Latest news with #LocalAuthorities
The Sun
2 days ago
- The Sun
Stunning mountain village in hols hotspot offers families £90,000 to move in… but no one is taking up the offer
A PICTURESQUE mountain village in a holiday hotspot has promised to give families nearly £100,000 to live there - but no one is taking up the generous offer. The idyllic town, renowned for its breathtaking mountain ranges, is trying to combat its declining population and crumbling infrastructure. 5 5 Located in the northern region of Italy, Trentino has made the enticing offer in an attempt to revamp the village. Local authorities launched a new housing initiative which hopes to give some 33 towns a much-needed population boost and makeover. The desperate scheme offered buyers a grant of £90,000 - nearly £70,000 given for renovation, while the remaining cash was provided to purchase a derelict property. Those who took the cash would have to commit to living at the home or renting it out for at least 10 years. Not doing so would result in the grant having to be repaid in full. Applications were be accepted in rounds lasting three to four months each, with the first opening in May. When the initiative closed in late June - its had received just 291 applications. But one town, Sagron Mis, failed to attract even one applicant. Nestled at the foot of the Dolomites, Sagron Mis is a sleepy commune made up of two villages, Sagron and Mis. It is known for jaw-dropping views - and boasts many cracking hikes and lookout spots. Inside Britain's most notorious naked village: with nude vicars, bush wars and strict sex rule The town does, however, come with some challenges, despite its many appeals. For starters, it has just one shop to serve its population of 170 residents. Access to other essential services is limited. Its mayor, Marco Depaoli, said: "We have the post office, the cooperative. "But we are lacking in the presence of a general practitioner." The mayor remains optimistic, and said: "It's not a drama. It takes patience. There is no deadline, it is not a rejection of the town." He also said that there was strong interest in his town, even though there were no applications made to live there for cash. "Fifteen people have contacted our municipal offices to ask what the rule is, how it works, how to proceed to obtain funding," he explained. Trentino authorities have allocated over an eyewatering £8.6million to the initiative since it launched last year. The scheme covers municipalities in areas like Val di Non, Val di Sole, Primiero, Valsugana, and others. Both Italian nationals and foreign residents can apply. 5
The Independent
4 days ago
- Climate
- The Independent
Giant cloud of smoke seen over Madrid as wildfires rage in central Spain
An uncontrolled wildfire has burned outside Madrid, sending a giant cloud of smoke over the Spanish capital. The fire broke out in the town of Mentrida in central Spain 's Castile-La Mancha region on Thursday, around 30 miles southwest of the capital. Local authorities urged residents to stay home and close their windows. Spanish authorities said the blaze had burned around 3,000 hectares (11.6 square miles) by the late evening. Firefighters deployed on the ground and in the air were working to extinguish the fire that began around 3pm. More than 95 firefighters had been deployed to deal with the blaze, local officials said. Dozens of people were forced to evacuate their homes as the Spanish Civil Guard was deployed to protect residents from the fire. In an update on Friday morning, Forest Fire Prevention and Extinction Service said 95 per cent of the fire had been contained. Authorities opened up roads again as visibility improved. Wind blew the smoke over Madrid, where in the afternoon skies turned orange and thick with smoke. Local media reported that residents in Madrid could smell the burning from their homes, causing alarm. Large parts of Spain are under heat and fire warnings, with temperatures on Thursday reaching 37C in Madrid. Last week, Spanish authorities ordered more than 18,000 residents in the northeastern Tarragona province to remain indoors, with several dozen evacuated, as a raging wildfire consumed nearly 3,000 hectares (7,413 acres) of vegetation. Europe is the world's fastest-warming continent, with temperatures increasing at twice the speed of the global average since the 1980s, according to the European Union 's Copernicus Climate Change Service. Scientists warn that climate change is exacerbating the frequency and intensity of heat and dryness, which makes places more vulnerable to wildfires.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
An uncontrolled wildfire sends a cloud of smoke over Spain's capital
Spain Madrid Wildfire MADRID (AP) — An uncontrolled wildfire burned outside Madrid on Thursday, sending a giant cloud of smoke over the Spanish capital. The fire broke out in the town of Mentrida in central Spain's Castile-La Mancha region about 50 kilometers (30 miles) southwest of the capital. Local authorities urged residents to stay home and close their windows. Spanish authorities said the blaze had burned around 3,000 hectares (roughly 7,400 acres) by the late evening. Firefighters deployed on the ground and in the air were working to extinguish the fire that began around 3 pm. Wind blew the smoke over Madrid, where in the afternoon skies turned orange and thick with smoke. Large parts of Spain are under heat and fire warnings, with temperatures on Thursday reaching 37 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit) in Madrid. Europe is the world's fastest-warming continent, with temperatures increasing at twice the speed as the global average since the 1980s, according to the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service. Scientists warn that climate change is exacerbating the frequency and intensity of heat and dryness, which makes places more vulnerable to wildfires.
Associated Press
5 days ago
- Climate
- Associated Press
A wildfire outside Madrid sends a cloud of smoke over the Spanish capital
MADRID (AP) — An uncontrolled wildfire burned outside Madrid on Thursday, sending a giant cloud of smoke over the Spanish capital. The fire broke out in the town of Mentrida in central Spain's Castile-La Mancha region about 50 kilometers (30 miles) southwest of the capital. Local authorities urged residents to stay home and close their windows. Spanish authorities said the blaze had burned around 3,000 hectares (roughly 7,400 acres) by the late evening. Large parts of Spain are under heat and fire warnings, with temperatures on Thursday reaching 37 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit) in Madrid. Europe is the world's fastest-warming continent, with temperatures increasing at twice the speed as the global average since the 1980s, according to the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service. Scientists warn that climate change is exacerbating the frequency and intensity of heat and dryness, especially in southeastern Europe, making the region more vulnerable to wildfires.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Families face £1,076 bill per child for summer holiday childcare
Families paying for childcare over the six-week summer holiday now face a bill of £1,076 per child on average – a rise of 4% on last year, a report has found. Councils have reported a shortage of holiday childcare places – especially for children with special educational needs and disabilities (Send), according to research by the Coram Family and Childcare charity. It suggests families in the UK pay on average £1,076 for six weeks at a holiday childcare club for a school-age child, which is £677 more than they would pay for six weeks in an after-school club during term time. The research, based on surveys of local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales between April and June, suggests the average cost of a holiday childcare club has risen by 4% in a year to £179 per week. Wales has the highest weekly price at £210, followed by England at £178 and Scotland at £168. There is significant variation in holiday club prices across England, ranging from £196 per week in the South East to £162 per week in the North West. The report also found that the average cost of a childminder during the holidays is £234 per week in the UK. Inner London has the highest childminder price at £306 per week, compared to the South West where the childminder cost is £191 per week. In England, only 9% of local authorities said they had enough holiday childcare for at least three quarters of children with Send in their area. This figure falls to 0% for three regions in England – the East Midlands, the East of England and Inner London, the report said. The charity is calling on the Government to provide more funding, training and support to holiday childcare providers to meet the needs of Send children. The holiday activities and food (HAF) programme – which funds local authorities to provide holiday childcare, activities and food for children eligible for free school meals – should also be maintained after March 2026 to ensure disadvantaged children have childcare during school holidays, it added. The expansion of funded childcare – which was introduced by the Conservative government – began being rolled out in England in April last year for working parents of two-year-olds. Working parents of children older than nine months are now able to access 15 hours of funded childcare a week during term time, before the full rollout of 30 hours a week to all eligible families in September. The report said: 'It is encouraging to see increasing recognition that childcare is essential for facilitating parental workplace participation, with the continued expansion of funded childcare in early years, support to develop wraparound childcare before and after school, and the introduction of free breakfast clubs. 'There is no longer an assumption that parents and employers are able to fit their work around the school day, or an expectation that they will do so. 'However, outside of school term time, the situation is very different. 'Holiday childcare remains the unspoken outlier of childcare policy and the gap that parents must bridge every school holiday.' Lydia Hodges, head of Coram Family and Childcare, said: 'The need for childcare doesn't finish at the end of term. 'Holiday childcare not only helps parents to work but gives children the chance to have fun, make friends and stay active during the school breaks. 'Yet all too often it is missing from childcare conversations. 'Whilst the increase in government-funded early education has reduced childcare costs for working parents of under-fives in England, prices for holiday childcare are going up for school-age children. 'This risks encouraging parents to work while their children are young, only to find it is not sustainable once their child starts school. 'Availability of holiday childcare is an ongoing issue and without a clear picture of how much holiday childcare there is in each area, we cannot be sure that children – particularly those with special educational needs and disabilities – are not missing out.' Arooj Shah, chairwoman of the Local Government Association's (LGA) children and young people board, said: 'While councils recognise the importance of ensuring there is sufficient provision available for children with Send, it can be difficult to ensure the right provision is available, particularly given the challenging situation that many providers face at the moment. 'Councils work closely with providers to improve access to holiday childcare provision for children with Send but without investment and recruitment of quality staff this will be difficult to deliver.' A Government spokesperson said: 'We recognise the school holidays can be a pressurised time for parents, which is why this government is putting pounds back in parents' pockets both during the holidays and in term time. 'We are expanding free school meals to all children whose households are on universal credit, introducing free breakfast clubs in primary schools, and rolling out 30 government funded hours of early education from September – saving families money and helping them balance work with family life. 'We are also continuing to fund free holiday clubs through the Holiday Activities and Food programme which provides six weeks of activities and meals for any child from a low-income family who needs it.'
