Latest news with #Hartlepool
BBC News
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Hartlepool bar allowed to operate after appeal to inspector
A bid to prevent a town centre bar from operating has been overturned by a government Borough Council had rejected an application for a bar at The Intro, on York Road, in November due to concerns from councillors over a potential increase in crime and venue, which has since rebranded as Screams Court 2.0, had already started operating as a coffee bar and live music venue without permission a month before the decision, when it relocated to the York Road premises from Hartlepool Planning Inspectorate ruled the venue would have "an acceptable effect" on the living conditions of neighbours in terms of noise. A report added the development would not "unacceptably increase the potential for crime", reports the Local Democracy Reporting July last year, a licensing application was approved to give the York Road site permission to sell alcohol and play live and recorded also imposed conditions such as installing a noise limiter. Follow BBC Tees on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Hospital parking charges rise 'necessary'
Parking charges at some hospitals are to rise from Monday, in what health chiefs say is a necessary move. The increase will be between 30p and 60p for up to four hours, although the first 20 minutes, for pick-up and drop-offs, will remain free. The move affects Middlesbrough's James Cook University Hospital, the University Hospital of North Tees in Stockton, the University Hospital of Hartlepool, Peterlee Community Hospital and Northallerton's Friarage. Steve Taylor, of University Hospitals Tees (UHT), has previously said it was understood the move would not be welcome, but the cost of maintaining the car parks could not be covered by its current operating budget. Anything left over from running costs would be diverted to patient care, he pledged. Parking will still be free for the first 20 minutes, for blue badge holders, frequent outpatient attendees, and the parents of sick children admitted to hospital overnight. Mr Taylor told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "Charging for parking ensures only those who need to visit our hospitals use a parking space and ensures a swift turnover of spaces. "We would like to reassure all our patients and visitors that the income is used to maintain our car parks, including the costs of repairs and maintenance, lighting, gritting and security. "Any surplus money is diverted into patient care to support the delivery of front-line services." Follow BBC Tees on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Hospital parking charges to increase Hospital staff protest over planned parking change North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust
BBC News
8 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
Teesside hospital parking charges rise take effect
Parking charges at some hospitals are to rise from Monday, in what health chiefs say is a necessary increase will be between 30p and 60p for up to four hours, although the first 20 minutes, for pick-up and drop-offs, will remain move affects Middlesbrough's James Cook University Hospital, the University Hospital of North Tees in Stockton, the University Hospital of Hartlepool, Peterlee Community Hospital and Northallerton's Taylor, of University Hospitals Tees (UHT), has previously said it was understood the move would not be welcome, but the cost of maintaining the car parks could not be covered by its current operating budget. Anything left over from running costs would be diverted to patient care, he will still be free for the first 20 minutes, for blue badge holders, frequent outpatient attendees, and the parents of sick children admitted to hospital overnight. Mr Taylor told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "Charging for parking ensures only those who need to visit our hospitals use a parking space and ensures a swift turnover of spaces."We would like to reassure all our patients and visitors that the income is used to maintain our car parks, including the costs of repairs and maintenance, lighting, gritting and security."Any surplus money is diverted into patient care to support the delivery of front-line services." Follow BBC Tees on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
BBC News
3 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Elwick solar farm and energy store approved
Plans for a new solar farm and battery energy storage system have been for 193 acres (78 hectares) of agricultural land at High Barns Farm, either side of Coal Lane near Elwick village, have been given the green light by Hartlepool Borough applicant Enviromena Project Management UK claimed the farm would also create 375 scheme, to last for a temporary period of 40 years, went before the the council's planning committee where the application was unanimously approved. The development aims to provide "a reliable source of clean, renewable energy to the National Grid".It will have a capacity of 49.9MW, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Four objections were lodged by residents, raising concerns around the scale of the project and the impact on the Adams of Environmena Project Management UK said at the meeting the firm had worked closely with Elwick Parish Council and other local groups on the scheme which will have "substantive community benefits".At the end of the 40-year period "all infrastructure will be removed and the land reinstated" to its current condition.A report from council planning officers ruled the solar farm's "impact is considered not to be significantly detrimental to landscape quality or enjoyment of the rural area". Follow BBC Tees on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
Telegraph
4 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Boris is Red Wall poison. The Tories would be mad to bring him back
'A week is a long time in politics', said Harold Wilson. How about six years? An eternity? Cast your mind back to Boris Johnson's glorious 2019 victory, his demolition of Labour's famous heartland vote and his audacious grab of 33 Red Wall seats, some of which were held not long before by Labour figures as notable as Tony Blair and Dennis Skinner. The realignment of politics was upon us, with Boris the beneficiary and Jeremy Corbyn's Labour floundering. How sobering then for Boris and his supporters that new Red Wall polling by research company Merlin shows he is now unpopular. So much so that his famed ability to reach those parts of the electorate that other Tories repulse appears no more than a curious historical quirk. Yet the Red Wall is as keen as ever for a conservative Brexiteer to demolish the status-quo and give the flabby progressiveness of Keir Starmer a darn good kicking. But it's not Boris they turn to. It's Nigel Farage. He's the name on everyone's lips. He's the saviour. He leads Boris by a massive 15 points (27 per cent to 12 per cent) as a first choice preference among Red Wall voters. Even the hapless Starmer (on 24 per cent) outshines Boris, and that really is saying something. How the mighty has fallen. How the once all-singing, all-dancing portly blond one – hero-worshipped during the Hartlepool by-election of 2021 to the extent that Starmer seriously considered resigning – has sunk so far. What happened? Well, like many of us, Red Wall voters were appalled by Partygate. Whether that was fair on Boris is irrelevant. The accepted narrative was that he imposed rules (which I continue to believe were absurd overkill) on the rest of us, then failed to obey them himself. He also presided over ballooning net migration so obscene that the country's public services are now creaking and cracking, and pursued net zero with a zealotry that leaves most Conservative wondering what on earth he's on. Boris, for all his communications and campaigning abilities, upset too many voters. There is one saving grace, though it will be small comfort. Yes, Boris languishes behind both Starmer and Farage by a large margin. But he is ahead of any other Conservative. Kemi Badenoch is failing to break through. She gets a paltry 8 per cent of support in the Red Wall. Robert Jenrick, despite his energetic and effective campaigns, barely registers (just 3 per cent). So, Boris might still be the best bet to re-establish Tory fortunes, at least in the Red Wall, but he's still a long shot for Downing Street. The horrifying truth is that where once the Tories were the party of Leavers, the party that respected Brexit, the party that took on woke absurdities and the party that stood up for British interests and strong borders, every single one of those mantles has now passed to Farage. Tory support in the Red Wall has collapsed from 47 per cent in the heady days of 2019 to only 22 per cent now. It is tough to see any hope in the medium term. Already it looks fanciful – even with Boris as leader – that the Tories could win next time. The 2029 election looks like a shoot-out between Farage and whoever is Labour leader by then (probably Angela Rayner, despite her protestations). The Tories are in desperate straits. Their best hope might be a junior partner in a coalition. In fact, I now believe that the next Tory Prime Minister won't enter Downing Street until 2034 at the earliest, two elections from now. By which time Boris will be 70. It's not impossible. But his triumphant return as Prime Minister is looking far less likely. What a waste.
