Seaton Hole: Major cliff protection work brought forward
The council said the decision was "critical to help reduce delays and cost increases".Geoff Jung, cabinet member for environment at East Devon District Council, said: "Approval from council will allow us to push ahead and order the new rock to ensure best value for money now, as delays may result in higher costs being incurred next year."The project included increasing the volume of existing rock armour at the base of the cliffs, upgrading the steel baskets used to hold rocks in place and maintaining the current seawall.The total cost is expected to be £2.2m and has already been approved by the Environment Agency.The council said it was confident planning permission would be granted, as no major issues were raised during the pre-application process.The report said there was a "small risk" of not getting planning permission but "in the worst-case scenario" that would result in the council having rock armour for future schemes.
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The Independent
12 minutes ago
- The Independent
Britain's ‘biggest rat' found in Yorkshire home
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The Independent
12 minutes ago
- The Independent
Car loans: Why could drivers still get compensation after court ruling?
Millions of UK motorists could be eligible for payouts worth hundreds of pounds after regulators announced an industry-wide compensation scheme. It came after a landmark Supreme Court ruling over whether motor finance firms complied with rules related to commission paid by lenders to dealers selling car loans. The ruling on Friday was widely considered a victory for finance firms potentially affected, after it was judged that two key cases were did not break the law. Here the PA news agency looks at why consumers could still be able to make claims for compensation payments. What was the court case and why was it important? The UK's highest court was considering an appeal against a Court of Appeal ruling made in October last year, relating to three claimants who had each bought cars on credit. In each case, the car dealer made a profit on the sale of the car but also received a commission from the lender for introducing the business to them, which the three claimants argued they did not know about. The Court of Appeal originally found that 'secret' commission payments, as part of finance arrangements made before 2021 without the motorist's fully informed consent, were unlawful. The lenders, FirstRand Bank and Close Brothers, challenged the decision. If the case confirmed that these three cases were all still unlawful, then consumers who bought cars with similar finance deals could make claims to potentially secure compensation. What was the result? On Friday, Lords Reed, Hodge, Lloyd-Jones, Briggs and Hamblen ruled that car dealers did not have a relationship with their customers that would require them to act only in the customers' interest, and that the Court of Appeal was wrong. But they said that some customers could still receive payouts by bringing claims under the Consumer Credit Act (CCA). It upheld one of the three claims and stressed that it was still broadly considered 'unfair'. What does it mean for consumers? Consumers who are concerned that they were not told about commission and think they may have paid too much could therefore still be eligible for compensation. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) watchdog said not all claims will receive payouts however. The FCA had launched its own process to look at discretionary commission arrangements (DCAs) on motor finance deals in 2024 but had put this on hold until the outcome of the Supreme Court case. Some 80,000 open cases on this issue were effectively paused for the ruling. Who is eligible for compensation? The case specifically relates to people who took out car loans between 2007 and 2021. Consumer champion Martin Lewis said in a video posted to X that millions of people are still likely to be due payments. He told Sky News the consultation is 'likely to mean 40% of people who got a car finance deal between 2007 and 2021 will be due some form of redress'. How much could I receive? The FCA said it is consulting on a redress scheme which is expected to cost between £9 billion and £18 billion. This is expected to mean victims could receive up to £950 in compensation. The regulator stressed that it was 'hard to estimate precisely at this stage the total cost to industry of the scheme'. What will the compensation process be? Currently, a lot is still not known about who exactly is eligible and how it will take place. The FCA has said that those who have already complained do not need to do anything and advised that others with potential claims contact their car loan provider, rather than use a claims management company. The regulator added that its consultation will be launched by early October. If the compensation scheme goes ahead, the first payments should be made in 2026. What does that mean for car finance firms? The motor finance industry is expected to cover the costs of the compensation, including administrative costs. Over the past few years, lenders and motor finance firms have been setting aside money to cover potential compensation payments. Why has the sector reacted positively to this? On Monday, shares in lender Lloyds and Close Brothers moved firmly higher after the ruling appeared to be more favourable than expected. Lloyds told shareholders on Monday morning that further financial provisions are 'unlikely to be material' in order to cover likely redress payments. While there is still some uncertainty over the cost of redress for the industry, positive outcomes in two of the cases mean they are likely to face fewer claims than previously expected. AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould said: 'While this issue could still cause some damage, it looks unlikely to be a repeat of the PPI scandal which blighted the banking industry in the 2010s.'
The Guardian
13 minutes ago
- The Guardian
‘Cat-sized' rat found in Teesside town puts focus on pest control cuts
Cuts to council pest control services are being blamed for a town's rodent problem, which includes the discovery of a supersize rat said to be 22in (56cm) from nose to tail. The giant rat, about the length of the carry-on luggage people might be wheeling on to a flight – or, if not on holiday, a desktop monitor – was found inside a resident's home in Normanby, Teesside. 'I had to do a double take when I saw a picture of it,' said Stephen Martin, a Conservative councillor on Redcar and Cleveland council. 'You can tell by the size of the bag that it's not a normal size. It's the size of a cat.' Martin, whose Eston ward is close to where the rat was removed by a pest controller, said it was not a one-off. 'Rats are being spotted more and more around our area. It has been getting worse for a few years now.' As with many cash-strapped local authorities, Redcar and Cleveland does not offer a pest control service to private residents. Its website says officers can offer free advice over the phone, 'however, the responsibility for taking action to solve a pest problem belongs to the occupant of the property'. But Martin said many people did not have the money to pay private pest control companies. He said the rat problem often began on council or housing association land 'but they're expecting private residents to sort it out'. There are also problems with people putting the wrong waste in recycling bins. 'Instead of actually taking the bins away they are just tagging them, making the resident know it's contaminated, and it is not getting emptied,' he said. 'There's more rubbish on the ground and it is attracting more rats and they are just getting bigger and bigger and bigger.' Fellow Eston councillor David Taylor said: 'I have seen a fair few rats but nothing the size of this one. My dog [a cockapoo] can often smell rats … I wouldn't like to think she was tackling that one.' Taylor said about five housing estates had been built in quick succession locally, which affected infrastructure and moved rats from fields to urban areas. Add to that the increase in takeaway food and fly-tipping and there was a perfect storm, which needed a coordinated approach, he said. 'The rats obviously lived in the sewers but they're now walking the streets. 'The problem is UK-wide and it needs to be sorted with a joint effort. It needs government, local councils, the water boards, private landlords, shops and businesses … all to come together.' Taylor said he understood money was tight at Redcar and Cleveland council but the problem would just get worse without action. Martin said many residents had been in touch to say they had spotted rats around bins, in alleyways and crossing the street. He was sent a further picture at the weekend of rat having a go at bins during the day. Martin and Taylor are calling for a full vermin survey and treatment plan across the borough. 'The longer this is ignored, the worse it will get,' they said. A spokesperson for Redcar and Cleveland council said: 'The council has a dedicated pest control officer, who manages pest issues on council-owned land. While we no longer provide a wider pest control service, we do offer advice to residents where possible. 'The council continues to work with Beyond Housing, Northumbrian Water and other partners to address complex issues and explore potential solutions. 'There is also helpful guidance and preventive measures on our website to support people in dealing with pests.'
