Updated 3 Sept 2026
A planning inspector has upheld Gravesham council's enforcement notice against the Norbond site west of Sole Street station near Meopham, which had been used for container self-storage, scaffolding storage and a builders' yard without permission. The site must be cleared by 18 February 2027 and enforcement officers will visit to check compliance.
From September 2026, independent company Acuity Research & Practice will carry out Gravesham Borough Council's annual Tenant Satisfaction Measures survey, contacting a selection of council tenants by phone and face to face. The confidential survey covers repairs, safety, neighbourhoods and communication, and results will be used to shape housing services.
Hundreds of local families took part in the council's Summer Fun 2026 programme of sports, creative workshops and outdoor activities. Participants are now invited to complete a short online survey to help improve future programmes.
More than 40 nuisance e-bikes and e-scooters have been seized across Gravesham since a borough-wide Public Space Protection Order came into force in July, with over 20 already crushed. Kent Police have run four days of action in hotspots including Park Pale, nine £100 fixed penalty notices have been issued and a Community Protection Warning served on a property used to store off-road bikes.
Work has begun on improving the area around the Clive Road entrance to Gravesend station, with new paving, seating, landscaping and planting funded by the Government's Pride in Place scheme and the Lower Thames Crossing. Contractor Verde Landscapes is on site throughout August and the station entrance stays open during the works.
Council leader Cllr John Burden has said Gravesham is very disappointed at the Secretary of State's refusal of the Northfleet Harbourside development, which the council approved two years ago. He is asking the Environment Agency to help get answers from Britannia Refined Metals about site contamination cited in the refusal, and says the draft Local Plan, currently out for Regulation 19 consultation, will need reviewing.
Council leader Cllr John Burden is calling for stronger sentencing powers after a Strood man who ran an illegal waste-burning site on National Highways land between Wrotham Road and Hog Lane, Northfleet, received a six-month suspended sentence at Maidstone Crown Court. Smoke from the site had disrupted A2 traffic and HS1; National Highways spent £150,000 clearing it and no costs were awarded.
Site preparation works for the Cascades Leisure Centre redevelopment started on Monday 3 August and are expected to last around 16 weeks, Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm. A temporary car park and pedestrian routes are in place, the nearby bus stop is temporarily relocated and the front field is closed and fenced throughout construction, including for dog walkers.
The Summer 2026 edition of Ebbsfleet Living Magazine is being delivered to 5,541 households across Ebbsfleet this week and can also be downloaded as a PDF. It covers resident stories, local facilities, activities in the parks and an update on the Alkerden Hub community building.
Gathered from Gravesham Council Latest News, Gravesham Council Events, Visit Gravesham Find Events, The Woodville Calendar, Ebbsfleet Garden City News, National Rail - Gravesend Station, National Highways Road Closure Report.