News story: CMA announces new Northern Ireland representative

Robert Stewart has been appointed as the CMA’s new representative in Northern Ireland and will take up his position from 1 May.

Robert was previously a sector regulation manager in the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) Belfast office and had particular responsibility for managing the concurrent competition arrangements with the NI Utility Regulator as well as undertaking the role of project manager on the recent market study of Legal Services in England and Wales.

Robert commenced his career in the private sector where he worked in banking for almost 14 years, predominantly in commercial finance as a client manager. Since 2012, Robert has worked in the public sector, specialising in competitive markets and the regulation of utilities. Robert is also a voluntary Trustee of the Board of Ulster University Students Union, non-executive director of Active Belfast Ltd and formerly non-executive director of Niamh (now called Inspire Wellbeing).



News story: Kitesurfer rescued from Bideford Bay

Great birds eye footage of the rescue of a kitesurfer from Bideford Bay.

On Monday night (24 April) we received a 999 call from a member of the public reporting a kite surfer in difficulty in Bideford Bay.

The UK Coastguard search and rescue helicopter took this great birds eye footage of the rescue after Croyde and Bideford Coastguard Rescue Teams and the RNLI Appledore Lifeboat Station were sent to the scene.

Luckily the casualty was spotted by a Coastguard and was recovered safe and well by the all-weather lifeboat. Ian Guy, Maritime Operations Controller said: ‘This was extremely good outcome and an excellent example of some great teamwork between our crews. The casualty was located in our search area quickly and thankfully, although cold he was ok. We recommend when kite surfing that you always ensure that you wear the right gear – including a buoyancy aid and a helmet, check the weather forecasts, tell someone your passage plan and practice rescue signals with your instructor in case the worst should happen.’

Footage of the Bideford Bay rescue



News story: Track worker near miss incident, Ascot

Two track workers narrowly avoided being struck by a train, Ascot, Berkshire, 7 April 2017.

At around 01:30 hrs on 7 April, two track workers narrowly avoided being struck by a train at Ascot station. They climbed out of the way, onto platform 1, with little time to spare. Equipment they had placed on the track was struck, causing minor damage to the train.

We have undertaken a preliminary examination into the circumstances surrounding this incident. Having assessed the evidence which has been gathered to date, we have decided to publish a safety digest.

The safety digest will shortly be made available on our website.



Controls now lifted at Arden Lakes for Spring Viraemia of Carp (SVC)

A fish mortality event

An outbreak of the SVC disease was confirmed at Arden Lakes, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Warwickshire in 2017. Fish Health Inspectorate at Cefas, acting on behalf of Defra and Welsh Government, have lifted the Confirmed Designation with immediate effect and that the conditions of this notice no longer apply to this site following the completion of the statutory surveillance and sampling programme at Arden Lakes which were negative for the presence of Spring Viraemia of Carp (SVC).

SVC has no implications for human health. It is nonetheless, a serious viral disease of fish, and is notifiable in the United Kingdom.

Anyone who suspects a notifiable disease in any aquatic animal should immediately contact the FHI.

  1. Cefas is an executive agency of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). The Fish Health Inspectorate (FHI), based at Cefas’ Weymouth laboratory, is dedicated to maintaining and improving fish and shellfish health in England and Wales. Its primary role is to act for Defra and Welsh Government (WG) in undertaking statutory and inspection duties resulting from the EU fish health regime and other national legislation in the area of fish and shellfish health. The FHI is responsible for health certification of fish and shellfish movements from other countries, and runs an enforcement programme aimed at preventing the illegal importation of these animals.

  2. Spring Viraemia of Carp (SVC) is a notifiable disease under The Aquatic Animal Health (England and Wales) Regulations 2009. Outbreaks of this disease have been subject to statutory control in GB for over 30 years.

Published 27 April 2017
Last updated 6 February 2020 + show all updates

  1. Fish Health Inspectorate at Cefas, acting on behalf of Defra and Welsh Government, have lifted Confirmed Designation (CD) CD02/2017 with immediate effect and that the conditions of this notice no longer apply to this site following the completion of the statutory surveillance and sampling programme at Arden Lakes which were negative for the presence of Spring Viraemia of Carp (SVC). As a result this page has been updated to reflect this.

  2. Changed title of CP01/2017 to CP02/2017

  3. First published.



Notice: Canal and River Trust (NPS/WR/021595): application made to abstract water

The Environment Agency consults the public on certain applications for the abstraction and impoundment of water.

These notices explain:

  • what the application is about
  • which Environment Agency offices you can visit to see the application documents on the public register
  • when you need to comment by