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00:00Hello and welcome to Kent on Climate, live on KMTV. I'm Daisy Page and in this show
00:14we discuss all things related to the environmental issues in the county. How is climate change
00:19impacting Kent? What are communities in the county doing to tackle it? And how can you
00:24at home help? Each week we'll be taking a deep dive into new environmental issues in
00:29the county and I'll be joined by expert guests. First tonight, Save Leblane campaigners hosted
00:37an art exhibit in Canterbury about the dangers of housing development to local animals and
00:42plants. Made up of pictures taken by members of the public, the showcase demonstrated residents'
00:48love for the area and the animals and fauna that will likely be lost following the development
00:53of 5,000 houses across Canterbury. Well our reporter Henry Luck has been down to find
00:58out more. This picture represents one of the many types of wildlife that could be lost.
01:06This is according to Save Leblane leaders in Canterbury who hosted an art exhibition
01:12called All That Could Be Lost. Made of photography by members of the public, it showcases what
01:19the area means to them and the sadness that would come if the land is given up for housing
01:25development by the University of Kent. Leblane is one of the largest and most sacred ancient
01:31woodlands in the UK and home to rare species such as the heath fritillary butterfly. Save
01:38Leblane campaigners have been protesting over the last year against constructing houses
01:44on it to save wildlife like this. As you can hear behind me, members of tonight are chatting
01:51away about the importance of Leblane. Speaking to a few of them, here's what they've had to say.
01:57It's a sort of lung for Canterbury where people can come from the day to day of traffic and
02:06people and so on and really experience something much more tranquil and beautiful. If they are
02:15built, they will damage the integrity of Leblane because the wildlife doesn't stop at the wood
02:23boundaries. It's got to be allowed to move out into the farmland. However, one of the
02:30organisers has put forth an alternative solution in the form of a biopark. We're talking about
02:37turning it into a country park with access to some of the amazing heritage that includes
02:42the world's first ever passenger train which was the Crab and Winkle line and protecting
02:48all the amazing nature, biodiversity, green space which is a huge amenity for the whole
02:55city of Canterbury. A statement from the University of Kent says they are confident that any development
03:01as part of Canterbury City Council's local plan will be met to the highest environmental
03:06standards and they will be ensuring net biodiversity gain and on-site renewable energy. They're
03:14also looking forward to continue working with local residents during the ongoing planning
03:20phase. However, the future of what will happen to Leblane still hangs in the balance. Henry
03:26Luck for CAME TV in Canterbury. Next up, a new £2.1 million project is set to revitalise
03:34a 300-year-old lakes in Sevenoaks. The Bradbourne Reborn project is working alongside Kent Wildlife
03:41Trust, the South East River Trust and the Historic England amongst others. Joining me
03:48now is Lena Mazden, the project manager of Bradbourne Reborn to discuss the upcoming plans
03:53for the park. So thank you for joining me here today. Can you firstly just tell me a
03:57bit what the project is about?
03:59It's a beautiful park right in the heart of Sevenoaks. It was built back in Victorian
04:09times and is a system of five interconnecting lakes. The park is well-maintained but due
04:18to the situation and the mature trees around, it's heavily silted. So we have secured National
04:27Lottery Heritage Fund funding for the capital works in order to desilt, drain the lakes,
04:36also to repair all the structures, improve biodiversity by redesigning the landscape,
04:42also replace all the footpaths to make it accessible for all and install a new playground.
04:48Now, this is like a £2.1 million project. What are some of the goals? You mentioned
04:54about the footpaths, the playgrounds making it more accessible, but what are some of the
04:58goals that you do hope when it's up and running?
05:01This project combines heritage, nature and the local community. So starting from rejuvenating
05:11all the heritage features and making sure that all the generations to come are going
05:15to enjoy it all, we will be improving mental health of the residents. We will have eco-counselling
05:22and nature therapy, walk and talk and support groups. Also as a part of the project is to
05:29produce an education pack for schools aimed at the primary age school children, which
05:37would inform about the blue and green nature and that's how the impact is going to make
05:42on climate change for education.
05:45Now, we just saw some photos of Sevenoaks up there on the screen and it looks so amazing
05:50and you just mentioned a little bit about improving mental health. How important is
05:54it to have these green spaces accessible for everyone?
05:59Well, it is proving that things like eco-counselling and especially if other therapies are done
06:06in connection with the natural environment can vastly improve the mental health.
06:14And I read online that you're having bird boxes, some bat boxes installed. Are these
06:21species already found there or is this in hopes to bring them to the site?
06:27Bradbourne Lakes is a small park in the middle of Sevenoaks, but it's also a part of bigger
06:34ecosystem with the surrounding nature areas. So by improving biodiversity and by putting
06:43the bird boxes and planting the appropriate species, we are expecting that more birds
06:49from the surrounding areas will come to this park.
06:53And we can see just some more photos there as well. How do you hope that this will improve
06:59our environment and be increased biodiversity in this area?
07:06If we look after the nature, the nature looks after us. So little places like Bradbourne
07:15Lakes Park, it does need some DLC and that's exactly what we are doing. And we are making
07:23sure that everything what we do is the best what we can achieve from the ecological perspective.
07:33Amazing. And these lakes that we're talking about are 300 years old. Why now? Why is this
07:41project being done now?
07:45It's simply the actual structure of the lakes. It works perfectly well, even if the structures
07:53are 300 years old. During the recent floodings, it actually was not affected. But the problem
08:02is that the lakes are silted. We have large mature trees around and the silt is actually
08:12accumulating at the bottom. And apart from the regular maintenance, which is provided
08:17by the Seven Oaks District Council, we do need to do a deep clean, if you can call it
08:23like that. Because that's the only way to preserve not only heritage features, but improve
08:31the green and blue nature around.
08:36Yeah. And as project managers, so you managing this, how are you finding it? Are you finding
08:42it really joyful seeing the process of it?
08:46I'm really excited to be involved in a project like that. It's, as I'm saying, it's heritage,
08:53it's nature, it's local community, and it's a beautiful space to work within.
09:00And before we go, what would you hope for people visiting this site and maybe the animals
09:05visiting it as well? What do you hope that people take away when they leave?
09:11Bradbourne Lakes has a beautiful history. It's generations and generation of people,
09:16especially local ones, used to come there, play there as children, play in the stream.
09:21And I just hope that soon this park is going to regain its beauty and is going to become
09:28accessible for all place and people would visit it more.
09:32Well, thank you very much for joining me today to discuss this. And I'm excited to see the
09:36project go ahead and see what it looks like by the end.
09:43Now, before the break, conservationists behind an ancient woodland near Maidstone say the
09:47site is under threat almost 25 years after it was first saved from becoming a car park.
09:53The volunteers who maintain mangrove woodland have lost all their funding after the residents'
09:58association that was set up to save it has been disbanded. Keiwa has more.
10:04Twenty-five years ago, Tesco's tried to turn the mangrove woodland into a car park.
10:09Thankfully, this was prevented, but those who look after the wood say it's at risk yet again.
10:14So Northlews Limited looks after and maintains mangravit wood. Prior to last May, Northlews
10:22Limited was associated with the Northlews Residents' Association. And whenever costs
10:28were incurred for maintaining mangravit wood, we were fortunate enough to receive donations
10:34from Northlews Residents' Association.
10:38But last May, all their funding was ceased and they're struggling to find the funds to
10:43maintain the land.
10:45We have a wonderful team of volunteers and are always looking for more volunteers. So
10:51we typically have manpower to carry out a lot of the work on the wood. But over the
11:00last few months, we've had to pay out nearly £1,000 for a tree survey. And we are about
11:11to pay out about £2,500 for a tree specialist company to come in and carry out a lot of
11:21the urgent work which we identified from that survey.
11:25The team, as it stands, is currently looking for more volunteers and possible grants that
11:30they can apply for.
11:35Sorry about that. I believe we had some technical issues there. But now it's time for a break
11:39and coming up, we're finding out how Hive Golf Club says it's adopting an eco-friendly
11:44approach by maintaining the course. All that and more and we'll see you very shortly.
14:40Hello and welcome back to Ken on Climate Live on KMTV.
15:09Now led by one of the country's youngest head greenkeepers, Hive Golf Club say it's
15:14adopting an eco-friendly approach to maintaining its course, in an effort to reduce its impact
15:18on wildlife. From switching to electric lawnmowers to installing bug hotels, the club hopes it
15:25ables to prove that golf and nature can share a fairway. Kerry King has swung her down to
15:31find out more.
15:37Golf courses are more than just fairways and greens. They're a haven for wildlife. However,
15:44maintaining them with outdated methods can harm the environment and put local species
15:48at risk. Here at Hive Golf Course, the management accepts the problem but is on a mission to
15:54make changes.
15:59Grass cutting equipment is just one of the changes being made by the club.
16:05One of our ideals would be to use robotic electric mowers to cut all of our fairways
16:10and in time the rough as well.
16:13So how will a small members club fund such an ambitious project?
16:18We've been working on a crowdfunding bid. That bid will fund, we hope, the mowers. It
16:28will fund other green initiatives that we're putting together.
16:31Led by one of the youngest head greenkeepers in the UK, the team prepares to place some
16:36newly built hotels on the course.
16:39So what we're doing is we're placing bird boxes by our bug hotels in an effort to encourage
16:44and develop wildlife here on the course.
16:47Do golf courses truly benefit local wildlife? I spoke to a leading bug expert.
16:53But yes, we can all make a difference in the same way that by doing it in your garden you
16:57can make a difference, particularly if your neighbours do it as well. If we added all
17:00the gardens in the UK together, you've got half a Serengeti nature reserve. So these
17:05areas added up can make a huge difference.
17:09Records show that fewer than 1% of greenkeepers in the UK are female. What was it that attracted
17:15Holly Hurst to the profession?
17:17It's definitely not as hard as you would think it is physically. You do build up your strength
17:23that I think there's a idea that it is a man's job and only men can do it. But I've
17:30definitely proved that I can do it and females can definitely do it. It's really good fun.
17:35Green by name, green by nature. I'm assuming you welcome this type of project.
17:40Yes, absolutely. It's a terrific initiative that the golf course has kicked off. You know,
17:47golf courses take up a lot of land in this country and anything that they can do to make
17:52themselves more biodiverse and welcome wildlife has got to be welcomed by everybody, I'm sure.
18:00The club's CEO is fully aware of the challenges that lie ahead.
18:04Yes, it's a bit of a leap in the dark because we're a small club, 250 members just under.
18:12It is a big project with a challenging path ahead. But if successful, it will enable nature
18:18and sports to live side by side.
18:22Kerry King, KMTB, Hithe.
18:27Next tonight, we often see vans rumbling through our streets with brushes spinning
18:31and water spraying. But have you ever wondered what it really takes to keep our roads clean?
18:35Well, from litter picking to high-powered sweeping, it's a much bigger job than you
18:40might think. And with everything from money to other unexpected surprises turning up along
18:44the way, there's never a dull day for the team. Our reporter, Kristen, went down to
18:49Faversham to find out more.
18:51Dust, dirt and a whole lot of sweeping. Street cleaners tidy our roads and it's a job that
18:56many of us may take for granted.
18:58Have you ever been caught behind one of these vehicles? Well, it's actually called a mechanical
19:03sweeper and they're here to clean our roads to prevent them from coming overridden with
19:07dirt and rubbish. I'm here today to find out a little bit more about what they do and what
19:12the process is behind cleaning our streets.
19:14Before they arrive, the team put up signs instructing residents not to park on the street.
19:20But why?
19:21Unfortunately, we will come along sometimes and none of the cars have moved and you'll
19:25tend to find that they are the roads that are the worst because we just can't get in.
19:30We can clean in between the cars as much as possible manually, but if we can't get in
19:34to sweep it properly, then it'll just build up.
19:37You might not realise the amount of people it takes to clean our streets. On the clean
19:41that I attended in Faversham, there was three crews. Some were picking up litter, some were
19:46removing weeds and dirt from the kerb, while others were blowing the debris onto the road
19:51for the sweeper to remove.
19:53That sweeps the channel. This is the suction box, it picks up all the rubbish, here, that
19:58goes up and down. This one here is a weed ripper. Obviously we've got spray bars on
20:06all of it, like here, and that sprays the water out just to dust suppress it. And then
20:13on the back here, it just works like an uber. Sucks up all the leaks.
20:19Like with most public cleans, the team are used to finding all sorts of unexpected things
20:24while on the job.
20:25We do find some strange stuff, I must admit that. Occasionally, you might find an odd
20:29fiver. Found a gun once, and that was in a lay-by on Boulton Bypass.
20:35And then what did you do when you found that?
20:38Well, I phoned the company, it was a different company to this one, and they came and sent
20:44the police out to pick it up. I was there most of the day with it.
20:48But there are some factors that can make the job more difficult.
20:51When you're doing this job, you've got to be very observant of everybody else that's
20:55on the road. They just drive at you because you're driving so slow.
21:03Yeah, pretty much have to think for everybody on the road when you're driving this.
21:08So the next time you find yourself stuck behind a streetsweeper on your way to work,
21:11it might be worth remembering the people that keep our county clean.
21:15Kristen Hawthorne for CAM TV in Faversham.
21:23And finally, we're now just a few days away from Valentine's and for many, this is the
21:27week that they celebrate their love. And for some taking the next big step, they might
21:32be considering how to be more eco-conscious when they celebrate their wedding.
21:36So joining me now is Isabel, who has been recently engaged and planning her wedding
21:40to tell us a bit about her big day and how she's staying eco-friendly during this.
21:45So tell us your plans, the engagement, give us all the details.
21:49Okay, so let's start with the engagement, right. So I was thinking about sustainability
21:54and weddings, and I thought actually, my engagement itself was sustainable, because we went for
21:59a hike. And that's when my partner proposed to me. So there was like no extras, no like
22:05nothing I needed to recycle or anything. No, just the moment. And it was in Edinburgh.
22:09And it was like the skyline of the city. Yeah, it was great.
22:12And sometimes that's much nicer. It's a bit more personal. Now you have a location that
22:16you can go to, to revisit that memory as well. So I know that you're planning your wedding.
22:21We've got your wedding planner here, which feels very sacred.
22:24It is.
22:25But what are you thinking about, like, what ways are you going to be sustainable on your
22:31big day?
22:32Well, my wedding planner for this book is sustainable. Look, it's brown, made of paper.
22:35I mean, that's a great start. I can recycle it. I don't want to recycle it. It's kind
22:38of a keepsake. Yeah, I mean, in terms of, I mean, I'll refer to this because there's
22:43so much you have to do for a wedding. So let's have a look. So guest accommodation, a lot
22:48of people staying on site. That's sustainable. My theme, it's not sustainable. Groomsmen
22:54outfits. I mean, no, that's also not actually that. But the florist, that's what I wanted
22:59to talk about mainly. So a lot in my mind, I'm thinking, you know, having the centerpieces
23:07as, like, dried flowers, because then you can keep them. So there's no, like, particular
23:11waste from flowers. I mean, flowers are biodegradable, so it's not like it's too much of an issue.
23:16But part of my wedding is, like, how much can I keep and how much can I avoid throwing
23:21stuff away? So that's a lot of what I'm thinking. So yeah, and also the bouquets as well. I
23:28mean, there are loads of florists. I have spoken to so many. It feels like 100. But
23:33a lot of them, like this woman growing some in her garden and you can pick them. I don't
23:37actually have the time to do that because I'm going somewhere else for the ceremony.
23:40So, you know, lots to think about. But yeah, no, it's definitely on my mind being sustainable.
23:45And I think floristry is definitely a way to do that. Also, the vases that you use in
23:50the centerpieces, I'm looking to get those secondhand online. It's been interesting,
23:56you know, with online sellers, you know, I was about to buy some at the weekend and
24:00then they, like, pull down and stuff. But it's always worth doing because what you're
24:03going to do with the vase is afterwards, I guess. So that's also what I'm thinking. And
24:08also the table runners, I'm thinking, why buy new when you can go on various online
24:13secondhand apps? There are lots out there. So that is also what I'm thinking about, too.
24:18And also the location. I'm staying in Kent, so I'm trying not to go too far away. I'm
24:23going abroad, not very sustainable. But yeah, no, I'm keeping it local, too, where I can
24:27in terms of suppliers, too. And it's interesting that you mentioned flowers and keepsakes.
24:31So when prepping for this conversation, obviously I'm not engaged or married myself, but I was
24:36thinking to the closest people I know, and that's my parents. And when you mentioned
24:40flowers, my mum actually got her bouquet pressed and they're in a photo frame and she's still
24:45got them. And this is over a decade ago now. Sorry, mum, if you're watching. And also my
24:51dad made, so he's got a saw, he works in a wood factory and he made these little hearts
24:56that went on the table and they could fit menus, table numbers in. We still got them
25:00dusted around the house. We use them on a regular basis. So it's just really fascinating
25:04how you can make something or buy something, can keep it and reuse it in different ways.
25:10And let's talk about food waste, obviously, working on lots of series at the moment about
25:14food waste. Yes. And they are very knowledgeable. But when it comes to wedding, obviously we've
25:18got lots of mouths to feed. You've got that big cake. What are we going to be doing to
25:22try and reduce that where we can? Well, that's actually has come up having done a lot of
25:27TV content because I produce TV content about food waste. It comes into my mind a lot more
25:33now. So, yeah, with the cake, there's going to be little cupcakes. So firstly, that's
25:39one thing that you can just eat. And I don't think that's going to get away. So that's
25:42good. Cake itself, I'll probably freeze what we don't use because it's like, well, I don't
25:48know how much to reveal. It's a really nice flavour that can be frozen. I don't know what
25:52to say. I don't want too many spoilers. Yeah. And the venue, you have to give exact numbers
25:58as well. And they cater to that. So it's not like someone can turn around and be like,
26:03oh, yeah, by the way, I can come now. No, you're done. You're not coming anymore. The
26:06numbers have been given. It's set. It's like several months in advance. There's a lot of
26:10stuff thinking. And then I guess the buffet in the evening, you know, I think a lot of
26:17people underserve so that they don't do much food waste. So I think that's also something
26:22too. Brilliant. Thank you so much for joining us today. So obviously, you can be sustainable,
26:26but it can be quite difficult when it comes to your big day. But there are some ways that
26:30you can be conscious in there. Thank you very much for joining us today. Well, that's all
26:34we have time for on this week's episode of Kent on Climate. We'll be back next week with
26:38another episode discussing all that matters to environment in the county. Well, that's
26:42all from me. Have a very lovely morning and goodbye.