Day: October 11, 2018

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The European Communities (Designation) (No. 2) Order 2018

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, only “designated” Ministers and departments can exercise powers in section 2(2) of the European Communities Act 1972 (c.68) to make orders, rules, regulations and schemes. This is one of a series of Orders by which the Ministers and departments are designated for the purposes of section 2(2) in relation to different subject areas.

Link: The European Communities (Designation) (No. 2) Order 2018
Source: Legislation .gov.uk

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Press release: Cambridgeshire man sentenced to 8 months for illegal waste sites

On Tuesday 09 October 2018 Michael Newsome was sentenced to a total of 8 months imprisonment (4 months consecutive for each offence) suspended for 24 months. Newsome was also ordered to carry out 240 hours of unpaid work for the benefit of the community, ordered to pay a total of £12,131.90 in compensation to the landowners where he abandoned tyres and a contribution of £1,000 costs after pleading guilty to breaking the law in Peterborough and Whittlesey.

Peterborough Magistrates heard that Newsome, aged 28, of Overwater Close, Stukeley Meadows, Huntingdon, traded as Cambridgeshire Rubber Recycling Ltd and even advertised on Facebook as being licensed.

First he set up in Peterborough having registered an exemption that allowed him a limited number of tyres on site to be stored under set conditions for safety.

Mr Gurjit Bdesha, prosecuting for the Environment Agency, told the court that Newsome leased the Dickens Street site from an 82-year-old man to shred tyres, which he failed to do. Instead, he took well in excess of the number of tyres allowed under the exemption and stored them in a way that had no fire breaks.

Mr Bdesha said:

This was especially important as the site is in the middle of a residential area with the nearest home being 13 metres away. Tyres can combust and fire can easily spread.

Despite being asked to move the tyres, Newsome made no effort to clear the site and the landlord ejected him. He later broke into a lockaway on site, damaging the door, to take back equipment belonging to him. He left behind 87 tonnes of tyres (9,050) costing the landlord £8,121.

After being evicted Newsome took on a site at Lazy Acre Farm, Whittlesey and carried on business, failing to even register an exemption.

The landlord became worried at the number of tyres on site with no equipment to process them and asked him to leave.

Mr Bdesha continued:

The landlord was so desperate for Newsome to leave the site and clear the tyres that he was prepared to waive rent arrears of £3,500 if he removed them. The tyres were left there.

At that site Newsome abandoned 117 tonnes of tyres (14,040).

Mr Bdesha told the court that the site was listed as a High Risk Fire site as the tyres were stored within 70 metres of the mainline railway from Birmingham to Stansted Airport. If there had been a fire due to arson or self-combustion then the impact could have resulted in the closure of the railway and caused significant disruption to the national railway transport network.

He said there had been 2 failed attempts to arrest Newsome, 2 failed attempts to get him to voluntarily attend interview with Environment Agency investigators and since then no communication from him.

After the hearing Enforcement Team Leader Phil Henderson said:

We require operators have an approved fire prevention plan in place before a permit is issued. The Environment Agency seeks to work with operators to ensure compliance with the relevant environmental regulations.

However, as in this case, where those operators fail to take this advice we are compelled to take action, particularly in cases where the storage of waste may risk local residents or our transport infrastructure.’

Newsome pleaded guilty to:

On or before 3 November 2015 on land known as 61 Dickens Street, Peterborough, PE1 5ER, you operated a regulated facility, namely a tyre treatment and disposal facility, without being authorised by an environmental permit granted under Regulation 12 of the Environmental Permitted (England and Wales) Regulations 2010.
Contrary to Regulation 12 and 38(1)(a) Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010.

Between 1 December 2015 and 31 December 2016 on land known as Lazy Acre Farm, Whittlesey, Peterborough PE7 1GR, you operated a regulated facility, namely a tyre treatment and disposal facility, without being authorised by an environmental permit granted under Regulation 12 of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010. Contrary to Regulation 12 and 38(1)(a) Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010.

Link: Press release: Cambridgeshire man sentenced to 8 months for illegal waste sites
Source: Environment Agency

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Press release: Parole Board welcomes appointment of new Judicial and Psychiatrist members

The Parole Board welcomes the announcement today that ministers have approved the appointment of 23 new Parole Board members (12 psychiatrist and 13 judicial).

Martin Jones, CEO, said: “I am delighted to welcome the new Parole Board members. I am certain they will make a telling contribution to the important decisions we make.”

The new members will start their tenures on 1 November 2018 for a period of five years. This addition of new judicial and specialist members is part of the Parole Board’s work to maintain a consistent number and variety of specialisms in the membership.

Appointments to the Parole Board are made by the Secretary of State for Justice and are regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. These appointments have been made in line with the Governance Code on Public Appointments.

The new judicial members are:

  • Graham Arran
  • John Bevan
  • John Hand
  • Peter Jones
  • Roger Kaye
  • Anne Kiernan
  • Anthony Trevor Lancaster
  • Alistair McCreath
  • James Orrell
  • David Richardson
  • Erik Salomonsen
  • Patrick Thomas
  • Michael Topolski

The new psychiatrist members are:

  • Dawn Black
  • Steffan Davies
  • Mark Earthrowl
  • Sandra Evans
  • Andrew Johns
  • Nick Kosky
  • Gillian Mezey
  • Kevin Murray
  • John O’Grady
  • Janet Parrott
  • Amanda Taylor
  • Cleo Van Velsen

Link: Press release: Parole Board welcomes appointment of new Judicial and Psychiatrist members
Source: Gov Press Releases

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Press release: Signs of the future: new technology testbed on the A2 and M2 in Kent

Pioneering work led by Highways England to transform journeys on the country’s busiest routes with innovative technology allowing vehicles and the roads to ‘talk’ to each other has been showcased to an international audience.

A high-tech ‘corridor’ is being created on the A2/M2 in Kent to let specially-equipped vehicles interact with roadside infrastructure in a move which promises safer, more reliable journeys and speedier maintenance, to reduce delays.

Highways England, the Department for Transport, Kent County Council and Transport for London are at the forefront of this pioneering activity and have staged a ‘TESTFEST’ showcasing to an international audience progress to date.

The week-long event has attracted more than 60 people from the automobile world to allow them to understand the technology and see how it could be used in the construction of future vehicle designs.

Highways England Head of Intelligent Transport Systems Group Jo White said:

Connecting vehicles to each other and the road around can improve journeys, make them safer and give drivers reliable, real-time personalised information; it could also help us manage traffic and respond to incidents. We’re supporting the Government’s aim to be world leading in the development of connected and autonomous vehicles (CAV). The TESTFEST is a vital part of that, because it means the initiatives we take forward and the vehicles being developed all align so drivers continue to have safe journeys in the future.

The project on sections of the A2 and M2 is testing how information about road conditions, road works and time left for traffic lights to change to green can be transmitted to test vehicles via a wireless network.

Providing drivers and fleet managers with the information and tools to make real-time decisions has the potential to quickly improve traffic flow along the corridor. It also has the potential to improve safety by providing more information about traffic conditions ahead.

Displaying the information on screens inside vehicles reduces the likelihood of drivers missing information displayed on roadside signs, ending the problem of obscured signs caused by vegetation or when passing other vehicles.

For example, a sign may appear for a lane closure in place because of an accident or debris ahead. Keeping the lane clear gives the emergency services the access they need to help. Providing this information in a vehicle will help reduce drivers accidently driving in a closed lane, improving safety for everyone.

Roads Minister Jesse Norman said:

Between 2015 and 2020, the Government is planning to invest over £20 billion on improving and extending the UK’s road network, helping businesses, individuals and families alike.

New technologies are increasingly playing a central role in this process of transformation, and connected and autonomous vehicles could be worth tens of billions of pounds to the UK economy by 2035. This exciting project showcases some of the emerging technologies involved.

Transport for London Director of Network Management, Glynn Barton, said:

These first live tests of connecting vehicles to our road systems and infrastructure have been an exciting opportunity for us to explore the possibilities for the future. It’s only through these events that we can understand the opportunities, risks and challenges that we face in operating transport networks in the coming years. Working closely with Highways England, Kent County Council and the Department for Transport on the A2/M2 connected corridor project means we can understand the potential ‎benefits of this technology for both road users and Transport for London.

The A2/M2 Connected Corridor is a joint project between the Department for Transport, Highways England, Transport for London and Kent County Council. It is part of InterCor, an EU project that aims to test services that work across borders, connecting the UK to the Netherlands, France and Belgium. The project started in 2016 and is due to be completed in 2019.

General enquiries

Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.

Media enquiries

Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.

Link: Press release: Signs of the future: new technology testbed on the A2 and M2 in Kent
Source: Gov Press Releases