Latest news with #JasonSmithers
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Appeal hearing into major solar farm set to begin
A public inquiry is set to get under way following the rejection of plans for a major solar farm in Northamptonshire. The proposed facility would cover 145 acres (59 hectares) alongside the A14 near Thrapston. North Northamptonshire Council turned down the plans in October 2024, against the advice of its planning officers. Following an appeal from the developer, the Planning Inspectorate will now hold a public inquiry over two days, starting on Tuesday. The proposed site of Wood Lodge Solar Farm would span 145 acres (59 hectares) near the A14 at Thrapston. The applicant said the development was designed to generate enough power for up to 15,000 homes. Wood Lodge Solar Project Limited also claims it will deliver green energy that saves 21,500 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions compared to fossil fuels. It has said the proposed site is the "lowest grade land within reach of the grid connection point" and the project "represents a forward-thinking solution that supports the country's transition to renewable energy". Campaign group Staunch is opposed to the plans and is fighting the appeal as a Rule 6 party, which is when a group other than the appellant and local authority has permission to take an active part and provide evidence. Kevin Shapland, group chair, said: "In principle, Staunch are in favour of renewable energy and recognise its importance. "However, solar farm developments should not be taking place on good agricultural land which is so vital in securing the future needs of our country." Planning officers had advised the council to approve the project, arguing the renewable energy benefits outweighed potential harms. However, the council's planning committee voted against the proposal in October after hearing from residents and campaigners who claimed the solar farm would dominate the countryside and consume valuable farmland. In February, North Northamptonshire Council said it would not be defending its decision at the inquiry. Jason Smithers, then council leader, said at the time: "The planning inspector will hear all views, evidence and facts before making a decision. "The council will support and co-operate fully with the Planning Inspectorate, including working on a statement of common ground which will establish those matters which are agreed with the main parties, and which will assist the planning inspector in their decision." The hearing is due to begin on Tuesday at the council chamber of North Northamptonshire Council in Thrapston. It is expected to last two days and will hear from the appellant and interested parties. The planning inspector's verdict will be released on an unspecified date following the hearing. Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. Concerns about solar farm before public inquiry Public inquiry will decide if solar farm is built Solar farm refused despite approval recommendation Planning Inspectorate
BBC News
10-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Kemi Badenoch insists calls for her resignation are 'not serious'
Kemi Badenoch said calls for her to resign as leader of the Conservative party after the local elections were "just not serious".The party lost 674 councillors when voters went to the polls on 1 May, surrendering control of 16 local the MP for Saffron Walden in Essex, told the BBC she had a "long-term plan" and members "knew I was going to take things slowly".Her comments followed Jason Smithers, the former Tory leader of North Northamptonshire Council, arguing: "She should be resigning." Two-thirds of the seats defended by the Tories last week were lost to rivals, with the party receiving its lowest vote share in an election at 15%.Badenoch said her mission as leader was to "rebuild" the Conservatives."What kind of leader would I be if I just quit at the first sign of trouble?" she asked reporters during a visit to a hospice in Chelmsford on Friday. 'Very challenging' The MP said it never crossed her mind to quit as leader of the opposition, adding issues faced by the party had been "years in the making".She was accused by Smithers, who did not seek re-election last week, of not helping local campaigns on the was also criticised by the Tory leader of Broxbourne Borough Council, in Hertfordshire, who called on her to resign for "falling way short".But Badenoch retorted: "I went to every single county that had elections. "I said right from November, when I was elected, that it was going to be very challenging." The Conservative leader was asked if she was relieved elections had been cancelled in areas such as Essex this year, after the party lost counties like Kent to Reform pointed to Cambridgeshire and Peterborough where the Tories won the mayoralty from Labour."Politics is changing, it was a multi-party election," Badenoch said."Essex is the same, lots of parties win here. Liberal Democrats are a challenge in Chelmsford, we have Reform, we have Labour, we have the Conservatives. "This is what politics is looking like right now." Follow East of England news on X, Instagram and Facebook: BBC Beds, Herts & Bucks, BBC Cambridgeshire, BBC Essex, BBC Norfolk, BBC Northamptonshire or BBC Suffolk.
BBC News
21-04-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
2025 local elections: Focus on Wellingborough
The second elections for North Northamptonshire Council, a unitary authority which only came into existence four years ago, are not far market town of Wellingborough was hotly contested last year in a Parliamentary by-election that saw the second-biggest swing from Conservatives to Labour since World War 1 May voters will be electing 68 councillors across 31 town centre falls into the Croyland and Swanspool ward, which had one of the lowest turnout rates in the 2021 election at 27.5%.The authority has been led since its inception by Conservative councillor Jason Smithers, who is not standing again in May's is currently made up of 50 Conservatives, 16 Labour councillors, four from Reform UK, three Greens and three Independents. There are two vacant what issues matter here? 'More support for homeless people' Grace Clark, 20, lives in Wellingborough and has a three-year-old daughter and an has been homeless for the last three years and has been living in temporary accommodation in a hostel, with her son, for the last seven months."There should be more understanding and support for homeless people," she says,Ms Clark believes there should be a "homeless group so it's easy to speak to people, rather than constantly calling the homeless team and not getting answers".She says she has never voted in elections and, while she would like to, believes "it won't make a difference". 'They don't do what they say they will' Cheryl Taylor, 66, also lives in Wellingborough. She moved from the West Indies when she was 13, living in Luton for a short time before moving to the her, the big issue is housing and homelessness. For the younger generation, she says, there are not enough homes."I've got a son who is 40 and he is going to be homeless," she says."They go to the council and the council say 'it's first come, first served' and that, to me, is a bit unfair."You live here, you're born here, you work here, you're schooled here, and at the end of the day, they should have something for them."She says she knew the elections were taking place, but that she doesn't always vote, because: "I think you're voting for people and then you still don't get the help; they don't do what they say they will." 'The potholes are just horrendous' Kevin Arnold, 49, lives in nearby Rushden and says the big issue for him is potholes."It's just awful, as everyone knows in Northamptonshire. The potholes are just horrendous," he hit one on his way to Stansted Airport in the early hours of the morning last month, getting a puncture and only just catching his flight, thanks to Arnold would like to see a commitment to "proper infrastructure" for roads "to be resurfaced properly and not a quick fix, where they're just cheaply done just to fill the hole; last two or three months and then the hole is back again".He says he will be voting in May, but he has not yet decided who for. 'The place is dirty and run-down' Retired couple Ann and Robert Livingstone moved from Northampton to Wellingborough in issue for Mrs Livingstone, 71, is the empty shops and the state of the high street."All the shops are shut and what shops are open are cheap charity shops. The place is dirty; it's run-down... when we first moved here, it was such a lovely little town."Mr Livingstone, 78, has similar concerns."The banks are closing," he says. "I'm fortunate and can manage online banking but there's a lot of people my age who aren't able to deal with that."I'd like to see investment in a proper market like we used to have; a clean-up of the streets. We pay rates, but the council aren't on top of keeping the place tidy."Where's our money going? It's certainly not in Wellingborough." 'The town has been dying for about 20 years' Chris Cahill says he would like to see more done to improve Wellingborough town centre."I've worked in the town centre for 18 years and I've seen it go down and down," he says."Less shops want to be here. Everyone is moving to places like Rushden Lakes and it is making it harder for this town to thrive because there is not really much about."Mr Cahill, 35, who has lived in the town for 34 years, says the town has lost banks and shops, especially clothes says he would like to see incentives to make it "appealing" for businesses to come to Wellingborough."The town has been a dying town for about 20 years... we're classed as a market town, but we don't have one anymore," he says. Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
28-02-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Concerns about A14 Thrapston solar farm before public inquiry
Campaigners opposed to a solar farm have raised concerns a council will not back its objections, despite previously having its own issues with the proposed site, which would span 145 acres (59 hectares) near the A14 at Thrapston, Northamptonshire, was designed to generate enough power for up to 15,000 homes, according to its Northamptonshire Council turned down the plans in October, citing concerns over landscape impact and habitat loss, but the decision will be analysed at a public inquiry in group Staunch said the council did not plan to provide evidence to the inquiry, but the council was adamant it would "support and co-operate fully". The Planning Inspectorate will hold the inquiry on 20 May, with the local authority required to defend its decision or have it Staunch said it intended to fight the appeal as a Rule 6 party, which is where a group other than the appellant and local authority has permission to take an active part and provide evidence, the Local Democracy Reporting Service chairman, Kevin Shapland, said: "We found out the day before submissions that the council had written saying they weren't going to fight the appeal. "We have therefore written to the council putting them on notice that if this proceeds the way it is, we will seek a judicial review."Responding to the allegations, Conservative leader of the council, Jason Smithers, said: "The planning inspector will hear all views, evidence and facts before making a decision. "The council will support and co-operate fully with the Planning Inspectorate, including working on a statement of common ground which will establish those matters which are agreed with the main parties and which will assist the planning inspector in their decision."He added: "We are aware of feelings in the community about the application and will work proactively with all involved parties, taking all reasonable steps to support the process and the Planning Inspectorate." Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Yahoo
Residents can report camps out-of-hours in new trial
Unauthorised encampments on council-owned or managed land can now be reported outside of normal working hours. North Northamptonshire Council is trialling an out-of-hours response service between 17:00 GMT and 20:00 on weekdays, and 08:40 to 17:00 on weekends and bank holidays. Unauthorised encampments are temporary settlements, such as caravans or tents, placed on land without the owner's consent. Councillor David Howes said: "This trial will, hopefully, allow the team to work quicker to resolve any issues that might come through out of hours and reduce problems typically associated with encampments." The trial is being run by the Northamptonshire Traveller Unit (NTU) alongside a contractor. After a report was made out-of-hours, a contractor would carry out a full assessment, including statutory health and welfare checks. This would enable the NTU to make a decision on how to manage the encampment the next working day and refer any occupants needing support to partner agencies more quickly. Jason Smithers, leader of the council, said: "As a council, we have a duty to consider the needs of all residents, both temporary and permanent. "The NTU must balance the needs of the occupants of the encampment with the impact on the surrounding area. "Removing an encampment is always seen as a necessary last resort." Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. Northamptonshire Traveller Unit
