On Monday I popped by Otford train station to meet passengers who are benefiting from the new direct service from Sevenoaks to Welwyn Garden City, via St Pancras. The service means that those travelling from Otford, Eynsford, Shoreham and Swanley can now access central London stations, such as Farringdon and London St Pancras International, faster and without the need to change.
This new service is part of my broader campaign for better rail links in our area. It is an important step forward, but I continue to campaign for the Maidstone East Fast line via London Bridge and it was great to see fellow supporters. From my transport survey of Otford residents last year, it’s incredibly clear the strong support this fast line has amongst residents, and I will continue to press for this vital new rail link.
Last week was Greenpeace’s The Big Plastic Count and households and schools across Sevenoaks, took part – including me. The idea of the Big Plastic Count is to tally up bottles, packets and other plastic bits used in a household or school for just one week and send the data to Greenpeace.
Plastic waste is a huge concern often raised with me, particularly by local school children. And, while the Government has done a great deal to limit plastic pollution through a range of policies and new laws - including stopping free plastic carrier bags being the norm in shops, and banning microplastics, we need to do much more nationally and internationally as the amount of plastic waste produced around the world is set to double by 2040.
For me personally, the plastic count was eye opening. Although I try my best on a daily basis to avoid plastic use, even I was surprised by the amount that is still in daily circulation – especially when it comes to food packaging.
I have now sent my results back to Greenpeace, and I look forward to reading the national results which will be shared in July. If you took part in the challenge, please do not forget to send your results back. The more results sent in, the more we can be guided by data to help make sure our policies are more targeted.
Finally, I could not let my column pass without mentioning the wonderful event I attended last weekend to welcome many of the Ukrainian families who have now joined our community under the Homes for Ukraine scheme.
Over 150 people were in attendance and having supported many of these families through the application process, it was wonderful to meet them for the first time and welcome them to the Sevenoaks district.
I want to say a particular thank you to Valerie Tranter, who organised the event. As a Ukrainian herself, she has not only opened up her home but also arranged Sunday’s celebration and has been a fantastic support locally for so many refugees and sponsors. What is happening in Ukraine is heart-breaking, however I am so proud once again of the local response and the amazing host families.
