Latest news with #Northallerton
BBC News
21-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
North Yorkshire school transport funding change upheld after vote
Councillors have rejected calls to scrap changes to a new home-to-school transport funding Yorkshire Council voted last year to only pay for transport to a child's nearest school, rather than using school catchment areas as had previously councillors and parents had called for the policy change to be reversed, resulting in fresh vote on the issue at a meeting the motion was defeated by ten votes, with a council spokesperson later stating that pupils starting new schools in September would find out if they are eligible for free travel in the coming weeks. Ahead of the meeting councillors were met by a group of about 100 people protesting against the policy outside County Hall in Northallerton, according to the Local Democracy Reporting council had said it hoped the policy - due to come into effect in September - would deliver savings of up to £4.2m a campaigners argued the new system may actually cost money to implement, and was damaging to pupils, schools and rural communities. The council said home-to-school transport was one of its three largest areas of expenditure, alongside adult social care and waste management.A spokesperson added that the decision to change the policy was aimed at protecting frontline leader Gareth Dadd said the new policy was "fairer to all families, responsible and affordable"."Unfortunately, a more generous officer is not longer an option," he said."I would like to stress that parents and carers in North Yorkshire still have a choice as to where their send their children."It is important for them to factor in travel costs if they choose a school that is not the nearest to their home."However, one parent speaking after the meeting said she now faced having to pay about £800 a year for her daughter to attend the same school as her parent, Charlotte Fowler, said: "Shame on all those councillors who have let down North Yorkshire's children today."They had a chance to put things right and they blew it. By choosing to keep a broken system in place the council has left children isolated, parents burdened, and schools uncertain about their future."Families of children due to start secondary school in September will find out if their child is eligible for free school travel by 30 May and those due to start primary school will find out by 30 June, the council has confirmed. Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Telegraph
14-05-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Sunak's first speaking engagement earns him PM's salary in three hours
Rishi Sunak was paid £160,000 for a three-hour speaking engagement last month, nearly as much as he was entitled to in an entire year as prime minister. The former Tory leader has officially entered the highly lucrative political speaking circuit, taking home roughly four times the average UK salary for his first major booking since leaving Downing Street. Mr Sunak, the MP for Richmond and Northallerton, was paid £160,750 for three hours' work on the speech, according to the latest version of the MPs' register of interests. It earned him more than £50,000 per hour, with the total approaching the salary of around £170,000 he could claim as prime minister prior to last year's general election. He follows in the footsteps of his predecessors Liz Truss and Boris Johnson, who have booked a string of well-paid speaking engagements since holding the office of prime minister. Just weeks after leaving No 10 in 2022, Mr Johnson was paid more than double his prime ministerial salary for a $350,000 speech and 'fireside chat' in the US. Ms Truss was also said to have made £250,000 in speaking fees in her first year after leaving office, including an £80,000 booking in Taipei in 2023. The latest register of MPs' interests shows that Mr Sunak was paid more than £160,000 for a single speaking engagement, for which he did three hours' work. It does not specify when the speech was made, or where it took place, but the payment was received in April. As the only declaration of its kind from the Tory MP in the last 12 months, it appears to be his first major booking since returning to the back benches. MPs are required to declare any earnings for employment outside the House once they have received a total of more than £300 in payments from the same source in a calendar year. The speaking engagement appears to have been organised by the Washington Speakers Bureau, which is listed as the fee payer, but the costs were ultimately covered by Bain Capital, a US private equity firm. Towards the end of his premiership, Mr Sunak was entitled to about £170,000 per year, which combined his MP's salary of approximately £90,000 and the top-up sum awarded to government ministers. It is not clear if he claimed the full amount. The register confirms that the former Tory leader sought permission from the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba), the official watchdog charged with assessing roles taken up by former ministers, before joining the speaking circuit. Specifically, he asked if he could take up a 'paid, part-time role' with the Washington Speakers Bureau, according to the committee's response. Under the arrangement, the agency will 'seek out international engagements' for him, which he can accept on a 'case-by-case basis'. The watchdog did not identify 'any particular concerns' with the appointment, but warned Mr Sunak he must 'be careful not to offer any unfair insight' as a result of his access to information and potential influence in government. The Washington Speakers Bureau advertises Mr Sunak as an 'exclusive speaker' on its website, with the option to request his availability. The description says: 'Rishi Sunak redefines leadership for a dynamic, interconnected world. As the youngest British prime minister in over two centuries and a trailblazer in technology and global economics, he led the UK through unprecedented crises with vision and clarity. 'A transformative leader, he empowers audiences with insights on innovation, resilience, and navigating change.'
Daily Mail
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
People shocked by bizarre items found in every room of a 'normal' detached house on sale for £305k
A four-bedroom house on a quiet cul-de-sac has just gone on sale - but potential buyers face a shock if they look around the home for a viewing. From the outside, there is nothing out of the ordinary about the detached suburban property in Northallerton, North Yorkshire. And in the current market a four-bedroom detached house for £305,000 is a deal many buyers would think about making. However, despite the reasonable price, there's one unexpected feature that will grab the attention of prospective buyers. Many people may have kept their childhood teddy bear as a keepsake or to pass down to their own kids but this homeowner has taken it to a new level. Taking to TikTok, @HousingHorrors took a look around the home which is filled to the brim with stuffed animal toys. One of the bedrooms has a cabinet full of teddy bears of all different sizes, designs and colours. As if that wasn't enough, there are even more bears in home's three other bedrooms as well as the living room. It's not just teddy bears as if you look closely enough you can spot a number of other stuffed toy animals as well as several baby dolls. The overwhelming toy collection is mainly however teddy bears and is sure to cause a shock to anyone who takes a look inside. 'I have never seen so many teddy bears inside a house in my entire life,' the TikToker said: 'Upon first glance it does look pretty normal and then you get into the bedroom and "oh my days", look at all those eyes staring at you. 'Imagine going on a date and bringing a girl back for the first time and she goes into this room and all those eyes are staring at her. 'If she hated teddy bears she would be running out of that door straight away.' The TikToker added: 'But it does not end there because in this second bedroom there is even more bears and they are absolutely everywhere.' He went on to question whether the collection included rare editions and if the toy were being kept to back a 'quick buck'. 'Honestly bears have just taken over this place,' he adds before finishing the video by saying 'you can't get away from them'.
