West Kent Independents

10/10/2026

💚 SEVENOAKS DISTRICT’S GREEN BELT IS WORTH FIGHTING FOR! 💚

Across Sevenoaks District, our beautiful countryside, rural villages and precious Green Belt are facing increasing pressure from development.

Throughout the Sevenoaks Local Plan process, residents and community groups have worked incredibly hard to make their voices heard, attending meetings, responding to consultations and challenging proposals that could change the character of our towns and villages forever.

But the fight to protect our countryside is far from over!

The Government’s new Grey Belt rules are weakening some of the protections traditionally afforded to Green Belt land, potentially opening the door to further speculative development across our district.

At West Kent Independents (WKI), we firmly believe that our communities deserve a say in how their areas grow and develop.

We recognise the need for new homes, particularly affordable homes for local people, but development must be appropriate, sustainable and supported by the infrastructure our communities desperately need.

💚 We must use every opportunity available to protect our Green Belt.

Whether that’s through the Local Plan process, challenging inappropriate planning applications, lobbying MPs or signing petitions, we need to keep making our voices heard.

We know people are tired of consultations and petitions, but doing nothing is not an option!

✍️ PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION CALLING FOR THE GREY BELT RULES TO BE REMOVED:

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/766093

⏰ CLOSES 30 OCTOBER 2026

📢 Please share across Sevenoaks, Edenbridge, Swanley, Westerham, Otford, Seal, Hartley, New Ash Green and all our surrounding villages and communities.

Every voice matters, and together we can send a stronger message to Government.

Our countryside is not simply empty land waiting to be developed. It is part of what makes our communities special, and once it is lost, we cannot get it back.

💚 West Kent Independents – Local Matters Matter!

05/10/2026

👥 Help shape an Age Friendly Sevenoaks District

Sevenoaks District Council is working to create an Age Friendly Community – somewhere people can enjoy a good quality of life, remain independent for longer and continue to play an active part in their community as they get older.

Residents are being asked to share their views through the Age Friendly Community Survey, which is open until 31 December 2026.

Your feedback will help shape how the Council supports older residents across the district in the years ahead.

👉 Have your say here:
https://engagement.sevenoaks.gov.uk/communities/agefriendlycommunitysurvey/

Please do share with family, friends or neighbours who may also want to take part.

01/10/2026

🚌 Edenbridge School Buses – further update

I’ve now received a response from KCC regarding the concerns I’ve been raising about overcrowding on school buses from Edenbridge.

KCC has confirmed that standing on buses which are specifically certified to carry standing passengers is legal, provided the bus does not exceed its permitted capacity.

However, for me, that doesn’t fully answer the concerns parents have raised to me.

This isn’t simply a question of whether standing is legal. Parents have reported , in significant numbers, that children regularly stand on buses , and children are being left behind , buses not stopping, lengthy delays following breakdowns and an incident where a child reportedly hit their head following sudden braking.

I’ve therefore gone back to KCC asking them to look specifically at whether there is actually sufficient capacity on the affected Edenbridge routes, rather than simply confirming that standing passengers are permitted.

I’ve also asked whether our local services have actually been monitored, whether operators have confirmed their maximum capacities and what threshold KCC uses before additional capacity is considered.

I’ll continue to pursue this and share the response.

Please also continue reporting individual incidents — to KCC and feel free to cc my self in.
Particularly children being left behind, buses failing to stop or concerns that a bus may be over its permitted capacity — as those reports provide important evidence.

01/10/2026

Thank you to our WKI Cllr Angela Baker for continuing to lobby for improvements to the school bus service that is currently not up to standard for many Edenbridge students.

🚌 School Bus Update – still pushing for answers

I’ve followed up again with our KCC Councillor regarding the continuing problems with school bus services from Edenbridge.

Unfortunately, despite raising these concerns earlier this month, I’m still hearing from parents about overcrowding, children having to stand and ongoing problems with services — and I have yet to receive a substantive response about what action is being taken.

These concerns were passed to the relevant KCC Cabinet Member, but with no noticeable improvement, I have asked again for an update on exactly what KCC is doing to address the situation.

Parents deserve answers, and most importantly, our children deserve a safe and reliable journey to school.

I’ll keep chasing this and will share any response I receive.

Please share this update

Many thank

25/09/2026

💚☕ TODAY’S THE DAY! ☕💚

Edenbridge Town Councillors are hosting our Macmillan Coffee Morning TODAY! 🍰

We’ve got plenty of cake, coffee, raffle prizes , tombola , plant sale , scarf sale and a very warm welcome waiting for you!

Come along, say hello and help us raise as much as we can for Macmillan Cancer Support. 💚

🍰☕🎟️ See you there!

https://cm26.macmillan.org.uk/fundraising/cm26017289

25/09/2026

Please do go along and support this great event run by Edenbridge Town Council.
Such a worthwhile cause which touches so many..

Support my Macmillan Coffee Morning for people living with cancer

23/09/2026

📢 PLEASE HELP US SPREAD THE WORD – ARMED FORCES LGBT BAN

We’re helping to share an important Government campaign to make sure that people affected by the historic Armed Forces LGBT Ban know that recognition and support is available.

The ban affected LGBT personnel serving in HM Armed Forces between 1967 and 2000, and the Government has introduced Financial Recognition and Non-Financial Restorative Measures Schemes for those who were affected. (affectedbytheban.campaign.gov.uk)

This can include financial recognition for those who were dismissed, discharged or otherwise affected, as well as non-financial measures such as an official letter of apology, replacement service items and restoration ceremonies. (affectedbytheban.campaign.gov.uk)

📅 Applications close on 12 December 2026.

One of the biggest challenges is reaching former service personnel who may have lost contact with the Armed Forces or veterans’ networks over the years.

That’s why we’re asking our followers to help.

👉 Please share this post with your friends, family and community groups. You may reach someone who served many years ago and simply doesn’t know that these schemes are available.

You can find out about eligibility, the different schemes and the support available here:

Armed Forces LGBT Ban – information and applications

Even if this doesn’t apply to you personally, sharing it could help it reach someone it does.

West Kent Independents – helping important information reach our local communities.

Find out what recognition is available if you were affected by the Armed Forces LGBT Ban, including financial payments, restorative measures and support.

22/09/2026

🍂 Exciting news for Bradbourne Lakes! 🌳🦆

It’s great to see this major Sevenoaks District Council restoration project moving on to the next stage, with work beginning on 28 September.

The project will restore all five lakes, improve paths and historic structures, enhance habitats and biodiversity, and introduce new facilities including a natural play area and accessible toilet.

To allow these significant works to be carried out safely, Bradbourne Lakes will need to close to the public from 28 September, with reopening expected in summer 2027.

There will inevitably be some disruption while such a big project takes place, but WKI are looking forward to seeing this much-loved part of our District restored and protected for future generations to enjoy. 💚

👏 A huge amount of work has gone into getting the project to this stage, including years of campaigning by the Bradbourne Residents’ Association.

👉 Read more about the plans and what happens next:
Bradbourne Lakes restoration moves to next stage⁠

https://www.sevenoaks.gov.uk/bradbournelakes

20/09/2026

Some of our WKI cllrs and their Town Council members are running a charity coffee morning next week in Edenbridge 💚

10am- midday
Come along for a coffee/tea some delicious cake! ( takeaways available for cake!)

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/19cHXtWwca/?mibextid=wwXIfr