Road reopening delayed until Easter
The reopening of a Woking town centre road may be delayed until Easter, the council leader has said.
Victoria Way has faced roadworks and closures since 2021 due to loose cladding panels repeatedly falling from the Woking Hilton hotel.
Woking Borough Council (WBC) had said they hoped to see the route reopen by the end of March but they believe there will be a two-week delay until all panels have been screwed down.
Councillor Ann-Marie Barker said: "I'm sorry to say this could be delayed a few weeks to Easter."
Ms Barker said she was pushing the developer Sir Robert McAlpine (SRM) to reopen the road as soon as it is safe to do so.
She added SRM's site manager updated WBC's environment and place scrutiny committee last week and have said further works in the road will last until the summer.
Ms Barker said: "I am incredibly frustrated at the continued road closure and continue to press SRM to work as quickly as possible to reopen Victoria Way and to ensure this never happens again."
The BBC has contacted SRM for comment.
Follow BBC Surrey on Facebook, on X and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.
Road will stay closed for another month - council
Road closures are killing business, say traders
'Shoddy' cladding firm 'should be blacklisted'
Sir Robert McAlpine
Woking Borough Council

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Energy boss' claim against publisher thrown out
Dale Vince's High Court claim against a newspaper publisher has been thrown out. Mr Vince, industrialist and founder of Stroud-based energy firm, Ecotricity, brought legal action against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) over a Daily Mail article headlined "Labour repays £100,000 to sex pest donor", published in June 2023. The story said Labour was handing back money to donor Davide Serra with a picture showing Mr Vince holding a Just Stop Oil banner. Mr Vince claimed ANL misused his personal data, but the judge said it should have been heard with the defamation claim in July 2024 as "any ordinary reader would very quickly realise Mr Vince was not being accused of sexual harassment". More news stories for Gloucestershire Listen to the latest news for Gloucestershire An employment tribunal in 2022 heard Mr Serra had made sexist comments to a female colleague which were found to amount to unlawful harassment related to sex. The original picture remained in print but was changed on The Mail+ app to one of Mr Serra 47 minutes after publication. ANL had defended the claim and its lawyers previously told the High Court in London it was an abuse of process and a "resurrection" of a libel claim that was dismissed last year. Mr Justice Swift said at the High Court on Monday: "There is no real prospect that Mr Vince will succeed on his claim. "As in the defamation proceedings, it is accepted that on reading the text of the article published in Mail+ and the Daily Mail any ordinary reader would very quickly realise that Mr Vince was not being accused of sexual harassment. "Considered on this basis the personal data relating to Mr Vince was processed fairly." He said there was "every reason" why the data protection claim should have been heard with the defamation claim last year. Following the decision, Mr Vince said he planned to appeal and the relevant media law "predates the internet". He said: "The judge said if you read the whole story, you'd realise the headline was not about me, begging the question why was my face highlighted in the articles perhaps. "But more importantly, people don't read entire articles, the law assumes it - but does so wrongly, against all data and against common sense." Follow BBC Gloucestershire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. Green energy boss settles High Court libel case


New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
I pay my mortgage by renting out my pool year-round — and turn it into a ‘private oasis'
Advertisement If your house has a swimming pool, you might just be sitting on a gold mine. Thousands of people are renting out their pools for big bucks on Swimply—an online marketplace for hourly rentals of pools and outdoor spaces. And many are using the cash to pay their mortgage payments and home renovations. Radio host Jim Beach, 57, of Atlanta, is one of those people. Advertisement 'I saw an interview with the CEO, and it seemed like a cool idea to explore,' he says. 'We signed up and had a booking in two hours.' He and his wife Megan were surprised how much money could be made—and how fast the money started to roll in. 'It kicked into gear quickly,' says Beach. 'We made the most money our first season, because there was less competition.' 6 Radio host Jim Beach, 57, of Atlanta Rents out his pool. Jim Beach Advertisement They're now entering their fourth season of renting out their pool on Swimply, with the going rate of $60 an hour for use of their beautiful, in-ground pool. Beach reveals that they make $2,000 a month in summer, and $1,000 a month in late spring and early fall. The money has been so good, they even domed their heated pool one winter to extend their season. There was that much demand! 6 Beach revealed that based on the season, they will make 1-2 thousand dollars. Jim Beach Money for the mortgage Advertisement The best part of the arrangement is that the side hustle has brought in enough cash to make a significant impact on their lives. 'The first time we made enough on Swimply to pay our mortgage payment in full was very exciting,' he says. 'We were very happy.' 6 Not only did being on Swimply pay their mortgage, it also financed their kitchen renovation. Jim Beach But it didn't stop there. Beach says being on Swimply also financed their kitchen renovation. However, this is far from passive income. Beach says a lot of work goes into this side hustle, especially in the yard. In fact, he said he'd just laid 60 bags of mulch a few days before to get the area ready for guests. 'We pride ourselves on lots of flowers, elephant ears, and a perfectly clean yard and pool area,' he says, adding that it takes roughly 15 to 20 minutes to make the yard perfect prior to each rental. Thankfully, he has some extra hands to help. 'We make the kids—who are 10 and 14—help a lot,' says Beach. 'We tell them it pays for their tennis and gymnastics lessons, so they happily help and know their chores.' The lay of the land In addition to the hot tub and saltwater pool, which was redone in 2021, Beach's property boasts a steep ravine with a creek; a 30-foot swinging bridge to a treehouse; a private bathroom and shower; and a diving board. Advertisement 6 Not just passive income: Beach spends a lot of to maintain his yard. Jim Beach 6 Instagram users flock to this location for the photo op. 'We have an amazing photo spot,' says Beach. 'We have many Instagram guests that come just to take pics.' They also offer special packages to make their listing stand out from the competition, such as a roses-and-candles romance package. Advertisement They also offer a floating breakfast brunch with pastries, eggs, French toast, fruit, fresh OJ, bacon, and sausage. 6 To date, Beach's pool has gotten 204 5-star reviews. To accommodate pet lovers, dog swims are even allowed for an additional cleaning fee. Beach and his wife pride themselves on their attention to detail and great customer service. To date, the Beachs' pool has gotten 204 5-star reviews, with users calling it 'magical' and a 'private oasis.' Advertisement Beach says he would encourage other homeowners to try Swimply to help pay their mortgages and fund home renovations—especially if their pool is unique and interesting. 'We have been very happy using it,' he says. 'In fact, several of our Swimply clients are now close friends.'

Miami Herald
an hour ago
- Miami Herald
Tariff impact on grocery prices muted so far, Circana reports
Tariffs have yet to make a noticeable impact on retail grocery prices this year, with inflation in the sector in 2025 driven primarily by supply constraints unrelated to levies on imports, according to a May 30 report from Circana. Food and beverage prices were up 2.9% on a year-over-year basis as of the end of the week of May 18, Circana reported. Prices were up 1.7% in 2024. Price increases this year have mostly stemmed from tight supplies of eggs, meat, coffee and cocoa, with coffee costs still going up even as prices for the other categories have stabilized, Circana said. The Trump administration announced a broad array of tariffs shortly after taking office, but temporarily paused many of the levies. U.S. officials have indicated that they intend to reinstate tariffs on imports from countries the government is unable to hammer out trade deals with during the pause. The United States Court of International Trade last month issued an injunction blocking many of the executive orders that authorized the tariffs, but the ruling was put on hold by a federal appeals court. While tariffs have not played a meaningful role in pushing up food and beverage prices in recent months, Circana noted that certain categories, including seafood, produce, alcohol and baking ingredients, are more susceptible to potential cost increases than others due to their high reliance on imports. By contrast, items such as dairy products, most meats, shelf-stable breakfast foods and frozen meals depend more heavily on domestic supply chains, making them less susceptible to potential tariff-related impacts, Circana noted. Food and beverage volumes were off by about half a percent in May after growing slightly during the first quarter and the final three months of 2024, Circana said, attributing the decline to cooler weather, relatively weak consumer sentiment and reduced demand following strong Easter sales. Circana said it expects volumes for the sector to grow slightly as 2025 continues. Copyright 2025 Industry Dive. All rights reserved.