Sign up to our daily newsletter for all the latest Kent stories and breaking news delivered straight to your inbox Thank you for subscribing!We have more newsletters Reform UK made three gains as they added Canterbury area seats on to the party's impressive tally at county hall won seats from the Tories in Herne Bay East Herne Village and Sturry and Whitstable East & Herne Bay West the Lib Dems gained a seat from the Conservatives in Canterbury North and held on to their Canterbury South seat Labour managed to hold their seats in Canterbury City North and Canterbury City South but these are the only seats the party now has on the county council The eighth seat saw another loss for the Tories as the Green Party took control of Whitstable West Overall on Kent County Council Reform UK now has overall control and holds 57 out of the 81 seats the Lib Dems are the second largest party with 12 councillors The final two seats are taken by Labour councillors down from the five the party held before the election Full results for Canterbury are listed below: Herne Village and Sturry -REFORM GAIN FROM CON Whitstable East and Herne Bay West -REFORM GAIN FROM CON For a full list of results from across Kent click here: Kent Local Election results full list For detailed results from the other 11 Kent County Council areas Ashford Dartford Dover Folkestone and Hythe Gravesham Maidstone Sevenoaks Swale Thanet Tonbridge and Malling Tunbridge Wells Story SavedYou can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right Officially named ‘The Woodlands Water Recycling Centre’ the plant is a purpose-built solution for achieving Nutrient Neutrality for housing developments under the ‘Habitats Regulations’ in a joint venture between Barratt David Wilson Kent Nutrient Neutrality applies to applications where there is a net increase in the number of dwellings and allows developments to be permitted without impacting the condition of protected sites Work on the site began back in March 2023 with the official commencement of operations in August 2024 It now treats all flows from the growing development and is operated by Icosa Water Ltd with EPS Water providing operational support The unveiling event welcomed Cabinet Lead for Biodiversity and Climate Change Councillor Mel Dawkins The Sheriff of Canterbury Councillor Keji Moses Councillor for Canterbury North Robert Thomas and Councillor for Herne Village & Sturry Alan Marsh the councillors received a full tour of the new water treatment plant information on the positive outcomes for The Woodlands and Canterbury and the opportunity to discuss the future operations of the plant Managing Director for Barratt David Wilson Kent “Working closely with EPS Water and Icosa Water has allowed us to pursue our sustainability goals here at Barratt David Wilson Kent We feel privileged to have welcomed representatives from Canterbury City Council and to discuss the importance of the first-of-its-kind treatment works Finding suitable solutions for Nutrient Neutrality to unlock homes is essential and this project is setting the standard for future projects across the UK.” Cabinet Lead for Biodiversity and Climate Change safer and more inclusive environment for all who live in our city The treatment works will benefit the wider area of Sturry and is a groundbreaking project for Kent in terms of sustainability It was an honour to be invited to the official unveiling of the new recycling centre and to speak to key representatives involved with the project and we are fortunate enough that this is in our very own city of Canterbury We are looking forward to seeing how this blueprint project will be rolled out across the UK to meet Nutrient Neutrality requirements.” General UK Manager from EPS Water concludes: “EPS has played a central role in delivering this ground-breaking wastewater treatment project By providing Barratt David Wilson Kent with a workable and practical solution to Nutrient Neutrality at The Woodlands we have unlocked a mechanism for addressing sites with similar designations across the UK We wish to thank all who attended on the day and all other stakeholders in the scheme for their support and collaboration throughout the development and delivery of the project.” The Woodlands will comprise 15.8 acres of green open space and Barratt David Wilson Kent has committed to planting over 150 new trees and nearly 14,000 hedgerows and saplings alongside creating 10,000 metres of hedgehog highways two- and three-bedroom Shared Ownership houses available from £102,498 for a 50% share plus four and five private bedroom homes from £432,995 Published by Capel Media Limited Registered in England and Wales Company Registration Number 13636441VAT Number GB 391 5977 47 Registered address:2 Claridge CourtLower Kings RoadBerkhamstedHertfordshireHP4 2AF Proud to be a member of British Water www.britishwater.co.uk © Capel Media Limited. All rights reserved. Click here to view our Privacy Policy VolkerFitzpatrick is constructing a 550-metre-long road with a 250-metre viaduct set to be built over the Great Stour River and the railway line from Canterbury to Ramsgate The viaduct will be supported by a 5-span structure with the longest span distance being 56 metres apart As well as the construction of a new bridge which includes a dedicated bus lane and multi-user footway VolkerFitzpatrick will be delivering a new roundabout and approach roads to connect to the bridge The installation of pedestrian crossing points drainage and ponds will also be included in the project VolkerFitzpatrick is working closely with Kent County Council to ensure the A28 will remain open for most of the duration of the project To further help minimise disruption and time spent on site the new roundabout is being built offline and will be installed towards the end of the project VolkerFitzpatrick will provide employment and apprenticeship opportunities As well as working with supply chain contractors from the surrounding area they are engaging with local educational establishments They are also working collaboratively with several VolkerWessels UK business units including VolkerGround Engineering and VolkerHighways Construction is scheduled to commence next year and is expected to span 93 weeks Tel: +44 (0)1992 305 000Email: enquiries@volkerfitzpatrick.co.uk  Office opening hours:Monday to Friday 8:30 – 17:00 Sign up for a weekly travel round up and all the latest breaking news from the roads rails and beyond delivered straight to your inbox A controversial £41m highway project has been delayed again by at least another 18 months because of potential funding hiccups Construction of the Sturry Link Road was due to start last autumn and then put back to summer 2025 by Kent County Council (KCC) But new papers published by the authority state the work is scheduled to start in April 2026 with completion set for December 2027 The delay was highlighted in documents for the Canterbury Joint Transportation Board (JTB) which is due to meet on Tuesday The road is designed to link the A291 Sturry Hill to midway down the A28 Sturry Road and ease congestion in Canterbury Traffic would avoid the railway level crossing at Sturry which causes jams at peak times with around 18,000 vehicle movements per day KCC member for Canterbury and the cabinet member for highways and transport Cllr Neil Baker (Con) said he remains “hopeful” the project will start to move “at pace” not least because of the number of different councils landowners and other interested parties to be aligned to make it happen including development sites through Section 106 agreements with housebuilders to finance the current estimated cost of £41.6m The JTB – a cross party body made up of Canterbury city Kent county and parish councillors from around the district -suggests most of the land will be available but a parallel process of obtaining compulsory purchase orders (CPOs) is also in place Cllr Baker said: “As much of the funding for this project comes from numerous development sites timescales are hugely impacted by the planning process – which is outside the control of the county council The report to the Canterbury City Council’s JTB makes clear a significant amount of work has been taking place in order to deliver this crucial infrastructure and I remain hopeful that when the funding is all secured things will begin moving at pace.” The JTB papers said updates are being sought about the collection of developer contributions from the “associated” developments And there will be a financial review “prior to committing to the construction phase of the project” The Sturry Link Road will run alongside hundreds of new homes planned for the former Greenfields Shooting Grounds The viaduct will transport vehicles over the the River Stour and the railway level crossing before emerging on the Sturry Road The JTB meeting will provide committee members with an update on the project – but no formal decisions are due to be proposed The JTB papers states: “The section of A28 through Sturry is particularly difficult because of the level crossing on the Canterbury-Thanet railway line and the inevitable interruption to traffic and queuing through the centre of the community At present there are approximately 18,000 vehicles per day using the level crossing at Sturry “This is the combination of traffic from Herne Bay via the A291 and Thanet via the A28 joining and heading towards Canterbury city centre.” Police have made an arrest after a moped rider was seriously injured in a crash in Sturry the driver of a blue BMW car failed to stop for police in Broad Oak Road The car was then involved in a collision with a moped on the A28 Mill Road near the junction with the High Street in Sturry The rider was taken to hospital but police said her injuries were not thought to be life-threatening A 19-year-old man from Canterbury was arrested on Tuesday (December 3) on suspicion of causing injury by dangerous driving and failing to stop following a collision He remains in custody while enquiries continue Kent Police is appealing for witnesses or anyone who might have dashcam doorbell or private CCTV footage that could assist enquiries to come forward Officers are also keen to receive any footage that may have been taken in the moments leading up to the collision Kent County Council’s Sturry Link Road project aims to address significant congestion by enabling traffic using the A28 and A291 to avoid the level crossing at Sturry unlocking development sites to the north of the railway to provide 4,500 homes A paper to the Canterbury Joint Transportation Board states that the scheme has been awarded £5.9m Local Growth Fund (LGF) cash towards the £41.6m cost of the project and developer contributions to the value of £35.7m the Council had only received £10.6m with the remainder due in accordance various Section 106 agreements The paper states that the earliest date envisaged for construction to begin is April 2026 completion would be around December 2027.  that will be significantly influenced by the progress of a compulsory purchase order and of housing delivered by the contributing development sites Earlier this year the highway authority appointed VolkerFitzpatrick to design and build the road construction was scheduled to commence next year and be complete in winter 2026 It was originally planned to start last autumn the cost is due to be reviewed early next year before the council commits to the construction phase ‘to confirm that the budget and all funding are fully committed’ There is a break clause within the build contract in case the project cannot be funded The council’s cabinet member for highways and transport said: 'As much of the funding for this project comes from numerous development sites timescales are hugely impacted by the planning process – which is outside the control of the county council.’ Highways presents...Cargill from Hemming Group Video on Vimeo Privacy Policy Terms and Conditions Sign up for the Highways on Friday newsletter Parking in hundreds of council car park spaces will be FREE to help get this year’s Christmas celebrations underway visitors will not have to pay a penny to use Canterbury City Council’s Park and Ride service to see the city centre’s Christmas lights come to life on Friday 15 November.  they will be able to park at the New Dover Road Sturry Road and Wincheap sites and hop on a bus straight to the festivities Those parking at the Sturry Road and New Dover Road sites will be able to use regular Stagecoach bus services to get back to their car once the Park and Ride buses stop at 9.30pm.  There will also be free parking from midday in William Street car park in Herne Bay on Sunday 17 November for the town’s Christmas light switch-on event as well as on Sunday 15 December for the Santas on the Run Pilgrims Hospice charity event.  people driving in for Whitstable’s Christmas light switch-on event will be able to park for free at the Middle Wall and Gorrell Tank car parks from 3pm on Saturday 30  November.  said: “Seeing the Christmas lights switched on in Canterbury Herne Bay and Whitstable is second only to seeing the faces of everyone there light up as well and all those involved in making these events happen are shining stars.  “We wanted to do our bit too so that as many people as possible enjoy the magic and see what the city and our coastal towns have to offer this year.  “We’re convinced that once people give Park and Ride a try they will keep coming back especially when they realise how cheap it is for a car and up to six people and how it is even cheaper with the council’s resident rate.  “It is the best way to beat congestion and takes the hassle out of the queues especially during the Christmas period.”   The Canterbury Christmas light switch-on event is organised by the Canterbury Business Improvement District (BID) and you can find out more about the event here.  You can also find out more about the Park and Ride service here.  You can sign up to receive notifications when a post is added to an area you’re interested in You can sign up to receive notifications when a consultation is added about an area you're interested in A mothballed Park & Ride site controversially reopened to much opposition is causing more pollution than it prevents and losing almost £30,000 a month the Local Democracy Reporting Service can reveal Council leaders have been accused of throwing money “in the bin” by continuing to run the Sturry Road service on the outskirts of Canterbury New data shows passengers from a daily average of just 89 cars are being ferried into the city centre on largely empty diesel buses running almost 80 times a day It comes as Canterbury City Council admits its entire Park & Ride service – which includes two other sites in Wincheap and New Dover Road – is now generating “approximately 143 tonnes of CO2 a year more than it is saving” said of the Sturry Road numbers: “Effectively we’re almost replacing each car with a bus The relaunch of the site in April was a flagship policy of the authority’s new Labour/Lib Dem coalition following last year’s local elections The service had been mothballed in 2022 by the former Tory council because it was underused and costing too much to subsidise with a recent report on its performance shining a light on the true cost of the site – both to the public purse and the environment While CCC is expected to enjoy a surplus of £5 million this year from parking revenue as a whole it estimates a £388,388 shortfall in covering its contract with Stagecoach to run the Park & Ride service Much of that subsidy is caused by the Sturry Road site which currently generates about £10,828 a month but costs £39,566 to run – a loss of £28,738 Figures show an average of 89 vehicles a day used the service in the first four months after its relaunch – each paying £4 to jump on buses running every 10 minutes The council’s own report concedes: “It is estimated the current operation with diesel buses is generating approximately 143 tonnes of CO2 a year more than it is saving.” Before the Covid pandemic – when more than 230 cars a day were using the Sturry Road site – the wider service saved 100 tonnes of CO2 a year Cllr Harvey said: “We should seriously consider renegotiating the Stagecoach contract These diesel buses could easily be replaced by seven-seat or nine-seat electric vehicle minibuses that would comfortably do a day’s work on one charge.” the council’s cabinet member for transport says user numbers are “moving in the right direction” with almost 600 more vehicles at the Sturry Road site in July than in April But opponents say little optimism can be drawn from the data with usage much lower than pre-pandemic and actually falling slightly between May and June this year Cllr Watkins said at the meeting: “This doesn’t tell us that we’re getting better and we’re starting from such a low base – and that’s why there’s a £400,000 a year subsidy Wincheap is doing OK-ish but I cannot get as excited as some who’ve spoken this evening about the performance of Sturry “That £5 million we’re on track to make [from parking] doesn’t justify just putting £400,000 in the bin because we have an ideological desire to keep open a Park & Ride that doesn’t perform that well.” While stating the usage of the site has “steadily increased” since the pandemic a council officer conceded: “Let’s not kid ourselves they are pretty low figures.” The authority’s latest report describes efforts to increase Park & Ride usage by an average of 10% per year Measures to achieve this include cutting the number of city centre parking spaces by 10% providing a new site to accommodate motorists travelling in along the A2 from Faversham and potentially running buses until as late as midnight The council says it will also consider zero-emission buses and describes installing a new bus lane along Sturry Road as a “key priority” Cllr Ricketts says changing the habits of motorists will not happen overnight “We want to encourage people to use Park & Ride rather than city centre car parks – that’s a long journey It’s a process that was stalled under the previous administration Parking as a whole funds it – it’s not coming directly out of your council tax.” At midday on Tuesday there were about 100 cars parked up at the Sturry Road site Among those using the service was Jim Frost it’s cheaper than parking in Canterbury and it’s just as quick – it makes sense financially,” the 60-year-old said He added that often it is “only me or one or two others” on board the buses Margaret Dennis – on holiday in the area from Hampshire – said using the service: “It was superb and spared us trying to find parking actually in the city centre.” Her husband added: “And a lot cheaper than we would have had to pay in the city centre in Watling Street car park in the city centre where fees were this year increased to £3.70 per hour people were less enthused about the Park & Ride When asked if she would consider using the service I don’t want to wait around so it’s easier to just drive in I don’t want to be waiting for a bus or anything like that.” added: “We park here because it’s close to the centre I think maybe twice or three times I’ve used [Park & Ride] But [using a car park] is just a bit more convenient – for £4 if you’re not coming for very long you may as well be [in the city centre].” Get more news from KentLive straight to your inbox for free HERE. The countdown to the reopening of Sturry Road park and ride on Monday 1 April has begun – and residents of the Canterbury district will be able to use the service for just £3.20 a day Park and ride offers cost effective and convenient parking and the restoration of the Sturry Road route will see nearly 600 more parking spaces for the city come back into use District residents with a city council ANPR parking account will receive a 20 per cent reduction on the cost of park and ride making the daily price just £3.20 for a car with up to six passengers And drivers who aren’t district residents can still benefit by using the service regularly Their fifth journey will be free of charge when they use park and ride five times in any calendar month These special rates also apply at the other two park and ride sites – New Dover Road and Wincheap – from 1 April the service helps to reduce congestion and improve air quality in the centre of Canterbury by taking cars off the road at the outskirts of the city Low emission buses run as frequently as every eight minutes at peak times said: “I’m delighted that we’re reopening the Sturry Road park and ride responding to public demand and delivering on both parties’ election manifesto promises “Providing parking options that limit the costs and environmental impact of coming into our wonderful city is so important for boosting the local economy and protecting the environment which is what our 2024/25 budget is all about.” The reopening of Canterbury’s third park and ride site comes as part of a number of changes to parking in the district including the introduction of a 10 per cent reduced residents’ rate across some of the council’s car parks and bringing back three hours of free blue badge parking New colour-coded car park bands have been introduced to help motorists plan their journey to avoid congestion and pay less Each car park has been given a band between one and five and drivers will pay the same rate for every car park in the same band All of these changes begin on 1 April and are designed to create a fairer and simpler parking system for residents and visitors Cllr Ricketts added: “We’re really pleased to be bringing in some long-overdue changes to the current car parking system including introducing a special residents’ rate to support local people as well as increasing free parking for blue badge holders “Although prices will rise in some car parks to ensure important council services are protected we hope that these three measures in particular will go a long way to minimise the impact on residents and businesses.” Find out more about the Sturry Road park and ride reopening – which will be at 10am on 1 April due to that day being a bank holiday – and visit the website to view the full car parking changes Applications for the reduced parking rates cannot be accepted until 1 April while the council builds and tests the IT system that will run it Get the latest property market news straight to your inbox Families waiting to be housed in Kent will be a step closer after more than 60 affordable homes were snapped up by Canterbury City Council (CCC) The £9.45million deal has seen CCC buy 67 properties at The Woodlands development in Broad Oak near Sturry A range of property styles will be on offer, from one-bedroom flats to three-bedroom houses. All of these will be made available to rent at affordable prices and offered to families currently sitting on CCC’s housing waiting list These homes are being paid for through a combination of capital receipts The lent amount will then be repaid using the income for rents Read more: Map shows Kent areas where you are likely to earn the most (and the least) Read more: Exact date when rain will end as week of thunderstorms warned In total, there will be 10 one-bedroom flats, 24 two-bedroom flats, four two-bedroom houses and 29 three-bedroom houses, which cost an average of £141,000 per home It has also been stated that The Woodlands with the development set to comprise 15.8 acres of open space This will include trim trails and play areas, with developer Barratt David Wilson Homes stating it will plant more than 150 trees and just shy of 14,000 hedgerows and saplings. Additionally, in a nod to Canterbury author Mary Tourtel the road names at development will be themed around Rupert Bear said: “It is no secret that our ambition is to provide social housing at affordable rent that people will be proud to live in and to call home And it is no exaggeration to say this acquisition will transform dozens and dozens of lives has a positive impact on physical and mental health higher levels of economic activity and greater community involvement This will be our first step along the road to overhauling our housing stock across the short "By disposing of some of our non-standard stock even with high levels of retro fitting and remedial costs we can reinvest in more new homes like these.” William Walsh, managing director for Barratt David Wilson Kent added: “Working closely with councils plays a vital role in addressing the urgent need for more affordable homes in the community "Housebuilders have the experience and expertise to deliver new homes at a scale and speed that can’t be easily achieved through other means and ensure a number of residents will have access to safe and affordable housing options which will see Canterbury City Council take on 67 homes at The Woodlands is another step closer to delivering essential housing for the local community.” Response to the plans have been largely positive with many members of the Canterbury community welcoming the idea One resident said: “I live on this estate and I look forward to welcoming our new neighbours In a short space of time we’ve built a lovely community that can only get better once all the properties are occupied.” More needed.” One resident argued however: “Great news for local people for once but unfortunately a drop in the ocean with what is needed.” Get more news from KentLive straight to your inbox for free HERE. A woman was reportedly bitten by a dog being walked by two people in Sturry Witnesses are now being sought by officers investigating the report of the incident The victim reported that she was bitten by a large black dog The incident happened as the woman was waiting at the level crossing on Sturry Hill/Island Road The dog was reportedly being walked by two women Anyone who witnessed the incident or who has dashcam footage which might assist is urged to call Kent Police on 01843 222289 Story SavedYou can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.