News from The Bridge – Summer 2018
Welcome to the summer 2018 issue of News from The Bridge.
Keeping you up-to-date
Prologis has upgraded the bus shelters on The Bridge to show real-time information on bus and rail timetables,
weather and local events. Blood donation sessions will be held at, DHL Sainsbury’s Distribution Centre, Rennie Drive, Dartford DA1 5FD on Thursday 20th September, Tuesday 30th October and Monday 10th December. Appointments are available between 1-4pm and 5-7pm. To book an appointment please visit www.blood.co.uk, download our app NHSGIVEBLOOD or call us on 0300 123 23 23.
Is it a bird? Is it a Plane? No, its the London Fire Brigade!
For the past few years, London Fire Brigade have been rigging zip wires from a variety of London landmarks to raise valuable funds for charity and,their next endeavour will be a zip wire from the top of Canada tower. Before they can go ahead, however, insurers want to witness a test zip line. So, on the 16th September, representatives from London Fire Brigade, Bericote, Brown & Mason and KAM will be testing a zip line from the top of the Littlebrook chimney to a landing site on the former tank farm.
This will hopefully give the insurers sufficient confidence to allow the 2019 charity event to go ahead. The London Fire Bridge hope to raise £3m in 2019 for a Clinical Research Facility at Evelina London. So, if you see someone soaring superman-style from the Littlebrook site on September 16th, don’t be alarmed, it’s just the London Fire Brigade gearing-up for their charity event.
Information boards give a glimpse of local wildlife
Did you know that The Bridge is home to a wide variety of plant and animals, including water voles and many species of birds? To help you find out more we’ve installed two new
information boards that show the variety of wildlife, birds, invertebrates, fauna and flora that share our community at The Bridge. One is on the South Lake by the boat house and the other is on the north lake fronting the natural area, next to Crosswater. The boards are easily accessible for children and those with disabilities to view and provide an insight into the environment around us.
Invasive Weeds
Occasionally, we receive questions about invasive weeds such a Japanese Knotweed and also pests such as brown moths. Our site landscape team keeps a close eye on all our sites and will treat affected areas appropriately. Although we’ve only had one incidence of Japanese Knotweed and brown tail moth on The Bridge, we thought we’d share with you this short guide to identifying these troublesome individuals. Needless to say, if you do think you’ve spotted either plant or pest, please get in touch with us. Knotweed or not? Often mistaken for other plants, Japanese Knotweed starts growing from early spring and can reach 1.5m by May and 3m by June, before dying back between September and November. In particular, look out for:
- fleshy red tinged shoots when it first breaks through the ground
- large, heart or spade-shaped green leaves
- leaves arranged in a zig-zag pattern along the stem
- a hollow stem, like bamboo dense clumps that can be several metres deep
- clusters of cream flowers towards
Reptiles
We share our home at The Bridge with a number of reptiles, including slow worms and grass snakes. Many people are worried that these creatures might be harmful but there really is no need to worry. Here’s an article which will help you better understand these fascinating creatures.
Common or Viviparous Lizard, Zootoca Vivipara
This lizard is grey to dark brown, often with a dark stripe that runs along the back. Females have yellow, grey or green undersides with few or no spots. Males have orange or yellow undersides with a profusion of black spots. There are also completely black forms. Common lizards give birth to live young.
Slow Worm, Anguis Fragilis
Although it may look like a small snake, the slow worm is a legless lizard. Their colour varies from brown to grey or bronze. The young have a dark spot on the top of the head and a continuous black stripe along their back. When males reach sexual maturity they lose this stripe and can develop blue spots. The female keeps the eggs inside her body until they are ready to hatch.
Grass Snake, Natrix Natrix
The Grass snake is the larger of three British Snakes, reaching up to five foot in length and can be found throughout the southern regions of Britain, generally in areas close to water where it can find its favourite type of food, frogs and toads. One of the reasons it can survive the British climate is due to the fact that it hibernates away from October through to March and April, thus staving off the times when the sun is at its weakest, allowing the snake to only come out when it can get enough energy from the sun to survive. These snakes are often found in areas where there are ponds, lakes or slow running rivers where frogs and toads live. Grass snakes are strong swimmers so can easily move through the water looking for prey, sometimes taking small fish. Unlike the adder, Grass Snakes don’t have any venom so there is no real risk to humans if you come in contact with one, as with all snakes they are very shy and will slink off quickly if they feel the vibrations something approaching, that being one of the reasons why they are rarely spotted in passing. To see a grass snake you either have to get lucky or be very patient and very quiet around their natural habitat. Due to clearance of large areas traditional woodlands and wild areas Grass Snakes numbers have been drastically reduced in recent years to the point where they are now a vulnerable species.
The Nucleus Business & Innovation Centre – a great place to work, meet and eat!
Based at The Nucleus Business & Innovation Centre is the fabulous Food Thyme Café. The cafe offers a wide selection of breakfast and lunch options, all freshly prepared on site. The café is open weekdays between 8.30am and 3.30pm and everyone is welcome. Take your business to the next level The Nucleus provides professional workspace with offices ranging from 132 sq. ft to 2,000 sq. ft. These offices are ideal for companies with between 1-15 employees where they can benefit from a flexible, professional, supported and equipped office environment. They’re currently offering two months’ rent free on selected office space for a limited time only. Secure your space prior to October 31st 2018 and take advantage of this great discount and still enjoy all the important elements such as tailored business support, discounted meeting room hire and access to business-focused workshops. For more details or call 01322 312000 or visit www.nucleus-dartford.co.uk/office-space-in-dartford/
Dartford Borough Council Garden Waste – Brown Bins
Why recycle garden waste?
Garden waste that is not recycled ends up in landfill sites and produces large amounts of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide, which contributes to climate change. By diverting garden waste from landfill it helps reduce global warming. In recent months grass cuttings, food waste, black bags and domestic refuse has been found dumped on greenways and around the lake foreshore. To help combat this we hope you will find the following information helpful.
How can I help?
There are a variety of services available to help you dispose of your garden waste in Dartford. It’s up to you which option you choose.
- Sign up to a fortnightly collection service. There is a small annual fee and a one-off charge for the 240lt brown wheelie bin – if you are friendly with a neighbour
why not consider sharing a bin and sharing the annual cost accordingly. The annual cost for the service is £40 and the one off payment for the bin is £42, but the annual cost reduces on a sliding scale if you join part way through the year. Collections will be made fortnightly throughout the year. Alternatively, you can call our Customer Services on 01322343290 who will be able to take payment and arrange this
for you. - Composting at home – the most environmentally friendly and cost effective way to recycle your garden waste. You can buy a compost bin or even build your own! There are no further charges once you have your bin and you can incorporate some food waste too. Visit www.getcomposting.com for more details.
- Take your garden waste to a local Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) free of charge. A permit or proof of address within the borough is required: Dartford Heath HWRC, Rochester Way, Dartford, Kent DA1 3QU. Only brown 240 litre wheeled bins provided by the Council can be used. The service is for garden waste only (not food waste). The annual service charge must be paid at the beginning of each financial year (April-March). The brown bin remains the property of the Council and must be returned if no longer used. The bin should be placed on your front boundary for emptying on the correct day and must be kept on your property in between collections. Garden waste must be put into the bin loose (not in any sort of sacks first). All garden waste must be within the bin – side waste will not be collected.
What should be put in the brown bins?
Grass cuttings, dead flowers, weeds, leaves, plants, foliage, twigs, hedge trimmings, small branches (less than 50mm).
More
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Customers Celebrate The Festive Season
The Nucleus Charity Toy Drive
The Nucleus Charity Toy Drive
The Nucleus Christmas Fayre
The Nucleus Christmas Fayre