Local Authority: Independent news for Medway

05/11/2024

⏩ The future of Medway in three acts:
1. What the budget means for Medway
2. Local government reforms on the agenda
3. Medway might not exist in a few years
🗞️ Plus news in brief, and more.

Council budget funding changes, local government reforms, and the possibility that Medway won't even exist in a few years

01/11/2024

🎥 Landmark dockyard building to become new digital creative hub
🧑‍⚕️ Medway writer no longer on call for Doctors
💻 Lyrici Arts masterclasses
🍗 We review Bird Box
🎟️ Our weekly events guide
🗞️ News in brief, and more

Plus Medway writer no longer on call for Doctors, Lyrici Arts masterclasses, we review Bird Box, our weekly events guide, news in brief, and more

29/10/2024

🏗️ Government accepts Chatham Docks redevelopment
🗣️ Heckling the Planning Committee
🚌 Bus fares to increase by 50%
🏘️ 510 homes and supermarket proposed near Strand
🗞️ News in brief, and more

Plus heckling the Planning Committee, Buses get 50% more expensive, 510 homes and supermarket proposed near the Strand, news in brief, and more

25/10/2024

📚 Medway's literary festival aims big
👨‍🎨 Bill Lewis maybe announces retirement
🥙 We review Kaya Meze Bar
🎟️ Our weekly events guide
🗞️ News in brief, and more

Plus Bill Lewis maybe announces retirement, we review Kaya Meze Bar, our weekly events guide, news in brief, and more

22/10/2024

🗣️ Frozen pensioners, hate crimes, and devolution: It can only be the final full Medway Council meeting of the year
🥘 Francis Iles to become a 'dining hub'
🗳️ Conservative councillor hits the US doorstep
🗞️ News in brief, and more

It can only be a full Medway Council meeting! Plus Francis Iles to become 'a dining hub', Conservative councillor hits the US doorstep, news in brief, and more

18/10/2024

💡 Electric Medway turns five
👜 Guildhall Museum gets Artisan Showroom
🥘 Review of Nutmegs Patisserie
🎟️ Our weekly events guide
🗞️ News in brief, and more

Plus Guildhall Museum gets an Artisan Showroom, we review Nutmegs Patisserie, our weekly events guide, news in brief, and more

15/10/2024

💷 Over 2,000 School Streets fines issued in first six months of scheme
🏘️ Hundreds of new Medway homes set for approval
🚚 The disappearing advertising van
🗞️ News in brief, and more

Plus hundreds of homes set for approval, the disappearing advertising van, news in brief, and more

14/10/2024

✏️ Plushies, pin badges, and carpal tunnel: Medway artist Ben Cameron on running a small creative business
🍳 We review The Royal Cafe in Rochester
🎟️ Our weekly events guide
🗞️ News in brief, and more

Medway artist Ben Cameron on running a small creative business. Plus review of the Royal Cafe, our weekly events guide, news in brief, and more

10/10/2024

Medway has inspired lots of musicians in their songwriting. Stephen Morris takes us on a musical tour of our towns and the locations that have inspired songwriters.

Stephen Morris takes us on a musical tour of our towns

08/10/2024

💷 Medway Council to sell off Temple Manor, Gillingham Business Park, Rainham Shopping Centre, and 27 more sites
🌹 A quiet change in the Labour administration
🌳 Cutting down trees for vague reasons
🚧 Lower Thames Crossing decision delayed again

Plus a quiet change in the Labour administration, cutting down trees for vague reasons, Lower Thames Crossing delayed again, news in brief, and more

04/10/2024

🎸 Medway's music scene remains precarious
🚶‍♂️ Mayor's charity trek stumbles
🥩 We review The Pumproom
🎟️ Our weekly events guide
🗞️ News in brief, and more

Plus Mayor's charity trek stumbles, we review The Pumproom, our weekly events guide, news in brief, and more

01/10/2024

🏡 Rainham pub set to become housing as nothing else is good enough
🗣️ Planning committee stumbles again
🔵 Medway Tories' high energy away day
🗞️ News in brief, and more

Plus planning committee stumbles again, Medway Tories' high energy away day, news in brief, and more

27/09/2024

🎨 Black Art Hub launches in Medway
⚓️ Ghost Ships navigates choppy waters of Dockyard's past
🥪 We review Boyce's Bakery
🎟️ Our weekly events guide, and more

Plus Ghost Ships navigates the Dockyard's past, we review Boyce's Bakery, our weekly events guide, and more

26/09/2024

Contrary to popular belief, fewer crimes are being committed in our towns, but Kent Police data paints a complicated picture overall.

We've been digging through the numbers to understand where we are.

https://www.localauthority.news/p/crime-is-falling-in-medway

24/09/2024

💷 Council project comes in... under budget?
🚧 Lower Thames Crossing decision imminent
✏️ A testing Medway Test
🗞️ News in brief, and more

Plus Lower Thames Crossing decision imminent, a testing Medway Test, news in brief, and more

23/09/2024

While many people have made and developed their own sourdough, Katalin Takács took it to the next level, turning it into a business. Now, Mrs Sourdough Bakery in Chatham Intra arguably makes the best bread in Medway. We talked to her to find out more.

What Steven asked Katalin Takács, baker and owner of Mrs Sourdough Bakery in Chatham

20/09/2024

⚓️ Chatham is failing where Dundee succeeds
🚌 Get the bus for free this weekend
🎻 Review of the Ashen Keys album launch
🎟️ Our weekly events guide, and more

Plus free buses this weekend, The Ashen Keys album launch, our weekly events guide, and more

19/09/2024

As part of our new series of columns from Medway's representatives, new Chatham and Aylesford MP Tristan Osborne writes exclusively for us about the ongoing work to deliver a Local Plan.

Chatham and Aylesford MP Tristan Osborne on Medway's Local Plan

17/09/2024

⛔️ New School Streets feature some weird choices
🚽 The Pentagon toilet trek
🗞️ News in brief, and more

https://www.localauthority.news/p/new-school-streets-feature-some-weird

13/09/2024

✍️ Medway author Neil Thorne on his dystopian novella and his upcoming one about Chatham
🚧 More School Streets on the way
🥙 We review Galata in Gillingham
🎟️ Our weekly events guide
🗞️ News in brief, and more

Neil Thorne on his remarkable novellas. Plus more School Streets on the way, we review Galata, our weekly events guide, news in brief, and more

12/09/2024

Five games in, and Gills are fourth in the table, so dreams of a promotion party are entirely rational. Our Gills columnist Ben Hopkins puts on his optimist’s hat and his much more dog-eared pessimist’s cap to look at how the season is going so far.

The Shouting Ben on the positives and negatives of the Gills start to the season

10/09/2024

📸 Medway’s new traffic cameras are already issuing thousands of fines
🗣️ The new Local Plan meets politics
🤝 Old MPs remaining surprisingly active
🗞️ News in brief, and more

Plus the new Local Plan meets politics, former MPs remain surprisingly busy, news in brief, and more

09/09/2024

Vicky Robinson is an atomic archaeologist Taekwondo master from Medway. We talked to her about why Roman remains are radioactive, gamma radiation in the Marvel universe, and just how safe nuclear power is.

What Steven asked Vicky Robinson, environmental consultant, Taekwondo Master and PhD student in gamma radiation in archaeological artifacts

06/09/2024

🎚️ Medway's biggest musical export flies under the radar
🇵🇹 We review Os' Camacheiros
🎟️ Our weekly events guide
🗞️ News in brief, and more

Medway's biggest musical export flies under the radar. Plus we review Os' Camacheiros, our weekly events guide, news in brief, and more