Essential work to reduce the risk of flooding to 91 homes and 17 businesses in Earby is now complete.

A £1 million culvert repair project started in the Lancashire town in July 2018 to make Victoria Clough structurally sound.

Culverts are structures which carry water underground. They were often built to allow development to take place around them such as roads, homes and businesses. Many people live and work near culverts and may not even know they are there.

A new 40m length of culvert has been installed using a technique known as pipe bursting beneath the disused railway embankment to replace the existing one which had partially collapsed. Environment Agency contractors JBA Bentley also lined a number of sections totalling 60m along the length of the culvert at locations under Victoria Road and the A56 Skipton Road.

A new and improved 2-tier trash screen has been installed at the inlet of the culvert, to help reduce the risk of it becoming blocked with debris and making it easier and safer to clear when water levels are high.

Paul Swales flood risk advisor at the Environment Agency said:

Earby has suffered devastating flooding over recent years, most notably the Boxing Day 2015 flood. We’re delighted that this project is now complete and will bring significant flood risk benefits to homes and businesses in Earby.

While we carried out this work, traffic management was in place for some time and delays were encountered, so we’d like to thank residents and businesses for their patience and understanding while we carried out this essential work to reduce flood risk.

Funding for the project came from £813k of Grant in Aid and £200k of Yorkshire Local Levy.

Since the floods of Boxing Day 2015, the Environment Agency has worked in partnership with Pendle Borough Council, Lancashire County Council, Yorkshire Water and Earby Town Council to develop schemes to reduce flood risk in Earby. The Environment Agency has kept local MP Andrew Stephenson informed about the scheme during construction and upon completion.

The Environment Agency continues to develop other options to reduce flood risk from all sources in and around Earby. Staff will continue to develop the leading options in more detail, which includes a flood storage area on Victoria Clough and installing a flood defence wall at Boot Street adjacent to the New Cut. Subject to funding and further investigation, construction on the Victoria Clough storage area and New Cut flood wall could start towards the end of 2020.

By signing up to the Environment Agency’s free Flood Warning service residents and businesses can receive flood alerts and flood warnings for Earby Beck and/or Earby New Cut directly to their phone and emails, 24/7.

To find out if you’re at risk and register for flood warnings visit: www.gov.uk/flood

2017 to present No.10, Prime Minister’s International Affairs Adviser and Deputy National Security Adviser 2016 to 2017 FCO, Director-General Middle-East and North Africa, and Africa; Acting Political Director (2017) 2016 FCO, Director, London Syria Conference 2012 to 2016 Nairobi, British High Commissioner 2009 to 2012 FCO, Director, Middle-East and North Africa 2008 to 2009 FCO, Deputy Director, Middle-East and North Africa 2007 to 2008 Cabinet Office, Director, Middle-East, North Africa and North America, Overseas and Defence Secretariat 2007 No.10, Private Secretary to the Prime Minister 2006 to 2007 FCO roles including project work in Middle-East and North Africa Directorate and for the Special Representative for Climate Change 2003 to 2006 Washington, First Secretary, Energy and Environment 1998 to 2003 Cabinet Office, roles including Deputy Team Leader in Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit, Private Secretary to the Minister of State, and Secretary to the Economic and Domestic Committees of Cabinet

The case was brought to Northampton Magistrates Court on 5 August 2019 where Bradley Topham from North Crescent, Duckmanton pleaded guilty and was ordered to pay a total penalty of £431.

An annual fishing licence would have cost him just £30.

The penalty includes a fine of £266 plus costs of £135 and a victim surcharge of £30 after Mr Topham was found in breach of the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act (1975) on 12 May at Harlesthorpe Dam, Clowne

Following the verdict, James Anderson, Fisheries Enforcement Officer for the Environment Agency, said:

The case shows how seriously the courts take these offences and acts as a reminder to anglers of the importance of having a fishing licence. We hope it will provide a deterrent to any angler who is thinking of fishing without a licence.

We would also like to remind anglers who wish to buy their licence online of the importance of buying their fishing licence directly from GOV.UK as they will receive a reference number allowing them to go fishing on the same day.

Customers who use third party sites may be charged more and might not get added to the official database as quickly.

Every year across the country, thousands of anglers are prosecuted for not having a fishing licence. As well as cheating other anglers, fishing illegally can carry a hefty penalty. Getting caught without a licence could land a fine of up to £2,500.

Income from fishing licence sales is used to fund Environment Agency work to protect and improve fish stocks and fisheries, including improving habitats for fish and facilities for anglers, tackling illegal fishing and working with partners to encourage people to give fishing a go.

Any angler aged 13 or over, fishing on a river, canal or still water needs a licence. A 1-day licence costs from just £6 and an annual licence costs from just £30 (concessions available). They are free for those aged 13 to 16. Licences are available online or by calling the Environment Agency on 0344 800 5386 between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Friday.

The Environment Agency carries out enforcement work all year round and is supported by partners including the police and the Angling Trust. Fisheries enforcement work is intelligence-led, targeting known hot-spots and where illegal fishing is reported.

Anyone with information about illegal fishing activities can contact the Environment Agency Incident Hotline 24/7 on 0800 80 70 60 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Importers must ensure that machinery or vehicles of this kind are accompanied by an official statement such as a phytosanitary certificate, detailing that they have been cleaned and are free from soil and plant debris. The requirements do not apply to new machinery and vehicles.

All plant health import inspections of controlled agriculture and forestry machinery and vehicles landing in England and Wales will be performed by Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) Inspectors, and recorded on the Procedure for Electronic Application for Certificates system (PEACH). Importers of regulated machinery should notify the Plant Health and Seeds Inspectorate (PHSI) and register on the PEACH system. Guidance on notifying the PHSI and using the PEACH system.

Machinery and vehicles landing in Scotland should be manually notified to the Forestry Commission’s Plant Health Service. The Forestry Commission will arrange an import inspection.

The Combined Nomenclature (CN) codes covered by the new legislation are:

• ex 8432 (Agricultural, horticultural or forestry machinery for soil preparation or cultivation; lawn or sports-ground rollers)
• ex 8433 53 (Root or tuber harvesting machines)
• ex 8436 80 10 (Forestry machinery excludes chainsaws 8467 81 00 00))
• ex 8701 20 90 (Used Tractors for semi-trailers (other than tractors of heading 8709):
• ex 8701 91 10 (Agricultural tractors and forestry tractors, wheeled, of an engine power not exceeding 18 kW)

The requirements for machinery and vehicles can be found at the new point 7a of Schedule 4B in the legislation for forestry

Importers of forest and farming machinery who need any further information or guidance can contact the APHA PHSI (Plant Health and Seed Inspectorate) helpline on 01904 405138.

The Ministry of Justice has today (21 August 2019) announced plans to address the serious issues identified at HMYOI Feltham A, including extra staff training and limiting the population until significant improvements are made.

The action plan responds to the Urgent Notification issued by the Prisons Inspectorate last month and details improvements to be made to safety, staff, education and living conditions.

Some of the immediate changes, such as a specialist team working one-to-one with offenders in the prison, have already improved the situation and young people are now getting more time out of cells and in education, and a normal regime is running.

There have also been major changes to staff, including the appointment of a new Head of Safeguarding and the short-term secondment of Mike Woodbine, an experienced Deputy Governor from HMYOI Cookham Wood.

Woodbine was deputy governor at Medway Secure Training Centre after it was brought into public ownership from G4S, and has worked for the Youth Justice Board.

By November, the prison hopes to have recruited a trauma expert to help staff better understand some of the reasons driving challenging behaviour at the prison, such as young people who have experienced domestic abuse or sexual violence.

Significant refurbishments have already begun – broken cell bells have been repaired, shower facilities improved and the first steps taken towards installing telephones in all cells by next summer.

Work has also been undertaken to prepare young people for their transition back into the community, by prioritising family contact and working to help local authorities implement a scheme which will identify suitable accommodation one month before release.

Secretary of State for Justice, Robert Buckland QC MP, said:

We are urgently making the improvements Feltham A so desperately needs – and starting to see results.

These efforts will not be allowed to slow and I am working closely with the prison to change the culture and make Feltham A somewhere that young people can get the support and structure they need to turn their lives around.

Ministers set up the Urgent Notification protocol in 2017 to ensure that immediate steps are taken to address serious concerns identified by inspectors.

The Secretary of State’s letter response and action plan can be found on GOV.UK. It also sets out how Feltham’s progress over the coming year will be regularly monitored.

The final inspection report for HMPYOI Feltham A will be published by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons around 3 months after the inspection. A long-term action plan responding to all recommendations in the HMIP report will also be published.

Last week the Prime Minister announced plans for an extra £100 million to be invested across the prisons estate to boost security and safety so we can protect staff, cut violence, and rehabilitate offenders.

The government will also be investing up to £2.5 billion in an extra 10,000 prison places.