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Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Most expensive bird's nest in history! Ospreys leave Welsh Labour with useless £4m farm that can't hold festival spin-off amid fears for wildlife
The Welsh government has been accused of spending over £4m on 'the most expensive birds' nest in history' after buying land for a music festival – which cannot be used due to ospreys. The Labour-run administration paid out £4.25m for a farm to host a spin-off event from the annual Green Man music and cultural festival held each August. The land, at Gilestone Farm, near Brecon, Powys, has even lost £500,000 in value since it was purchased in 2022 – and not a single note of music has been played there. Now a Welsh Parliament committee has raised 'serious concerns' over the purchase and demanded a full review. The Senedd's public accounts and administration committee said the decision to buy the farm was taken with a 'lack of thorough due diligence'. The report said plans were 'not sufficiently robust and had not been communicated effectively to the community'. The proposed festival spin-off, which would have been held alongside events at its current base at Crickhowell, near Abergavenny, caused opposition from conservationists. And when the pair of ospreys – a protected bird of prey – landed in 2023 and built a nest in an oak tree, it scuppered the plans. Labour Ministers had faced questions over their friendships with festival chief Fiona Stewart, amid claims a business plan for the festival had not even been submitted. James Evans, Conservative Welsh assembly member for Brecon and Radnorshire, said: 'The next time the Labour government reaches for the cheque book, they should listen to local concerns and act with far greater transparency. 'In the meantime, Gilestone Farm remains the most expensive publicly owned 'bird nest' in history.' Plaid Cymru's Adam Price, who sits on the public accounts and administration committee, said: 'This whole saga, that has unravelled under the chaos of three Labour first ministers, serves as proof of the extent of this Labour Welsh government's mismanagement of the public purse.' The committee said there was a lack of adequate record of meetings between ministers and Green Man officials which meant politicians were 'unable to fully scrutinise and evaluate decisions taken by the Welsh government'. It said the 'haste' in completing the purchase may have inhibited the ability to identify risks - including the presence of wildlife 'that would affect its proposals for the site, and potentially, its value'. The report added: 'This is particularly notable as the site has now been valued at £3.75m, meaning that the Welsh government's asset has lost half a million pounds in value'. Committee chairman Mark Isherwood said: 'The arrival of the ospreys on the site was unexpected and it's acknowledged that the Welsh government has responded positively to this development to preserve their habitat, albeit there was evidence of other protected species being present at the site at the time of purchase. 'However, the future of the site now appears to be very uncertain, with the most recent valuation showing that the asset has decreased in value by £0.5m compared to the purchase price. This is highly regrettable.' The land is currently leased commercially. An earlier report by auditors for the Welsh government found the 'most significant factor' for the farm purchase was using up unspent money by the end of the financial year. A Welsh government spokesman said: 'Gilestone remains one of the Welsh government's property assets and is being managed on our behalf as a working farm. 'We continue to explore potential opportunities for its future use, in keeping with our commitment to seek a sustainable outcome that helps local communities thrive. 'We will read the committee's report with interest and respond in due course.'
BBC News
5 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
Campaigners claim Glassworks Sunderland location 'unsafe'
Campaigners wanting to save the National Glass Centre (NGC) from closure have claimed its proposed replacement building "raises serious health and safety concerns".Save the National Glass Centre said placing the planned Glassworks "15 metres from high-rise, high-density housing at the bottom of Borough Road" in Sunderland was "reckless".A report discussing repairs to the new site was presented at a council cabinet meeting on Culture, which will run Glassworks, said it would work to ensure the facilities are fit for purpose and said there had been "good progress" on the plans. The city council said there would be an "appropriate" consultation once plans are submitted. Last November the University of Sunderland announced the NGC would close in July 2026, blaming unaffordable repair costs for the at the former Peter Smith Antiques site in Sunniside, is planned to open in 2028. 'Potentially hazardous' The report presented to cabinet on Thursday claimed the new facility would "act as the catalyst for the establishment of the Sunniside Creative Hub" and would help increase footfall to the to the document, the council acquired the building in 2024 "in poor state" and a survey identified a need to complete about £1.7m of repairs to the roof and windows alongside mechanical and electrical upgrades. Enabling works could start as soon as September, subject to funding. A spokesperson for the group fighting to save the NGC said: "Placing a potentially hazardous industrial process next to family homes, and doing so without genuine public consultation, is reckless and disrespectful. "We are not being listened to."Campaigners urged the Labour-run city council to pause the Glassworks development, engage in "a full and transparent public consultation and develop the NGC as a safer and much more suitable location". Sunderland City Council said: "The works considered at Thursday's cabinet meeting relate to the repair and preservation of the former Peter Smith Antiques building."As and when any planning application is submitted the necessary statutory processes will be followed, including appropriate public and stakeholder consultation."Sunderland Culture said: "We continue to make good progress in developing our plans for Glassworks: Sunderland. "This will include all necessary planning approvals and permissions." Campaigners have previously raised concerns that the project costs could exceed the £7.5m estimate, especially if extensive safety and infrastructure modifications are needed to make the new site group has also warned that glass-making might be "lost forever" from Sunderland if the move failed. "The National Glass Centre is world-renowned," added the spokesperson. "Tearing it down without a proven, safe alternative is a cultural tragedy in the making."Sunderland Culture has previously said its fundraising target reflected the costs "for making the building fit for purpose as a glass-making space".It has also said there would be an interim provision in the city to address the gap between the NGC's closure in 2026 and Glassworks opening in 2028. Follow BBC Sunderland on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
The National
2 days ago
- Business
- The National
John Swinney hints at rescue package to save Alexander Dennis jobs
The Scottish Government has today confirmed it is looking at a rescue package it thinks could save jobs at Alexander Dennis – but said details were being kept under wraps due to 'commercial sensitivity'. The firm has threatened to end its manufacturing operations in Scotland by closing its sites in Larbert and Falkirk, putting 400 jobs on the line. It is planning to centralise its operations in Scarborough, North Yorkshire. In a statement, Swinney indicated that a package of new work to keep jobs in Scotland was being explored. READ MORE: Protesters to slam SNP's £180,000 cash award to Donald Trump golf course He said: 'Scottish Ministers place the utmost importance on the presence of Alexander Dennis in Scotland and the retention of its highly skilled manufacturing workers. 'The Scottish Government has committed to exploring any and all viable options throughout the consultation period to allow the firm to retain its skilled employees and manufacturing and production facilities. 'While I cannot provide details due to commercial sensitivity at this time, I hope this update provides the workforce and local community with further assurance that the Scottish Government remains wholly committed to supporting the future of bus manufacturing in Scotland. 'We will undertake this work in tandem with every other short, medium and long-term opportunity we continue to explore in close collaboration with the company, Unite, GMB, Scottish Enterprise, Transport Scotland and the UK Government.' Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes is meeting unions GMB and Unite to discuss the proposal while [[Transport]] Secretary Fiona Hyslop attends a meeting of the UK Bus Manufacturing Expert Panel in London focusing on the future pipeline of zero-emission bus orders. READ MORE: Trans toilet rules 'may force Scottish museums to close' It was reported earlier this month that a consultation with the workforce on job losses would be extended for another fortnight to explore ways of keeping jobs in Scotland. There have also been proposals to put staff on a furlough scheme to retain jobs in Scotland before work on new orders came in. Unite's regional secretary for Scotland Derek Thomson previously told a Holyrood committee that the closure of Alexander Dennis's Scottish operations would be "catastrophic" for the local area. The threat of closure has already spilled into the Scottish economy, with Greenfold Systems Ltd, based in Dunfermline, Fife, closing because a major proportion of its operations were involved with the troubled bus firm. A total of 81 jobs were lost after the "loss of a major contract", administrators said. The threatened closure has become a major political issue, with Scottish Labour accusing the SNP of failing to do enough to support the firm. Anas Sarwar has repeatedly criticised John Swinney of having done "nothing" to save jobs, pointing out that the [[SNP]] were ordering "buses from China, instead of from Scotland". But it later emerged that in Labour-run Edinburgh, where the buses are municipally owned by the council, had not bought buses from Alexander Dennis in the last three years.
Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
Fury as bankrupt Birmingham council offering asylum seekers huge discounts on swimming, golf, trampolining & Villa games
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) BANKRUPT Birmingham Council is offering small boat asylum seekers hefty discounts on leisure activities — including swimming, golf and trampolining. The Labour-run authority, which is locked in a bin strike now in its seventh month, is giving migrants up to 25 per cent off through its Passport To Leisure scheme. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Small boat asylum seekers are being offered hefty discounts on leisure activities Credit: Getty 2 Money is lopped off tickets to watch shows, such as Disney musical Mary Poppins at the Birmingham Hippodrome Credit: supplied Migrants, many of whom have crossed the Channel by boat before claiming asylum on reaching the UK, can also get a fifth off on the use of council swimming pools. Martial arts classes are subsidised for migrants under the initiative, as are courses on trampolining, golf, gymnastics and football. The price of a trip to a council wellbeing centre for fitness, yoga, squash and badminton sessions is also cheaper. The council even offers £1 tickets to Aston Villa matches for migrant children, as long as they are accompanied by a full paying adult. In a further slap in the face for taxpayers, asylum seekers get ten per cent off at most council leisure sites, meaning cheaper trips to the theatre, museum and city's botanical gardens. Under the scheme, £3 is lopped off tickets to watch shows, such as Disney musical Mary Poppins at the Birmingham Hippodrome. The Passport To Leisure card is available to over-60s, full-time students, carers, disabled people and recipients of certain benefits. Birmingham — England's largest local authority district by population — already has a 'Be Active' scheme for asylum seekers which offers free swimming and gym sessions. The council is £3.9billion in debt and declared itself effectively bankrupt in September 2023 with the issue of a Section 114 notice, limiting it to essential spending only. It is also under fire over its handling of a bin strike which has seen mountains of rubbish pile up on the city's streets. Migrant hotel protesters take to the streets again as demonstrations spread across the country in weekend stand-off Unite union members are in a dispute over pay and proposed changes to some roles. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: 'This is a bankrupt Labour council, in the middle of a bin strike, racking up billions in debt, hiking council tax by 21 per cent, and their priority is trampolining perks for illegal immigrants. 'It is a slap in the face for hard-pressed taxpayers who are being forced to subsidise freebies for illegal immigrants who claim asylum having crossed the channel.'
The National
2 days ago
- Business
- The National
Labour's 'nuclear tax' to cost Scots £300m to fund Sizewell C
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has imposed a new levy on energy bills to fund the spiralling costs of the Sizewell C power station in Suffolk. Billpayers will be charged an extra £12 per year to fund the project, which has almost doubled in price to £38 billion. The UK Government has also committed to a loan facility worth £36.6bn, which means the total cost could top £47.7bn. That is more than the final cost of Hinkley Point C, which Greenpeace once dubbed "the most expensive object on Earth". READ MORE: Quarter of Keir Starmer's Cabinet blasted Donald Trump's last UK trip It comes despite Labour's election pledge to cut energy bills, with the energy price cap rising consistently since October. Graham Leadbitter (below, left), the SNP's energy spokesperson, said 'This toxic overspend now totals £48bn and Anas Sarwar has serious questions to answer as to whether he thinks it's acceptable for Scots to foot the bill through higher energy bills – it is an absolute disgrace that energy rich Scotland will see Scots face higher energy bills because of a nuclear plant running over budget in Labour-run England. (Image: Jeff) 'The Labour Party promised they'd cut energy bills by £300 yet they've soared on their watch – now we have the absurd situation where they've chosen to pile money into extortionate nuclear energy and are asking Scots to pick up the tab. 'Independent analysis shows this will cost Scottish households £300m in higher bills through a decade-long 'nuclear tax' all the while Scottish Labour refuse to acknowledge the white elephant in the room that they support these disastrous plans.' Leadbitter said that Scotland 'produces far more electricity that we can hope to use and our future is in renewables' and so had no interest in nuclear power. READ MORE: Trans toilet rules 'may force Scottish museums to close' He added: 'We were told Grangemouth refinery in Scotland couldn't be saved, yet we see a refinery in England protected, a steel works in Scunthorpe bailed out and now a nuclear power plant running twice over budget – it's no wonder Scots are increasingly asking how long we stay tied to this so called 'Union of Equals'?' The UK Government was approached for comment.
