria Gilbert

Fire crews were called to Windsor Avenue in Cliftonville at 11:24 BST, where the Ford Transit was alight.

The blaze had been put out by 11:36 BST, with no injuries reported.

Lizzie Massey
BBC Live reporter

Image source, Kent County Council

Work to repair a sinkhole, which opened up in May, will continue throughout the school summer holidays.

Compaction grouting on Tonbridge Road, Maidstone, involves drilling into the ground and injecting cement at varying depths to compact and solidify the soil.

The sinkhole measures 20 metres long by 12 metres wide – about the size of a tennis court – and is up to 3m deep in certain places.

Kent County Council cabinet member for highways and transport, Mike Whiting, said: “Our aim is to complete the works by the end of the school holidays and the highways team is working closely with the utility company to get the road open as soon as possible.

“Although work is not always visible at Tonbridge Road, I understand that this perceived lack of progress has caused some frustration.

“I can assure you that there is a lot of activity going on behind the scenes which includes planning and design work to make sure the repair is carried out safely, quickly and in the right way.”

Investigations to determine the cause of the sinkhole continue

Image source, LAUREN BOURKE

Caitlin Webb
Local Democracy Reporter

A community kitchen opened its doors to feed families in Thanet wholesome free dinners.

Greeted by a fiddle player and an Elephant mascot, children and their parents tucked into a choice of cooked meals and desserts on Monday.

A team of six professionals and an army of volunteers served up fresh vegan wraps or a warm beef stew with orange juice ice lollies, frozen yoghurt and cakes for dessert.

The Our Kitchen project is operating out of Drapers Mill Primary School for the summer.

Chef and organiser Sharon Goodyer said: "The atmosphere has just been perfect and just what everyone needed. It was supportive and calm with glorious sunshine.

"I just wanted to have a good news story in Thanet for a change and bring the community together and bring back family life."

The 67-year-old added: "If people eat right it makes their lives so much better."

Community group Your Leisure are set to provide arts and crafts activities for the next dinner evenings, and a hairdresser offering free cuts will be taking bookings.

The project runs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday free of charge, but donations are welcome.

South Western Railway and the RMT union are to hold further talks in the dispute over guard roles.