Tag: News Story

STORY

BBC Three and the BBC Scotland television channel could be moved online as the corporation seeks to reduce expenditure, according to reports. Staff concerns have increased following the start of a voluntary redundancy process in the BBC’s television and streaming division.

BBC Director General Matt Brittin is expected to provide staff with further information next week as part of plans to save £500 million and remove as many as 2,000 posts. BBC Three previously operated as an online only service between 2016 and 2022, while BBC Scotland was launched as a television channel in 2019.

The reported proposals follow changes in viewing habits and concerns about the cost of services attracting relatively small linear audiences. The BBC said that it would not comment on speculation and no decision about either channel has been formally confirmed.

STORY

VAT has been removed from domestic electricity bills across Great Britain, with the Government estimating that the measure will reduce the annual Ofgem price cap by around £45. The reduction from 5 per cent to zero took effect on 1 October 2026 and will remain in place for the current financial year.

Energy suppliers are expected to pass the reduction on to customers, including those on fixed tariffs. Eligible charities, residential care homes and small organisations receiving domestic energy VAT relief may also benefit from the change.

The measure is expected to cost around £850 million and is being funded through the cancellation of the Digital ID programme. Comparable funding will be provided to the Northern Ireland Executive because European Union VAT rules continue to apply to electricity in Northern Ireland.

STORY

Natural England has changed how it provides advice on planning applications, with its specialists now concentrating on proposals presenting the greatest risks or opportunities for nature. The Government said the revised approach would help accelerate planning decisions by directing specialist resources towards complex and strategically important developments.

Local planning authorities will be expected to use established guidance and standing advice when considering more routine applications, reducing the number of individual consultations handled by Natural England. The organisation will instead seek to engage earlier with major proposals so that environmental issues can be identified and addressed before they cause delays later in the planning process.

Natural England said that its statutory responsibilities and existing protections for habitats, species and designated sites would remain in place. The changes will be introduced gradually and form part of wider Government reforms to the statutory consultee system. Neil Hornby, who began work as Natural England’s chief executive on 1 October 2026, said the approach would allow its expertise to have the greatest impact for nature while supporting more efficient decision making.

STORY

Former Travelodge chief executive Jo Boydell did not read an email sent directly to her by a sexual assault victim until more than three years after it was received, an independent review has found. The woman contacted Boydell and other senior figures in January 2023 after being assaulted at the company’s Maidenhead hotel, but the message was handled by the chief executive’s office without being brought to her attention.

The complaint was instead investigated by a manager whose conduct was criticised within the email, while Travelodge’s customer services team offered the woman a refund for the night which she understood to be £30. Barrister Paul Greaney KC concluded that the victim had been fundamentally failed by the company at every stage and that its security policies at the time were not suitable for keeping guests safe.

The attacker, Kyran Smith, had obtained a key to the woman’s room less than three minutes after falsely telling reception staff that he was her boyfriend. He was later jailed for seven and a half years. Travelodge has apologised unreservedly and said it has begun implementing reforms, although the review warned that its revised security procedures were still being applied inconsistently. Boydell, who was credited with driving improvements after learning about the case in March 2026, stepped down as chief executive in August.

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.