Latest news with #LocalDemocracyService
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Yahoo
Animal ban for farmer who left cow dead in mud
A farmer whose premises had "the worst standards ever seen" by council officers has been banned from keeping animals for life. Malcolm Mosley severely neglected his 45 cows at Primrose Farm in Riddlesden, Keighley, and did not comply when ordered to improve conditions and seek veterinary assistance. Mosley, 62, had been told at an earlier hearing that he was likely to face prison after pleading guilty to nine charges relating to causing unnecessary suffering of an animal and failing to ensure animal welfare. At Bradford Crown Court on Friday, Mosley was instead given a 12-month community order that will require him to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work. The court previously heard Bradford Council sent officers to the farm on Ilkley Road in September 2022. During a number of visits over a six-month period, inspectors found a cow dead and submerged in mud inside the barn and one stuck in frozen mud around the hay feeder outside the entrance to the barn. Several of the bovines were in a poor state, with one found malnourished and with a broken leg, while another had an ingrowing horn that had pierced skin behind its eye. The animals also had no feed or bedding in their barns and water troughs in cowsheds were left empty, the Local Democracy Service reports. Clare Walsh, prosecuting on behalf of Bradford Council, said Mosley did little to improve conditions and, in some cases, opted to have animals shot instead of treated. When it became clear Mosley would be given a ban on keeping animals, he had all the cows on the farm euthanised. Kathryn Pitters, representing Mosley, said he had farmed since he was a child, and inherited Primrose Farm from his parents, for whom he had acted as a carer in recent years. The court heard Mosley, who had shown "a deep regret" over the offences, had recently suffered periods of ill health, including a heart attack. Ms Pitters added: "With the benefit of hindsight, he wasn't up to the job of managing a farm, and that unfortunately showed in the animals in his care. "He is someone who acted incompetently rather than being deliberately sadistic." The court heard the case had cost the taxpayer almost £10,000 to investigate and bring to court. The council asked the court to order Mosley to pay these costs but he was ordered to contribute £1,000. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North. Farmer pleads guilty to causing animal suffering
The Independent
28-04-2025
- The Independent
‘Nightmare' in pretty English village overrun by tourists with resident injured in parking bust-up over Range Rover
Tensions between tourists and residents of ' England's prettiest village ' have escalated, after a local claimed his foot was run over during a parking dispute over Easter weekend. The picturesque village of Bibury in the Cotswolds is home to just 700 people - but attracts up to 20,000 visitors on weekends. Described by artist William Morris described as the 'most beautiful village in England', up to 50 coaches of tourists descend daily on the destination, famed for its row of 17th-century cottages on Arlington Row. The Easter bank holiday saw tensions rise once more between tourists and residents, with one villager claiming to have had his foot run over by a Range Rover in a parking dispute. Resident Mark Honeyball told the Local Democracy Service that the situation in the village had become 'beyond a joke', while warning that emergency services struggled to move through the traffic. He said he had his foot run over by the vehicle as he tried to stop a tourist from parking illegally - something, he claims, locals have to do regularly. "I had to call the police on the day and they couldn't get to me as a Range Rover had very nicely run over my foot in a dispute over where they shouldn't be parking and did a quite bit of damage,' he said. 'It's not broken, just badly bruised.' He added: "He drove on the pavement. I had another one on Monday who I was asking to move off my drive and he just put his car into gear and drove along the pavement at me." Bibury Parish Council chairman Craig Chapman told The Independent that the village resembled a 'complete and utter nightmare' over the Easter weekend due to queues of visitors. He said at one point, cars had to back one mile up the road as a coach carrying tourists couldn't come around a corner on the village's small roads. 'It was at its worst on Easter weekend because the weather was good. It was a complete and utter nightmare,' he said. He was with Mr Honeyball when it was claimed he had his foot run over, trying to stop people from parking illegally on yellow lines. He said: 'We have to do something about it - we can't let it go on like this.' Numbers of tourists have increased in recent years thanks to social media influencers promoting the village as a lazy get-away from major cities such as London. It is particularly popular with Japanese tourists as the place Emperor Hirohito is believed to have stayed in the 1920s. Village leaders are working on a plan that could see coaches banned in an effort to reduce over-tourism. The first decision by the working group of representatives from Bibury Parish Council, police and Gloucestershire County Council is a change to the layout of coach parking bays to stop the vehicles parking or waiting in a nearby layby. The next stage is to consider restricting coaches from the village, with ideas such as reviewing weight restrictions, finding coach parking outside the village and looking at ways to ban coach stopping and parking.
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Politics fest to give 'sense of hope'
Two mayors of major northern English cities and the ex-leader of the Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn are among the big names expected to speak at a six-week politics event in Sheffield later this month. The Festival of Debate, described by its organisers as the UK's biggest non-partisan politics festival, is due to run between 22 April to 30 May and is this year celebrating its 10th anniversary. Among the issues being discussed would be climate change, health inequalities, poverty, sexism, racism and transgender issues, organisers said. Nat Burton, from the festival, said it was hoped that those taking part would come away with "a renewed sense of hope" and "the tools to make change". Ms Burton said: "We've got a really diverse programme this year, ranging from big names in economics, politics and culture, to brilliant grassroots activists working tirelessly to make Sheffield a fairer and more equal city." As part of the festival, the Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham and Liverpool Mayor Steve Rotheram are expected to talk about their new book, Head North, on 19 May at the University of Sheffield Octagon Centre. According to the Local Democracy Service, the book discusses how the pair believe political and economic power can be spread throughout the UK in a push towards a fairer future. Meanwhile, on 17 May at The Leadmill, Jeremy Corbyn, now an independent MP, is expected to discuss the Monstrous Anger of the Guns, a book he has co-authored examining the global arms trade. An all-day session on 30 April involving senior Sheffield City Council officers and representatives from Sheffield Society of Architects, Friends of Sheffield Castle, Sheffield Civic Trust and Sheaf & Porter Rivers Trust will look at the Heart of the City project and what lessons could be applied to the transformation of the city's Castlegate area. Other speakers included in this year's line-up would be authors Kate Raworth, Jason Hickel, John Harris, Lanre Bakare and Shon Faye, as well as Sheffield writer Désirée Reynolds, organisers said. The festival would also feature panels, workshops and interactive sessions exploring alternative and emerging solutions to several big issues, with many of those events being free to attend. Ms Burton said: "We really hope people who attend this year's festival come away with a renewed sense of hope, as well as the tools to make change in their streets and in their neighbourhoods." Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North. Festival of Debate
BBC News
13-04-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Sheffield Politics festival aims for 'sense of hope'
Two mayors of major northern English cities and the ex-leader of the Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn are among the big names expected to speak at a six-week politics event in Sheffield later this Festival of Debate, described by its organisers as the UK's biggest non-partisan politics festival, is due to run between 22 April to 30 May and is this year celebrating its 10th the issues being discussed would be climate change, health inequalities, poverty, sexism, racism and transgender issues, organisers Burton, from the festival, said it was hoped that those taking part would come away with "a renewed sense of hope" and "the tools to make change". Ms Burton said: "We've got a really diverse programme this year, ranging from big names in economics, politics and culture, to brilliant grassroots activists working tirelessly to make Sheffield a fairer and more equal city." As part of the festival, the Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham and Liverpool Mayor Steve Rotheram are expected to talk about their new book, Head North, on 19 May at the University of Sheffield Octagon Centre. According to the Local Democracy Service, the book discusses how the pair believe political and economic power can be spread throughout the UK in a push towards a fairer on 17 May at The Leadmill, Jeremy Corbyn, now an independent MP, is expected to discuss the Monstrous Anger of the Guns, a book he has co-authored examining the global arms all-day session on 30 April involving senior Sheffield City Council officers and representatives from Sheffield Society of Architects, Friends of Sheffield Castle, Sheffield Civic Trust and Sheaf & Porter Rivers Trust will look at the Heart of the City project and what lessons could be applied to the transformation of the city's Castlegate area. Other speakers included in this year's line-up would be authors Kate Raworth, Jason Hickel, John Harris, Lanre Bakare and Shon Faye, as well as Sheffield writer Désirée Reynolds, organisers festival would also feature panels, workshops and interactive sessions exploring alternative and emerging solutions to several big issues, with many of those events being free to Burton said: "We really hope people who attend this year's festival come away with a renewed sense of hope, as well as the tools to make change in their streets and in their neighbourhoods." Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
BBC News
10-04-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Plans to turn farm near Wentworth Woodhouse into spa hotel
A number of redundant farm buildings on a historic country estate could be converted into holiday cottages and a hotel with a spa, swimming pool and Fitzwilliam Estate has submitted plans to restore the semi-derelict Home Farm in the village of Wentworth to Rotherham said they hoped the scheme would "enhance" the experience for visitors to nearby Wentworth Woodhouse, which is owned separately by a preservation chief executive Sarah McLeod said the plans would create job opportunities and economically regenerate the area. The proposal involves a number of listed buildings associated with the estate, the Local Democracy Service Threshing Barn would become hotel accommodation and a spa and cafe would be created. The Gun Park building would be restored and transformed into a restaurant, while the Potting Sheds and Cart Sheds would be converted into hotel Powerhouse, which dates from 1904 and once provided electricity to Wentworth Woodhouse, would be converted into an events and wedding submitted to Rotherham Council state the development would include new parking provision as well as a secondary access route through Granny Clarke's Wood. 'Boost for local economy' Ms McLeod OBE told the BBC: "The Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust supports the planning proposal that has been submitted by our neighbour as it provides suitable car parking for visitors to the area, thus avoiding street parking within the historic village which has always been a concern to residents. "We believe visitors to Wentworth Woodhouse will visit from further afield and stay longer, spending more money in the area and thus boosting the local economy."The Fitzwilliam family, who once owned Wentworth Woodhouse, sold the house and grounds in the 1980s but retained ownership of a number of farms and Woodhouse Preservation Trust acquired the ancestral home of the Earls Fitzwilliam in 2017, with the Georgian mansion in a semi-derelict state at the to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
