Local News

Pizza Hut UK have confirmed that their branch, on the Sittingbourne Retail Park in Mill Way, has permanently closed.

A Pizza Hut Restaurants spokesperson told SFM News:"Unfortunately the Sittingbourne closure has been beyond our control and we are doing everything we can to redeploy our team members to other Pizza Hut Restaurants in order to minimise the impact to our workforce. We understand this is a difficult time for everyone involved and are supporting our team members as much as we possibly can."

Pizza Hut, like other restuarant and hospitality venues, was forced to close all its branches temporarily on 23rd March 2020, in line with the COVID-19 government guidelines in the initial Lockdown with the vast majority of its UK restaurants reopening in August last year when Pizza Hut took part in the Eat Out to Help Out scheme.

Prior to the pandemic Pizza Hut, which trades in the UK under franchise from its US-based owner Yum Branchs, had 244 restaurants in the UK and employed around 5,450 people.

Swale Borough Council's Leader, Roger Truelove, has responded to questions from Cllr Julian Saunders at the council meeting  on Wednesday 6th January about the much-needed upgrade of Brenley Corner in Faversham.

Cllr Saunders asked the leader about his view of the strategic importance of improvements to Brenley Corner and to outline Kent County Council’s position.

Cllr Roger Truelove, Leader at the council, told SFM News: “Improvements to Junction 7 of the M2 must be a principal infrastructure priority for us, Kent County Council (KCC), and the Government. It is essential for local, domestic, and international transport and trade now that we find ourselves in the position of coming to terms with new economic norms. Planners and politicians have spoken for the last decade about having two strategic transport corridors through Kent, but the delivery of this has been constrained by the inadequacies of Junction 7. It has been said to be a strategic priority for some time and has direct impact on the A249 corridor, yet progress is glacial. The current design that mixes strategic and local traffic is inadequate and causes it to operate below capacity.

Cllr Truelove went on to add: “Brenley Corner was included in the Government’s Roads Investment Strategy (RIS2) for a study in the period 2020-2025, however that does not guarantee any funding for the project. We are pressing for an urgent upgrade to Brenley Corner for economic and infrastructure reasons, but also for clarity and certainty for our revised Local Plan. Highways England have stated that local development should make sufficient contributions to fund the upgrade needed but this is not good enough. It would not meet the need to serve the growth of strategic national and international traffic flows, or for any future housing which neighbouring districts will have to deliver in response to Government targets. The government must provide more certainty about improvements at Junction 7. Without this, the strategic route, to and from Dover, will remain substandard and the growth opportunities available to Swale and East Kent will be severely limited.

To sum up Cllr Truelove said:  “In terms of KCC’s position, they support Highways England and collaborate with them on design work, however it seems they accept the serious funding delay until after 2024 – or maybe longer. This isn’t a Swale issue; it’s a Kent issue, particularly for East Kent. Historically infrastructure developments such as Junction 5 of the A249 have been a distraction from the issues at Brenley Corner but these now need to be raised up the political agenda as a matter of urgency.”

Kent County Council (KCC) Trading Standards have advised that a local elderly resident has been targeted by bogus council officials into paying £4,000 for urgent home repairs.

Here's what happened:-

• Cold called by two men claiming to be from Swale Borough Council
• Told occupant that they needed urgent repairs to be carried out on their house
• The work would cost £4,000 but that they would be able to claim the money back

If this happens to you here's what to do:

• Do not respond to cold callers
• Check the identity by calling your local council on a number you have. Do not use any phone number the cold callers give you - it may not be genuine.
• Report to Kent Police on 101, or if you feel threatened call 999.
• Please warn vulnerable family members, friends and neighbours.
• Report it

Find out about how scammers may be trying to target you and your family during the Coronavirus pandemic. We can all be vulnerable to these criminals and the best way to protect yourself is to make sure you are aware. KCC Public protection have created a page that lists scams that are using the Pandemic to target you. Please visit: https://www.kentpublicprotection.info/covid19alerts.

Kent Police officers have issued 30 fines across the county over the weekend, which included breaches at the ports, people failing to isolate, gatherings outside and indoors and unnecessary trips into the county.

Locally on Saturday (9th January) a woman, in Regis Crescent, was fined £200 for leaving her home to visit someone outside of her bubble and household and another woman was fined £200 for being outside of her home without a valid reason at Sittingbourne Railway Station.

On Sunday (10th January) a man was fined £200 for being out, on his way to friends and in breach of the restrictions with no valid reason in Sittingbourne.

Kent Police Assistant Chief Constable, Claire Nix, told SFM News: "The vast majority of Kent residents continue to do the right thing and are following the rules, helping to protect the NHS and ultimately save lives. Unfortunately, there are still some people who think it is acceptable to throw parties, gather outside in large numbers or commit other serious breaches of Covid-19 regulations. Holidays within the UK and abroad are also prohibited unless for permitted reasons and, despite this advice, 7 people attempted to cross the Channel at the weekend without valid reasons and were fined as a result.

"The Government has been very clear that the best way to protect everyone is to stay at home as part of this third national lockdown and no one should be attempting holidays or breaching other rules, not just for their own protection but to prevent the spread of the virus. I am urging all Kent residents to visit the government website and know what is acceptable at this time. Anyone who is permitted to travel abroad should also obtain a negative Covid-19 test prior to departure. Anyone who turns up at the ports without one will also be turned away.

"It is also unacceptable that officers around the county are still finding some individuals organising or attending house parties with no regard for the seriousness of this pandemic.

"In these situations we will have no choice but to take enforcement action. People doing this are not only putting their own lives at risk but that of anyone they meet, some of whom will be extremely vulnerable. Anyone who flagrantly or repeatedly breaks the rules at a time when there is so much pressure on Kent’s health services should be left in no doubt that action will be taken against them."