Month: October 2018

Essential work to safeguard the future of a flood warning service on the River Wear has also significantly improved access for fish.

The new state of the art Larinier fish pass at Stanhope is now complete, and will allow more species of fish to pass upstream over the weir in a much wider range of river levels, improving access to around 15 miles of spawning grounds.

The pass includes a series of ‘baffles’ – metal plates which are fixed to a sloped concrete channel – which slow the flow of the water so fish can swim over the top of them easily.

Phil Rippon, Fisheries Technical Specialist with the Environment Agency in the North East, said:

This fish pass has improved access to a large section of what was a difficult to reach area of the River Wear, improving spawning and nursery grounds for salmon and trout in particular.

Projects such as this at Stanhope is an example of the sort of work which takes place right across the country to open up and enhance our rivers and streams.

We will be keeping a close eye on the success of the pass, and will be hoping to do some detailed monitoring of the pass and the upstream areas in the future.

Safeguarding the flood warning service

The Environment Agency has also carried out repairs to the weir which will improve the river flow and level monitoring capability of the Stanhope River Gauging Station – safeguarding the flood warning service for the area. Environment Agency Project Manager, Daniel Magee, added:

By improving the monitoring capabilities of the gauging station we can continue to provide an accurate and timely flood warning service to around 400 homes at risk of flooding from the River Wear.

This project safeguards the flood warning system for the future as well as creating environmental improvement. We appreciate the community’s patience throughout this project and hope they are reassured now it is all complete.

Stanhope Gauging Station is ranked in the top 10 most important flow sites in the North East area. Opening in September 1958 it has almost continuous record of flow data, making it one of the longest flow records in the North East at 60 years.

Stanhope Fish Pass

The visit will showcase the breadth and depth of the relationship between the UK and The Netherlands, including through trade, innovation and security.

The State Visit is an excellent opportunity to celebrate and deepen our connections. Our relationship may be changing but we are confident that the Netherlands and the UK will continue to have a close relationship and work together to tackle global issues.

The UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt will also use the opportunity to meet with his Dutch counterpart Stef Blok.
Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said:

The UK and The Netherlands have a rich, long history between our people and of course our Royal Families. So it is a pleasure to welcome His Majesty King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima to the United Kingdom, reflecting our enduring commitment to this partnership.

Together we work to further peace and security across the globe, tackling threats from terrorism and cyber and promoting values of freedom. I look forward to celebrating our connections and shared successes with Foreign Minister Stef Blok, looking at ensuring this continues for years to come.

From the 17th Century to the present day, trade relations between our countries continue to flourish; The Netherlands is the UK’s third largest trading partner. Only this year, Heineken announced an investment of £44m – creating over 1,000 jobs in the UK – while fellow Dutch company NewCold has invested £100m in a new distribution centre in Wakefield, adding a further 70 jobs in the next two years to the current team of 200.

DIT Minister for Investment Graham Stuart and Her Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for Europe, Andrew Mitchell, will be hosting the UK-Netherlands Innovation Showcase at Mansion House on Wednesday. As world leaders in Global Innovation, the showcase will celebrate Dutch and British collaboration in finding innovative solutions for the Grand Challenges of tomorrow, including clean growth, solutions for the aging society, AI and data and the future of mobility.

International Trade Secretary Liam Fox said:

The Dutch State Visit is an opportunity to celebrate the UK and the Netherlands’ more than 400-year long trading heritage. As the UK forges an independent trade policy for the first time in more than four decades, my international economic department is working with the Dutch – our North Sea Partners – towards a bright trading future too.

The Innovation Showcase will demonstrate the huge opportunities for our economies – two of the world’s most innovative – to collaborate even further, creating jobs and prosperity for generations to come.

As part of the State Visit Their Majesties will visit HMS Belfast and the visiting Dutch Offshore Patrol Vessel, HNLMS Zeeland, moored alongside. This visit will celebrate 45 years of cooperation between the Royal Netherlands Marine Corps and the Royal Marines, culminating with a joint on-water capability demonstration on the Thames.

The Royal Marines and Royal Netherlands Marines have long served together on operations across the globe – most recently offering humanitarian support to islands affected by Hurricane Irma in the Caribbean.
Speaking ahead of the visit to HMS Belfast, Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said:

Our forces have worked closely with the Netherlands amphibious forces for more than 45 years, demonstrating world-class military integration. Right now, our Royal Marines are working alongside their Dutch counterparts in Norway as part of the Defence Arctic Strategy, which shows our deep-shared commitment to European security. This State Visit allows us to take stock and celebrate an enduring alliance with one of our closest defence partners.

Their Majesties will also visit Pop Brixton, a pioneering space in South London that supports independent businesses from Brixton and Lambeth, and meet with Prime Minister Theresa May in Downing Street on Wednesday (24th October).

Further information

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The Queen has approved the nomination of the Reverend Andrew Paul Rumsey, MA, DThMin, Team Rector of Oxted in the Diocese of Southwark, to the Suffragan See of Ramsbury, in the Diocese of Salisbury, in succession to the Right Reverend Edward Francis Condry, MA, BLitt, DPhil, MBA, who resigned on the 12 May 2018.

Mobile home residents are to receive greater protection from dishonest site owners seeking to make a profit at their expense, thanks to plans announced today (22 October 2018).

Housing Minister Heather Wheeler MP confirmed new steps to give local authorities tougher powers to tackle rogue operators in their areas, ranging from fines to outright bans for the worst offenders.

Over 85,000 families live on 2,000 park home sites across the country, including many older people, but a small minority of dishonest site owners abuse their position – intimidating residents and neglecting their duty of care.

The changes that will be made will prevent site operators from burdening residents with unfair and unnecessary charges, providing greater transparency and clarity for those who live on the site and putting cash back into resident’s pockets.

There will also be better guidance available on what to do if residents feel they are being harassed by their site owner.

Housing Minister Heather Wheeler MP said:

Everyone has a right to feel safe and secure in their own home.

We know some people in mobile homes have been ripped off by rogue site owners who charge excessive fees and harass residents.

To stop this, councils will be given powers to ban site owners who do not meet the standards expected of them. We will make sure they have the tools needed to protect the vulnerable, while allowing honest operators to flourish.

Some mobile home owners have reported management charges increasing by as much as 50% year on year, and some residents paying additional fees of up to £300 a month.

Often these site owners make it difficult for residents to raise their concerns, given their complex management structures. There have been reports of site owners trading under a number of different names.

In one case a site owner was involved with around 13 companies under one holding company. This caused complications and extra expense for residents during court or tribunal cases and for local authorities when issuing enforcement notices.

Ministers will be making regulatory changes and legislation will be introduced in due course when Parliamentary time allows.

These will be the biggest changes to the sector since the Mobile Homes Act 2013 was introduced and will have an impact of those living in park homes, most of whom are elderly and vulnerable.

The government will set up a new working group to develop and share best practice on how to improve the process for selling homes, reviewing pitch fees and streamlining site rules further to make the process clearer and easier to navigate.

These measures will build upon comprehensive action by the government to make the housing market fairer for everyone.