Our next public board meeting will take place at the Coal Authority offices at 200 Lichfield Lane, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, NG18 4RG, starting at 09.45 on Friday 23 March 2018.

The board continues to conduct its business in public, as part of its ongoing commitment to giving stakeholders greater access to information on the activities undertaken by the Coal Authority.

View the board meeting agenda for 23 March 2018

Exceptional items of a commercially confidential nature will continue to be dealt with by the board in closed session.

The Government has today (19 March) launched a public consultation on the introduction of new and improved international humane trapping standards.

Views are being sought on the implementation proposals for the Agreement on International Humane Trapping Standards and to gather information on the supply, use and marking of traps to better inform impact assessment.

These measures will ensure gamekeepers, country estates and pest control companies are trapping certain species of animals in a humane fashion. Depending on the responses to the consultation, Government wants to implement the new standards on 1 January 2019.

Environment Minister Thérèse Coffey said:

We are committed to supporting a strong rural economy and upholding countryside traditions and we want to do this in a way that respects wildlife and the environment.

I would therefore encourage people with an interest in this area to contribute their views.

Today’s consultation is asking for views from the gamekeeping sector, trap retailers, manufacturers and importers, pest control companies, country estates/farms, and importers of products derived from trapped animals.

People can respond using the Citizen Space survey.

The Government will respond to the consultation shortly after the six-week consultation ends.

HM Coastguard were called just after 12.45pm to help the unwell passenger on the cruise ship who urgently needed to be taken to hospital.

The HM coastguard search and rescue helicopter based at Humberside, with 4 team members aboard, responded to call and made their way to the cruise ship which was positioned 43nm off the Northumberland coast. After arriving on scene they lowered their paramedic winchman onboard to treat the casualty.

They secured the woman and winched her into the aircraft where she was taken to James Cook Hospital. The cruise ship resumed its planned course.

Co-Pilot and senior first officer of the HM coastguard Humberside helicopter, James Bullock said: “This proved to be a challenging rescue due to the adverse weather conditions. The transit was hampered by poor visibility but once on scene the sea state of around 6 meters and 35 kt winds created significant movement on the vessel which made for a tricky winch recovery. Thankfully with the assistance of the ship’s crew tending the hi-line and patience as we waited for the largest of the waves to subside, the casualty was recovered safely and quickly transported to James Cook Hospital.”

Inverness coastguard called out

The HM coastguard search and rescue helicopter based at St Athan was alerted to the incident just after 3pm today after a 999 call was made to HM coastguard reporting two young men clinging to rocks off Hartland Point. With 6ft waves crashing over the men they were at immediate risk of being washed out to sea. Racing to the scene, the HM coastguard helicopter was kept fully briefed by the Hartland Point coastguard rescue team who were unable to reach the pair due to the rough seas but were watching closely from the shore in case the worst should happen.

The rough seas also made it impossible for a lifeboat to reach the scene so their only hope was the coastguard helicopter. Once on scene it took the precision and skill of the helicopter crew which saw the two men rescued in under two minutes.

HM Coastguard helicopter chief pilot Olly Padbury said: “This was a challenging rescue where we only had seconds to spare. As we manoeuvred our winchman towards the two casualties on the rock, he was hit a by a large unsighted wave. Recovering quickly he was able to place the strop over the first casualty and he was winched onboard. Once he was safely inside we dropped the winch down again and we were able to pull the winchman and the second casualty up in seconds. This dramatic footage clearly shows what can happen when people are cut off by the tide but also the sterling job our winchman did in a few minutes. This rescue is about teamwork and we would like to say a big thank you to Hartland Point coastguard rescue team for their spot on briefing – which saw these two young men rescued successfully.”

Both men were airlifted to safety and despite their ordeal required no medical attention.

Speaking after the incident Duncan Ley, duty controller for HM coastguard said: “This incident could so easily have turned into a really tragic one. If you see someone in difficulty at sea or along the coast please immediately call 999 and ask for the coastguard. If you are going out for a walk along the shore make sure that you check the tide times – you will often see this information at the entry to beaches or check it online – and ensure that you are back in plenty of time. Thankfully, this was a rescue that ended really well thanks to the coastguard helicopter crew and Hartland Point Coastguard rescue team.”

coastguard battkles 6ft waves

People living and working in Mytholmroyd are invited to meet the construction team who are building the flood defence scheme to protect 400 homes and businesses in the village.

A construction open day is being held at Mytholmroyd Community Centre on Thursday 22 March, 11am – 8pm, for members of the community to drop in to find out more about the Mytholmroyd Flood Alleviation Scheme which will cost in the region of £30m.

The flood alleviation scheme has been developed by the Environment Agency in partnership with Calderdale Council and is expected to be completed by Winter 2019. Design and construction of the scheme has been carried out by main contractor VBA, a joint venture comprising VolkerStevin, Boskalis Westminster and SNC-Lavalin’s Atkins business.

Staff will be on hand throughout the day to explain what work is being carried out in each planning area of the village and answer questions on many issues including access routes and the size and type of equipment being used during construction.

Visitors will be told about the schedule of works and be asked during the event how they would like to be provided with up-to-date information about the progress of the scheme.

Vital works to be completed as part of the scheme include construction of new, raised and improved flood walls, relocation of Caldene Bridge, widening of the river channel at key locations and flood proofing of the buildings next to the river.

During the next stage of the scheme, which begins in April, drainage improvements will be made along Burnley Road to reduce the risk of surface water flooding.

Helen Batt, Calder catchment director for the Environment Agency said:

We’re keen for local residents and businesses to take this opportunity to find out about our plans for the Mytholmroyd Flood Scheme which will provide them much better protection against flood risk in the future.

Our team is committed to involving the community where possible in the delivery of the scheme and keep them informed at every stage of its progress.

Chris Blenkarn, project manager for VBA, said:

We are pleased that flood defence works are moving into the next phase on site, which will make a difference to the community and protect local homes and businesses. We look forward to hosting the event and answering any questions about the construction work.

Cllr Barry Collins, Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Economic Strategy, said
> The Mytholmroyd Flood Alleviation Scheme is part of our ongoing partnership work to help protect local communities and improve resilience following the devastating 2015 floods.

With the second phase of the scheme on its way, we encourage local people to come along to the open day and talk to the experts to help them visualise the scheme and understand the impacts.

If anyone has any questions about the scheme they can email the project team:
mytholmroydFAS@environment-agency.gov.uk

There is also a regular news bulletin produced with information about the scheme which is distributed throughout the village and you can request online by emailing the team.

Drop in surgeries are held at the Mytholmroyd Community Centre each week on: Tuesdays 12pm-3pm and Fridays 9am-12pm.

For latest updates visit:
or follow #MytholmroydFAS @EnvAgencyYNE on Twitter.

The Environment Agency is investing £475m in Yorkshire to better protect 66,000 homes across the county as part of our current six year programme to 2021.

Residents are urged to check their flood risk online at (https://www.gov.uk/check-flood-risk) and sign up for free flood warnings to give them vital time to save themselves and their possessions from the devastating effects of flooding. Find out how to prepare for a flood at the Floods Destroy website