Category: News Story

STORY

Controversial plans to convert the former Gatehouse pub on Dereham Road in Norwich into a mosque and community centre have been withdrawn. Norwich City Council records show that the planning application and the associated listed building application were withdrawn on 29 September 2026, before councillors reached a decision.

The Norwich Muslim Community Association had proposed changing the use of the Grade II listed building and constructing a substantial extension containing prayer and community facilities. Supporters argued that the scheme would return a vacant building to use and provide educational, charitable and community services, while opponents raised concerns about traffic, the loss of a former pub and the effect of the extension on the building’s historic character.

The main application attracted 879 comments, including more than 600 objections and more than 200 expressions of support. Council conservation officers had recommended refusal after concluding that the proposed extension would be disproportionate and cause substantial harm to the listed building. The applications have been withdrawn rather than refused, meaning that the owners remain able to submit revised proposals for the site in the future.

STORY

The television licence fee should be reformed so that BBC funding is no longer linked to ownership of a television set, according to a report from the House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee. MPs said a universal source of funding should be retained and urged the Government to remain open to introducing a household levy as a longer-term alternative.

The committee also recommended ending political appointments to the BBC board and making the Royal Charter permanent, accompanied by regular reviews of the corporation’s funding, role and public purposes. It proposed giving the BBC an explicit responsibility to combat misinformation and disinformation, alongside further investment in BBC iPlayer and consideration of carrying programmes from other public service broadcasters.

MPs said the BBC should increase its commercial income, make better use of its property and avoid paying more than commercial broadcasters for imported programmes. The report was published as the Government prepares proposals for the next Royal Charter, which is expected to determine how the BBC will be governed, regulated and funded from 2028.

STORY

A new excise duty on vaping products has come into force across the UK, with manufacturers, importers and approved warehousekeepers charged £2.20 for every 10 millilitres of vaping liquid. The duty applies to liquids manufactured in or imported into the country from 1 October 2026, regardless of whether they contain nicotine.

A new Vaping Duty Stamps Scheme has also begun, with stamps starting to appear on retail packaging. Wholesalers and retailers have been given until 31 March 2027 to sell eligible stocks produced before the duty began. From 1 April 2027, all vaping products sold in the UK will need a valid stamp, while stamps with digital tracking functions will become mandatory for newly manufactured or imported products from January 2027.

Travellers arriving in Great Britain may now bring in up to 50 millilitres of vaping liquid for personal use without paying duty or tax. HM Revenue and Customs said the changes are intended to reduce the appeal of vaping to children and non-smokers while making it easier to identify illicit products. The Office for Budget Responsibility has forecast that the duty will raise more than £550 million annually by 2030–31.

STORY

The Government has launched a new digital tracking service requiring more than 12,000 permitted waste sites across England to report every load of waste they receive. The information must be submitted in near real time and include details of the waste carrier and the classification of the material being delivered.

The Environment Agency will use the resulting digital audit trail to compare reported waste collections with receipts at authorised sites. Officials said discrepancies could help investigators identify illegal dumping, the mislabelling of waste and material being handled unlawfully. The service is intended to make it more difficult for criminal operators to conceal their activities using false or incomplete paperwork.

The system represents the first stage of the Government’s wider Digital Waste Tracking service, with its use due to be extended to waste collectors from spring 2027. A Waste Crime Crackdown Group, chaired by Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle, has also been established to bring regulators and law enforcement agencies together.

STORY

The Metropolitan Police has submitted its completed Grenfell Tower investigation files to the Crown Prosecution Service for charging decisions. The files relate to 54 individuals and 20 companies or organisations investigated following the fire, which killed 72 people in June 2017.

Police have asked prosecutors to consider potential offences including corporate manslaughter, gross negligence manslaughter, breaches of health and safety legislation, fraud and misconduct in public office. Submission of the files does not mean that charges will necessarily follow, and the CPS will independently assess whether the evidence meets the legal tests required for prosecution.

The investigation examined the involvement of more than 15,000 people and 700 organisations, producing approximately 165 million electronic files, 14,700 witness statements and more than 27,000 exhibits. The CPS has said it expects to make its charging decisions before the tenth anniversary of the fire in June 2027.

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The British Chambers of Commerce has welcomed elements of Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s Labour Party conference speech, including his indication that the Government would avoid adding to business costs. Director General Shevaun Haviland said the forthcoming Budget would be the main test of whether the Government could reduce costs, encourage investment and support economic growth.

The BCC supported Burnham’s commitment to reducing welfare expenditure and welcomed a wider debate about the future of the state pension triple lock. It also backed his focus on artificial intelligence but called for a stronger strategy to help businesses adopt the technology. However, the organisation warned against making greater public control the default response to problems involving utilities and infrastructure.

The business group welcomed Burnham’s approach to rebuilding relations with the European Union and called for a long term plan to make trade easier, cheaper and faster. It also supported efforts to accelerate electricity grid connections and reduce energy costs, although it requested further details about how Great British Grid would operate. The BCC said most businesses would have to wait for wider market reforms before seeing reductions in their energy bills.

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Amnesty International and the Committee to Protect Journalists have called for a fresh investigation into the murder of Sunday World reporter Martin O’Hagan. The appeal was issued on the 25th anniversary of his death, with no one having been held criminally responsible for the killing.

O’Hagan was shot dead near his home in Lurgan, County Armagh, on 28 September 2001 in an attack attributed to loyalist paramilitaries. In 2013, the Director of Public Prosecutions asked the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland to investigate the handling of the case by police. The Ombudsman has told Amnesty International that it remains unable to provide a timeframe for publishing its findings.

The organisations are seeking publication of the Ombudsman’s report alongside a new independent investigation intended to identify evidence capable of supporting prosecutions. They argued that the absence of accountability had contributed to an environment in which journalists investigating paramilitary activity continued to face threats and intimidation in Northern Ireland.

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The average parish and town council tax charge for a Band D property in England has doubled since 2013, according to research published by the Adam Smith Institute. The think tank found that the average parish precept increased by 8.2 per cent in 2026, which it described as the second largest annual increase on record.

The research found substantial differences between individual councils. The Band D precept in Radcliffe on Trent increased by 179 per cent to £312, while the charge in Alford rose by 64 per cent to £353.68. The Institute also reported that the parish tax charged in Preston Brook had increased sixfold since 2022. Unlike larger local authorities, parish and town councils are not subject to a statutory limit on annual precept increases.

The Adam Smith Institute has recommended introducing limits on increases, strengthening value for money checks and grouping some smaller parish councils to share administrative costs. Its research used Government precept data, responses to 300 Freedom of Information requests and an examination of accounts from 80 parish councils. The report acknowledged that its smaller sample of council spending should be regarded as illustrative rather than representative.

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A Flydubai passenger flight travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv has made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after transmitting an alert indicating possible unlawful interference. Flight FZ1073 landed safely at Tabuk Airport and all passengers were reported to be safe.

Flight tracking information showed that the Boeing 737 initially transmitted a general emergency signal before activating the code associated with a possible hijacking. The aircraft descended rapidly by approximately 14,000 feet before changing course towards Saudi Arabia. The incident prompted Israel to scramble military aircraft and hold emergency security consultations.

An Israeli official said the alert followed an altercation involving the pilots, although the precise circumstances remain under investigation. Flydubai confirmed that an incident had taken place but did not provide further details. The Israeli Prime Minister’s office subsequently said it did not believe the aircraft had been hijacked and that arrangements were being made to return the passengers safely to Israel.

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Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said that rejoining the European Union should be considered as one of several options for the UK’s long term relationship with the bloc. His comments followed his Labour Party conference speech, during which he said Brexit had caused more harm than good.

Burnham told the BBC that the Government could retain the current arrangements, pursue a customs union, seek membership of the European single market or consider full EU membership. He said ministers would examine what was achievable and assess the advantages and disadvantages of each option before reaching any conclusions.

The Prime Minister said he intended to present the choices facing the country around the time of the UK and EU summit in November. No timetable or formal process for rejoining has been announced. Considering membership would represent a significant departure from Labour’s 2024 manifesto, which ruled out returning to the European Union, the single market or a customs union.