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The Sun
3 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
First hosepipe ban of the year imposed on tiny village where water levels are critically low
BRITAIN'S first hosepipe ban of the year has been imposed on a tiny village where water levels have become critically low. Youlgreave in Derbyshire has had its own water supply from a natural spring since 1829. 2 2 But after a two-month dry spell, 500 homes in the area are now subject to tough restrictions. Under the ban, residents are not allowed to water their gardens and must use a shower instead of a bath. They have also been urged to lay off the taps at peak times in a bid to preserve stocks. Officials said the ban is likely to last all summer and may need at least two weeks of continuous rainfall to overturn. Villager Chrissie Baker, 83, said: 'I'm delighted we have a hosepipe ban, to stop those idiots who spray their lawn the minute a bit of brown appears. 'All the grass grows back two days after the rain. It's stupid and very selfish.' Max Hunt, 72, said: 'I think it's necessary. It's been a particularly dry spring, so that causes its problems. I think most people will be able to cope with it.' Parish councillor Andrew McCloy said the ban is 'the earliest yet'. He said of the water supply: 'It's usually fairly consistent throughout the year. 'But when it gets really low, it's drawn from a nearby redundant mine. Even that is starting to dry out, which is why we're being really careful these days.' Major providers have said they may have to follow suit with a long, hot summer forecast. The North West is already in drought. UK water drowning in failure By Martina Bet THE nation's water system is riddled with failures and needs a total reset, a review warns. It slams the crumbling infrastructure after years of neglect. The report comes as Thames Water's £4billion rescue deal collapsed and South West Water owner Pennon posted huge losses. The Independent Water Commission review is the biggest since privatisation amid fury over pollution, bills and fat-cat bonuses. But former Bank of England deputy Sir Jon Cunliffe, who led it, said that regulators lacked the power to step in. Nationalisation was ruled out, but the interim findings call for stronger laws, tougher oversight and long-term investment. Industry body Water UK admitted: 'Everyone agrees that the water industry is not working.'
BBC News
26-04-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Roads a key issue in Leicestershire County Council election debate
Potholes and parking problems were among the topics discussed by candidates standing for election to Leicestershire County Council during a Conservatives, Green Party, Labour and Reform UK have candidates standing in each of the 55 seats on the council on 1 May, with the Liberal Democrats in all but one a debate hosted by BBC Radio Leicester, local representatives of the parties were questioned over issues including local government reorganisation and the state of the council's finances, while also answering questions submitted through the BBC's Your Voice, Your Vote one subject stood out the most - roads. Pothole problems Kate, a community carer based in Loughborough, drives a lot for her job and asked about the state of roads in her area. "We're told over and over again that it'll be sorted and it never is. Or it is, but poorly done," she told the Yates, for the Green Party, said people may know her party is in favour of alternatives to car use but "that doesn't mean that we're not car drivers and don't care about car drivers". "We recognise that fixing potholes is important to people," she Harrison, who left the Conservatives in February to join Reform UK, talked about the wider issues of demand placed on our roads as vehicles get told the debate he wanted "to look in more detail at repairs" as he claimed many were not completed candidate Deborah Taylor, current acting leader of the council, claimed cash allocated to the county following the cancellation of HS2, which could have been used to repair roads, had been "stripped away" by the Labour-run group leader at County Hall, Max Hunt, blamed "years of austerity" that meant road repairs had fallen behind and said there was not the money to do the work Mullaney, who leads the main opposition for the Liberal Democrats, said he has first-hand experience of reporting potholes and claimed the council initially refused to repair potholes he and other residents reported at the Ashby Road/Normandy Way junction in Hinckley."It looks like they are now going to be fixed but it took a long time," he said, as he called on the authority to be "more receptive to people's concerns" about potholes. Parking hell Jo Short, who lives near the city/county border in Beaumont Leys, said it can be dangerous pulling out of any driveway because of parked cars on surrounding pavements. She said: "Nobody has the guts to come along and stick a parking ticket on these cars."Labour's Max Hunt said a highway obstruction was a police matter "but we can't expect the police to be on every street corner". "It's question of how the community can respond to this," he Harrison, for Reform UK, talked about how serious a problem this was for pedestrians too, including the disabled, and suggested drivers should be more Green Party's Rebekka Yates suggested: "What we'd rather do is talk to people in the area to try and prevent it happening in the first place."But the Conservative's Deborah Taylor said the authority's powers were restricted, saying it was currently only illegal to park on the pavement in Leicestershire if there were double yellow lines or specific restrictions in place. But she added it was "a real issue and it is brought up on the doorstep." What about the money? There's no escaping the financial challenge Leicestershire County Council faces in tackling all of the issues raised by voters. It currently claims growing pressure on services could create a £96m budget gap by from Loughborough, asked the candidates where exactly they would would make cuts to keep the council's finances in Conservatives, Labour and Liberal Democrats agreed it was clear that savings would have to continue to be made on any non-statutory services - as children and adult social care had to be provided. Reform UK wants an independent efficiency review of the whole of the county council, claiming £300m is spent on staff alone, a figure not recognised by the Green Party said it feared council reorganisation and financial demands of a new unitary council could lead to some services currently provided by districts and boroughs being "squeezed out".The magic money tree has not appeared. Your election choice The BBC has counted 293 candidates across the 55 seats in this election. Apart from the major parties, you'll find 16 independents, a couple of candidates for the Alliance for Democracy and Freedom Party, a Communist Party of Britain candidate and one for the Animal Welfare Party. So, there is choice!While the long-term future of the council is subject to local government reorganisation, candidates argue its current role continues for now - and it's unclear whether any new council structure will be in place before the next elections are a consistent message is, get out and vote on 1 May.
