Month: January 2018

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Press release: Green light for Hull’s £42m Humber flood scheme

Funding has been secured for a £42 million upgrade to the tidal flood defence scheme in the Humber Estuary – improving flood protection to 113,000 properties.

Led by the Environment Agency, the Humber Hull Frontages scheme will present an opportunity to review and improve a 19 kilometres stretch of tidal flood defences in the Humber Estuary to better protect homes and businesses that are at risk of flooding in Hull.

Floods Minister, Thérèse Coffey said:

This state of the art scheme is great news for homeowners and businesses along the Humber Estuary, especially for the city of Hull, as we both upgrade existing defences and add new defences extending protection.

It is a key part of our £430m flood defence investment programme for Yorkshire, better protecting thousands of homes and helping businesses to grow, thrive and create new opportunities – supporting the Government’s work on the Northern Powerhouse.

Proposed improvements in Hull will be supported by a further 4 kilometres of new and raised tidal defences on either side of the city in the East Riding of Yorkshire, at Hessle and Paull, delivered by East Riding of Yorkshire Council in partnership with the Environment Agency.

Helen Tattersdale, project manager at the Environment Agency, said:

Hull has a long history of being flooded from the Humber Estuary. This was seen most recently in December 2013 when a tidal surge flooded more than 260 properties when the city’s defences were overtopped.

By raising the existing defence walls and embankments, we are able to plan for the effects of climate change and bring them to the level needed to better protect the city from tidal flooding in future years.

Contractor BMM JV – a joint venture between BAM Nuttall and Mott MacDonald – has been appointed to develop a detailed design and build plan along Hull’s 19 kilometre waterfront. This work follows the review of existing flood defences along the banks of the Humber Estuary in Hull conducted by built environment consultants at Arup.

Donald Daly, project manager for Arup said:

Coastal Flooding is one of the most serious threats facing the UK. That’s why it is so important that Hull, the country’s largest at-risk urban area outside of London, has received government approval for additional tidal flood defences.

Using a range of technologies to collect and make sense of vast amounts of data, we’ve developed plans that will improve defences to account for anticipated changing weather patterns and sea level rises over the next 100 years.

BAM Nuttall Mott MacDonald Joint Venture is looking forward to delivering the flood alleviation project as part of its Water and Environmental Management Framework. Over the next few months, BMM JV and the Environment Agency will consult with landowners, businesses and local residents on key elements of their proposed designs.

Allan Rogers, BAM Nuttall National Framework Director said:

We are delighted to be involved with another significant flood alleviation scheme for the Environment Agency. It’s a scheme that will deliver outcome measures that will lessen the flood risk to business and homes. We are committed to delivering the scheme efficiently and with stakeholder issues in mind

The Humber Hull Frontages scheme is one of a number of tidal flood alleviation projects that form part of the Humber Flood Risk Management Strategy. The Environment Agency and local partners are now in the process of developing an advanced approach to managing flooding in tidal areas by the Humber for the next 100 years.

Subject to planning approval, work on the Humber Hull Frontages scheme will start next summer and will be complete by 2020.

It will be a long-term investment that will contribute to securing the viability of Hull and the wider Humber region, ensuring it retains its place as the eastern gateway to the UK economy.

Link: Press release: Green light for Hull’s £42m Humber flood scheme
Source: Environment Agency

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Press release: Waste offences fine for Sunderland man

Malcolm George Holmes of Vicarsholme Close was due to stand trial on 9 January 2018 at South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court on charges that he failed to supply paperwork concerning the removal of waste. He pleaded guilty and was fined £990 with £2,010 costs.

Prosecuting on behalf of the Environment Agency, Chris Bunting told the court that in 2016 Environment Agency officers were investigating illegal waste activities on land at Sheepfolds Road, Sunderland, close to the Stadium of Light.

Acting as a property consultant, Holmes had found a tenant for the land on behalf of the landlord. The tenant went on to illegally dump and burn mixed waste on the site.

In May 2016, the landowner was given four weeks to clear the waste after it was abandoned by the tenant. During a meeting with officers, Holmes, who continued to act on behalf of the landowner, was given clear instructions that he must retain all waste transfer notes. Waste transfer notes provide proof that waste is disposed of legally via a licensed operator.

Although the site was cleared of waste, Holmes failed to supply the waste transfer notes, didn’t respond to a statutory notice requesting the missing documentation and, in court, Holmes admitted he never had the paperwork. The location of the waste, and whether it was legally disposed of, remains unknown.

Rachael Caldwell from the Environment Agency said:

Environmental laws are there to protect communities and the environment from pollution. Businesses getting rid of waste have a legal duty of care to show their waste has been correctly and legally disposed of.

We hope this case demonstrates the importance of environmental compliance. Anyone who breaks the rules will be pursued, and where repeated or significant breaches are found, we will prosecute.

In December, the former tenant of the site pleaded guilty to his part in the case and was ordered to pay a total of £1,730 in fines & costs.

Link: Press release: Waste offences fine for Sunderland man
Source: Environment Agency

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The Value Added Tax (Refund of Tax to the Essex Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Fire and Rescue Authority) Order 2018

This Order, which comes into force on 1st February 2018, provides that the Essex Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Fire and Rescue Authority is specified for the purpose of section 33 of the Value Added Tax Act 1994.

Link: The Value Added Tax (Refund of Tax to the Essex Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Fire and Rescue Authority) Order 2018
Source: Legislation .gov.uk

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Press release: Welsh Secretary to visit projects aiming to be on the front line of the Swansea Bay Region City Deal

Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns will visit innovative projects at the heart of the Swansea Bay Region City Deal technology revolution later today (11 January).

The Welsh Secretary will hear about the future of steel and how digital manufacturing can increase competition and create globally networked systems at Swansea University’s Bay Campus.

Swansea University, in partnership with Neath Port Talbot, Tata and other commercial partners is working to catalyse the ambition of the Fabian Way Innovation corridor and show Swansea Bay residents the regeneration opportunities presented by the City Deal, by grouping three world-leading projects together, including the UK National Steel Innovation Centre and Astute Factory of the Future.

Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns said:

Swansea University is leading the charge in delivering exciting City Deal projects which will transform the region, delivering high-quality employment and world-leading technologies.

The UK Government is working hard to encourage the City Deal region to capitalise on its reputation as leaders in the fields of innovation, research and development and energy. With this existing strength, it is crucial that the area is empowered to take the reins and make decisions to support economic growth, boost employment and attract investment right across the region.

The Secretary of State will also visit the Harbourside site in Port Talbot, which aims to boost employment in the research and development field.

The former disused steel and tin-plate works in the docks area of Port Talbot is home to the Harbourside Business Park, occupied by TWI, TATA Steel and Thyssen Krupp. It is hoped that Neath Port Talbot College will develop a £28m campus on the site in 2019.

The Welsh Secretary will also visit the Baglan Bay Innovation Centre, which focuses on developing businesses in the energy, innovation and technology fields.

The Centre is home to the Project SPECIFIC, an academic and industrial consortium led by Swansea University with strategic industrial partners Tata Steel, BASF and NSG Pilkington, developing functional coatings that will transform the roofs and walls of buildings into surfaces that generate, store and release energy.

Swansea University’s SPECIFIC Innovation and Knowledge Centre was recently awarded £800,000 of UK Government investment to develop the UK’s first energy-positive office.

Alun Cairns will see the proposed site for the Swansea Bay Technology Centre at Baglan Energy Park, aimed to support and encourage the growth of start-ups and indigenous businesses, with a focus on the innovation and research and development sectors in particular the growing energy sector.

Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns added:

The Swansea and Neath Port Talbot areas have much to look forward to – not just because of the exciting City Deal projects transforming the region. The Harbourside and Innovation Centre are fantastic examples of investments that will deliver sustainable employment, regenerating the entire area and supporting the growth of new businesses, which will take the region in an exciting new technology-led direction.

ENDS

Link: Press release: Welsh Secretary to visit projects aiming to be on the front line of the Swansea Bay Region City Deal
Source: Gov Press Releases

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Press release: Foreign Secretary discussions on Iran nuclear deal with Iranian and European counterparts

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson travelled to Brussels today (11th January) for high-level meetings focused on the Iran nuclear deal. He was joined in his discussions by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Zarif, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini.

Speaking ahead of the meetings, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said:

The UK has always been clear: the Iran nuclear deal is a crucial agreement that makes the world safer. It is vital that we continue to work with our European partners to preserve the Iran deal, and with it the security and prosperity it is bringing to the people of Iran and the world. It is those shared interests which will drive our discussions in Brussels.

Of course there are areas where we disagree with Iran, not least on its destabilising regional activity and its ballistic missile programme. This will be an important part of our conversation.

I will be making it clear to Foreign Minister Zarif, on the subject of the recent protests in Iran, that the right to peaceful demonstration within the law is central to any truly thriving society. I will also raise all of our Iranian dual-national consular cases.

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Link: Press release: Foreign Secretary discussions on Iran nuclear deal with Iranian and European counterparts
Source: Gov Press Releases

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Press release: Government’s vision for a greener future launched

A pledge to eliminate avoidable waste, introduce new safeguards for wildlife and connect more children with nature are among the ambitious plans for a greener future outlined by Prime Minister Theresa May and Environment Secretary Michael Gove today.

In a major speech today, the Prime Minister has launched the government’s landmark 25 Year Environment Plan, setting out how we will improve the environment over a generation by creating richer habitats for wildlife, improving air and water quality and curbing the scourge of plastic in the world’s oceans.

“A Green Future: Our 25 Year Plan to Improve the Environment” sets out how over the next quarter of a century the government will:

  • Crackdown on plastics by eliminating all avoidable plastic waste through extending the 5p plastic bag charge to small retailers, removing consumer single use plastics from the government estate, supporting the water industry to significantly increase water fountains and working with retailers on introducing plastic-free supermarket aisles.
  • Help wildlife thrive by creating 500,000 hectares of new habitat for endangered species, supporting farmers to turn fields into meadows and other habitats, replenishing depleted soils and providing £5.7 million to kick-start a [new Northern Forest] (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-northern-forest-gets-government-backing).
  • Be a world leader in environmental protection by investigating the feasibility of an anti-poaching taskforce to tackle the illegal wildlife trade, committing overseas aid to help developing nations combat plastic waste, and extending the UK’s network of marine protected areas
  • Deliver a Green Brexit by consulting on a new environmental watchdog to hold government to account for environmental standards, and setting out a new approach to agriculture and fisheries management
  • Seek to embed a ‘net environmental gain’ principle so development delivers environmental improvements locally and nationally, enabling housing development without increasing overall burdens on developers
  • Connect people with nature by creating ‘nature friendly schools’ and reviewing National Parks to see how they can improve and whether the network should be extended.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove said:

Respecting nature’s intrinsic value and making sure we are wise stewards of our natural world is critical if we are to leave the environment in a better state than we inherited it.

Our Environment Plan sets out how over the next 25 years we will radically reduce the waste that is choking oceans and rivers, cleanse our air of toxic pollutants and create new habitats for our most precious wildlife to thrive.

Through this plan we will build on our reputation as a global leader in environmental protection, creating an environment everyone can enjoy and helping the next generation flourish.

In a world-first, the 25 Year Environment Plan also sets out how we will use a natural capital approach to help us see the additional benefits – whether that is improved health and wellbeing, or national prosperity – in every part our environment, helping improve and direct decision making, and guiding new development.

The Plan sits alongside existing work. A Call for Evidence on reward and return schemes for drinks containers, including plastic bottles, has closed. Its findings are now being assessed by the Working Group, who will make recommendations to ministers this Spring.

As announced in the Budget, the Government will also launch a further Call for Evidence shortly on how changes to the tax system or charges on single-use plastics can play a role in reducing waste.

The plan sits alongside the Government’s Clean Growth Strategy, which sets out how the UK is leading the world in cutting carbon emissions to combat climate change and driving economic growth.

Link: Press release: Government’s vision for a greener future launched
Source: Gov Press Releases

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Swyddfa’r Comisiynydd Gwybodaeth yn dirwyo ffyrmiau y tu ôl i 44 o negeseuon ebost sbam, 15 miliwn o alwadau niwsans a miliwn o negeseuon testun sbam

Mae pedwar cwmni fu’n tarfu ar fywydau pobl drwy farchnata niwsans wedi cael dirwyon gwerth cyfanswm o £600,000 gan Swyddfa’r Comisiynydd Gwybodaeth.

Link: Swyddfa’r Comisiynydd Gwybodaeth yn dirwyo ffyrmiau y tu ôl i 44 o negeseuon ebost sbam, 15 miliwn o alwadau niwsans a miliwn o negeseuon testun sbam
Source: ICO .org.uk

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Press release: New charity investigation: Hope House School Limited

The Charity Commission, the independent regulator of charities in England and Wales, has opened a new statutory inquiry into Hope House School Limited, registered charity number 1121132. The investigation was opened on 9 October 2017.

The charity’s objects are to advance the education of children who suffer from neurological and psychological conditions such as Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome, autistic spectrum disorders, Asperger’s syndrome and Dyspraxia.

The Commission conducted a books and records inspection following an anonymous complaint which raised concerns about the charity’s governance and administration.

The visit raised a number of regulatory concerns and the Commission has therefore opened a statutory inquiry to examine the governance, management and administration of the charity. The inquiry will focus particularly on whether:

  • the trustees have exercised sufficient oversight and control of the charity
  • the financial controls of the charity are adequate and its funds have been properly expended solely in furtherance of its charitable objects
  • potential conflicts of interest and connected party transactions have been properly managed
  • there has been any unauthorised trustee benefit

The Commission has also exercised temporary and protective powers to restrict the transactions that the charity can enter into to ensure that any funds expended are only in furtherance of the charity’s objects and closely monitored.

The Commission stresses that opening an inquiry is not in itself a finding of wrongdoing. The purpose of an inquiry is to examine issues in detail and investigate and establish the facts so that the regulator can ascertain whether there has been misconduct or mismanagement; establish the extent of the risk to the charity’s property, beneficiaries or work; and decide what action needs to be taken to resolve the serious concerns, if necessary using its investigative, protective and remedial powers to do so.

It is the Commission’s usual policy, after it has concluded an inquiry, to publish a report detailing what issues the inquiry looked at, what actions were undertaken as part of the inquiry and what the outcomes were. Reports of previous inquiries by the Commission are available on GOV.UK.

The charity’s details can be viewed on the Commission’s online charity search tool.

Ends.

Notes to Editors

Press office

  1. The Charity Commission is the independent regulator of charities in England and Wales. To find out more about our work, see our annual report.
  2. Search for charities on our check charity tool.
  3. Section 46 of the Charities Act 2011 gives the commission the power to institute inquiries. The opening of an inquiry gives the commission access to a range of investigative, protective and remedial legal powers.
  4. The Commission’s decision to announce the opening of a statutory inquiry is based on whether it is in the public interest to do so and with consideration of our objective to increase public trust and confidence in charities.

Link: Press release: New charity investigation: Hope House School Limited
Source: Gov Press Releases