Tag: News Story

STORY

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities today set out a carefully staged programme for the sensitive deconstruction of Grenfell Tower, reaffirming its commitment to work hand-in-hand with bereaved families, survivors and the local community as the eighth anniversary of the tragedy approaches.

Under the new roadmap:

Specialist contractor confirmed: After an open competition, the government will award the dismantling contract to a firm with proven experience in controlled deconstruction and community engagement. A mandatory 30-day standstill period will follow before works formally begin.

Transparent timeline published: In July, detailed plans will be released covering every step—from environmental safeguards and health-and-safety protocols to the creation of a secondary site for respectfully storing materials not used in the on-site memorial. Physical preparatory works will start in August, with full deconstruction slated to begin in September, taking approximately two years to complete behind protective screens.

Ongoing community dialogue: Regular public forums—both large and in small groups—will be held to share progress, gather feedback on anniversary commemorations and ensure the site’s future custodianship reflects local wishes. One-to-one meetings and written updates will also be available on request.

Wellbeing support remains in place: The Grenfell Wellbeing Service, operated by the NHS, continues to offer confidential counselling and advice. Survivors or residents can call 020 8637 6279 daily (8 am–8 pm) or contact their GP for referrals. An out-of-hours helpline is available at 0800 0234 650.

Communities Minister Laura Farris said, “We owe it to everyone affected by the Grenfell fire to carry out this work with the utmost care, compassion and transparency. By engaging families and residents at every stage, we will ensure the tower is dismantled respectfully and safely, leaving a lasting tribute to those we lost.”

STORY

The chair of Thames Water, Sir Adrian Montague, has conceded he “may have misspoken” when telling MPs that senior executive bonuses worth up to 50% of salary were “insisted upon” by the company’s creditors. His clarification to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) select committee casts doubt on whether Parliament was accurately informed about the controversial retention payments, leading to a fear that the chair had deliberately misled Parliament.

Last week, Sir Adrian told MPs that lenders behind Thames Water’s £3 billion emergency loan had demanded substantial bonuses to retain key staff amid “hair-raising” financial pressures. Those comments sparked criticism, given the company’s warning that it had come “very close to running out of money entirely.”

However, documents seen by the Guardian newspaper, including the loan term sheet and a recent High Court judgment, indicate that while creditors agreed to the scheme, they did not require it. In a letter to the EFRA committee made public today, Sir Adrian said:

“I appreciate that in the heat of the moment I may have misspoken when I stated that the creditors insisted on the management retention plan.”

He went on to explain that the retention plan “rose from our discussions related to our liquidity extension transaction” and was agreed as part of a broader effort to safeguard experienced executives during a period of uncertainty. Thames Water is likely to issue further clarifications about their chair “misspeaking” later today.

STORY

Homes England has surpassed all three of its key housebuilding milestones for 2024/25, provisional figures published today reveal. The government’s housing and regeneration agency enabled the completion of 36,757 new homes—exceeding its target of 36,484—while construction started on 37,782 homes against a target of 33,095. It also unlocked land capable of delivering a further 78,986 homes, comfortably outstripping its goal of 59,956.

This performance comes amid the government’s drive to build 1.5 million homes during this Parliament. By partnering with local authorities, combined mayoral authorities and private developers, Homes England has stepped up interventions in places such as Nottingham, York and Bristol, and forged strategic “place partnerships” with regions including Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region and Cambridgeshire & Peterborough.

Matthew Pennycook, Minister of State for Housing and Planning, said:

“Homes England is playing a crucial role in our Plan for Change to deliver 1.5 million new homes and the biggest rise in social and affordable housing in a generation. Exceeding these targets shows the agency’s vital contribution to unlocking land, backing SME builders and regenerating communities across England.”

Pat Ritchie, Chair of Homes England, added:

“I’m immensely proud of our 2024/25 results. Our colleagues’ passion for housebuilding and regeneration shines through these figures. As we move to a more regionally focused model, we’ll be even better placed to meet local housing needs and support the government’s growth agenda.”

Eamonn Boylan, Chief Executive of Homes England, remarked:

“Since January, I’ve been impressed by our team’s dedication. By exceeding our delivery targets and deepening collaboration with mayors and councils, we’re ensuring everyone has a place they’re proud to call home.”

STORY

Marking International Clinical Trials Day, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) today hailed “remarkable” progress under its new risk-proportionate clinical trial regulations and launched a six-week public consultation on using real-world data to support future trial designs. Since introducing the most significant overhaul of UK trial rules in over 20 years, the MHRA reports that 100% of clinical trial applications have met statutory approval timelines, with the combined MHRA–Health Research Authority review now taking an average of 40 days, down from 150. Chief Executive Lawrence Tallon emphasised that one in eight trials in the UK test treatments in humans for the first time, and that these reforms will help bring cutting-edge therapies to patients more swiftly.

Lord O’Shaughnessy, author of the landmark 2023 review into the UK’s commercial trial landscape, praised the agency’s delivery on his recommendations, saying that the MHRA is once again taking a global lead with world-class approval times and fresh reforms to boost speed and flexibility. Professor Sir Martin Landray, CEO of Protas, added that this “regulatory enlightenment” is vital if the UK is to remain at the vanguard of innovative trial methodologies against life-threatening diseases.

STORY

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has today approved guselkumab (Tremfya) to treat adults with moderately to severely active Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis (UC) who have failed other therapies or cannot tolerate them.

Previously authorised for plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, guselkumab is the first IL-23 inhibitor in the UK licensed for inflammatory bowel disease. It can be given by intravenous infusion or subcutaneous injection for Crohn’s disease, and by infusion for the initial treatment of UC.

Clinical trials underpinning the approval included:

Crohn’s disease: Up to 56% of patients on guselkumab achieved clinical remission at 12 weeks, versus 15–22% on placebo. Endoscopic response—indicating reduced intestinal inflammation—was observed in up to 41% of treated patients compared to 11–21% with placebo.

Ulcerative colitis: After 12 weeks of induction therapy, 23% of guselkumab-treated patients reached clinical remission, compared to 8% on placebo. Maintenance dosing saw remission rates climb to 50% at 44 weeks versus 19% for placebo.

Julian Beach, MHRA Interim Executive Director of Healthcare Quality and Access, said:

“Patient safety is our top priority, which is why I am pleased to confirm the approval of guselkumab to treat Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. We’re assured that the appropriate regulatory standards of safety, quality and efficacy for the approval of this new formulation have been met. As with all products, we will keep its safety under close review.”

STORY

Britain’s potato industry has been put on notice after fresh sightings of the Colorado beetle – a voracious pest capable of devastating potato, tomato and pepper crops – prompted the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) to urge immediate vigilance among home gardeners, allotmenteers and commercial growers.

The warning follows laboratory confirmation of Colorado beetle larvae in a Kent potato field in 2023. Left unchecked, both adult beetles and their larvae can strip foliage completely, threatening yields and inflicting significant economic damage. Previous outbreaks in the 1930s, 1950s and 1970s were eradicated through coordinated inspection and public reporting, APHA notes.

Professor Nicola Spence, Defra’s Chief Plant Health Officer, stressed the public’s critical role:

“The Colorado beetle poses a significant threat to plants and the wider potato industry. We need everyone—gardeners, allotmenteers and farmers—to report suspected sightings with a photograph and location details so we can act swiftly to protect UK biosecurity.”

APHA Interim Chief Executive Dr Jenny Stewart added that the agency’s surveillance network “protects UK borders from a wide range of pests” but success hinges on public assistance. Gardeners handling imported leafy vegetables, salad leaves, fresh herbs or frozen produce should inspect for hitchhiking beetles and report any finds immediately.

STORY

The Court of Appeal today dismissed an application by Lucy Connolly, upholding her 31-month prison sentence for inciting racial hatred over a social media post in the wake of the Southport knife attacks. It was also revealed that she had planned to feign mental health issues. The court decision [in .pdf format] stated:

“There is no arguable basis on which it could be said that the sentence imposed by the judge was manifestly excessive.”

Connolly, a former childminder and wife of ex-Conservative councillor Ray Connolly, posted on X last July:

“Mass deportation now, set fire to all the fucking hotels full of the bastards for all I care … if that makes me racist so be it.”

Her posts inciting arson were viewed more than 310,000 times before deletion, the tweet called for hotels housing asylum seekers to be torched after three girls were fatally stabbed at a holiday club in Southport on 29 July 2024.

At her October sentencing at Birmingham Crown Court, Connolly pleaded guilty to one count of stirring up racial hatred. Prosecutors told the court she compounded her offence by feigning a mental health crisis to avoid responsibility, explicitly admitting in WhatsApp messages that she would “play the mental health card” if arrested and deny authorship of the post if questioned. The appeal judges rejected arguments that her sentence was excessive, confirming the seriousness of using incendiary rhetoric to target a vulnerable group. In refusing Connolly’s challenge, the court noted the high-profile reach of her online tirade and the risk it posed to community cohesion. Despite a local MP’s demand that Ray Connolly step down from West Northamptonshire Council, he retained his position until this year’s local elections, where he was voted out. Connolly was told that she would serve 40% of his sentence in prison before being allowed to be released on licence.

STORY

International manufacturer Knauf Insulation today confirmed a £170 million investment in a cutting-edge rock mineral wool factory at its Deeside site in Shotton, pledging to create around 140 direct jobs and bolster the local supply chain. The new facility, due to begin production in 2026, will use UK-First Submerged Arc Furnace technology to churn out over 100,000 tonnes of non-combustible, low-carbon, recyclable insulation each year. Knauf’s expansion is backed by the UK and Welsh Governments through the North Wales Growth Deal and the Flintshire and Wrexham Investment Zone, reflecting ministers’ drive to attract inward investment and support advanced manufacturing hubs across Wales.

Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens said:

“This £170 million investment by Knauf Insulation is fantastic news for North Wales and our UK Government mission to drive economic growth. It’s a vote of confidence in the Welsh economy and our plan to make Britain the destination of choice for industrial investment.”

Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales Ken Skates added that the project “is a testament to the skills and facilities we have here” and pledged continued support as construction gets underway.

Baroness Gustafsson, Minister for Investment, emphasised Knauf’s role in the Government’s modern Industrial Strategy, which identifies advanced manufacturing as one of eight priority sectors:

“The UK is open for business, and this is yet another vote of confidence in North Wales and its thriving advanced manufacturing sector, which will boost jobs and prosperity across the region.”

Neil Hargreaves, Managing Director of Knauf Insulation Northern Europe, noted the company’s long heritage in Wales and its commitment to sustainability:

“Using cutting-edge furnace technology, the factory will support safer, more energy-efficient and sustainable buildings—aligning with both Welsh and UK government visions for industry.”

STORY

In a decisive regulatory action, the Deputy Traffic Commissioner for the East of England has revoked the operator’s licence of Transglobal Solutions Ltd (licence OF2038634) and indefinitely disqualified its sole director and transport manager, Maricel Taranu, following a public inquiry into widespread safety and compliance breaches.

Key Findings & Timeline

DVSA probes began in May 2024 when an HGV was stopped with its tachograph undownloaded for 155 days and driven 580 km without a driver’s card. Subsequent checks revealed unlicensed, untaxed vehicles operating without MOTs and serious maintenance defects—including loose wheel nuts and a disintegrated tyre—posing “a serious danger to road safety”.

Repeated non-engagement: Taranu failed to supply drivers’ hours and maintenance records, missed arranged inspections, and falsely claimed his vehicles were off the road while ANPR data proved otherwise. In a public inquiry held on 29 April 2025 in Cambridge, the inquiry proceeded in Taranu’s absence after the operator neglected to attend or submit evidence. A Romanian police website later revealed a warrant for Taranu’s arrest on drink-driving and licence-offence convictions in Romania.

Regulatory Action

Deputy Traffic Commissioner Nicolas Denton concluded that Transglobal Solutions lacked both a stable UK establishment and the requisite financial standing, and that Taranu had demonstrably lost the repute required of a transport manager. Denton revoked the operator’s licence with immediate effect and imposed indefinite disqualifications on both the company and Taranu from holding any operator licence, as well as barring Taranu from acting as a transport manager or director of any transport-licensing company.

“This is one of the worst operators I have ever come across”, Denton said. “Mr Taranu has shown an utter indifference to the law and to road safety. There should be no room in the industry for such reckless behaviour.”

DVSA inspectors have been instructed to impound any Transglobal-operated HGVs found on the road post-revocation. This landmark decision underscores the regulator’s zero-tolerance stance on operator non-compliance and dangerous vehicle maintenance standards.

STORY

A Court of Appeal panel has today extended the sentence of Jordan Crewe (27), from Caerphilly, after Solicitor General Lucy Rigby KC MP referred his case under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme. Crewe was originally sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court on 18 February 2025 to two years’ custody for a series of offences against his former partner, including harassment, strangulation, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and controlling or coercive behaviour. He was also made subject to a 12-year restraining order.

In March 2022, while on licence from that first sentence, Crewe forced his way into his ex-partner’s home, attacked her and slashed her tyres. Even after being recalled to prison, he continued to send abusive letters, texts and phone calls, and unwarranted location-tracking messages. He later escalated his campaign by sharing videos simulating suicide, groping and biting his victim in public, and threatening her family on New Year’s Eve, culminating in a physical assault in her car.

Delivering judgment, the Court of Appeal agreed with the Solicitor General’s intervention, noting the “systematic campaign of violence and coercive control” and the profound psychological harm inflicted. Crewe’s custodial term was raised by ten months, to two years and ten months’ imprisonment. Solicitor General Lucy Rigby KC MP said:

“Jordan Crewe’s tirade of abuse against his ex-partner was appalling. He carried out a systematic campaign of violence and coercive control. Thankfully the Court has recognised the severity of Crewe’s actions and increased his sentence.”