Latest news with #Mellor
Rhyl Journal
4 days ago
- General
- Rhyl Journal
Team appointed to support wildflower meadows in Denbighshire
Denbighshire County Council has introduced Nature Recovery Streetscene Operatives to help maintain and enhance the county's wildflower meadows as part of its wider climate and ecological emergency response. Councillor Barry Mellor, lead member for environment and transport, and the council's biodiversity champion, said: "The new Nature Recovery Streetscene Assistants will really help us improve the management of our meadows across the county. "Having the team will help us to be more direct in the way we maintain the sites, especially those that might need deeper intervention to help them flourish stronger to be a better resource for local nature." The Wildflower Meadows Project supports biodiversity and community wellbeing and is funded by the Welsh Government through the Local Nature Partnerships Cymru ENRaW scheme. During the 2024 season, 297 different wildflower species were recorded across the sites, with a total of 5,269 individual wildflowers logged. Mr Mellor said: "This team alongside our biodiversity officers will work together to make a real and positive impact on the conservation of important species and habitats within Denbighshire and add diversity and colour across our sites for all ages to enjoy, along with the pollinators at risk who help put food on our tables." The council says the new roles will allow for more focused management of the meadows, supporting long-term habitat improvement. The operatives will be carrying out early cuts and collections at some sites to reduce soil nutrients, limit grass growth, and encourage greater wildflower diversity. Outside of wildflower season, the team will also support other nature conservation and tree maintenance work across the county. Streetscene operatives currently work with the council's biodiversity team to manage the county's meadows, as part of their wider maintenance responsibilities.
Hamilton Spectator
30-07-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Servicing plan paves way for growth in St. George township
County of Brant Council heard more about the new St. George Water and Wastewater Capacity Allocation policy and the St. George Infrastructure Front-Ending Agreement during the regular Council meeting on Tuesday, July 22, 2025. As the County of Brant continues to grow, staff have been working to find ways to ensure critical access to safe, reliable, and sustainable water and wastewater services, particularly to the community of St. George. Given that the town's servicing capacity is currently limited, the County has been investing in major upgrades to support long-term growth. Projects currently include upgrading and expanding of the St. George Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) to 3,900,000 litres (3,900 m3) a day, and a new water treatment facility with additional wells in order to improve system reliability. With that being said, the amount of proposed development in the town exceeds the upgraded wastewater system's capacity and in response, the County developed a draft Water and Wastewater Capacity Allocation Policy and presented it to Council back in June. The draft policy outlined how the County will ultimately allocate limited wastewater servicing capacity in a way that is both sustainable and cost-effective. 'Staff prepared the draft St. George Water and Wastewater Servicing Allocation Policy (draft allocation policy) to allocate the available capacity (3,900 m3/day) of the expanded wastewater treatment plant to the proposed development lands,' read the report from David Mellor, General Manager of Operations. While the estimated cost of the proposed wastewater plant is $60 million and the water plant is $14 million, the Province awarded the County a $35 million grant to be used towards the cost of the WWTP. With that being said, the cost and ability to borrow all the money required for development-related projects is putting a financial strain on the County and so the St. George Landowner's Group (Losani, Empire, Riverview, Pinevest and Stremma) has since agreed to front-end finance some of the costs of the infrastructure in a another agreement with the County. 'As a result of this arrangement, some allocation is reserved for the Landowners Group (LOG) in exchange for the financing,' said Mellor. According to his report, the allocation of the 3,900 m3 a day will be as follows: As for eligibility and timing in regards to development, only those with Draft Plan Approval who meet all registration conditions are eligible and developments will be reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis (with the exception of the LOG). Infill developments will have priority access only while capacity is available. After presenting the policy to Council back in June, staff then went on to conduct several streams of public consultation through Engage Brant and through direct communication with potential developers. During Tuesday's meeting, Mellor presented the results of the consultation to Council. 'We received 12 comments online, and the majority of them were related to specific inquiries from a technical nature like the flows,' he said. Other inquiries included: Overall, staff's recommendation was to put out more explanatory documents along with the policy, and that the final policy be passed with no changes. After a few questions for councillors, the vote to approve the St. George Water and Wastewater Servicing Allocation Policy as a final document was carried, and Rob Walton, the General Manager of Operations, in consultation with Senior Management was delegated the authority to administer the St. George Water and Wastewater Policy. Council then moved on to the next item on the agenda, being the St. George Infrastructure Front-Ending Agreement, which goes hand-in-hand with the new policy Back in June, Council heard that the LOG approached the County in an effort to to assist with the financing and the construction of various transportation, water and wastewater servicing projects within the St. George community. The partnership will ultimately help to provide services which will allow housing development to proceed in the town. 'Between water, wastewater and roads there is approximately $85 million of infrastructure to be constructed external to the developments. With the other infrastructure needs in the County, this amount could be difficult for the County to finance,' read Mallor's report. '…To show their commitment to development in St. George, the LOG approached the County offering to build and finance the needed infrastructure which includes the wastewater plant ($60 million), water plant on Howell Road ($14 million), Hwy 5 Roundabout ($5 million) and the sanitary trunk sewer ($6million). Staff have agreed that the LOG can build the roundabout and the trunk sanitary sewer through the Losani Development.' On top of the $35 million grant the province awarded the County for the WWTP after the financial agreements with LOG commenced, the County will also be applying for $10 million of funding for the water plant as well. If successful, the LOG may not have to provide as much money as initially proposed. In the end, Council voted to approve the St. George Infrastructure Front-Ending Agreement with the LOG. Kimberly De Jong's reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative. The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at . Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Daily Record
01-07-2025
- Daily Record
Man awarded £100k after police officer punches him in road rage attack
Shane Price was reportedly left "mentally traumatised" after the bust up with veteran cop, Insp Jonathan Mellor. A motorist who was smacked in the face by a police officer before being wrestled to the ground during a roadside bust up has won £100,000 in compensation. Shane Price was reportedly left "mentally traumatised" after being punched, stamped on and wrestled to the ground by Jonathan Mellor - a veteran with over 30 years' service - while his terrified wife filmed the ordeal from the passenger seat. The horrific scenes unfolded during a "road rage" incident on the A46 between Newark and Lincoln on May 26, 2021. Mobile phone footage taken at the scene show Insp Mellor, of Lincolnshire Police, landing a punch on Mr Price, stamping on his foot and spouting expletives. He barked: "I'm going to take you to the f***ing ground" and "You've been f***ing pulled, haven't you?". Mr Price has now been awarded a hefty six-figure compensation sum and had his legal fees covered, reports the BBC. The episode led to the officer being slapped with a common assault charge, but he was cleared in May 2022. However, a police misconduct panel ruled earlier this year that Mellor's behaviour amounted to gross misconduct and said he would have been booted off the force if he hadn't already retired. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Insp Mellor, who was based at Grantham, told a police misconduct hearing that he punched Mr Price as a "distraction technique" before pinning him to the ground. But after a two-day hearing held at Bishop Grosseteste University earlier this year in January, a panel concluded that Mr Mellor's actions amounted to gross misconduct. The incident kicked off after Mr Price flagged down Insp Mellor at around 9.15pm, claiming the cop had been snapping pictures of him while driving. Both vehicles pulled into a slip road, where things quickly turned ugly. Footage shown at a disciplinary hearing in January showed Mellor - in plain clothes but wearing his uniform underneath - shoving Mr Price onto a grass verge before lashing out with his fist and stamping on his foot. Liz Briggs, representing Lincolnshire Police, described the men as appearing to "grapple with one another", with Mr Price repeatedly questioning, "What are you doing?". Hunter Gray, speaking for Insp Mellor, justified a punch to Mr Price's face and a stamp on his foot as a "recognised distraction technique" to "take control of Mr Price" due to his "increased agitation". He labelled it a "road rage" incident and queried if the couple were "looking for trouble" when they asked the officer to pull over. Inspector Jonathan Mellor denied taking any pictures of Shane Price and claimed he was simply trying to "create a space where I'm in control of him and out the way of traffic". Justifying the punch, he stated: "If I'd have punched him with my full force I would have knocked him out." He further explained: "I'm going for the red area, the face, but I'm mitigating that as a distraction strike." Video evidence shown during the hearing also picked up the moment Mellor used strong language, threatening to "put you down" while ordering Mr Price to stay put. Ms Briggs stated that Lincolnshire Police felt the officer "had no reason" to exert the level of force he did, labelling it as discreditable conduct. In his testimony, Insp Mellor described seeing the yellow van driven by Mr Price "meandering across lanes" before he overtook it. When asked by Ms Briggs whether his actions were appropriate, Insp Mellor doubled down: "I do believe it was a reasonable use of my powers. I feel I'm the victim here. I'm not the aggressor or the offender." He did concede that he "should have driven further down the slip road and stopped in a different place", acknowledging it might have been a safer choice. Jennifer Ferrario, the legally qualified chairwoman of the panel, declared that the panel deemed Insp Mellor's actions of punching and stamping on Mr Price, as well as restraining him on the ground, were "entirely unnecessary, unreasonable and disproportionate". The panel also concluded that the threatening and abusive language employed by Insp Mellor was "entirely unjustified". "The level of force used had been unjustified and could have been easily avoided," Ms Ferrario commented. "There was no reason for Mr Price to have been taken to the ground and restrained as he was." Insp Mellor showed a "demonstrated inability in the circumstances to control himself" and there was "no evidence of accountability" or "offer of apology" from him, she stated. Insp Mellor left the force in July 2022, but would have been sacked if he was still serving.
Rhyl Journal
27-06-2025
- Automotive
- Rhyl Journal
Denbighshire Council adds two electric vehicles to its fleet
The council has introduced two Toyota Proace Verso electric people carriers to its fleet, funded by taxpayers through the Welsh Government Energy Service. The new vehicles will be used to transport students to and from Ysgol Tir Morfa, a special school in Rhyl. Councillor Barry Mellor, lead member for environment and transport, said: "We are working very hard to reduce our fleet's carbon footprint by replacing end of life fossil fuel vehicles when the opportunity arises with greener alternatives where it is appropriate for the service need. "These vehicles help us reduce running costs over the long term through maintenance and miles and will continue to reduce our emissions to help us tackle the climate and nature emergency declared in 2019." READ MORE: Conwy road upgrade to fix 4,000 potholes as part of multi-million pound scheme Currently the council has one of the highest figures in Wales for the proportion of so-called zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) as a percentage of their fleet, at more than 20 percent. With a range of up to 214 miles, the new vehicles are expected to lower both mileage and maintenance costs. The people carrier will support Ysgol Tir Morfa with school transport, aligning with the school's environmental efforts, which have included low carbon energy improvements on site and tree planting in the grounds by pupils working with the council's biodiversity team. The second people carrier will be used in the social care sector to transport adults who work at Meifod Wood Products, a Denbigh-based work opportunity scheme. Cllr Mellor said: "It's great that Ysgol Tir Morfa will have access to one of these vehicles as the students are so supportive of doing everything they can to tackle climate change and support their local nature at the school and surrounding community. "Having one supporting Meifod as well I hope will inspire the fantastic adults who work at the site to do their bit to tackle climate change." The council said the minibuses would also be easier to maintain than petrol or diesel models due to having fewer moving parts.
India Today
25-06-2025
- India Today
Indian student in UK masturbates on girl's bed and toys, faces deportation
An Indian civil engineering student in the United Kingdom received a suspended prison sentence after he broke into a fellow student's room and masturbated on her bed cover and soft toys. The 18-year-old could be expelled and sent back to India if his student visa is undergraduate student, identified as Udkarsh Yadav, is enroled at Northumbria University in Newcastle, and unlawfully entered a female student's room during her absence over the Christmas holidays and committed the perverted used a faulty gym key-card that had been improperly configured by the university's administration, allowing him to unlawfully enter the female student's room. The victim returned to find a crusty "white substance" on her bed cover and her soft toys. After admitting his offences, Yadav escaped with a suspended prison sentence, and the university told him to move to different housing, The UK's Daily Express the UK, a suspended prison sentence allows an offender to avoid immediate custody, with the sentence effectively put on hold for a specified period — typically ranging from six months to two years, during which they must not commit further Yadav now faces being kicked off his course by university and sent back home in OVERCOME BY DESIRE, SAYS INDIAN STUDENTadvertisementYadav stayed silent initially, but later confessed after DNA evidence was presented, admitting he took advantage of faulty key-card access due to "being overcome with desire".Prosecutor Jennifer Coxon told Newcastle Crown Court that when Yadav was initially interviewed, he made no reply, but added: "He was re-interviewed and the DNA evidence was put to him. He admitted the offence, stating he was overcome with desire and he was aware that the gym cards were set up incorrectly, which allowed access to all rooms."The girl said she had pictures of herself on the wall, and she was so worried about the fact an "unknown man has committed a sex act in my room", according to the who had never been in trouble before and had a "lack of maturity", admitted burglary with intent to cause criminal damage, the Daily Express was sentenced to 14 months suspended for two years, with rehabilitation requirements, 200 hours unpaid work and GBP 117 compensation for three soft toys and bed Mellor, representing Yadav, said the student's father owns a construction business in said Yadav chose to study in the UK as he wants to succeed and "leave a lasting impact on the world". "His behaviour on the day in question is wholly out of character," she was quoted as saying by the Daily Mellor said Yadav, who has completed the first year and wants to progress to Master's level, has a student visa but would have to leave the UK if that were university has said they will review his status following the sentencing hearing.'DISGUSTING AND SELFISH THING TO DO'Judge Mark McKone KC said, "I don't think I have ever come across anything like this before. "It really is hard to imagine what was going through the defendant's mind when he did this.""This was a disgusting and selfish thing to do. You must have known the stress this would cause," McKone told Yadav."This was her first time away from home. She was left shaken over the thought you masturbated while looking at pictures of her on the wall," the Daily Express quoted McKone as saying.- Ends
