The Wessex Regional Flood and Coastal Committee (RFCC) is a partnership with oversight of flood and coastal erosion risk management.

The committee is recruiting 3 independent members who will play a crucial role in deciding local priorities, considering climate change impacts and approving programmes of work.

Wessex RFCC Chair David Jenkins said:

We see the effects of climate change quite visibly in flooding and coastal erosion. And this threat affects all areas differently.

This is why we recruit from a broad and diverse pool of candidates to best represent our communities so they may lend their input on projects ranging from protecting thousands of homes to minimising flood risk using natural methods.

You do not need to be a technical expert to represent your community. All you need is an interest and willingness to learn about flood and coastal risk management and the principles of sustainable development. The work is rewarding and you will see tangible results from it.

The committee approves the Environment Agency’s regional flood spending and programme of works. It raises a local levy and works with other organisations to encourage investment and innovation to help communities in need of flood and coastal erosion solutions.

The committee is supported by the Environment Agency and its members are appointed by local authorities, alongside independent members with different areas of focus.

Independent members are appointed as impartial individuals, not as representatives of any organisation. They are expected to attend at least 4 committee meetings each year. The role is voluntary, but members can claim reasonable expenses and, if eligible, a fixed financial loss allowance.

Two of the vacancies are for members to represent general interests and the third vacancy is for a member to represent water and utilities from 1 April 2023.

To apply, please send in a copy of your CV and covering letter to WessexRFCC@environment-agency.gov.uk. Deadline for applications is 11.59pm on Tuesday 6 December 2022.

Background

Wessex RFCC runs along the south coast from Lyme Regis in the west to Christchurch in the east, along the Bristol Channel from Lynton to Thornbury, stretching inland to Devizes, and covers local authority councils including Somerset, Dorset, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, Bristol, South Gloucestershire, most of Wiltshire and part of Gloucestershire and Hampshire. See this on a map.

Under a three-year contract, the Aurora Engineering Delivery Partnership (EDP) led by QinetiQ, will provide technical support to FCAS and the Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) Catalyst delivery team, which is responsible for delivering the latest combat air capabilities to UK frontline commands.

The contract will support around 45 jobs based in Bristol, Boscombe Down, Farnborough, Malvern, Bath and Lincoln.

Alex Chalk, Minister for Defence Procurement said:

The Future Combat Air Systems programme continues to make good progress, as demonstrated by this latest engineering contract. I am delighted that highly skilled UK industry personnel will lend their support and expertise to the programme, as we work together to deliver a next-generation fighter jet for the future.

The delivery will also include the EDP partners Atkins and BMT, along with a number of subcontractors in the EDP provider network.

Richard Berthon, Director Future Combat Air, added:

This contract with Aurora and QinetiQ is a demonstration of our commitment to working with the UK’s leading defence technology companies on FCAS. Their expertise will be vital to the programme as we work at pace to deliver a next-generation combat air capability by 2035.

Nic Anderson, Chief Executive UK Defence, QinetiQ said:

The Aurora Engineering Partnership with the UK MOD and DE&S continues to go from strength to strength, providing technical support to the most complex acquisition programmes. Our work with Catalyst DT will help accelerate new ways of working using digital engineering methodologies in supporting the next generation of combat air platforms.

Work carried out by the Aurora Engineering Partnership led by QinetiQ will enable DE&S to deliver essential engineering strategies for future FCAS capabilities. The partnership will provide engineering support – initially focusing on Human Performance, Safety and Systems Engineering disciplines.

The FCAS programme currently employs around 2,500 highly skilled people across the UK including at combat air sector industrial hubs in Scotland, the north-west and south-west of England. The programme now employs 1,000 apprentices and graduates, offering attractive employment opportunities in STEM subjects such as industrial digitisation, artificial intelligence and data analytics.

Tempest, a highly advanced future fighter, is due to enter service in 2035, operating at the heart of a wider Future Combat Air System. Tempest was announced at the 2018 Farnborough International Air show and since then, has made significant progress with a flying demonstrator currently being built and the ‘Generation Tempest’ initiative being launched to create early careers job opportunities across the UK.

• The food waste recycling company was fined £36,000 plus costs for unlawful land spreading, and storage of waste, in Doncaster and Lincolnshire
• Illegal waste activities posed a risk of groundwater pollution
• Company pleaded guilty to 8 offences

A food waste recycling company has been fined £36,000 for the illegal spreading and storage of waste at 3 sites in South Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, in a sentencing case heard at Doncaster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 16 November 2022.

In September 2022, Whites Recycling Limited pleaded guilty to 8 offences, including the breach of environmental permit conditions related to the spreading of waste to farmland in Auckley and Blaxton, Doncaster, and Susworth, Lincolnshire, contrary to the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016.

Doncaster Magistrates’ Court heard that Whites Recycling Limited, in breach of its environmental permit, spread liquid waste to fields near to Ivy House Farm, Auckley between March and May 2018; to Acomb Farm, Blaxton in November and December 2018; and to East Ferry Road, Susworth, Lincolnshire in November and December 2019.

Liquid wastes containing nitrogen and phosphates were spread on land by the company at the wrong time of year or in excessive quantities, which posed a risk of pollution to groundwater. In addition, the Lincolnshire-based company pleaded guilty to illegally storing liquid waste in a storage tank on Acomb Farm between July 2017 and April 2018.

Whites Recycling Limited is a company involved in the disposal and recycling of waste sludge and liquid waste, the majority of which are generated by the food industry.  The company can lawfully spread such waste to farmland in circumstances where it can be demonstrated that land spreading will result in agricultural or ecological benefit.

Although the company had an environmental permit that allowed it to spread food waste to land for agricultural benefit, it was a condition of its permit that before it could start to store or spread waste at a location, it must notify the Environment Agency using a deployment form, and the Environment Agency must agree to the spreading.

This ensures that waste is only permitted to be spread to land when it benefits either the soil or the crop being grown in it and where it will not pose a risk of harm to the environment. If waste is spread to land without a deployment first having been agreed, or if waste is spread to land in circumstances which are not in accordance with the agreed deployment, then there is a risk of environmental harm.

In passing sentence, District Judge Young stated that the company had been negligent, in that it had failed to take reasonable care to put in place and enforce proper systems for avoiding the offences. The court acknowledged that the company had reviewed its systems and steps had been taken designed to avoid further offending. The court stated that it had to balance the need to bring home to the company’s management and shareholders the need to improve regulatory compliance, with the fact that the company had recently been operating at a loss.

The Court fined the company £36,000 and further ordered the company to pay a statutory surcharge of £170, and the Environment Agency’s investigation and legal costs of £38,008.17.

After the sentencing, Area Environment Manager Steve Lawrie said:

Our rules are in place for a good reason and to ensure that any material that is spread is done correctly and managed in a way that protects the environment. We will not hesitate to take enforcement action in future for those who breach their permits and refuse to cooperate.

We hope this case sends a message to other land spreading operators and farmers that we take land spreading offences very seriously. Operators must follow the correct procedures to ensure they spread safely, in accordance with their environmental permits.

We will always take action against anyone who fails to act in accordance with environmental laws and if anyone spots an environmental incident, they can report it to the Environment Agency’s 24-hour incident hotline on 0800 807060.

The charges

Between 24 March 2018 and 11 May 2018, on land near Ivy House Farm, Auckley, Doncaster, DN9 3JW, Whites Recycling Ltd did breach condition 2.2.2 of Environmental Permit Number BB3205KS by spreading waste which did not conform to the agreed deployment form, contrary to Regulation 38(2) of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016.

Between 24 March 2018 and 11 May 2018 on land near Ivy House Farm, Auckley, Doncaster, DN9 3JW, Whites Recycling Ltd did breach condition 2.2.7 of Environmental Permit Number BB3205KS by spreading waste earlier than specified in the agreed deployment form, contrary to Regulation 38(2) of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016.

Between 24 March 2018 and 11 May 2018 on land near Ivy House Farm, Auckley, Doncaster, DN9 3JW, Whites Recycling Ltd did breach condition 2.2.7 of Environmental Permit Number BB3205KS by spreading nitrogen and phosphate at levels exceeding those specified in the agreed deployment form, contrary to Regulation 38(2) of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016.

Between 1 July 2017 and 28 April 2018, on land near Acomb Farm, Thorne Road, Blaxton, Doncaster DN6 3AY, Whites Recycling Ltd did operate a regulated facility, namely a waste operation for the deposit and storage of waste, except under and to the extent authorised by an environmental permit contrary to Regulations 12 and 38(1)(a) Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016.

Between 23 November 2018 and 2 December 2018 on land near Acomb Farm, Thorne Road, Blaxton, Doncaster DN6 3AY, Whites Recycling Ltd did breach condition 2.2.8 of Environmental Permit Number BB3205KS by spreading waste earlier than specified in the agreed deployment form, contrary to Regulation 38(2) of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016.

Between 16 November 2018 and 28 November 2018, on land near Acomb Farm, Thorne Road, Blaxton, Doncaster DN6 3AY, Whites Recycling Ltd did breach condition 4.3.4 of Environmental Permit Number BB3205KS by failing to provide notification in advance of the intention to commence spreading operations, contrary to Regulation 38(2) of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016.

Between 1 November 2019 and 17 December 2019, on land near East Ferry Road, Susworth, Whites Recycling Ltd did breach condition 2.2.8 of Environmental Permit Number BB3205KS by spreading waste later than specified in the agreed deployment form, contrary to Regulation 38(2) of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016.

Between 5 December 2019 and 12 December 2019, on land near East Ferry Road, Susworth, Whites Recycling Ltd did breach condition 4.3.4 of Environmental Permit Number BB3205KS by failing to provide notification in advance of the intention to commence spreading operations, contrary to Regulation 38(2) of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016.

Background information

Spreading waste to land is an alternative source to traditional fertilisers. Environmental permits are in place to protect the environment from these activities, and the Environment Agency will take action against anyone who breaches environmental law.

Land spreading the waste material to land reduces reliance on manufactured fertilisers. The activity is subject to a permitting regime overseen by the Environment Agency to ensure it does not impact on the environment.

Such waste is considered a means of waste recovery (recycling) and the costs involved are typically substantially lower than if the waste were disposed of at a waste treatment centre.

Pollution incidents can be reported to the Environment Agency on the 24-hour incident hotline on 0800 807060.

• The Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Bill provides a short extension to the period for Executive formation.
• The Bill also enables the Secretary of State to amend MLA salaries while the Assembly is unable to conduct business.
• The legislation will also take limited but necessary steps to maintain the delivery of Northern Ireland’s public services.

Following the Secretary of State’s recent announcement in Parliament describing his intention to legislate to extend the period for Executive formation and cut MLA pay, the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Bill will be introduced in Parliament today (Monday 21 November).

The legislation will extend the period for Executive formation by six weeks to 8 December with the possibility of a further six week extension to 19 January, to allow the Northern Ireland Parties to come together and deliver for the people of Northern Ireland.

Further, the Bill will clarify the limited decision-making powers to be provided to NI Civil Servants in the absence of Ministers, enable the Secretary of State to amend MLA salaries while the Assembly is unable to conduct business, and maintain public service delivery. The Bill will also enable a small number of vital public service appointments to be made and enable the regional rate for 2023/24 to be set should an Executive not be in place to do so.

Following discussions with the party leaders, community and business representatives across NI, the Secretary of State made the decision to introduce this legislation to allow for more time and space for Executive formation, avoiding an unwanted election.

Recognising public frustration that MLAs continue to draw a full salary while not performing the duties they were elected to do, this legislation will also enable the Secretary of State to amend the salaries and expenses payable to MLAs while the Assembly is not sitting. This measure is one of several in the Bill that will address the realities of the governance gap in NI during the present impasse.

Speaking ahead of the Bill’s introduction, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Chris Heaton-Harris said:

I urge the Northern Ireland Parties to use this extended time to come together and deliver for the interests of all people in Northern Ireland, particularly in this time of rising costs.

At present, MLAs are not in a position to fulfil the full range of their duties, so it is right that we take steps to reduce their salaries, especially in the current economic climate and in view of the £660 million black hole in the public finances created by poor decisions made by outgoing Ministers.

Furthermore, Northern Ireland’s people are being denied full democratic representation. The government’s priority is to see politicians elected to return to fulfil their roles in a strong, devolved and locally accountable government, as laid out by the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement.

Notes to editors:

• The 28 October deadline for Executive formation introduced through the Northern Ireland (Ministers, Elections and Petitions of Concern) Act 2022 has passed. This legislation allowed 24 weeks for parties to form an Executive following the last Assembly election in May 2022. The new legislation introduced in today’s Bill will extend this time period for Executive formation.

• Independent analysis provided during a previous political impasse recommended a 27.5% reduction in MLA salaries.