Boxes of suspected counterfeit e-cigarettes were seized from a concealed storage space above a ceiling at a Maidstone business as part of a nationwide crackdown on the illegal tobacco trade. The contraband was recovered at the premises in Knightrider Street on Wednesday (19 January 2022) during a joint operation involving police and Kent County Council…
Kent food businesses are being urged to get support now to comply with allergy labelling laws after spot checks by Kent County Council’s (KCC) Trading Standards revealed new rules are not always being followed. Under Natasha’s Law, which came into force on 1 October 2021, food that is pre-packaged on the same premises it is…
Kent County Council Trading Standards, supported by Kent Police, swooped on Swanley Market in a crackdown on the sale of counterfeit goods. A joint enforcement team of 17 officers targeted several stalls following reports that fake products were being sold. Items seized, including adult and children’s clothing, bags, hats, sunglasses, belts and watches, filled 168…
A major upgrade of Kent’s continental border is needed to keep the UK’s vital supply and travel routes flowing. An innovative, long-term programme to create future-ready, and future-proofed, smart borders in Kent would also act as a catalyst for regeneration in the east of the county – helping to unlock jobs and housing, attract business…
Kent County Council is launching a new voucher scheme to enable local businesses to put a new digital or technology solution in place to help with future growth. The Technology Resilience Voucher Scheme is part of the C-Care (Covid Channel Area Response Exchange) project which is funded by the EU Interreg France (Channel) England programme.…
All new infrastructure and developments in Kent and Medway should have net zero carbon emissions and use resources efficiently, under new-look design guidance published by Kent County Council, Medway Council, and Kent’s District and Borough Planning Authorities today. Communities must also be well connected both digitally, and through an effective network of footpaths, cycleways and…
Businesses across Kent are being invited to apply for interest-free loans of between £100,000 and £500,000 to help realise their ambitions for growth and support Kent’s economic recovery. Kent County Council is offering a total of £8 million in Kent and Medway Business Fund loans to help small and medium-sized enterprises in Kent and Medway…
Starting a placement as a teaching assistant through a scheme that helps young people into work has already been life changing for one 20-year-old in Kent. Fiona Cashman began a six-month paid placement at The Wyvern School – a special school in Ashford that caters for pupils aged three to 19 – at the start…
An impressive eight Kent business leaders have now been named Department for International Trade (DIT) Export Champions in a growing national peer-to-peer support network for companies looking to trade abroad. Sian Holt, Managing Director of Fudge Kitchen, based in Lyminge, and Laura Bounds, the MD of Kent Crisps, located in Bridge, near Canterbury, are among…
Since its COVID Business Helpline was set up at the start of the pandemic, the Kent and Medway Growth Hub (KMGH) has helped thousands of companies adjust to changing times. A one-stop-shop for business advice, the South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP)-funded Hub helps new and existing firms find the most suitable support available in…
In addition to producing top-of-the-range beers, Kent’s Old Dairy Brewery will be busy inspiring other businesses to grow through exporting after being named an Export Champion for the South East for 2021/2022. The accolade, awarded by the Department for International Trade (DiT), means the Tenterden company will share its expertise, and raise awareness of the…
KCC is taking the lead in a new project providing support to businesses and individuals facing challenges brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic. C-Care is a cross-Channel Interreg project, led by KCC and run by four English and three French partner organisations, working with a wider network of stakeholders. Drawing on a range of expertise…