GFSL organises East Sutton Park Volunteering Day to tackle some of the outstanding works in the prison’s 85 acre grounds.
East Sutton Park is an open prison and young offender institution (YOI) in Maidstone, Kent, for women aged 18 and over.
The prison is located in a location of extreme historical interest, with many links to activities of prison, probation and the law.
The estate is documented in the Doomsday book as being once owned by William the Conqueror.
In 1946, East Sutton Park was purchased by the MoJ and inaugurated as the first female borstal, presided over by the first Governor, Elsie Hooker. She devoted seventeen years of her life to rehabilitating the teenage girls in her charge and helped transform many lives.
In a nod to Elsie’s unwavering attention to the grounds and team spirit, GFSL organised The East Sutton Park Volunteering Day. To tackle some of the outstanding works in the prison’s 85 acre grounds, a group of 14 people from both GFSL and the MOJ spent the day together, helping to restore some neglected areas of the farmland.
The day’s success was celebrated with a BBQ, organised by the farm manager. GFSL are already planning to hold volunteering days four times a year across other sites.
GFSL’s Director of Operations, Len Bridges said:
I’d like to thank the whole team for organising such a successful volunteering day – including Site Manager Nathan Scott and the Farm Manager, Christopher Boakes for all their hard work.
MOJ Chief Property Officer, Andy Mills added: ‘
The day was a fantastic way of coming together as a team, literally getting our hands dirty to understand the challenges and rewards the maintenance of our state offers, and to see how transformative engaging prison residents in our work can be.
Published 18 August 2021
Our office contact details are changing
News story
From 23 August, the PCA will have a new postal address and will be using a single email address office@pubscodeadjudicator.gov.uk for all intelligence and enquiries
The new details for contacting the Pubs Code Adjudicator (PCA) can be found below:
This change is part of our focus to improve our contact channels and how enquiries are managed after some tenants, during research, reported problems with the visibility and awareness of the PCA’s contact methods.
Postal Address for all correspondence
From 23 August 2021, please send all post to:
Office of the Pubs Code Adjudicator 4th Floor 23 Stephenson Street Birmingham B2 4BJ United Kingdom
Keep up to date
Published 18 August 2021
Northampton hotel porter who sexually assaulted woman has sentence tripled
News story
Zeshan Akhtar has had his sentence tripled following an intervention by the Solicitor General, the Rt Hon Lucy Frazer QC MP.
A hotel porter has had his sentence tripled following an intervention by the Solicitor General, the Rt Hon Lucy Frazer QC MP.
On 28 January 2018, Zeshan Akhtar, 39, and the victim attended a work Christmas party. When the victim returned to the hotel to sleep, Akhtar, who was on duty as the night porter at the hotel, entered her room and sexually assaulted her.
After failing to answer bail, Akhtar was arrested at Heathrow Airport on 3 April 2021 attempting to board a flight to Pakistan.
On 24 June 2021, Akhtar was convicted of sexual assault and failing to surrender and sentenced to 11 months’ imprisonment at Northampton Crown Court.
Following the Court’s decision, the Solicitor General referred Akhtar’s case to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme. On 18 August 2021, the Court found his sentence to be unduly lenient and increased it to 3 years and 1 month’s imprisonment.
After the hearing at the Court of Appeal the Solicitor General, Rt Hon Lucy Frazer QC MP, said:
Akhtar abused his position as a night porter in a hotel to break into the victim’s room and sexually assault her. He then sought to escape justice by attempting to flee the country. I am glad the Court of Appeal saw fit to increase his sentence and I hope today’s decision offers some comfort to his victim.
Published 18 August 2021
Support for veterans
News story
If you are struggling as a result of the recent events in Afghanistan, there is support available across the United Kingdom for veterans and those affected.
This nation is justifiably proud of its Armed Forces, and the brave men and women who step up to serve their nation, often at great personal sacrifice. All those who served in Afghanistan over the past 20 years should be proud of their professionalism and what they helped achieve.
If you are struggling as a result of the recent events in Afghanistan, there is support available across the United Kingdom for veterans and those affected by the latest news.
England
Veterans and their families in England can be referred to specialist NHS Op Courage services by their GP.
Wales
In Wales, you can reach out to Veteran Therapists in each Local Health Board through Veteran Wales.
Scotland
Veterans in Scotland can access veteran-led mental health and welfare support through Veterans First Point, part of NHS Scotland.
Northern Ireland
The Northern Ireland Veterans’ Support Office links individual veterans, veterans’ groups, statutory and non-statutory bodies, and charities supporting Veterans in Northern Ireland.
UK-wide
Anyone in the UK or overseas can also contact the Veterans’ Gateway helpline on 0808 802 1212, or visit the website for advice and signposting to further support, including for families and the bereaved.
Check in on each other and if you or someone you know is struggling, get in touch with the services available now.
Published 18 August 2021
Highways England accelerates switch to lower carbon asphalts
The Government-owned company has been using the material since 2015 and a collaborative programme with the supply chain and extensive research now means it can be used freely across the Strategic Road Network (SRN).
Previously requiring an application for a departure from standard, Highways England is now asking all those involved in the construction and/or maintenance of the strategic road network, particularly designers and main contractors, to use warm mix asphalts (WMAs) as it moves towards net zero.
WMA technologies can offer enhanced efficiencies and lower production carbon, with CO2 savings of up to 15% when compared to conventional hot mix asphalts.
While typical asphalts are produced at up to 190°C, the simple principle behind WMA technologies is to manufacture asphalt at reduced temperatures but with additional additives, thereby using less energy and delivering meaningful carbon savings, without compromising performance.
Produced at temperatures up to 40°C lower than traditional asphalt, if all production in the UK switched to WMAs, it would save around 61,000 tonnes of CO2 a year, the equivalent of cutting around 300 million miles of car journeys.
It would also help save up to £70 million a year through an increased in shift outputs and can be recycled back into new asphalts, preventing waste. WMAs can be laid using existing equipment and brings other benefits, including:
Carbon reduction
The lower production temperatures of WMAs reduce the carbon emissions associated with asphalt production by up to 15% compared to Hot Mix Asphalts. More widespread use of WMAs will help Highways England to achieve its aim of net zero by 2050.
Increased productivity
Reduced laying temperatures mean that WMAs take a shorter time to cool so greater volumes of asphalt can be laid in one shift, or the finished surface opened earlier to traffic without the risk of the material deforming under heavy loads. This will increase productivity by enabling more material to be laid within a working window, reducing the overall timeframe of the works and potential delays to motorists.
Improved health and safety
Reduced temperatures also help to reduce the health and safety risks associated with both production and laying of asphalt at high temperatures such as burns, exposure to fumes and the impact of steam on visibility, particularly when wearing safety eyewear. With WMAs, fume generation is reduced by around 50% for each 10°C reduction in temperature.
Improved durability
Due to being laid at lower temperatures and the increased amount that can be laid in a single shift, it also means less construction joints in the road requiring less maintenance in the future. This again increases the long-term benefits of the technology, life-time cost and need to undertake further maintenance.
Produced at 40°C lower than traditional asphalt, switching all UK production to the material would save 61,000 tonnes of CO2e a year, the equivalent of cutting around 300 million miles of car journeys.
Malcolm Dare, Executive Director of Commercial and Procurement at Highways England, said:
This is a big step forward for Highways England that allows us to not only achieve huge efficiency savings but also reduce carbon as we strive for net zero.
Carbon reduction, along with ensuring our roads provide smooth, safe, and efficient journeys for motorists, are key and something we are constantly striving to improve for generations to come.
That’s why we are altering our way of working to encourage and enable the use of warm mix asphalts as standard across the supply chain, which has efficiency, sustainability, and health and safety benefits whilst not compromising performance.
Carbon reduction lies at the heart of Highways England’s net zero carbon plan and the Department for Transport’s decarbonisation plan, with both aiming to shift the UK to a low-carbon economy.
According to an All Party Parliamentary Group on Highways’ report in September 2019, WMAs account for significant volumes worldwide – almost 40% of asphalt production in the USA and over 15% in France – but WMAs remain under-used in the UK, where they currently represent less than 4% of overall asphalt production. At Highways England, WMAs previously required an application from the supply chain for a departure from standard.
Having already received more than 250 applications to use WMAs on the strategic road network at over 300 locations, including, but not limited to, the M1, M4, M5, M6, A36, and A303, the change in policy will now make that process easier for the supply chain.
Warm mix asphalts bring carbon, productivity, health and safety, and durability benefits.
Paul Gott, Project Sponsor from Morgan Sindall Infrastructure, said:
We are delighted that we’ve formed a group from across the supply chain who are focused on embedding carbon reduction measures across Highways England’s schemes.
Warm mix asphalt is the first carbon efficiency project on the groups extensive carbon reduction plan, which is evolving and already identifies several short, medium and longer-term goals.
Tim Jordan, Project Delivery Lead from Balfour Beatty added:
We are proud to be working collaboratively with both Highways England and our industry partners to drive meaningful, sustainable change in the supply chain as we work towards a net-zero future.
Having joined the United Nations Race To Zero campaign – further bolstering our sustainability strategy, “Building New Futures”, our commitment to utilising sustainable materials across our portfolio is yet another example of how we are driving a sustainable, greener, lower carbon future for all.
Malcom Simms, Director of the Mineral Products Association, added:
We and members have been working closely with Highways England for a number of years to provide the evidence of the benefits of Warm Mix Asphalts, in order to give specifiers the confidence to make a shift to these solutions.
This is a significant first step on our collective and challenging net zero journey, and it’s great to see lower carbon asphalts being enabled as a matter of routine, rather than by exception.
Highways England’s net zero carbon plan will see it rapidly cut carbon from road construction, maintenance and operations, and support the transition to zero emission vehicles.
It has already stated sustained action towards decarbonising England’s motorways and A-roads so they can continue to bring significant benefits to motorists, communities and businesses in a net-zero future.
The plan will put roads at the heart of Britain’s net zero future through three key commitments; achieving net zero for its own operations by 2030; delivering net zero road maintenance and construction by 2040; and supporting net zero carbon travel on our roads by 2050.
