Appeal lodged over 155-home development in Littlethorpe
The Local Democracy Reporting Service said councillors refused an outline planning application, which sought to secure permission in principle to build the homes, even though planning officers recommended approval. If approved, the proposed development would include 116 houses at market price and 39 properties classed as affordable.In a letter seen by the LDRS, Blaby District Council said the appeal would be heard by the Planning Inspectorate on 16 September and is scheduled to last four days.
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The Sun
9 minutes ago
- The Sun
Martin Lewis reveals little-known suncream tip that could save YOU money – and it's all about a three digit number
MARTIN Lewis has revealed a little-known sun cream tip that could help you save some cash. As temperatures of 34 degrees hit some parts of the UK today, a clip from the financial guru's hit podcast has been recirculated. 1 Martin shared a hack with listeners of his self titled podcast to help them get more longevity out of their sun cream. When shopping for the lotion, which protects you from sunburn and skin damage, the money pro encouraged customers to turn the bottle around. He said there should be a PAO number on the back of the bottle which details "how long the sunscreen is still going to give you protection for once you've opened it". The guru added that customers should make a note of when they open it so "you'll know if you try to use it in a year's time, whether it's still valid or not". 'Hopefully, if you've got 24 months, you won't need to buy a new one thinking, 'Oh, I'd better chuck that away — it's too old,' because it'll still be valid.' PAO stands for Period After Opening and can often be indicated by an open jar icon on the back of sun cream and other toiletry products. Inside the icon there will usually be a figure - such as 12 months - to show how long the product is effective after opening. It comes as the UK has welcomed another weekend of warm weather, with many stocking up on sun cream to protect their skin. For example, the Hawaiian Tropic Factor 30 sun cream has a PAO of 12 months. And with the summer holidays well and truly underway, Martin has shared a number of hacks to help Brits jetting off on their holidays. HMRC Spying on Social Media, M&S Giving Away Free Cakes, & Unemployment at Four-Year-High – Money News Today The brains behind MoneySavingExpert has also shared a quick tip to save money while overseas. Martin Lewis said: 'When you go abroad and you pay on plastic and the overseas cash machine or shop asks you: Do you want to pay in pounds or euros? What do you do? 'Well, the correct answer is you should always pay in euros or whatever the local currency is.' Martin said that by choosing to pay in euros your credit card company or bank works out the currency exchange rate for you. But if you choose to pay in pounds then the calculations are left up to the overseas bank, shop or restaurant's bank. This is known as dynamic currency exchange and could mean you end up paying a much worse exchange rate. Martin Lewis added that the best situation would be if you had an overseas debit or credit card that gives you a near perfect exchange rate. MORE SUMMER HACKS With summer in full swing, there are plenty of ways to enjoy the weather without spending a fortune. If you have children, why not avail of the range of free activities available for kids up and down the UK. That includes Pets at Home "My Pet Pals" summer workshop. These events will run until Sunday August 17 in Scotland and Northern Ireland . And will run until Sunday August 31 in England and Wales. These workshops focus on the five needs of animal welfare, with a different theme each week of the holidays. Kids will receive a pocketbook full of activities, a My Pet Pals certificate, and have the chance to meet some animals. Families can also head to the cinema for £1 per person at Cineworld locations. These movies are not the latest releases but include big hits from the past year or so including Paddington and the Minecraft Movie. How to save money on summer essentials SUNNIER days and warmer weather will leave many of us wanting to kit out gardens and outdoor areas. Sun Savers Editor Lana Clements explains how to get a great deal on summer essentials… It pays to know how to bag big savings on the likes of hot tubs paddling pools, egg chairs and outside bars. Many retailers have flash sales across entire ranges – often this ties into payday at the end of the month or Bank Holiday weekends. Sign up to the mailing lists of your favourite brands and you'll be first to know of special offers. It can be worth following retailers on social media too. Keep a close eye on the specialbuys at Aldi and middle of Lidl drops which drop a couple of times a week and usually mean great value seasonal items such as beach gear and paddling pools. If you are not in a hurry to buy an item, try adding it to the shopping cart and leaving it for a couple of days. Sometimes big brands will try to tempt you into the sale by offering you a discount. Always check if you can get cashback before paying. It's especially worth using sites such as Topcashback, Quidco and app Jamdoughnut when buying bigger ticket items such as garden furniture as you'll get a nice kickback.
BBC News
9 minutes ago
- BBC News
Liverpool Festival Garden homes plan could include school
A primary school could be built alongside housing planned for a landmark site on Liverpool's waterfront. Plans for homes on the site of the 1984 International Garden Festival have been in the pipeline for nearly two decades, but have all failed to materialise. Concerns have previously been raised by opposition figures that a lack of infrastructure needed to be addressed if hundreds or potentially thousands of homes were to be built on the site, known locally as the Festival Garden after a new agreement was reached with two developers, Liverpool City Council housing spokesman Nick Small said plans for a school were "being looked at" as part of the scheme. Small did not put a figure on how many homes would be built, but said 20% of them would be "affordable". He added that when people saw the plans they would be "really excited", and said 20% of homes on the site would be "affordable". In November 2006 plans were put forward for more than 1,000 new homes around the cleared festival hall dome area, as well as the restoration of the original ornamental gardens were restored in 2012, but the housing scheme did not 2017 Liverpool City Council took back control of the site and in 2018 appointed new the land was used as a waste dump before the Garden Festival, the site needed to be cleaned up. The work was completed in council said it was the biggest remediation project in Europe, with more than £53m invested by the council, Homes England and the Liverpool City Region Combined authority went out to tender for developers again in said the development would be the next piece in Liverpool's waterfront masterplan. "We have an iconic waterfront which is globally recognised, but there's so much more we can do," he said. Urban Splash and igloo Regeneration are the two companies chosen to work with the council. A plan to form a joint venture company with the two firms is set to be put forward for approval in September. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
The Guardian
39 minutes ago
- The Guardian
UK visa services firm sues ex-boss for £6m over alleged improper use of profits
The company that runs visa services for the UK government is suing its former chief executive for £6m over her alleged improper use of profits earned during a period of record immigration. Cloud Bai-Yun, who once represented the UK on an international ethics and fraud advisory body, is accused by Ecctis of a breach of fiduciary duty, according to court filings. The company claims that she oversaw profit making on a not-for-profit government contract and this money was ultimately used in 2021 to pay her £17.587m for her shares in Ecctis's holding company. Ecctis's claim against Bai-Yun is for £4.63m, plus more than £2m in interest. Bai-Yun said: 'I wholly deny the allegations made against me by the new management of Ecctis and will be defending myself in court.' Ecctis runs the official language tests and qualification recognition services for those applying for certain UK visas or permissions. Under a not-for-profit contract with the Department for Education (DfE), it is claimed that Ecctis was obliged to reinvest any profit earned or to keep a maximum of half of the net gain in reserve. It is alleged that Bai-Yun, who was chief executive from 2014 and a director since 2006, instead improperly approved large dividend payments in 2016 and 2017 to a holding company. Bai-Yun was the sole shareholder of the holding company and in 2021 that money was used to buy her shareholding for £17.587m, it is claimed. The shares were then transferred to an employee-owned trust. Bai-Yun's defence claims there were no restrictions in Ecctis's articles of association on paying dividends and that it was for her as the shareholder to make the decisions on the payments. The legal action by Ecctis follows its repayment to the government of £13.64m after a DfE audit concluded the company had failed to reinvest profits in its services. Bai-Yun, who had moved from being chief executive to chief adviser on the sale of her shares, was asked to resign from the latter role after the 2022 audit. The Guardian revealed details of the scandal in January this year, leading the DfE's most senior civil servant to tell the Common's public accounts committee that officials had undertaken a 'very hard review' of 'serious failings'. The new legal row will be an embarrassment to the DfE, which renewed Ecctis's contract this year with changes that ensured all profits were directly paid to the government. Insiders at the company have voiced concerns that Ecctis continues to hold a monopoly on services they say would be better run directly by the state. Ecctis has seen a huge increase in revenue in recent years owing to historically high levels of immigration, particularly in the post-Brexit period. According to Ecctis's particulars of claim, the payment in 2016 of a £2.16m dividend to the holdings company was questioned at the time by the finance director at the company, Robert Wall. Wall wrote that his understanding was that they were supposed to operate 'as a not-for-profit business', it is claimed. Despite this, the board, with Bai-Yun in attendance, went on to approve a further dividend in 2017 of £2.5m. Ecctis claims the dividends were 'constituted almost entirely of net profit' from the government contracts, leaving it in breach of the agreement with the DfE. The company further alleges: 'In February 2021, funds including the 2017 dividends were passed to the defendant as part of the £17.587m sale price.' Ecctis's claim for £4.6m plus interest in 'remedy' covers only the 2016 and 2017 dividend payments. There is a time limitation on claims. The claim refers, however, to the DfE's audit which found that £16.63m in dividends were paid in total up to 2021 and that this money was ultimately 'put towards the purchase price' of £17.587m paid to Bai-Yun. Ecctis claims Bai-Yun failed in her duty as a director of Ecctis to promote the success of the company and avoid conflicts of interest. In her defence, Bai-Yun claims the price she received for her shares was £17.5m and not £17.587m. She claims there was no contractual restraint on the use of the balance of the net profit once appropriate investments in the services were made. She denies a conflict of interest as she approved the dividends as the shareholder of the holding company, rather than as a director of Ecctis. She claims Wall was mistaken in his understanding of the contract with the DfE. A DfE spokesperson said: 'Our new, strengthened contract, alongside a new leadership team at Ecctis, means the department can continue to work with Ecctis to provide a good service to the public on the recognition of qualifications, which is a requirement under international law.'
