Developers block children from using play areas
Plus big Keir comes to town, don't forget your voter ID, and more
Welcome to the free, Friday edition of Local Authority. I hope you are able to make the most of the bank holiday weekend. First, a quick reminder that we’re experimenting with advertising in this Friday edition through April. Hopefully, it’s not too intrusive. If you’re interested in advertising to our 2,000+ readers, our rates are surprisingly cheap. You can learn more about our advertising slots here.
Developers block children from using play areas
A pretty depressing story from Rainham where a developer has built a brand new play area as part of their planning permission agreement, but it’s sitting largely unused as only residents from a small new estate are allowed to use it.
Built as part of the Beaulieu Park development in Rainham, developer McCulloch Homes have put up signs making it clear that children who don’t live on the site are unwelcome to use the facilities.
Seemingly these weren’t installed when the facilities were first built but were added later because residents didn’t like children hanging around. In the children’s play area.
Sadly, this kind of thing is becoming increasingly common. KentOnline recently covered a play area in Chattenden that is padlocked to keep non-residents out, and a recent development at Chatham Maritime keeps some ‘amenity space’ behind a key-coded gate. While this is in theory for the benefit of the residents, the reality is that it just results in spaces going unused and activity moving elsewhere.
We’ve looked through the planning application for the Beaulieu Park development and can see no indication from the developers that they intended to block public access from the site. As a result, the planning committee looking at the plans likely assumed a new public space was being created.
With less than 100 homes in the Beaulieu Park development, the number of children formally allowed to use these facilities is minimal. Meanwhile, those in the nearby streets don’t get to use the facilities and are instead expected to trek to further afield locations like Rainham Recreation Ground, or others that involve the crossing of busy roads.
It seems unlikely that the ban on children from neighbouring streets could ever be legally enforceable, but just the unwelcoming signs going up would presumably be enough to keep some people away.
At a time when council budgets are stretched, developers play a necessary role in providing public amenity spaces as part of their planning agreements. Even if this sort of thing is legal, it feels morally wrong, and counterproductive from a community engagement point of view.
Is there a ‘public space’ in your area that is anything but? Get in touch to let us know.
Big Keir comes to town
The local election campaign kicked into high gear this week with the announcement of all 186 candidates standing across Medway. With the elections less than four weeks ago, there’s a palpable sense of energy to the proceedings.
The political winds seem to be generally against the ruling Conservatives based on both the national picture and the state of the local campaigns. Labour seems more energised, have more resources, and is running an infinitely more focused campaign.
A big vote of confidence came from the national party this week when Labour leader and potential next Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrived in Medway to support the campaign.
Traditionally, leaders tend to turn up in places like this when they are confident that their party is going to make significant gains.
Tony Blair and Gordon Brown campaigned here in 2005, David Cameron turned up in 2014, and Boris Johnson came to Rochester in 2019. Though that last visit was quickly relocated to a private venue after word got out and protestors turned up to greet him.
Starmer’s visit to Gillingham last Saturday was fairly standard for this sort of thing. He turned up, did a speech about winning councils like Medway, and spent some time talking to party activists, before speaking to members of the press.
Members of the press like us, apparently.
We went along to the event and questioned Starmer on how sustainable it is to promise a freeze to council tax bills at a time when local government finances are already stretched to breaking point. Our question and his answer are below:
Not entirely sure that fully answers it, but it’s what you get with this sort of thing.
Following the event, Starmer joined activists to campaign in Watling, a key ward where Labour needs to take all three seats to take control of Medway Council.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing though as Canterbury MP and the county’s resident transphobe Rosie Duffield complained that she wasn’t invited to the event, despite the fact that, at the time of last checking, Canterbury was not in Medway.
Still, the visit itself is a clear signal that Labour views Medway as an eminently winnable location as we head toward the local elections.
In four weeks’ time, we’ll find out if they are right.
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Covid in numbers
Hospitalisations: There are currently 36 patients being treated for covid in Medway Hospital, with 2 of them on a ventilator. This is up 3% from last week.
Deaths: 3 new deaths were recorded this week, taking Medway to 1,022 covid deaths in total.
Don’t forget your photo ID
Sorry if we’ve been going on about voter ID a lot in this newsletter, but it’s a big deal and we’re going to keep doing it right up until the elections. These proposals are ill-thought-through and run a serious risk of disenfranchising significant numbers of voters.
Rather than rehash all of the arguments here, we’ve dropped the paywall on Steven Keevil’s recent piece covering why the measure has been introduced and what the consequences of it might be. It’s an essential read for anyone wanting to understand the situation we find ourselves in, and it’s now open to all.
You will likely receive your polling cards in the next few days if you haven’t already, and these will contain a detailed list of exactly what forms of ID will be accepted at polling stations. There are significantly more options for older voters than younger ones, so do check it carefully to ensure you don’t lose your vote.
If you don’t have any of the required forms, you have a few options.
Medway Council have to provide you with a Voter Authority Certificate if you require an ID, and you can read details of how to apply for one here. You have until April 25 to apply for one in order to receive it ahead of the election.
CitizenCard is offering free photo ID cards throughout April, and their cards are an accepted form to vote. They usually cost £15 but you can get one with the code FREEVOTERID on their website.
The NUS is also offering free photo IDs for students.
Alternatively, if you have an accepted form of ID but it’s expired, you are allowed to use it to vote, so long as the photo still looks like you.
Finally, as a last resort, you don’t need a photo ID to use a postal vote. If you’d like to do that, you need to apply for one by April 18. Details on how to apply can be found on Medway Council’s website.
Sorry, this isn’t particularly exciting or Medway-specific news, but it is important. We’ll get back to snarky comments about the state of our bus services soon.
In brief
🛒 Lidl is set to open in Strood after Medway Council approved the plans. This was despite the best efforts of Aldi to block the new store.
🩺 Junior doctors at Medway Hospital and across the country will go on strike this week. The industrial action will run from Tuesday 11 April until Saturday 15 April.
🎬 Tom Cruise was back in Chatham on Tuesday. The actor is currently filming a Mission Impossible film at the dockyard.
☕ Some people are not happy that the M&S Cafe has gone self-service. While this stuff is inevitably the future, it feels odd that M&S are one of the most eager to get their given their customer demographics.
🍽️ The Gillingham Street Angels have suddenly closed their Gillingham cafe. It comes after their eatery recently received a 1-star food hygiene rating.
🇪🇸 Speaking of poor food hygiene ratings, Rico Sabor is having a tough time of it after their Gravesend branch got a 1-star one. It comes on the heals of their Dover branch closing, their Mexican restaurant in Rochester being repossessed, and multiple reports from customers about poor experiences in the Rochester branch.
More Authority
Paid supporters of Local Authority receive two extra editions of the newsletter every week. This week, Steven Keevil sat down to interview outgoing Medway Council Chief Executive Neil Davies about the role and the man who has filled it for so long. Yesterday, we published an analysis of the 186 candidates in Medway’s local elections, including a ward-by-ward breakdown of those standing.
Coming up this week are two staples of local news: potholes and planning. Becoming a paid supporter ensures we can keep this thing running for the long term and currently costs as little as £3.75 per month. Please consider it if you can!
Footnotes
Our local election debate is coming up on April 19 at MidKent College in Gillingham. We’re into the final few tickets now, so please book now if you intend to join us. You won’t be able to walk up on the night without a ticket, so booking is essential.
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If you hear about any Medway news that might be of interest, let me know! Hit reply to message me directly, DM me on Twitter, or leave a comment.
Music that soundtracked the creation of this newsletter: Beat Surf Fun by Tullycraft, The Sunset Tree by The Mountain Goats, In Sickness & In Flames by The Front Bottoms, and Whole Damn Body by Los Campesinos!.
'These proposals are ill-thought-through...' No they bloody aren't. They're an entirely deliberate leaf out of the Republican playbook, using the same bullshit justifications. It's perfectly well-thought-out and planned malice.