Wednesday, 18 October, 2017 featuring Karen Townend I Head of Operations/Community Director I West Yorkshire Community Rehabilitation Company Gail Bland I North East & Yorkshire Engagement Team Leader, User Voice Service User Council members I Wes… read more
Securing an ambitious Brexit deal that works for every region of the UK remains the Government’s priority, Minister Steve Baker confirmed today as he concluded a two-day of the North East of England.
The Minister’s trip took in a range of sectors across the region – from energy and construction to life sciences and fishing. He visited Hartlepool Power Station and the Port of Tyne, met with the North East LEP and the North East Chamber of Commerce.
Speaking to business leaders and organisation representatives, the Minister used the visit to hear about the opportunities and challenges that the UK’s exit from the EU could pose to the North East and how they are preparing.
As we move towards exit day, we’re absolutely committed to listening to the views of businesses and people from across the UK.
In the North East over the past few days, I have talked to a variety of different businesses from a range of sectors and heard all about their priorities and preparations for exit.
The insight and understanding that they have is hugely valuable as we proceed through the negotiations to secure a deal that works for the whole of the UK.
With negotiations firmly underway, the visit comes as the UK Government steps up its engagement with businesses across the UK to ensure the voices of British businesses are heard and reflected throughout the exit process.
A man was caught out after GPS data was seized from the rental van he had used to illegally dump waste and he has now been sentenced at Nottingham Magistrates Court.
Kirk McRoberts, of Waterloo Promenade in Nottingham, pleaded guilty on Tuesday 19 September and was fined £900. He was also ordered to contribute £500 towards the cost of prosecution and had to pay a £45 government surcharge.
McRoberts was charged with illegally depositing waste in Long Eaton in Derbyshire and Cossall in Nottinghamshire. The judge described the illegal deposit of the waste as “a scourge” and remarked that these offences were serious.
The judge gave McRoberts full credit for his early guilty plea and noted that he had no previous convictions for breaches of environmental legislation.
Between 4 and 7 April 2016, McRoberts deposited twenty-three barrels filled with adhesive at Lock Lane in Long Eaton and at Cossall Road in Cossall. Running a firm called ‘No Need for a Skip Ltd’, McRoberts used a hired vehicle which was fitted with a GPS tracker. Data recorded by the GPS tracker clearly shows the van stopping at both locations. CCTV footage from one of the sites also showed the barrels being dumped.
The company that hired Mr McRoberts to remove the waste has been issued with a warning for not making the necessary checks as to where the waste would be going and that the company used was registered as a waste carrier.
The Environment Agency estimates that McRoberts avoided costs of around £900 by disposing of the waste illegally.
Commenting, Peter Haslock, enforcement team leader with the Environment Agency said:
read moreThe acts of illegal waste carriers like McRoberts can have seriously damaging effects on the environment. They also undermine legitimate businesses operating within the confines of the law.
We will continue to work tirelessly to bring those responsible for illegal waste dumping to justice. We’d also like to remind people to check their waste carrier is licensed by the Environment Agency. You are required by law to make sure your waste goes to a site licenced to take it, and could end up with a hefty fine if you fail to do so.
Proposals for the second phase of the Leeds Flood Alleviation Scheme are going on show this month to communities upstream of the city centre.
A series of drop in events are being held in Kirkstall, Horsforth, Rodley and Apperley Bridge areas of Leeds, giving residents the opportunity to view options to reduce the risk of flooding to their homes and businesses.
An eight week consultation runs from today, Thursday 21 September until 16 November.
Members of the project team will be available at the following events to explain the options, answer any questions and seek views. Residents and business owners are invited to stop by within the following times to find out what is proposed:
With the £50 million first phase of the scheme, which has introduced state-of-the-art new flood protection for the city centre, Holbeck and downstream at Woodlesford set to be completed next month, Leeds City Council working with the Environment Agency, BMM jV Limited, Thomas Mackay and Arup, have released details of the further measures required for phase two.
The proposals for phase two represent the outcome of an extensive survey and feasibility study of the river catchment carried out by Leeds City Council and the Environment Agency following the devastating impact of Storm Eva at Christmas 2015, to determine the level of future protection needed to provide vital reassurance to residents and businesses.
They include measures further upstream including the Kirkstall corridor which was badly hit by the floods as well as Stourton, an industrial area that was badly affected on Boxing Day 2015.
Phase two will also look at areas beyond the city boundary to further reduce the possibility of the river flooding in Leeds, as well as additional measures to offer protection for the South Bank area of the city centre which is a key future economic driver for Leeds. The range of measures proposed are a mixture of natural flood management and new infrastructure including:
Leeds City Council executive member for regeneration, transport and planning Councillor Richard Lewis said:
The response to these plans when they were released last week was very positive, especially the use of new trees and natural flood management measures along the catchment to help provide essential protection for communities in Leeds.
It is now vitally important we hear the views of residents and businesses so I would encourage as many people as possible to take part in the consultation and attend these drop-in sessions.
Following an extensive study agreed with the government and other agencies these are the measures identified as being necessary to offer the level of protection needed which the government said it would provide, so we look forward to seeing these plans develop as soon as possible.
The impact of Storm Eva in Leeds at Christmas 2015 affected 3,355 properties in Leeds, of which 672 were commercial businesses. The direct cost to the city was an estimated £36.8 million, with the cost to the wider city region being more than £500 million. Following the flooding in December 2015, the government committed £35 million between now and 2021 to a new scheme to further enhance flood protection in Leeds.
read moreIt is an honour to be here this morning on behalf of the British High Commission.
When I was asked to attend the certificate giving for the Cambridge and Edexcel exams I’ll be honest, I got rather nervous. I was nervous because I knew that last year we had over 3,000 Zambians taking the exams, which meant I was going to have to get my cheek muscles working overtime for the amount of smiling I was going to have to do when presenting the certificates. I’m delighted that we’ve got a representative group rather than the whole lot here today!
The 3,000 is part of a bigger group of nearly 22,000 exams provided by UK exams boards, undertaken by students in Zambia in the past 12 months. I’m delighted that schools and education institutions in Zambia still recognise the UK education sector as the best in the world. Cambridge and Edexcel exams in particular have given opportunities to thousands of Zambians to continue their secondary education and prepare them for university. I hope that many of you will choose the UK as your destination of choice for your higher learning.
Now is the perfect time to go; the latest Higher Education global rankings recently recognised two British Universities, Oxford and Cambridge, as the world’s best. Of course, I’m biased, but having two children who’ve recently completed their university studies I can promise you that not only will the academic course fully meet your expectations, the exceptional diversity and cultural opportunities that you’ll benefit from will help you realise your full potential. Last year we had over half a million international students from 200 countries study in the UK. So it not only offers exposure to the UK’s rich history and culture, but a networking opportunity that’s truly global.
The UK has always been an outward looking country, keen to export our skills and products for use by others. Whether that’s our expertise in financial services (as with the Lord Mayor of London’s visit to Zambia last week), the Premier League (which seems to be gaining ever more followers from abroad) or our cutting-edge educational programmes, the UK has, and always will, remain keen to share. I am pleased that the UK Government, specifically in Zambia the British Council, has continued to support efforts of the government of Zambia in providing quality education. UK qualifications are globally recognised which ensures candidates have opportunities to work not just in Zambia but anywhere in the world.
As parents, teachers and those responsible for the pastoral care of students, we all want what is best for our children. Often this will involve making sacrifices to allow our children the opportunities that we may not have had. I hope, seeing your children succeed and do so well in these examinations will show that your efforts were worthwhile.
Of course, there is always more that we can do. The British Council is working with 10 partner institutions in Lusaka, including the University of Zambia, providing them with examination services, quality assurance and supporting professional development of their tutors. I’m delighted we’re now looking further afield and have partnered with the Copperbelt University to offer the first IELTS exams session outside of Lusaka and we look forward to developing that relationship further. It is right that, for Zambia to develop all of its children to their fullest potential, we look to take our expertise out of the capital.
Once again, I’m thrilled to have been invited here today to participate in this ceremony, and congratulations to all those who are receiving their certificates.
Thank you.
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