Innovation

Liverpool City Council has formally taken over the keys to a popular North Wales outdoor education site, after its tenant collapsed.

It was confirmed at the start of this year, after seven decades providing educational away days for young people, Colomendy would close with immediate effect.

Tenant Kingswood Colomendy Ltd and its parent company, Inspiring Learning Ltd, both ceased trading and administrators were appointed.

The council will now begin the process of securing the long-term future of the site in Loggerheads, near Mold, where generations of children stayed.

Prior to entering administration, Kingswood – which is expected to be dissolved later this year – undertook a period of marketing aiming to sell the site but a buyer was not found.

The council purchased the 130 acre (0.5km) location in 1957, which includes a Grade II listed manor house, from which the site takes its name, and was used as staff accommodation but fell into dilapidation.

The main building is Glyn Alyn, which opened as a boarding school in 1969 with five tower blocks providing dormitories.

All buildings require comprehensive refurbishment, according to the council, which also said a series of single storey timber dorms have "exceeded their life expectancy and require repair/modernisation or demolition".

Preferred option

Councillor Nick Small, cabinet member for growth and economy, said Colomendy "means a lot to many people in the city".

"People who have grown up in the city will have spent some time there," he said.

However, he said it was important the authority now did the right thing for the taxpayer.

The council has no money to cover any costs associated with Colomendy.

It is estimated the city will use its corporate contingency budget to cover £600,000 including business rates liability, security along with utilities and management costs.

If the city council retains the site, valued at about £220,000, beyond this financial year, capital investment would be needed.

The council will no longer receive the annual rent of £81,307 until it has another tenant.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service understands the council's preferred option is for an outdoor education firm to take on the lease.

It is expected the full appraisal and handing over of terms to a preferred bidder could take up to 12 months

The coach of a community rowing club has said raising enough funds for a new boat would make a "massive difference" for its young members.

Wallingford Rowing Club has mostly state school rowers and is largely run by volunteers, with independent school Radley College among its regular opponents.

Sport England have offered a grant of £8,000 towards the cost of a new boat, worth £16,000.

But to access the funding, the club must raise the remaining £8,000 themselves and have until 10 July to do so.

The club was formed in 1947 and runs a junior section, as well as senior men's and women's squads.

Its clubhouse is a Grade II-listed former brewery in Wallingford, on the banks of the River Thames.

More than 90% of its 147 junior members attend state schools, most of them at local secondary Wallingford School.

Speaking to BBC Radio Oxford's Adam Ball, Katie Greves, a director and Olympic silver medallist, said the club frequently had to borrow boats and equipment from other clubs and schools.

"Hinksey Sculling School is lending us a boat this weekend… and Radley College lent us a couple of riggers for a boat.

"That's the difference between a state school club and a private school club. We don't have the resources, we don't have the number of coaches.

"[But] we've given [the children] purpose and independence. As a parent and coach, I think that's the most important thing we can give our young people".

'Community atmosphere'

Junior rower Daisy Coleman, 17, said the club was a tight-knit community.

"Everyone plays a big role and everyone is constantly trying to fundraise. I've met some of my best friends here… it's a great community atmosphere".

The club have until 10 July to reach their fundraising target.

"Above and beyond anything else, [rowing] teaches you be persistent," said Ms Greves.

That quality could serve the club well in their pursuit of their new boat.

At least 80 people have been killed in Israeli strikes across Gaza, hospitals and first responders say.

The Indonesian hospital said 22 children and 15 women were among 50 people who died when several homes in the northern Jabalia area were hit overnight. Nearby al-Awda hospital said it had received the bodies of another nine people, seven of them children.

The Israeli military said it struck Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad fighters in the north. It had warned residents of Jabalia and neighbouring areas to evacuate on Tuesday after rockets were launched into Israel.

It came as the UN's humanitarian chief urged members of the UN Security Council to take action to "prevent genocide" in Gaza.

Speaking at a meeting in New York on Tuesday, Tom Fletcher accused Israel of "deliberately and unashamedly imposing inhumane conditions on civilians".

He also called on Israel to lift its 10-week blockade on Gaza and criticised the Israeli-US plan to take over the distribution of humanitarian aid by using private companies, saying it was a "fig leaf for further violence and displacement" of Palestinians.

Israel's envoy to the UN, Danny Danon, said the accusations were "baseless and outrageous".

He insisted the existing system for aid was "broken" because it was being used to help Hamas's war effort – an allegation both the UN and the armed group have denied.

A teacher who admitted making indecent photographs of a child has been banned from the profession indefinitely.

Simon Wood, 45, from Mirfield, West Yorkshire, was a teacher at Wetherby High School when he was arrested in November 2022 and his devices were seized.

He admitted two counts of making indecent photographs of a child and was given a community order at Leeds Crown Court in June 2024. The offences were not connected to the school, a spokesperson for Wetherby High School said.

The Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) ruled last month that he cannot teach in any school, sixth form college, youth accommodation or children's home in England.

Wood was not present at the virtual meeting of the professional conduct panel, which took place on 27 March, the TRA said.

The panel concluded that although the offences took place outside the school, his actions were clearly relevant to his teaching role.

Wood was sentenced on 3 June 2024 to a community order for 18 months, the panel heard, with rehabilitation activity requirements, forfeiture of seized devices and payment of a victim surcharge of £114.

He was also made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 10 years.

A spokesperson for Wetherby High School said Wood was suspended at the time of his arrest and was no longer employed by the school.

"All appropriate safeguarding processes and procedures have been followed," they said.

A report from the TRA said that while Wood's actions did not lead to a prison sentence, his conviction "would be likely to significantly affect the public confidence in the teaching profession if the teacher were allowed to continue teaching".

The energy firm EDF has revealed it has spent £5.3bn using South West companies to build the new Hinkley Point C power station in Somerset.

This is one of a number of benefits outlined in the company's annual socio-economic report.

Hinkley Point C Head of Social Impact, Andrew Cockcroft said Hinkley was "providing really significant benefits, long-term opportunities for people and businesses here in Somerset, and across the South West region as a whole".

But as construction reaches its peak, with up to 15,000 workers expected on site, concerns have also been raised that more needs to be done to mitigate the impact of living near the biggest building site in Europe.

The billions spent in the area range from local firms providing food to advanced engineering companies.

But concerns have centred around the difficulty of other firms finding apprentices, parts for construction and problems on the roads in that part of Somerset.

One councillor has also described the local rental market as "broken".

But at Hinkley Point C (HPC), the new report shows some 5,000 people, a third of the people working on site, are from Somerset or the wider region.

That is also the case for 70% of the 1,500 apprentices that are working at there.

Grants totalling £17m have been awarded to local community projects like Bridgwater Carnival and Burnham BMX club.

Marine Scotland is investigating reports of a potential pollution incident at a scenic loch in the west Highlands.

Prawn fishermen at Loch Hourn have reported creels full of dead shellfish which smell strongly of bleach.

A trawler has also reported pulling up a net of dead marine life from the sea loch which looks out towards the Isle of Skye.

A Scottish government spokesperson said the Marine Directorate was investigating potential offences under the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010.

Situated between the remote Knoydart Peninsula and Glenelg, Loch Hourn stretches for approximately 14 miles (20km).

The pollution concerns were raised on 22 April when campaign group Friends of Loch Hourn were contacted by a local prawn fisherman.

He said his catch had comprised only small prawns not normally found in the creels, along with worms and the entire catch was dead and smelling of bleach.

Two days later a similar incident was reported by the skipper of a trawler.

A spokesman for group said: "For us, the first, largest, and most important is the tragic damage done to a huge swathe of the loch.

"And make no mistake, this is not some minor incident but in reality, something closer to an oil spill.

"Just because it is all on the seabed, maybe 100 metres down, with nothing to actually see from the surface does not alter the fact that this is an ecological catastrophe."

Ongoing investigation

Friends of Loch Hourn is a community group which initially came together in 2020 in response to the planned expansion of a large open-pen salmon farm.

It now claims to have over 100 members made up of residents, regular visitors, landowners, fishermen and others who are concerned about the long-term future of the loch.

A Scottish government spokesperson said: "We have been made aware of reports of a potential environmental incident at Loch Hourn.

"This is an ongoing investigation, and we are liaising with partners

"Given this is still a live investigation, it would be inappropriate to comment."

A growing population of peacocks are "creating serious problems" for residents in a village, says the council.

Tutbury Parish Council in Staffordshire is asking everyone in the village to stop feeding the birds after residents have complained that they are becoming an "invasion of privacy".

The council said feeding the peacocks leads to them roosting and making loud, early-morning calls near homes; droppings left on driveways and vehicles; and some have even been spotted on residents' roofs.

Council chair Francis Crossley said: "We want to encourage the peacocks to find their food elsewhere, instead of coming to people's homes."

'Number is the problem'

He believed there were 26 peacocks during the council's last count but said there could now be up to 40.

The council said the peacocks were becoming more confident and "harder to deter", especially around homes where food is being provided for them.

"Residents are becoming distressed by the number of peacocks and the noises they are making; there are definitely more peacocks than there used to be," said Mr Crossley.

"They aren't aggressive to residents or attacking anybody; the number of them is the problem."

He added that he would "hate" to see anybody get rid of any of the peacocks.

"They don't belong to anybody; they just roam around the village, so there is nobody to deal with them," said Mr Crossley.

"They are beautiful animals, so I can see why people like to have them around. We would just like them to find their food elsewhere and not around people's homes."

In a statement, the parish council said they would be "exploring responsible and humane solutions, including working with local wildlife organisations".

There's nothing like playing in front of a home crowd – but for Dudley Football Club, it hasn't happened for 40 years.

Club directors say finding a permanent home in the borough is "vital", while Dudley Council leader Patrick Harley said a potential site for the club has been identified.

The team last played in the borough in 1985 but had to move out when a crater appeared on the pitch at Dudley Sports Centre. They now play seven miles (11.2km) away at Sporting Khalsa's ground in Willenhall.

Dudley FC, a non-league team also known as the Robbins, was founded in 1888 and plays in the Midland Premier League.

'We could easily give up'

Stephen Austin, one of the club's directors, said there have been many failed attempts over the years to move the club back to Dudley.

"A return to Dudley is something we all want and need," he said.

"We've been in discussions for 40 years. We've been close on a number of occasions and not managed to get over the line so cautious is where we are.

"We have to remain optimistic because if not, we could easily give up."

Dudley's connection to the sport is strong with footballer Duncan Edwards represented with a statue in the town centre.

Edwards was from Dudley and went on to play for Manchester United and England before his death in the Munich air disaster, aged just 21.

Harley, leader of the Conservative-run council, said its officers were in talks with the club – and a potential site for the team has been identified.

"I think we're way closer now than we have been for many years," he said.

"There are lots of hurdles to overcome and we have to make sure that the council is not financially threatened by any proposed deal.

"It'll bring a sense of purpose to the area, it would bring a good morale boost."

Former Dudley MP Marco Longhi raised the campaign in the House of Commons last year where it got the backing of the then Conservative culture secretary Lucy Frazer.

Now, Sonia Kumar, the town's Labour MP, has started a petition to bring Dudley FC home.

"I'm very positive, we've got some things coming up in the pipeline and hopefully there is a place for Dudley to come back to," she said.

"It's not just about going to see the game for it's spirit, but what it will do for the economy."

The club finished sixth place in the Midland Football League and is currently gearing up for the JW hunt charity cup on 5 June.

Matty Lovatt, first team manager, said being back in Dudley would help with extra funding for the club's youth development.

"Having been here seven years, I feel like an adopted Dudley man," he said.

"I feel attached to the club and I feel their pain. It's only right for the people that they've got a ground back in their own town."

Work to replace cladding on flats in a Surrey town may take "several years" to complete.

Lakeview estate residents were told Woking Borough Council would install new insulation on their flats in April after old cladding was removed over fire safety concerns in 2024.

Resident Mike Paternoster told BBC Radio Surrey his property was "a lot colder and we had the heating on far more than normal" over the winter due to the missing cladding.

Ian Johnson, council cabinet member for housing, said the project now involved "a full exterior refurbishment of each block" and "complex projects such as this take time to plan and implement".

"It could take several years for all blocks to be refurbished," he added.

'Something out of a space station'

The council removed cladding from the 14 blocks of flats in May 2024.

Residents of the 250 flats have now been told the work to install new cladding is not due to begin until April 2026, but it will involve more extensive renovations.

Temporary insulation was put in place, but Mr Paternoster said it was "not properly finished".

"It looks like something out of a space station at the moment," he added.

Johnson said the previous cladding was removed "to protect people's means of escape in the event of a fire".

"Having had the opportunity to inspect the buildings in more detail, we are now planning to undertake a full exterior refurbishment of each block," he added.

The changes could include new windows and doors. The council says its current plans require planning permission and it is required to consult on the work with around a third of the flats' leaseholder residents.

Mr Paternoster said he was concerned plans to reorganise local government – which would see district and borough councils replaced by new, single-tier local authorities – could delay the work further.

"If the reorganisation goes ahead, will the work actually get done? Because it will be different people in charge," he said.

Johnson said the council was "carrying on as normal for now" and would "make appropriate decisions to support the completion of the refurbishment programme" once the new council structure was decided.

Plans to turn part of a former department store into flats have been approved after a successful appeal.

Developers want to convert the first and second floors of the old Peter Crisp building on the High Street in Rushden into 14 flats.

North Northamptonshire Council refused the application in July over concerns that some of the flats were too small and that it was too close to a nearby protected wildlife area.

However, the government's planning inspectorate overturned that rejection.

The upper floors of the building have been vacant since the family-run department store closed in 2009.

The ground floor has since been occupied by businesses including Tesco Express, an estate agency, and a gym.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the applicant made changes to the plans, including changing the layout in two of the flats to reduce the number of people living there.

The developer also showed evidence it had paid out money to mitigate the impact on the special protection conservation area, the inspectorate said.

The flats will include four one-bedroom and ten two-bedroom homes, each with an open-plan kitchen and living area.

No parking spaces are included.

The planning inspector said the new plans fixed the original problems and published its decision on 16 May.