Latest news with #MargaretBell
BBC News
23-04-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Warwickshire County Council to be different whatever voters pick
Whatever happens at the election, Warwickshire County Council is about to look very isn't about the prospect of devolution, which could see the larger county-wide authority swallow up the smaller districts and boroughs from North Warwickshire to changes will be down to the number of new councillors that will be elected when the public go to the polls on 1 May.A total of 20 of the 57 sitting councillors will be stepping down. The Conservatives will make up the bulk of that number, with 17 of the 41 Conservatives who hold a seat going into the election stepping down – including four of the nine who make up the leader's them is Peter Butlin, the deputy leader who has overseen the council's finances; and Margaret Bell, the portfolio holder for adult social care and health. These are two areas which present the biggest challenges to the council, according to Conservative Izzi Seccombe, who has led the council for almost 12 said: "I am very keen, particularly, that we prevent people coming into need and that we try and help them to stay independent as long as possible."But the second important part is that we help to grow our economy. That we make sure we are an attractive place to do business." Recent results in the General Election, as well as the district and boroughs, could perhaps provide an insight into why some Conservatives have decided to call it a to the north of the county, Labour overturned a huge Tory majority in 2024 to take over Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council. The Conservative MPs in the Nuneaton and North Warwickshire and Bedworth constituencies also lost their seats to Labour at the General that offers hope for Labour, a party looking to make inroads at a council they haven't led since 2005, when it was in no overall control. It's roads which Sarah Feeney, the Labour group leader on the authority, believes will be a key election said: "The state of the roads is probably one of the biggest things. If I look across every single division, yes people talk about social care, they talk about children's needs."But the state of the roads comes up time and time again here in Warwickshire, it's clear that people are unhappy with how long things take to get fixed." Another party which performed well in the north of the county during the 2024 General Election was Reform. While they didn't pick up any seats, they did finish third in the two constituencies – picking up 26% of the vote in North Warwickshire and Bedworth and 22% in have no history in the county council election, but Reform candidate James Crocker hopes the party's new-kid-on-the-block status will be part of its appeal to said: "The one thing that I can see is a genuine desire for change and it's coming from areas that maybe we've not seen in the past particularly."We've got a very different breed of candidate, that is really what I think people will notice over the next few months." The signs are that the south of the county could present a different challenge for the ruling Conservative Party. Stratford District Council is now under Liberal Democrat control after overturning a Tory majority in 2023 – marking the first time the council had been controlled by any other party since forming in the Liberal Democrat candidate for Stratford in the 2024 General Election overturned a Conservative majority of almost 20,000 to become the first Liberal MP there since Liberal Democrat group leader on the county council Jerry Roodhouse said care was one of the issues his party was seeing come up on the campaign trail. He said: "Adult social care and the elements of care, but not just older people, but younger people too - and that's mental health issues as well - are to the fore at the moment."We want to see much greater action from the county council and the services it provides."The Green Party is also in confident mood heading into the election. In 2023 it became the biggest party on Warwick District Council, taking control away from the Conservatives for the first time since 2007 after forming a joint administration with Labour. The experience of partnership working could be valuable for the Greens, particularly if the election ends with the council in no overall control – something that has happened four times since the modern version of the local authority was formed in candidate Nicki Scott said: "The Green Party is obviously about sustainability, everybody knows that. But, actually, it's about community and collaboration."I think we've got a really good track record of working with other parties when we need to and getting things done. But actually, also, challenging where required. We are not just the norm."
BBC News
10-04-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Newcastle's Stephenson Road a nitrogen dioxide pollution hotspot
A city may have to wait 20 years to cut pollution levels to legal limits because of issues with a single Road in Heaton, Newcastle, has high levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and difficulties tackling the problem means the city is not forecast to meet targets until as late as 2045 -13 years behind the rest of Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said one street could cause an entire area to be considered in breach of legal pollution limits and Tyneside had a particular "localised hotspot".Newcastle City Council identified that as Stephenson Road and said it "remained committed" to tackling its high NO2 levels. NO2 is a toxic gas which exacerbates asthma, impedes lung development and raises the risk of lung response to a parliamentary question, Defra said 13 urban areas in England with a population greater than 250,000 exceeded the annual mean limit value for NO2 in included Tyneside, Greater London and the Bristol urban area. The department said it did not hold "up-to-date detailed modelled projections" on the impact of current policies in reducing NO2 concentrations, but current estimates suggested all failing regions would comply by 2032, except for would meet the target by 2045 at the latest, Defra added.A Newcastle City Council spokesman said Stephenson Road experienced high pollution due to its "topography", as well as it being "a main bus route, busy junction and main route connecting North Tyneside into Newcastle".They also noted nearby residential streets did not exceed legal limits for the pollutant. Pollution trap Prof Margaret Bell at Newcastle University said there could be several reasons why the problem was so bad at this particular addition to the heavy traffic the road experienced, it was also very close to a grade-separated roundabout, she said, which "traps the pollution"."There's no ventilation under that roundabout," she said. "So the pollution will be building up and going out at the sides."Buildings around this "canyon" also sheltered the area from wind, she said, further cutting the level of pollution that could be as the roads at the site are on hills, cars are forced to accelerate which produces more pollution, according to Prof council said it was working with the government's Joint Air Quality Unit to tackle pollution issues on Stephenson Road, but it was not possible to "predict a precise date" when levels would become compliant in Newcastle. The road sits outside of the city's Clean Air Zone (CAZ) which was introduced in 2023. The local authority said data published since the launch of CAZ suggested "an overall improvement" in air both Defra and the council said a transition to low emission vehicles should lead to air pollution levels falling city council spokesperson said: "We know that poor air quality is harmful to everyone's health and we remain committed to tackling areas where we are still seeing unacceptably high levels of NO2." Follow BBC Newcastle on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and Instagram.
