Thames Water investigates 'illegal spill' into sewage facility
Jake Morley, the firm's government engagement lead for North Thames Valley, said the works were "not designed to take this type of waste and treat it". "We need to allow sites biological process time to recover," he said."Once the site has recovered, we can slowly remove the tankers and treat as normal at the site."He said Thames Water was working the with the Environment Agency (EA) at affected watercourses "both at the ditch and the River Thame". "We are working very hard to reduce the impact to the watercourse," Mr Morley added.The EA has been contacted for a comment.Lib Dem Henley and Thame MP Freddie van Mierlo said he was "extremely concerned" by the incident reports."We don't yet know the full extent, but it's clear that something has gone badly wrong," he said."I've asked for urgent updates from Thames Water, and I'm grateful for the swift response from local councillors and community members."Once the facts are established, we must ensure that those responsible are held to account and that everything possible is done to restore the health of the river."
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Harvington Hall priest hole challenge causes panic attack
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The Independent
an hour ago
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Full list of population change for local areas in England and Wales
Here is a full list of the estimated change in population for every local authority area in England and Wales between mid-2023 and mid-2024. Of the 318 local authorities, the population is estimated to have increased in 306 and decreased in 12. The figures have been published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The authorities with the largest percentage increase and decrease, City of London and Isles of Scilly respectively, have very small populations which means they have outlying results. The list is ordered by the size of percentage change in population, starting with the largest increase. It reads, from left to right: name of local authority; estimated population in mid-2024; percentage change compared with mid-2023; estimated population (in brackets) in mid-2023. City of London 15,111 11.06% (13,606)Oadby & Wigston 61,695 3.12% (59,826)Preston 162,864 2.87% (158,317)Barking & Dagenham 232,747 2.85% (226,301)Coventry 369,026 2.72% (359,243)South Derbyshire 117,493 2.69% (114,413)Blaby 108,165 2.51% (105,513) Rugby 122,378 2.50% (119,395)Salford 294,348 2.50% (287,178)Dartford 125,011 2.50% (121,966)Vale of White Horse 149,347 2.44% (145,795)Mid Suffolk 110,775 2.43% (108,144)Tewkesbury 101,949 2.41% (99,546)Braintree 164,304 2.37% (160,494)Hartlepool 98,180 2.33% (95,942)Luton 239,090 2.33% (233,640)Stratford-on-Avon 146,258 2.33% (142,931)Rushmoor 105,751 2.29% (103,379)Newcastle upon Tyne 320,605 2.26% (313,522)Hillingdon 329,185 2.24% (321,977)Havering 276,274 2.21% (270,305)Nuneaton & Bedworth 141,565 2.15% (138,588)Mid Sussex 161,755 2.11% (158,410)Blackburn with Darwen 162,540 2.11% (159,189)Central Bedfordshire 315,877 2.10% (309,382)Spelthorne 107,074 2.10% (104,875)Slough 167,359 2.09% (163,940)Wolverhampton 281,251 2.05% (275,601)Exeter 138,399 1.98% (135,708)South Gloucestershire 306,332 1.96% (300,435)Pendle 99,777 1.94% (97,881)East Hertfordshire 156,875 1.94% (153,897)Bassetlaw 124,937 1.93% (122,577)Rushcliffe 126,736 1.91% (124,356)Milton Keynes 305,884 1.90% (300,173)South Cambridgeshire 172,544 1.90% (169,328)South Ribble 116,113 1.89% (113,957)Maidstone 187,767 1.89% (184,281)Rochdale 235,561 1.88% (231,217)Huntingdonshire 190,619 1.87% (187,113)Harlow 98,235 1.87% (96,429)Burnley 99,233 1.86% (97,425)Telford & Wrekin 195,952 1.84% (192,417)Watford 107,171 1.81% (105,261)Knowsley 162,565 1.81% (159,672)Ealing 385,985 1.79% (379,203)Winchester 135,632 1.79% (133,253)Bedford 194,976 1.78% (191,575)Croydon 409,342 1.77% (402,217)Sunderland 288,606 1.76% (283,606)Cherwell 170,426 1.76% (167,480)Harborough 104,713 1.75% (102,910)East Cambridgeshire 92,906 1.74% (91,313)Stoke-on-Trent 270,425 1.73% (265,822)Barnet 405,050 1.72% (398,191)Newham 374,523 1.72% (368,194)Bexley 256,434 1.71% (252,124)North East Derbyshire 106,646 1.70% (104,862)Reading 182,907 1.69% (179,863)Newport 167,899 1.69% (165,112)Gloucester 138,598 1.68% (136,302)Dacorum 161,420 1.68% (158,754)Tunbridge Wells 119,694 1.66% (117,741)Bristol 494,399 1.65% (486,376)Middlesbrough 156,161 1.64% (153,639)South Oxfordshire 156,470 1.64% (153,946)Wyre 118,743 1.64% (116,832)Ribble Valley 65,794 1.63% (64,736)Medway 292,655 1.62% (288,003)Amber Valley 130,451 1.59% (128,408)Broadland 138,157 1.59% (135,997)Reigate & Banstead 159,134 1.58% (156,657)Tendring 156,759 1.58% (154,321)Lichfield 111,932 1.58% (110,192)Derby 274,149 1.57% (269,903)Malvern Hills 83,227 1.57% (81,943)Buckinghamshire 578,772 1.57% (569,850)Rutland 41,443 1.56% (40,807)Cheshire East 421,298 1.56% (414,836)Hyndburn 86,058 1.55% (84,747)West Lancashire 121,995 1.53% (120,157)Walsall 295,678 1.52% (291,237)North West Leicestershire 111,881 1.52% (110,203)Swindon 243,875 1.52% (240,218)Guildford 151,359 1.52% (149,094)North Northamptonshire 373,871 1.52% (368,282)Rossendale 73,045 1.50% (71,962)Stockton-on-Tees 206,800 1.49% (203,768)Tameside 239,643 1.48% (236,142)Gravesham 110,671 1.48% (109,059)Leicester 388,348 1.48% (382,696)Redbridge 321,231 1.48% (316,556)Bolton 310,085 1.48% (305,575)Chelmsford 188,803 1.47% (186,060)Fylde 85,447 1.47% (84,210)Oldham 251,560 1.45% (247,969)Rotherham 276,595 1.45% (272,648)West Oxfordshire 120,941 1.44% (119,221)Manchester 589,670 1.44% (581,302)Harrow 270,724 1.44% (266,891)Wokingham 187,200 1.43% (184,561)Melton 54,052 1.43% (53,291)Hounslow 299,424 1.42% (295,221)Rochford 89,815 1.42% (88,560)Darlington 112,489 1.41% (110,925)Swale 158,379 1.41% (156,180)Leeds 845,189 1.40% (833,516)Wigan 344,922 1.39% (340,208)Ashford 140,936 1.39% (139,010)Doncaster 319,765 1.37% (315,428)Eastleigh 142,933 1.37% (140,997)East Staffordshire 129,659 1.37% (127,909)Surrey Heath 94,492 1.36% (93,220)Cheshire West & Chester 371,652 1.36% (366,665)Southend-on-Sea 185,256 1.36% (182,771)Stevenage 91,774 1.33% (90,567)South Hams 92,148 1.33% (90,937)East Riding of Yorkshire 355,884 1.32% (351,237)Bracknell Forest 130,806 1.32% (129,099)Basildon 193,632 1.31% (191,120)West Suffolk 188,485 1.29% (186,077)Wakefield 367,666 1.28% (363,013)Babergh 97,033 1.27% (95,812)Uttlesford 95,106 1.27% (93,910)Wealden 166,908 1.24% (164,861)York 209,301 1.24% (206,746)South Norfolk 148,448 1.23% (146,645)Brent 352,976 1.21% (348,751)Bolsover 83,773 1.21% (82,771)Brentwood 79,326 1.21% (78,381)Worcester 106,671 1.20% (105,403)Sheffield 582,493 1.20% (575,586)Stockport 303,929 1.20% (300,326)Newark & Sherwood 127,886 1.20% (126,372)North Somerset 224,578 1.19% (221,927)East Devon 158,239 1.19% (156,378)Nottingham 331,077 1.19% (327,186)Horsham 151,521 1.19% (149,741)Hinckley & Bosworth 116,682 1.19% (115,314)Warwick 154,889 1.17% (153,101)Arun 170,064 1.17% (168,102)Thanet 142,691 1.16% (141,049)Breckland 146,620 1.16% (144,934)Waverley 134,284 1.16% (132,749)Fenland 104,896 1.15% (103,700)Sandwell 353,860 1.15% (349,834)North Warwickshire 67,117 1.15% (66,356)Broxbourne 101,900 1.14% (100,747)Newcastle-under-Lyme 127,727 1.14% (126,282)Birmingham 1,183,618 1.14% (1,170,238)Liverpool 508,961 1.14% (503,216)Wandsworth 337,655 1.14% (333,859)Windsor & Maidenhead 158,943 1.13% (157,174)Kingston upon Thames 172,692 1.12% (170,780)Bury 198,921 1.12% (196,719)North Kesteven 122,468 1.12% (121,115)Runnymede 92,118 1.12% (91,101)Crawley 124,008 1.10% (122,655)Cardiff 383,919 1.10% (379,739)Rother 96,133 1.10% (95,089)Chichester 128,934 1.09% (127,540)North Tyneside 215,025 1.09% (212,705)Dudley 331,930 1.09% (328,353)Northumberland 331,420 1.08% (327,865)Basingstoke & Deane 193,110 1.08% (191,048)Gateshead 202,760 1.08% (200,597)Peterborough 223,655 1.07% (221,283)Maldon 69,131 1.07% (68,400)North Hertfordshire 137,201 1.07% (135,752)Barnsley 251,770 1.05% (249,144)Tonbridge & Malling 136,853 1.05% (135,432)Greenwich 299,528 1.05% (296,420)St Helens 188,861 1.03% (186,929)Sutton 214,525 1.03% (212,336)North Yorkshire 635,270 1.02% (628,846)Wirral 328,873 1.01% (325,583)South Holland 99,298 1.00% (98,312)Wychavon 138,017 1.00% (136,648)West Lindsey 99,208 1.00% (98,224)Wrexham 138,245 0.99% (136,890)Stroud 125,680 0.98% (124,456)Dorset 389,947 0.98% (386,151)Brighton & Hove 283,870 0.97% (281,135)Thurrock 180,989 0.95% (179,280)Lincoln 105,114 0.95% (104,122)Stafford 141,556 0.95% (140,227)Welwyn Hatfield 122,819 0.95% (121,668)Gedling 120,179 0.95% (119,053)Swansea 251,304 0.94% (248,959)Epping Forest 137,451 0.94% (136,176)Kirklees 447,847 0.92% (443,745)Somerset 588,328 0.92% (582,962)Sefton 286,281 0.90% (283,720)Cannock Chase 104,088 0.90% (103,163)South Staffordshire 114,423 0.89% (113,412)Bath & North East Somerset 200,028 0.89% (198,264)Halton 131,543 0.89% (130,384)Shropshire 332,455 0.88% (329,558)Ashfield 129,572 0.87% (128,449)Cumberland 280,495 0.87% (278,070)Colchester 200,222 0.87% (198,497)Mid Devon 84,993 0.86% (84,266)Teignbridge 138,548 0.86% (137,363)Worthing 113,866 0.86% (112,897)Trafford 241,025 0.86% (238,976)St Albans 151,012 0.86% (149,729)Hull 275,401 0.85% (273,069)Bromley 335,319 0.85% (332,482)Denbighshire 98,202 0.85% (97,375)Chorley 120,839 0.85% (119,823)Neath Port Talbot 143,249 0.85% (142,045)South Tyneside 151,393 0.85% (150,124)Warrington 215,391 0.84% (213,598)Hart 103,162 0.84% (102,305)Tower Hamlets 331,886 0.83% (329,143)Dover 119,768 0.83% (118,781)Folkestone & Hythe 112,411 0.83% (111,486)Epsom & Ewell 83,288 0.82% (82,614)Bradford 563,605 0.81% (559,071)Broxtowe 114,565 0.81% (113,644)Redcar & Cleveland 139,228 0.81% (138,115)Sevenoaks 122,748 0.80% (121,774)East Hampshire 129,975 0.80% (128,945)Torridge 69,841 0.79% (69,291)Canterbury 162,100 0.79% (160,826)Southampton 259,424 0.79% (257,387)Forest of Dean 89,753 0.79% (89,050)North East Lincolnshire 159,911 0.79% (158,663)Blackpool 144,191 0.78% (143,070)Mansfield 113,138 0.77% (112,277)Calderdale 210,929 0.76% (209,334)Wiltshire 523,700 0.75% (519,779)Havant 126,985 0.75% (126,037)County Durham 538,011 0.75% (533,997)Three Rivers 95,807 0.75% (95,093)Lewes 102,363 0.75% (101,605)Wyre Forest 103,913 0.74% (103,151)Cheltenham 121,739 0.73% (120,859)Vale of Glamorgan 135,743 0.72% (134,771)South Kesteven 147,151 0.71% (146,114)Solihull 221,242 0.70% (219,710)West Northamptonshire 439,811 0.69% (436,787)Chesterfield 106,045 0.68% (105,325)Cornwall 583,289 0.67% (579,381)Westmorland & Furness 230,185 0.67% (228,646)Bromsgrove 101,685 0.67% (101,006)Hertsmere 110,212 0.67% (109,483)Tamworth 81,117 0.66% (80,586)Merton 218,539 0.65% (217,135)Hammersmith & Fulham 188,687 0.64% (187,479)Charnwood 188,385 0.64% (187,179)Test Valley 135,201 0.64% (134,336)Torfaen 94,119 0.64% (93,518)Gwynedd 120,813 0.62% (120,064)Tandridge 90,586 0.60% (90,049)Woking 105,679 0.60% (105,053)Staffordshire Moorlands 96,651 0.58% (96,095)Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole 408,967 0.58% (406,626)Pembrokeshire 125,761 0.57% (125,043)Fareham 115,428 0.57% (114,776)West Berkshire 165,112 0.56% (164,189)Ipswich 140,274 0.56% (139,497)North Devon 101,222 0.55% (100,664)Plymouth 272,067 0.54% (270,605)Norwich 147,182 0.53% (146,404)Herefordshire 191,047 0.53% (190,045)Elmbridge 141,926 0.52% (141,193)Blaenau Gwent 67,873 0.52% (67,523)Hackney 266,758 0.51% (265,411)North Lincolnshire 171,336 0.50% (170,477)Castle Point 90,581 0.49% (90,140)East Suffolk 249,664 0.48% (248,482)Waltham Forest 279,737 0.44% (278,506)Bridgend 147,530 0.43% (146,900)Southwark 314,786 0.42% (313,485)Redditch 87,847 0.39% (87,510)Eastbourne 104,259 0.38% (103,862)Oxford 166,034 0.36% (165,441)Lewisham 301,255 0.34% (300,225)Cambridge 149,352 0.34% (148,842)Great Yarmouth 100,529 0.32% (100,209)Richmond upon Thames 196,678 0.31% (196,061)Rhondda Cynon Taf 242,844 0.31% (242,091)Islington 223,024 0.31% (222,333)Adur 64,889 0.31% (64,688)Powys 135,059 0.31% (134,645)Torbay 140,126 0.27% (139,744)Monmouthshire 94,930 0.27% (94,672)Isle of Wight 141,660 0.27% (141,281)High Peak 91,959 0.23% (91,752)New Forest 176,116 0.22% (175,724)Merthyr Tydfil 58,972 0.22% (58,841)Carmarthenshire 190,800 0.22% (190,381)Gosport 82,921 0.22% (82,742)Mole Valley 88,709 0.20% (88,529)Haringey 263,850 0.19% (263,362)Cotswold 91,661 0.16% (91,511)Flintshire 155,867 0.16% (155,614)Portsmouth 214,321 0.16% (213,976)Ceredigion 72,599 0.15% (72,488)East Lindsey 145,183 0.15% (144,971)Caerphilly 176,865 0.13% (176,639)Conwy 114,891 0.09% (114,783)Erewash 114,253 0.08% (114,156)West Devon 58,923 0.01% (58,920)King's Lynn & West Norfolk 156,206 0.003% (156,201)Hastings 91,219 -0.002% (91,221)Lancaster 145,006 -0.03% (145,056)North Norfolk 103,217 -0.06% (103,280)Boston 71,080 -0.06% (71,126)Camden 216,943 -0.13% (217,235)Enfield 327,434 -0.18% (328,014)Isle of Anglesey 69,097 -0.20% (69,238)Derbyshire Dales 71,757 -0.26% (71,946)Westminster 209,996 -0.32% (210,665)Lambeth 316,920 -0.57% (318,738)Kensington & Chelsea 144,518 -1.35% (146,499)Isles of Scilly 2,366 -2.75% (2,433)
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Chard Town Council steps in to save youth club
A youth club which stopped operating after more than 70 years is set to reopen after a town council agreed to take it Young People's Centre, in Barberry Drive, had been open since 1949 and hosted sports sessions, games and arts activities for in May its trustees said it would be forced to close at the end of July due to financial Town Council has now backed plans to take over the centre from mid-August. It said it planned to reopen the building and offer other services in the community as soon as possible, and hoped it would be within the next school term. "This project is for not only our young people now, but also the heart of our community where support is needed in years to come for future generations of young people," said town clerk and chief executive David Bell. The town council is set to take a short-term lease on the building and create a community interest company to run youth services at the centre. While the council will cover the day-to-day running costs, it said it was looking for volunteers to help prepare the building for up and running, the council said one of its ambitions was to host drop-in sessions before and after school where children could speak to a youth worker and possibly get a bite to also hopes to have youth workers carrying out outreach work in parks and other public areas in the town to support young people who might not want to go to a youth club. Councillor Jason Baker, chairman of the steering group, said: "It is a privilege to spend time talking to so many people who share the same goal as the town council, which is to provide the youth of Chard with the best and most inclusive services that we can."I keep hearing people say there's anti-social behaviour and problems in the park and it's all down to young people. I try to explain that young people need support and something to be involved with."
