
Peterborough: Five stories you might have missed this week
Swimmers 'thrilled' at pool plans
Plans to speed up a project to build a new pool for Peterborough were announced on Wednesday.Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the city would get funding for a new sports quarter.It could be about 18 months before work on the project would begin, but a local swimming club said it was "thrilled" by the announcement.
Wartime 'lost town' bought by local charity
A prisoner of war camp dating back to 1796 has been bought by Nene Park Trust.The Peterborough charity hopes to introduce visitors to the site, which housed about 7,000 prisoners during the Napoleonic Wars, in September.Historians described Norman Cross, just south of Yaxley, as a "lost town".
Campaign to save lollipop lady gains pace...
A petition to reinstate a school lollipop lady made redundant in cuts to school crossing patrols has gained more than 800 signatures.Lisa Bryan helped pupils at Eye Primary School cross the road for more than 25 years.The petition will go before the next full council meeting on 23 July.
...but local litter picker gives up his group
Litter picker Mark Fishpool said he was a "one-man band" despite 900 people joining his online community group.He said that while many people pledged to help out, only one or two volunteers turned out each year.But Mr Fishpool said he had no intention of giving up his efforts and admitted he found picking up rubbish "very addictive".
Nepalese community gets 'second home' back
A community building described as a "second home" that has been closed for a year is being given a new lease of life.The Peterborough Nepalese Society agreed a long-term lease with the council to use Stafford Hall in Westwood.The society, which previously used the building for gatherings, will carry out repair works with plans to reopen it later this year.
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The Independent
19 minutes ago
- The Independent
Planners refuse permission for poultry unit close to ‘precious' chalk stream
Planners have turned down an application for a poultry unit housing up to 32,000 egg-laying hens in the floodplain of a 'precious' chalk stream. Campaigners and local groups welcomed the decision by West Berkshire Council to reject the application for the new building that would house free-range chickens, over concerns it would harm the River Kennet. West Berkshire Council refused planning permission on the grounds it would result in 'significant harm' to protected areas on the Kennet and Lambourn rivers and their floodplains, with potentially harmful effects from nutrient pollution from the chickens. The site near Newbury, belonging to Sir Richard Sutton Limited, is close to the River Kennet Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and connected through the water system to several Special Areas of Conservation (SAC), officials said. The Kennet is one of England's important chalk streams, which with their clear, flowing water fed from underground chalk aquifers and springs, provide habitat for an array of wildlife as well as water resources for people. There are only around 200 in the world, most of them found in the southern half of England, making them an internationally rare habitat. But campaigners warn the river, home to fish such as trout and grayling, is already under pressure from both sewage and agricultural pollution, as well as habitat degradation, and the potential increase in runoff from chicken manure could further degrade its ecological health. Martin Salter, head of policy at the Angling Trust, welcomed the decision to refuse the development, which would have replaced existing free-range hen sheds housing 12,000 birds, as he warned of the wider issue of poultry polluting England's rivers. Mr Salter, a long-time Kennet angler, said: 'It's been a long, hard campaign but I'm so pleased that common sense has finally prevailed and those of us who love and cherish Berkshire's most famous chalk stream can breathe a sigh of relief.' And he said: 'Phosphate pollution from agriculture in general, and chicken production specifically, is now a major cause of pollution in many of our rivers with now only 14% of them meeting good ecological status under the Water Framework Directive.' He warned of a 'massive nationwide increase in chicken production' in recent years, and said: 'The Angling Trust hopes that this decision demonstrates that it is possible to fight back against locating these highly toxic poultry units anywhere that puts our precious rivers at further risk.' The issue of nutrient pollution from poultry production affects other rivers, most notably the Wye and its tributaries in England and Wales, prompting legal action and calls to prevent any further expansion of intensive chicken farms in at-risk catchments.


BBC News
20 minutes ago
- BBC News
Top GSCEs 'a further step towards podcasts' career for Manx girl
A Manx student hopes "lots of As" in her GCSE results will help her realise her dream of turning her podcast - which tackles stereotypes around disabilities - into a full-time Roberts, who is blind, has already interviewed author Stephen Fry and broadcaster Fearne Cotton for her Talking in the Dark teenager, born with bilateral anophthalmia, said she was "really happy" with her results because she can now study A-Levels at Ballakermeen High School (BHS) and then hopefully study journalism at was one of more than 1,000 young people on the Isle of Man to pick up their results on Thursday. The overall pass rate remained at 98% for a third year. The Department for Education, Sport and Culture also confirmed the number of students who received A* to C had dropped 2% to 71%, with those achieving top grades of A* to A remaining at 20%.It said about 90% of students were set to attend sixth form or University College Isl of Man (UCM), with about 10% expected to move directly into employment. Now set to study A-levels in sociology, music and classics, Evie said her GCSE revision had benefitted from "really useful" Youtube videos which "helped sum up topics" . Evie's exams included braille papers, tactile images, a scribe and extra time, doubling the length of two-hour said she had been left "incredibly tired after exam season".Evie said she had taken a break from her podcast, which she hosts with the help of her teachers, to focus on her teenager said she was looking forward to "getting back in the studio again soon... to keep telling people's stories". Elsewhere, 16-year-old Daniel Chen from Braddan said six to eight hours a day of studying had "paid off" as he "ended up getting really good grades, pretty much straight As".Shaking after opening his results envelope, he said: "I'm just really happy with what I got, I don't think I could ask for anything more."He is among more than 110 students who will return to BHS next month to begin their A-level courses. Fellow student Jhay Lordviloria, 16, said he would miss everyone at is instead set to start a business studies course at UCM."I passed everything and got two As which I didn't expect," he said."Throughout my time at Ballakermeen I didn't pass maths so I was very surprised and so happy to get a C."Because the Isle of Man has "dominant" finance and business sectors, Jhay said he was keen to concentrate on those industries, hoping it will "help me land a job" after his studies. Ahead of collecting her results, meanwhile, Jennifer Mordue from Douglas said: "I was so scared, I got like two hours of sleep."I've been panicking all week but honestly opening them and seeing I got what I needed was just a massive relief."After receiving mostly C grades she has secured a place at a performing arts college in Leeds to study musical theatre, with the dream of "seeing the world while performing on cruise ships".The 16-year-old said she had to look elsewhere for her next challenge since the Isle of Man did not offer the course she was interested said she was "sad to leave the island because it is a really big step to take at my age" but she was "really excited" to take on the challenge. BHS head teacher Graeme Corrin said: "We've got to do some more analysis but the results look very positive, probably the best set of GCSE results we've had as a school."He said "that meant we had lots of students with lots of options - I'm really proud of the staff and students".Education Minister Daphne Caine told students: "Whatever your grades, you should be proud of your achievements and the resilience you've shown." Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X.


BBC News
20 minutes ago
- BBC News
Devon dad-of-three passes GCSEs alongside teenage sister
A 31-year-old father-of-three has said he was "made up" after he passed his first GCSEs - after he sat them alongside his 16-year-old Ali, from Torquay, in Devon, said he was a "bright" teenager but did not take his exams at school because his laptop and coursework were by his partner Cherai, he enrolled at South Devon College and now has a 6 at English and a 3 at Ali said a "strong six" in English was "the highlight of the day". Mr Ali has been accepted on to an electrical insulation level 2 course, and plans to study psychology at university, so he can pursue his dream career as a life said his learning experience had been "fantastic" and added: "I wish I had gone back sooner."Mr Ali said he only realised his little sister would be in the same exam hall when he saw her smiling nervously at gave her a "reassuring nod", which she later told their mother had given her a "little inspirational kick". 'Don't hold back' Mr Ali said he moved schools a lot as a child which affected his mental health, so when his coursework was stolen he "threw in the towel".He moved to Spain for six months, before he returned to the UK where he took on a series of jobs which included running his own now works full-time converting camper said he was homeless at one point, but said he always had "unfinished business".His advice to any adults thinking of returning to education was "don't hold back" and to chase their dreams."You can either live your life with all those questions... or give those questions in your head some answers and go and do it."