Latest news with #GeoffCooper
Telegraph
30-07-2025
- General
- Telegraph
Rivers can sue people, council rules
A British river has been given the right to sue after it was granted 'personhood' in a council vote. Test Valley borough council in Hampshire has voted unanimously to recognise the river as an independent legal entity to protect the waterway from sewage overflows, pollution and over-extraction. As a result, the river has the right to sue a person or company responsible for damaging its quality and infringing on its right to 'flow unimpeded'. The chalk stream, known for being the birthplace of fly fishing and its appearance in the novel Watership Down, has been granted the right to be 'free from pollution', as well as be fed by freshwater sources. The vote has also recognised the need for the restoration of ecological integrity and regeneration from environmental harm. The move also embeds the rights of the river in planning, development and biodiversity policies. 'Wonderful bounty of nature' The council voted in favour of Cllr Geoff Cooper's motion to recognise the rights of the river. Liberal Democrat Cllr Cooper said: 'What this motion tries to do is set out protections for our rivers and waterways, it is not just about pointing your fingers at the water company, it is all the factors that endanger our rivers.' Large sections of the waterway, which runs from Ashe 40 miles south to the tidal estuary of Southampton Water, are sites of special scientific interest with over 100 types of plant along its banks and more than 200 animal species in and around it. The main species found in the river are endangered Atlantic salmon, trout, kingfisher, grey wagtail and little grebe birds. However, salmon numbers have plummeted dramatically in recent years from 906 fish returning from the sea in 2019 to just 346 last year. Cllr Janet Burnage, a fellow Lib Dem, added: 'Without the River Test, its tributaries and all the other rivers that flow through Test Valley, we would not have the wonderful bounty of nature around us. 'We must maintain the rivers for the sake of the natural environment.'
The Guardian
30-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Council recognises right of River Test to flow unimpeded and unpolluted
The right of a famous chalk stream, the Test in Hampshire, to flow freely and unpolluted has been officially recognised by politicians. Councillors on Test Valley borough council voted unanimously to acknowledge 'the intrinsic rights' of the rivers within its boundaries including the Test, which is renowned for its trout and fly fishing. It means councillors and officials will have to keep the Test front and centre when making decisions on planning, land use, water management and biodiversity. Members of the Tory-led council promised to support efforts by citizens to monitor the Test and ask the UK government to publish an annual 'state of the rivers' report to track progress in protecting river ecosystems. Geoff Cooper, a Liberal Democrat councillor who put forward the motion to recognise the Test's rights, said rivers were one of the country's greatest assets. He said: 'It is our duty to protect those for future generations to come. It is not just sewage that endangers our rivers, there is the impact of road runoff, the impact of agriculture, the impact of planning and development. It is not just about pointing your fingers at the water company, it is all the factors that endanger our rivers.' There are only about 200 chalk streams in the world. The 39-mile Test is important for Atlantic salmon, while birds such as kingfishers marsh harriers and little grebes live on and around it. Parts of the stream, which flows from chalk downs into Southampton Water, are ideal for watercress growers. The Test featured in Richard Adams' novel Watership Down, in which some of the rabbits flee down the stream on a punt. Cooper said biodiversity in and around the stream had declined dramatically over the last few decades. When he used to drive alongside the riverbanks a quarter of a century ago, his car windscreen would be covered by insects, he said. On the way to the meeting at which the rights of the Test were ratified there were hardly any, though it is high summer. He described this as a red flag. The motion was seconded by Janet Burnage, another Lib Dem, who said: 'We live in one of the most beautiful areas of the English countryside. We should and must be proud of this. Without the River Test, its tributaries and all the other rivers that flow through Test Valley, we would not have the wonderful bounty of nature around us.' Other local authorities around the world have begun to afford rivers official rights and the supporters of the Test hope the new initiative will inspire even more. The Earth Law Center, a US charity, championed the idea of giving nature a voice in the legal system, allowing it to defend its rights just as people can. In 2017, New Zealand granted legal personhood to the Whanganui River in the North Island. This year Lewes district council in East Sussex produced a rights of river charter to help protect the River Ouse. The Test motion says the river should have 'the right to flow – unimpeded, seasonal, and natural; the right to perform essential functions within the ecosystem; the right to be free from pollution and contamination.'
Yahoo
24-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
AO chair Cooper interviewed for Channel 4 chair job
The chairman of AO, the online electrical goods retailer, has been interviewed to become the next chair of state-owned broadcaster Channel 4. Sky News has learnt that Geoff Cooper, a former boss of the builders' merchant Travis Perkins, is among the candidates in the running to take on the post in the coming months. Whitehall insiders said that Mr Cooper was now one of the shortlisted contenders awaiting news of whether they would get the nod from Ofcom, the media regulator and culture secretary Lisa Nandy. In recent weeks, Sky News has revealed that those vying to replace Sir Ian Cheshire include Justin King, the former J Sainsbury boss; Wol Kolade, a private equity executive who has donated substantial sums of money to the Conservative Party; Debbie Wosskow, a start-up founder who already sits on the Channel 4 board. Simon Dingemans, a former Goldman Sachs banker who sits on the board of WPP, the marketing services group, has also been shortlisted, according to the Financial Times. Sir Ian stepped down earlier this year after just one term, having presided over a successful attempt to thwart privatisation by the last Tory government. He was replaced on an interim basis by Dawn Airey, the media industry executive who has occupied top jobs at companies including ITV, Channel 5 and Yahoo!. The race to lead the state-owned broadcaster's board has acquired additional importance since after the resignation of Alex Mahon, its long-serving chief executive. It has since been reported that Alex Burford, another Channel 4 non-executive director and the boss of Warner Records UK, is a possible contender to replace Ms Mahon. A vocal opponent of Channel 4's privatisation, which was abandoned by the last Conservative government, Ms Mahon is leaving to join Superstruct, a private equity-owned live entertainment company. The appointment of a new chair is expected to take place by the autumn, with the chosen candidate expected to lead the recruitment of Ms Mahon's successor. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has declined to comment on the recruitment process, while Mr Cooper could not be reached for comment.
Sky News
24-07-2025
- Business
- Sky News
AO chair Cooper interviewed for Channel 4 chair job
The chairman of AO, the online electrical goods retailer, has been interviewed to become the next chair of state-owned broadcaster Channel 4. Sky News has learnt that Geoff Cooper, a former boss of the builders' merchant Travis Perkins, is among the candidates in the running to take on the post in the coming months. Whitehall insiders said that Mr Cooper was now one of the shortlisted contenders awaiting news of whether they would get the nod from Ofcom, the media regulator and culture secretary Lisa Nandy. In recent weeks, Sky News has revealed that those vying to replace Sir Ian Cheshire include Justin King, the former J Sainsbury boss; Wol Kolade, a private equity executive who has donated substantial sums of money to the Conservative Party; Debbie Wosskow, a start-up founder who already sits on the Channel 4 board. Simon Dingemans, a former Goldman Sachs banker who sits on the board of WPP, the marketing services group, has also been shortlisted, according to the Financial Times. Sir Ian stepped down earlier this year after just one term, having presided over a successful attempt to thwart privatisation by the last Tory government. He was replaced on an interim basis by Dawn Airey, the media industry executive who has occupied top jobs at companies including ITV, Channel 5 and Yahoo!. The race to lead the state-owned broadcaster's board has acquired additional importance since after the resignation of Alex Mahon, its long-serving chief executive. It has since been reported that Alex Burford, another Channel 4 non-executive director and the boss of Warner Records UK, is a possible contender to replace Ms Mahon. A vocal opponent of Channel 4's privatisation, which was abandoned by the last Conservative government, Ms Mahon is leaving to join Superstruct, a private equity-owned live entertainment company. The appointment of a new chair is expected to take place by the autumn, with the chosen candidate expected to lead the recruitment of Ms Mahon's successor.
CNA
25-06-2025
- Business
- CNA
New Zealand draft infrastructure plan outlines need for more hospitals, electricity
WELLINGTON: New Zealand on Wednesday (Jun 25) released a draft 30-year national infrastructure plan, which highlighted a need for the country to invest more in hospitals and electricity production and to prepare to spend more on responding to national disasters. The plan aims to improve infrastructure preparations and introduce a less politically driven approach to infrastructure investment, which critics say has been impacted by electoral cycles with the stop-start results being costly for large projects. 'We want the National Infrastructure Plan to help build common ground about our areas of need and what is affordable for Kiwis, giving the Government of the day guidance for making decisions about infrastructure,' said Geoff Cooper, chief executive of the New Zealand Infrastructure Commission. The draft plan said the country needed to establish affordable and sustainable funding, make it easier to build new infrastructure, prioritise maintaining current infrastructure and assess the readiness of projects before they are funded. While New Zealand was in the top 10 per cent of the OECD in its infrastructure spend as a percentage of gross domestic product, it was not getting the returns it should, it added. To meet demand, annual capital investment would need to increase from around NZ$20 billion (US$12 billion) today to slightly more than NZ$30 billion by the 2050s, according to the plan. The New Zealand government has outlined plans to boost the infrastructure build in the country, and earlier this year hosted an infrastructure investment summit to promote foreign investment in the country's infrastructure. 'The Government is determined to improve New Zealand's infrastructure system and to work alongside the industry and other political parties to establish a broad consensus about what needs to change,' said Chris Bishop, Minister for Infrastructure.
