Latest news with #Hull-based
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Fresh plans for £40m park-and-ride to be submitted
Revised plans for a £40m park-and-ride site north of Hull will be submitted "in the coming weeks", a developer has confirmed. An initial proposal for the scheme, at the Dunswell roundabout of the A1079 near Kingswood, was submitted to East Riding of Yorkshire Council (ERYC) by Ashcourt Group last year. However, it was withdrawn in March after concerns were raised about noise and light pollution, retail outlets and a bus depot. Mike Stathers, the head of external affairs at Ashcourt Group, said: "The team has taken on board concerns raised by residents and this scheme will lead to much reduced traffic congestion and pollution along Beverley Road into Hull." "We hope to have the revised plans ready for submission by mid-summer," he added. The site, which is just outside the city boundary, is designated for a park-and-ride in ERYC's local plan. The initial proposal included space for 500 vehicles, a petrol station, car wash and drive-through restaurants. However, residents lodged objections, saying they feared the development would "cause chaos" and be "unworkable". In February, Hull City Council (HCC) wrote to ERYC to object to the inclusion of a bus depot, three drive-through restaurants and a petrol station. HCC said that while it shared an "aspiration" for a park-and-ride, there were already restaurant facilities nearby. In a separate letter of objection, three Hull city councillors, including the authority's leader Mike Ross, described the proposal as a "ghastly, oversized development". Ashcourt Group, a Hull-based construction company, said the fresh proposal would represent "one of the largest traffic management and infrastructure improvements to be undertaken in the region for decades" and would be "entirely funded" by private investment. The developer claimed it would provide "faster" transport links between Hull and Beverley and the two local hospitals, Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill in Cottingham. The new proposal would still include food and retail spaces as Ashcourt said it believed there was "clear demand for such outlets in this area". Mr Stathers added: "Our proposal is very much about getting people out of cars and into energy efficient buses, reducing congestion and pollution. "At the same time it will protect and enhance public transport services across many key areas of Hull and East Yorkshire." The BBC understands the updated proposal will be submitted to the council by the end of July. Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. City's new park and ride plans submitted Residents submit objections to park and ride plans Ashcourt Group East Riding of Yorkshire Council
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Fresh plans for £40m park-and-ride to be submitted
Revised plans for a £40m park-and-ride site north of Hull will be submitted "in the coming weeks", a developer has confirmed. An initial proposal for the scheme, at the Dunswell roundabout of the A1079 near Kingswood, was submitted to East Riding of Yorkshire Council (ERYC) by Ashcourt Group last year. However, it was withdrawn in March after concerns were raised about noise and light pollution, retail outlets and a bus depot. Mike Stathers, the head of external affairs at Ashcourt Group, said: "The team has taken on board concerns raised by residents and this scheme will lead to much reduced traffic congestion and pollution along Beverley Road into Hull." "We hope to have the revised plans ready for submission by mid-summer," he added. The site, which is just outside the city boundary, is designated for a park-and-ride in ERYC's local plan. The initial proposal included space for 500 vehicles, a petrol station, car wash and drive-through restaurants. However, residents lodged objections, saying they feared the development would "cause chaos" and be "unworkable". In February, Hull City Council (HCC) wrote to ERYC to object to the inclusion of a bus depot, three drive-through restaurants and a petrol station. HCC said that while it shared an "aspiration" for a park-and-ride, there were already restaurant facilities nearby. In a separate letter of objection, three Hull city councillors, including the authority's leader Mike Ross, described the proposal as a "ghastly, oversized development". Ashcourt Group, a Hull-based construction company, said the fresh proposal would represent "one of the largest traffic management and infrastructure improvements to be undertaken in the region for decades" and would be "entirely funded" by private investment. The developer claimed it would provide "faster" transport links between Hull and Beverley and the two local hospitals, Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill in Cottingham. The new proposal would still include food and retail spaces as Ashcourt said it believed there was "clear demand for such outlets in this area". Mr Stathers added: "Our proposal is very much about getting people out of cars and into energy efficient buses, reducing congestion and pollution. "At the same time it will protect and enhance public transport services across many key areas of Hull and East Yorkshire." The BBC understands the updated proposal will be submitted to the council by the end of July. Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. City's new park and ride plans submitted Residents submit objections to park and ride plans Ashcourt Group East Riding of Yorkshire Council
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Yahoo
Pig farm operations suspended over abuse claims
Supermarket food supplier Cranswick has suspended operations at one of its farms after footage emerged appearing to show workers abusing piglets. The Hull-based firm said "the team" at Northmoor Farm near Market Rasen, Lincolnshire, had been suspended, adding that "an urgent and thorough investigation" was under way. Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury's and Tesco have suspended use of the farm. A spokesperson for Cranswick said: "The welfare of the animals we rear is of the utmost importance and we are extremely disappointed to see the unacceptable lapse of welfare standards captured at Northmoor Farm." The footage was filmed by Animal Justice Project (AJP). According to AJP, workers were filmed holding piglets by their hind legs and slamming them to the ground, using a banned method of killing the animals known as "piglet thumping". Other footage, first reported by the Mail on Sunday newspaper, appeared to show the botched killing of a sow that left the animal screaming. A sow was also shown apparently being beaten with metal bars. AJP claimed a worker who failed to kill a sow using a bolt gun told an undercover worker: "Don't let nobody see you doing like what we did." A Cranswick spokesperson said: "As soon as we saw the footage, we immediately suspended the team working at the farm and we are conducting an urgent and thorough investigation. "We have also suspended the farm from supplying any pigs until the investigation is completed." Tesco said it expected all its suppliers to "adhere to our high welfare standards", while a Sainsbury's spokesperson said: "These allegations involve unacceptable treatment of animals, which has no place in our supply chain." A Morrisons spokesperson said: "We care deeply about animal welfare and these are shocking and concerning allegations." AJP has lodged a legal complaint with trading standards citing multiple breaches of the Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing regulations by the farm. Under the legislation, using blunt trauma to kill pigs is illegal in England. In a letter, AJP's barrister Ayesha Smart urged trading standards to investigate the incident and "enforce any breaches of law to ensure that animal welfare standards in our society are upheld and that those who wilfully disregard them are held accountable". Emma Milligan, trading standards operational delivery manager, said they were reviewing footage captured at Northmoor Farm. "We take reports of cruelty towards livestock extremely seriously and we work with partners, including Lincolnshire Police and the Animal and Plant Health Agency to investigate and take action to protect livestock," she said. Claire Palmer, AJP's founder, said: "There must be an independent public inquiry into pig farming practices and regulatory failures. "Ultimately, we're calling for a legislative phase-out of pig farming in favour of a food system that no longer depends on animal suffering." The National Pig Association has been approached for a comment. Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. Protest over dairy farm cow abuse allegations Neglectful farmer buried cow carcasses in manure Farm workers sacked after pig abuse film Animal Justice Project Cranswick
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Care firms say they face struggle to hire locally
Care companies in Lincolnshire fear they will struggle to hire enough workers if the government stops them recruiting from overseas. The prime minister unveiled plans to ban recruitment of foreign care workers and tighten access to skilled worker visas, among other measures, on Monday in an effort to curb the level of legal immigration. Melanie Weatherley, who chairs the Lincolnshire Care Association, said her company, Walnut Care, began hiring overseas workers three years ago because it was unable to recruit locally "however hard we tried". The shortfall in staff had led to "waiting lists getting longer for people needing care". "If we've got 10,000 vacancies in Lincolnshire, we can't go to the Department for Work and Pensions list of economically inactive, find 10,000 people and automatically assume they can do care," Ms Weatherley said. "You need to ask yourself, would you want them caring for your nearest and dearest?" Care work was not just a job, but "a cross between a career and a vocation," she added. The government's plans, set out by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, are designed to reduce net migration, which climbed to a record 906,000 over the year to June 2023, before falling to 728,000 in 2024. The measures include scrapping a visa scheme, set up by Boris Johnson's government, that allows firms to hire health and social care workers from overseas. Instead, companies will be required to hire British nationals or extend the visas of overseas workers already in the country. According to Home Office figures, this change could cut the number of workers coming to the UK by between 7,000 and 8,000 a year. Official estimates suggest that, even with workers from overseas, there were 131,000 vacancies in social care in England last year. The government has promised a new fair pay agreement for care staff and wants companies to recruit and train more people from the UK. Libertas, a Lincolnshire-based care firm, serves more than 800 people a day in Lincolnshire, with overseas workers making up between 10% and 15% of a 400-strong staff. Director Tom Carter said the plans would "have an impact" on his workforce by reducing the pool of people the company had access to. He said recruiting people from the UK could be a struggle because of the way jobs in the care sector were perceived. The firm had overseas workers who "love the job" and "come to make a difference". He added: "They're the ones that come stay and make a difference every day." Prince Thakur has been a care worker for two-and-a-half years, having arrived from India in 2021 to study for a masters degree in business. Now a team leader, he said the role was a skilled one. Mr Thakur said: "People who think that you don't need skill, they should come and try for one week and then they'll get to know." Frances Ledbury, a Hull-based solicitor specialising in immigration law, said new rules introduced in April meant care firms already had to attempt to recruit locally first. "We speak to people all day, every day who struggle to fill those gaps," she added. "This is going to make their job a lot harder." Additional reporting by Jake Zuckerman. Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. Labour's immigration plans at a glance PM promises migration drop as he unveils plans for 'tightened' visa rules Care providers say overseas worker crackdown 'short-sighted' Lincolnshire Care Association
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Work starts on sheltered housing scheme
Work has started on a new sheltered housing scheme for residents in Driffield. East Riding of Yorkshire Council said Deira Court, a three-storey building, would replace the old accommodation on the site. The authority said it had allocated more than £40m to replace or refurbish six sheltered housing schemes in the county. Claire Hoskins, the council's director of asset strategy said the scheme would "deliver much needed sheltered accommodation" and will ensure older adults could live independently at home for longer. The authority said the funding for the project included £7.8m from Homes England and £400,000 from the Hull and East Yorkshire Combined Authority brownfield housing fund, with further funding bids to be submitted as schemes progress. Hull-based developers Hobson & Porter won the £10.5m contract to demolish and rebuild the accommodation at Deira Court. The scheme will have 32 one-bedroom apartments and eight two-bedroom apartments, a communal resident's lounge, a communal drying room, a mobility scooter store, and an office for visiting council staff. The building will be accessible for people with limited mobility and 10% of the accommodation will be built for wheelchair users. Ms Hoskins said: "It's great to see work commence at Deira Court, and I look forward to seeing the first new residents move in, when the project is completed. "The new scheme will deliver much needed sheltered accommodation, helping to ensure that older adults can live independently at home for longer." Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. Supported housing in crisis, groups tell Starmer New sheltered housing schemes awarded £7.8m East Riding of Yorkshire Council
