The eight Type 26 warships will start being delivered to the Royal Navy from the mid-2020s, heralding yet another new era in the role of a base which has played a central role in the defence of the UK for hundreds of years – from the Napoleonic wars to the Falklands Conflict.

The 6,900-tonne frigates will be world-class anti-submarine warships and will provide cutting-edge protection for the likes of the UK’s nuclear deterrent and the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers, with the ability to conduct a whole range of other operations anywhere in the world.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said:

The largest Naval Base in western Europe, Devonport is the lifeblood of Plymouth and is as synonymous with this city as it is with our famous Royal Navy.

Ships have set sail from Devonport’s dock to defend our great nation for hundreds of years, and I can reveal that the truly world-class Type 26 frigates will follow in their wake.

We are living in increasingly dangerous times, with threats intensifying both on and beneath the water. Plymouth should be in no doubt that it will be right at the heart of Britain’s fight for a safer world by homing these formidable warships.

Devonport has been supporting the Royal Navy since 1691, with the vast site covering more than 650 acres with four miles of waterfront. Alongside frigates, it is home to Britain’s survey vessels and amphibious ships. Recently the Defence Secretary put to bed any speculation about the future of amphibious assault ships HMS Bulwark and HMS Albion by announcing he is protecting them.

The Base employs 2,500 people, supporting around 400 local firms and generating around 10% of Plymouth’s income. It is a key part of defence’s huge footprint in the South West, where the MOD spends £5.1bn with industry – more than in any other part of the country.

The eight Type 26s will replace the current anti-submarine warfare Type 23 frigates. They will make up the next-generation of the Navy’s fleet, along with a first batch of five Type 31e frigates. The decision on where the Type 31e frigates will be based is still to be made.

The first Type 26 ships have already been ordered for £3.7 billion from BAE Systems’ yards on the Clyde. The first four have already been named as HMS Glasgow, HMS Cardiff, HMS Belfast and HMS Birmingham. The flexible design of the frigates will also enable these capabilities to be adapted to counter future threats, and the ships will benefit from the latest advances in digital technology.

The formidable anti-submarine warship will include an embarked helicopter, powerful sonar detection systems, ship and helicopter-launched torpedoes and a design which makes the Type 26 extremely difficult for enemy submarines to detect.

The move follows the announcement last year that the eight Type 23 ships fitted with a towed array sonar tail would all be based in Devonport, making the site a centre of excellence in anti-submarine warfare. The five general purpose Type 23 frigates are now based in Portsmouth, which is also the home of the UK’s Type 45 Destroyers and new aircraft carriers.

Australia recently decided to build nine of the British-designed Type 26 warships, confirming the world-leading capability they will offer. The deal, which could be worth up to £20 billion, has been hailed as the biggest Naval ship deal for a decade.

A man from Middlesex has been prosecuted after being caught on film dumping waste on private land in Romford.

Brian Christopher Stokes, of Lyncroft Avenue, Pinner, was charged with dumping waste without an environmental permit, contrary to section 33 (1) (a) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

At Barkingside magistrates’ court on Friday 5 October, district judge Gary Lucie sentenced Stokes to 100 hours’ unpaid work, ordering him to pay costs of £1,500, and an £85 victim surcharge.

The court heard Stokes was captured on CCTV controlled by Havering Borough Council, arriving on private land at the old Decathlon site in Angel Way, Romford, Essex, on 14 July 2016. Stokes was filmed driving a white dumper truck to the rear of the site, emptying the contents, described as “building materials in heavy duty bags,” from the truck to the land. He’d previously removed the vehicle’s number plates.

Enforcement officers from Havering Council passed the CCTV footage to the Environment Agency and Metropolitan Police. On 21 July 2016, police officers attended a different location in Romford. The same vehicle used by Stokes a week earlier was seen being driven onto this site. Officers identified Stokes as the driver.

District judge Lucie heard the Angel Way site, went from “being completely clear to being full to the brim of waste,” although Stokes was only responsible for some of the waste dumped there.

Simon Graham-Harrison, who brought the case against Stokes for the Environment Agency, said:

Stokes’s actions showed a blatant disregard for the environment. In cases like this, where the actions of individuals threaten to undermine legitimate waste businesses, we have no hesitation in prosecuting those involved.

To ensure that the right waste gets to the right place, we encourage the public and businesses to check that their waste carrier is registered on www.gov.uk, and to ask to see a copy of the waste transfer note for the waste. If possible, take a photo of the note on your phone.

Stokes pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing.

A list of registered waste-carriers can be checked online here.

Neil Grant

Neil Grant originally trained as an archaeologist at Reading University before moving into a career in finance. He has worked for Historic England for the last nine years, where he is currently Head of Corporate Finance & Performance. He has written a number of books for Osprey, the specialist military history publisher, covering both twentieth century firearms and medieval weapons and armour. He also serves as a committee member of the Ordnance Society.

Paul Kirkman

Paul Kirkman has 25 years top level experience in public policy and cultural sector leadership. Paul was Director of the National Railway Museum in York from 2012 to 2017, where he returned the world famous Flying Scotsman to operation and established a partnership with the City Council for a £700m brownfield development of land around the museum. From 2005-2012 Paul had a range of senior roles at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, including leading on the Coalition Government’s Spending Review in 2010 and having responsibility for policy and funding for the National Museums and Arts Council England. He was Head of Policy of Planning at the Natural History Museum between 1999 and 2001, at the launch of its Darwin Centre development. He had three spells at HM Treasury and was Private Secretary to the Director General of the Confederation of British Industry, working for Howard Davies and Adair Turner in the period in the run up to the 1997 election. Paul originally studied Philosophy at Edinburgh University, has an MA in Art History from Goldsmith’s College and was a fellow of the Clore Leadership Programme.

He lives in the East End of London with his wife Lilly, who runs her own design business.

Jonathan Sands

Jonathan is Group Chief Executive and Vexillifer of Elmwood an international brand consultancy with studios in Leeds, London, New York, Melbourne and Singapore. They are famous for winning more Design Effectiveness Awards than any other business ever. They work with Global FMCG brands such as GSK, Heineken and Pepsico, retail brands such as Tesco, Walmart, Loblaw and Coles and corporate brands such as ANZ and SSE. Jonathan has been with Elmwood man and boy (36 years this year) undertaking a Management buyout in 1989 at the age of 29. He is a regular speaker at design conferences and an industry commentator. He is a past member of the Design Council and RSA and a former Chairman of the DBA. He is a Visiting Professor of Innovation at Huddersfield University where in 2002 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate for my services to the Design Industry. He was also awarded an OBE in the Queens New Years Honours in 2011 for his services to the Creative Industries.

Jonathan is a Non Executive Director of RATE (The Royal Armouries Trading Enterprise) an Advisory board member of AND Digital (one of the countries fastest growing tech companies) and Chairman of a new start up online veterinary business ‘Joii’. Outside work he is a proud father of three, a long suffering Derby County supporter and an average golfer.

This appointment has been made in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments. The appointments process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. Under the Code, any significant political activity undertaken by an appointee in the last five years must be declared. This is defined as including holding office, public speaking, making a recordable donation, or candidature for election. Neil, Paul and Jonathan have declared no such political activity.

Man filmed dumping builders rubbish illegally