Local News

Aslan Odev, has been named caretaker boss at Sittingbourne FC following Nick Davis' resignation at the weekend.

A committee meeting on Monday (29th January) evening unanimously agreed to give Odev the chance to step up from his role as coach. Odev is a chief coach at Soccer Elite and will now be in charge for the first time when Sittingbourne visit South Park on Saturday (3rd February) and will be taking training on Thursday. It is expected that the majority of players will remain with the club and the other backroom staff have all stayed. 

Club Secretary, John Pitts, told SFM News: "Given the strength of the candidates who've applied there's a lot of pressure on Aslan and he knows that. A number of applications for the vacant managers job were received, even though the vacancy was not formally advertised. Aslan is caretaker manager and for how long for depends on results but we're looking at the rest of the season. He's on probation. If he loses every game then obviously we'd have to consider it again but we really don't want to disrupt things too much".

Sittingbourne FC have a long tradition of giving people their break in management - Richard Brady (former Manager and now chairman of Leatherhead), Gary Abbott, Mark Beeney (ex-Leeds Utd and Brighton goalkeeper and now a full time coach at Chelsea), Matt Wyatt and, latterly, Nick Davis.

Meadowfield School, on Swanstree Avenue, could receive a boost of £3.95m towards expansion plans.

KCC (Kent County Council) Councillors will decide later this week whether the school, whose pupils are children with severe and complex needs from the ages of 4 through to 19, should increase it's size by an additional 150 pupils.

Cllr Roger Gough, Kent County Council's Cabinet Member For Children, Young People and Education, told SFM News: "Currently the school has gone over 209 and has 282 students. We plan to expand it to 348 to meet the needs of the area. This is part of a general set of expansions for special schools that we have needed to do. This is to meet the demand for places for children with profound, severe and complex needs. Over the last three years there has been an increase in places needed including children who have autism."

A report conducted by KCC shows that children on the Isle of Sheppey are travelling more than 20 miles to Maidstone and Tonbridge to schools due to a lack of places in the Swale area.

Meadowfield has been rated outstanding by Ofsted in every category and has been praised for its "outstanding leadership and management".

A second man has been arrested following a report of a disturbance in London Road, Sittingbourne in the early hours of this morning (Wednesday 10th January).

Officers were called to the area at 2.53am after a member of the public reported that a man had been seen in possession of a weapon.

Armed officers attended as a precaution and arrested a 33-year-old man from Sittingbourne in connection with the incident.

A second man, a 32-year-old from Chatham, has now also been arrested.

Both remain in police custody.

Residents young and old will be able to sharpen their skills after improvements to the Kemsley Recreation Ground were unveiled for the New Year.

The new £19,500 multi-use games area has been installed by Swale Borough Council and gives visitors the chance to enjoy a range of ball games such as football and basketball, alongside the existing pitches at the park.

Cllr David Simmons, cabinet member for environment and rural affairs at the council, told SFM News: "This is a great improvement to the area with a variety of outside recreational spaces that can be used by families and residents of all ages. It's a great space for people to get together for some fun and exercise, and shows our commitment to providing good-quality, accessible areas that everybody can look forward to and enjoy."

There will be further improvements to play areas in the borough being carried out this year including a replacement junior play unit at Nursery Close Play Area, Sheerness - scheduled for spring/summer 2018 and play area improvements at Windermere Road Play Area, Faversham scheduled for spring/summer 2018.

If you want to find out more about parks and open spaces across the borough, please visit www.swale.gov.uk/leisure-parks.