The Environment Agency has been updating its flood warning systems across West Yorkshire, using new data to provide more accurate alerts to help communities to be better prepared for flooding.
Due to these changes, the Environment Agency is encouraging Silsden residents to check if they are at risk of flooding and to sign up to receive these early flood alert and warning messages so they can be aware of when flooding is possible.
Members of the Environment Agency’s flood resilience team will be at Silsden Town Hall on Wednesday 6th December between 4-7pm, to give residents an opportunity to come and have their say on the new flood warning area, register for the free service and learn how to be prepared for flooding.
Heather Cottrill, from the Environment Agency’s Flood Resilience team said:
Silsden Beck can rise and flow very quickly after heavy rain, but this new warning aims to alert the community in a timely manner, giving them more time to prepare, and to be aware of flooding so that they do not put themselves at danger.
Flood warnings give people valuable time to prepare for flooding – time that allows them to move themselves, their families and precious items to safety. Flood warnings save lives and enable the emergency services to prepare and help communities.
5.2 million homes and businesses in England are at risk of flooding.
Residents can find out if they are eligible to receive free flood warnings, and also register, by calling Floodline on 0345 988 1188, or by visiting https://floodsdestroy.campaign.gov.uk/. This website also includes information on how you can prepare for a flood and keep yourself safe.
These Regulations, made under the Higher Education and Research Act 2017 (“the Act”) apply to registered higher education providers, which by virtue of section 3(3) of the Act means providers which are, or which intend to become, English higher education providers.
Sophie Hodson has won the ‘Apprentice Champion’ award at Bridgwater and Taunton College’s Celebration of Apprenticeships Awards, which was held on 29 November at the college’s McMillan Theatre.
UKHO partners with the college to deliver their apprenticeships and was the main sponsor of the event, which saw 21 of the college’s 2500 apprentices making it to the final.
Sophie (Finance Assistant and Apprentice) won the ‘Apprentice Champion’ award, and was also a finalist in the ‘Apprentice of the Year’ category.
Catherine Porter, Agency & Cost Financial Controller at the UKHO and Sophie’s line manager, said:
“Sophie has impressed us all since the day that she joined us. She had never used our financial system before but picked this up very quickly which is key in our roles. Working with her is a delight as she has got a lovely personality and is always proactive. She is forming good relationships around the business and the internal stakeholders that she interacts with are always extremely positive about her. This area is new to her but her commitment to the job and team is commendable.”
Amy Carrillo, Head of Human Resources at the UKHO, was a guest speaker at the awards. Speaking about the importance of apprenticeships to the UKHO, Amy said:
“We have found that apprenticeships have helped us address skill shortages, particularly in the digital field where there is a nationwide skill shortage. We have 20 digital apprenticeships covering cyber security, IT professions, software testing and data analysis. These apprentices are helping us to build a more sustainable future for our digital transition.
We are harnessing new talent and bringing in fresh ideas. Not only that, we are also using apprenticeships to re-train or upskill existing team members.
We have three Data Analyst apprentices that were already part of our production team and have 11 Management apprentices from our teams.
In addition, the UKHO are offering 12 professional apprenticeships across the organisation in finance, HR, procurement, marketing, customer services and business administration up to level 5.”
She will take over from Nigel Gibbens who is stepping down at the end of February 2018 following a highly successful 10 years in the post.
Christine will join Defra from her current high profile position in Australia, where she has been working as the CVO in New South Wales since August 2016. During her time there she led major improvements to biosecurity across many farming sectors.
She comes from a farming family in the south of Scotland, with a background in beef cattle and sheep.
Christine will be returning to Defra where she was Deputy Director for Animal Traceability and Public Health in 2016. She is an experienced veterinarian and worked for a number of years in private practice in Scotland and the north of England, prior to joining the Animal Health agency (now part of the Animal and Plant Health Agency) in 2008 as a Divisional Veterinary Manager in Scotland.
During a decade as Chief Vet Nigel Gibbens has been instrumental in driving animal welfare improvements both at a national and international level, and Christine will now build on that work.
The Government has recently made a number of announcements on improving animal welfare and is committed to further reforms as we leave the EU.
Speaking about her appointment, Christine Middlemiss said:
I am delighted to have been appointed and it will be a privilege to lead my veterinary colleagues to support our farming and food industry in this hugely important role.
I am very much looking forward to working again with the team at Defra, its agencies, the devolved administrations and all the individuals and groups which will contribute to meet future challenges across animal health and welfare.
The UK Government has made no secret it wants to cement its place as a world-leader on animal welfare as they leave the European Union, and I’m delighted to have an opportunity to play a part in that.
Welcoming the appointment, the government’s Chief Veterinary Officer, Nigel Gibbens, said:
I would like to congratulate Christine on her success against a strong field of candidates and I am certain she will be a great addition to the department.
Her breadth of experience from work within Government and in the private sector will enable her to provide excellent veterinary leadership to the Defra group to deliver government’s ongoing commitment to maintaining our high animal health and welfare standards and to represent the interests of the whole of the UK internationally.
Animal Welfare Minister Lord Gardiner added:
I warmly welcome Christine to her important role. She brings to it a wealth of experience and enthusiasm.
This Government is embarking on an ambitious programme of animal welfare reform, including plans to increase the maximum sentence for animal cruelty to five years in prison and introducing mandatory CCTV in all abattoirs. Christine will be invaluable in helping us in achieving world leading standards.
I thank Nigel Gibbens for his outstanding contribution as CVO over the past ten years. Leaving the department at the end of February, he is hugely respected across the veterinary community and beyond – leading on responses to disease outbreaks including avian influenza and advising government on issues from antimicrobial resistance to animal welfare.
Christine will take up her new role as CVO for the UK on the 1 March 2018.
Since it was created in 2015, Highways England has completed 18 road improvements across the country, which is a welcome bonus for haulage firms preparing to deliver millions of parcels over the next few weeks.
And Highways England is also going the extra mile this Christmas to help motorists and hauliers reach their destinations hassle-free as it prepares to lift and complete almost 400 miles of roadworks across the country.
Almost 99 per cent of motorways and strategic A roads will be roadworks-free in time for Christmas, meaning people travelling to meet up with families and friends can more easily reach their destinations.
And that is a welcome bonus for UK next day parcel delivery firm, DPD, as it prepares to deliver 16 million parcels over the next three weeks.
Its 9,000-strong army of drivers will notch up more than 15 million miles of driving.
Justin Pegg, UK Operations Director for DPD, said:
Time is always of the essence in our business, so the work Highways England does throughout the year and especially in December is hugely appreciated. We’re out there every single day in December – quite literally delivering Christmas – and if the roads are clear, it makes a huge difference to the service our drivers can provide.
DPD will be moving a record number of parcels the length and breadth of the country this December and the vast majority will need to be delivered the next day. We started planning for Christmas in January and every aspect of that plan is painstakingly put together, but there are still elements that remain outside of our control, such as traffic and the weather.
(LtoR): Finn Owens from DPD with Highways England customer service director Melanie Clarke and Highways England traffic officer Vicki Lawton who will be working on Christmas Day to keep traffic moving on the Midlands motorway network.
To help make journeys better in December, Highways England repair teams will be working around the clock to complete hundreds of miles of road improvements in time for the Christmas getaway.
The roadworks embargo runs from 6am on 22 December until 12.01am on 2 January to help people get away this Christmas with as little disruption as possible.
By suspending or completing roadworks, more lanes will be open and many speed restrictions will be lifted.
Highways England’s customer service director, Melanie Clarke, said:
We’re doing everything we can to make journeys as smooth as possible this Christmas and that’s why we’re keeping 99 per cent of the road network we manage free from roadworks.
Over the past two years we’ve already added 190 lane miles of much needed capacity and that will make life easier for those travelling around this month, as the Christmas countdown begins.
The majority of the 18 large-scale improvements already completed by Highways England have added much-needed capacity to some of England’s busiest roads.
And this Christmas, more than 5,000 Highways England staff including traffic officers and control room operatives will be working around the clock, helping to clear incidents and manage congestion.
During 2016/17 Highways England traffic officers attended more than 49,000 incidents, clearing just over 85 per cent of them within an hour.
Those wishing to find out more about driving on smart motorways, you can view our webpage.
Drivers planning to use the Dartford Crossing are reminded to pay Dart Charge in advance or by midnight the day after crossing.
More information can be found on our website or by calling our information line (0300 123 5000) people can keep up to date with conditions on the roads.
For more detailed information on how to carry out your vehicle checks, search Think!
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.
One of the small businesses selected for the event, Airpix Aerial Images combines nature with state of the art technology – providing aerial filming to capture the beautiful coastlines and valleys of Wales.
The business also provides services in industries ranging from surveying, to construction and engineering.
Airpix Aerial Images’ founder, Jeremy Laugharne, said:
I’m so excited and still flying high about my invitation to 10 Downing Street. SmallBiz100 is a great way for businesses to connect with one another, and share unique and individual ideas. It also helps small businesses develop themselves and get valuable exposure.
The UK has 5.7 million small businesses and last year customers spent £717 million with small firms on Small Business Saturday alone.
The businesses were welcomed by Stephen Barclay, Economic Secretary to the Treasury and Baroness Fairhead CBE, Minister of State at the Department for International Trade.
Stephen Barclay said:
It’s been great to welcome so many business owners to Number 10 to show our appreciation for the crucial contribution they make to Britain.
Small businesses are vital to a thriving and competitive economy that is fit for the future, so it’s great to see that the number of small businesses in the UK has been growing in recent years. We hope the country will join us in championing the UK’s small businesses, and support them this Saturday.
Small Business Saturday is a grassroots, not-for-profit campaign, originally founded by American Express in the U.S. in 2010, which remains the principal supporter of the campaign in the UK as part of its on-going commitment to encourage consumers to shop small. The campaign also benefits from the backing of leading business organisations including the Federation of Small Businesses and Enterprise Nation.
Small Business Saturday takes place on the first Saturday in December each year, but the campaign aims to have a lasting impact on small businesses. In 2017 Small Business Saturday is on Saturday, December 2nd.
