Latest news with #SarahDyke
ITV News
4 days ago
- ITV News
Glastonbury residents 'shaken' after spike of anti-social behaviour in town
The churchyard has become a 'hotspot for crime', residents say. A churchyard in Glastonbury has become the target of increased anti-social behaviour, with individuals using graves as "shop counters" and "dealing drugs over the top of them", residents say. Residents of the town have expressed fear after St John's churchyard closed for a month to keep its visitors and congregation safe. Glastonbury MP Sarah Dyke warned Parliament that some constituents had also been intimidated with demands for money whilst collecting their pensions, leaving them "scared" and "overwhelmed". Church warden David Smith said: "You daren't approach them, because you would have face-to-face abuse." Local resident Melanie Warburton has reported that antisocial behaviour in the area has reached "a peak". A number of traders are concerned that this increase will deter tourists from visiting the town. Shop owners Linda Ravenscroft and her husband John explained: "We've had people coming in [to the shop] for protection." They added that people come into the shop and say they 'don't feel safe'. Ms Dyke has said she will continue to press for more police resources and find ways to improve CCTV in the town. She also noted she would request that the lapsed Public Space Protection order be reinstated in the area. Avon and Somerset Police has been contacted for a statement.
BBC News
03-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Somerset community hospital beds could close as trust reviews services
The number of inpatient beds at two community hospitals could be cut by a third if proposals go ahead. Somerset NHS Foundation Trust has confirmed it is in the "very early" stages of a consultation to reduce beds at Frome Community Hospital from 24 to 16, with a similar number of beds under threat at West Mendip Hospital in trust said it was looking at the "mix and balance" of its community services after an "increase" in people being cared for at MP for Frome and East Somerset Anna Sabine has set up a petition to stop what she described as "short-sighted" proposals, which she claimed could also see a number of job cuts. Ms Sabine, who has launched the petition alongside councillor for Frome North Adam Boyden, claimed the closures were being proposed because too few patients were being discharged from Bath's Royal United Hospital (RUH) to she said that when she toured the RUH - which is run by a different NHS authority to Frome - she was told their main problem is that they do not have suitable places to discharge patients into."We know the Royal United Hospitals struggle to discharge people and yet we're closing beds which would help this," she Sabine said she is concerned that there is "a lack of joined up discussion" between Somerset NHS and the RUH. 'Well thought out plan' However the MP for Glastonbury and Somerton, Sarah Dyke, whose constituency includes West Mendip Hospital, has given the proposals a cautious said while she understood residents might be "concerned" at the planned bed closures, after an urgent meeting with the hospital trust's chief executive last week she believed the "overall direction of movement" was "the right one"."He has reassured me that this isn't a cost cutting exercise, but part of a well thought out strategic plan to shift reliance on community beds, moving the balance of care back to the home. But only when people are well enough to leave acute care within the hospital setting."She added that she understands "the funds and staff previously used for community hospital beds will be redeployed to make sure there are enough services in the community to facilitate this shift". But Ms Sabine said while Somerset NHS Foundation Trust has promised more services at community hospitals across the county - this is not necessarily for Frome. "We suffer a little bit from being on the edge of Somerset and working with a hospital that is not in control by the same organisation and therefore we haven't had that guarantee," she said."It worries me that this is another example of Frome being short changed."She said the "short-sighted" approach to reduce beds in Frome did not take into account the difficulty people have getting to the RUH by public transport."Our hospitals don't need fewer beds, they need proper investment," she added. Somerset NHS Foundation Trust told the BBC the proposal aims to "ensure" community care is offered "in the most appropriate setting".A spokesperson said there has been an increase in people receiving care at home in recent years as well as "significant investment" in services to support patients at home following an acute hospital admission."We are therefore looking at the range, mix and balance of NHS services that are provided in people's own homes, community hospital services and community hospital beds," they said."As a result, we are adjusting the number of beds that we are providing in some community hospitals to better match the demand, which includes a proposed reduction of eight beds at Frome Community Hospital, from 24 to 16."Alongside this, we are also looking at what other services we could provide in our community hospital settings, that are currently provided in the two main acute hospitals as we look to provide services more locally where it makes sense and is feasible to do so."Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust has been approached for comment.
South Wales Guardian
16-05-2025
- Business
- South Wales Guardian
Cross-party calls for Government to delay inheritance tax change
The Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee (Efra), which includes seven Labour MPs, said the Government had failed to properly consult on the policy, leaving its potential impact 'disputed and unclear'. From April 2026, a 20% inheritance tax rate will be levied on agricultural assets worth more than £1 million, which were previously exempt. This is half the usual rate of 40%. In a report published on Friday, Efra called on the Government to push back announcing its final agricultural property relief (APR) and business property relief (BPR) reforms until October 2026, to come into effect in April 2027. The group of MPs suggested that doing so would 'allow for better formulation of tax policy' and protect 'vulnerable farmers' who would have more time to seek professional advice. It criticised the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) for 'poor communication and last-minute decision-making following rumours and departmental leaks'. 'We are concerned however, that no consultation, impact assessment or affordability assessment was conducted before the announcement of the reforms,' the committee said in its conclusions. 'The lack of proper evaluation of the impact of these changes means that the scale and nature of its impact on family farms, land values, tenant farmers, food security and farmers in the devolved administrations is disputed and unclear and comes with a considerable risk of negative unintended consequences. 'As such, the reforms threaten to affect the most vulnerable, including those who are older or are farming less profitable or tenanted holdings.' The committee backed the Government's aim of overhauling APR and BPR to 'close the loophole' allowing wealthy investors to buy agricultural land to avoid inheritance tax, but said stakeholders and experts have proposed several alternative ways to reform these taxes. These include increasing the tax-free combined cap for both taxes to £20 million but with potential 'clawback period' in which any land sold after being passed on, tapering to avoid a cliff-edge if the property is sold. The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) has said this option could limit the damage to businesses and allow rural and other family firms to continue to make medium and long-term investment decisions. Efra also questioned the 'sudden' closing of the sustainable farming incentive (SFI), a green funding scheme for agricultural for farmers, which it said 'affected trust in Government'. The Government has since announced it will allow SFI applications that were in progress within two months of March 11 to progress with restrictions. Efra called for an alternative funding mechanism to be put in place no later than September 2025. Committee members include Lib Dem MPs Mr Carmichael and Sarah Dyke, Tory MPs Charlie Dewhirst and Sarah Bool, and Labour MPs Helena Dollimore, Jayne Kirkham, Andrew Pakes, Tim Roca, Henry Tufnell, Josh Newbury and Jenny Riddell-Carpenter. Efra chairman ad Liberal Democrat MP Alistair Carmichael said: 'The Committee has taken its work extremely seriously in developing this report and in agreeing our findings. 'There is an opportunity here to rebuild trust and confidence in the farming sector and I hope that the Government will take our recommendations seriously. 'The way in which the Government has behaved over recent months has clearly negatively affected the confidence and wellbeing of farmers.' He added that the Government appeared to be 'dismissing farmers' concerns' and ignoring the strength of feeling in the sector, despite a series of large-scale tractor protests outside the Houses of Parliament. 'We have seen that Defra's communications with farmers have been poor, with confusing and sometimes contradictory messaging,' Mr Carmichael said. 'Farmers ought to be the essential element in the Government's plans both to achieve food security and to restore and protect the environment… (they) urgently need clarity, certainty and advance notice of changes – they cannot be expected to rethink their businesses on a whim. 'It is essential that Defra focuses on rebuilding trust through good-faith communications with the sector.' The Government has been contacted for comment.
Leader Live
16-05-2025
- Business
- Leader Live
Cross-party calls for Government to delay inheritance tax change
The Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee (Efra), which includes seven Labour MPs, said the Government had failed to properly consult on the policy, leaving its potential impact 'disputed and unclear'. From April 2026, a 20% inheritance tax rate will be levied on agricultural assets worth more than £1 million, which were previously exempt. This is half the usual rate of 40%. In a report published on Friday, Efra called on the Government to push back announcing its final agricultural property relief (APR) and business property relief (BPR) reforms until October 2026, to come into effect in April 2027. The group of MPs suggested that doing so would 'allow for better formulation of tax policy' and protect 'vulnerable farmers' who would have more time to seek professional advice. It criticised the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) for 'poor communication and last-minute decision-making following rumours and departmental leaks'. 'We are concerned however, that no consultation, impact assessment or affordability assessment was conducted before the announcement of the reforms,' the committee said in its conclusions. 'The lack of proper evaluation of the impact of these changes means that the scale and nature of its impact on family farms, land values, tenant farmers, food security and farmers in the devolved administrations is disputed and unclear and comes with a considerable risk of negative unintended consequences. 'As such, the reforms threaten to affect the most vulnerable, including those who are older or are farming less profitable or tenanted holdings.' The committee backed the Government's aim of overhauling APR and BPR to 'close the loophole' allowing wealthy investors to buy agricultural land to avoid inheritance tax, but said stakeholders and experts have proposed several alternative ways to reform these taxes. These include increasing the tax-free combined cap for both taxes to £20 million but with potential 'clawback period' in which any land sold after being passed on, tapering to avoid a cliff-edge if the property is sold. The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) has said this option could limit the damage to businesses and allow rural and other family firms to continue to make medium and long-term investment decisions. Efra also questioned the 'sudden' closing of the sustainable farming incentive (SFI), a green funding scheme for agricultural for farmers, which it said 'affected trust in Government'. The Government has since announced it will allow SFI applications that were in progress within two months of March 11 to progress with restrictions. Efra called for an alternative funding mechanism to be put in place no later than September 2025. Committee members include Lib Dem MPs Mr Carmichael and Sarah Dyke, Tory MPs Charlie Dewhirst and Sarah Bool, and Labour MPs Helena Dollimore, Jayne Kirkham, Andrew Pakes, Tim Roca, Henry Tufnell, Josh Newbury and Jenny Riddell-Carpenter. Efra chairman ad Liberal Democrat MP Alistair Carmichael said: 'The Committee has taken its work extremely seriously in developing this report and in agreeing our findings. 'There is an opportunity here to rebuild trust and confidence in the farming sector and I hope that the Government will take our recommendations seriously. 'The way in which the Government has behaved over recent months has clearly negatively affected the confidence and wellbeing of farmers.' He added that the Government appeared to be 'dismissing farmers' concerns' and ignoring the strength of feeling in the sector, despite a series of large-scale tractor protests outside the Houses of Parliament. 'We have seen that Defra's communications with farmers have been poor, with confusing and sometimes contradictory messaging,' Mr Carmichael said. 'Farmers ought to be the essential element in the Government's plans both to achieve food security and to restore and protect the environment… (they) urgently need clarity, certainty and advance notice of changes – they cannot be expected to rethink their businesses on a whim. 'It is essential that Defra focuses on rebuilding trust through good-faith communications with the sector.' The Government has been contacted for comment.
North Wales Chronicle
16-05-2025
- Business
- North Wales Chronicle
Cross-party calls for Government to delay inheritance tax change
The Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee (Efra), which includes seven Labour MPs, said the Government had failed to properly consult on the policy, leaving its potential impact 'disputed and unclear'. From April 2026, a 20% inheritance tax rate will be levied on agricultural assets worth more than £1 million, which were previously exempt. This is half the usual rate of 40%. In a report published on Friday, Efra called on the Government to push back announcing its final agricultural property relief (APR) and business property relief (BPR) reforms until October 2026, to come into effect in April 2027. The group of MPs suggested that doing so would 'allow for better formulation of tax policy' and protect 'vulnerable farmers' who would have more time to seek professional advice. It criticised the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) for 'poor communication and last-minute decision-making following rumours and departmental leaks'. 'We are concerned however, that no consultation, impact assessment or affordability assessment was conducted before the announcement of the reforms,' the committee said in its conclusions. 'The lack of proper evaluation of the impact of these changes means that the scale and nature of its impact on family farms, land values, tenant farmers, food security and farmers in the devolved administrations is disputed and unclear and comes with a considerable risk of negative unintended consequences. 'As such, the reforms threaten to affect the most vulnerable, including those who are older or are farming less profitable or tenanted holdings.' The committee backed the Government's aim of overhauling APR and BPR to 'close the loophole' allowing wealthy investors to buy agricultural land to avoid inheritance tax, but said stakeholders and experts have proposed several alternative ways to reform these taxes. These include increasing the tax-free combined cap for both taxes to £20 million but with potential 'clawback period' in which any land sold after being passed on, tapering to avoid a cliff-edge if the property is sold. The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) has said this option could limit the damage to businesses and allow rural and other family firms to continue to make medium and long-term investment decisions. Efra also questioned the 'sudden' closing of the sustainable farming incentive (SFI), a green funding scheme for agricultural for farmers, which it said 'affected trust in Government'. The Government has since announced it will allow SFI applications that were in progress within two months of March 11 to progress with restrictions. Efra called for an alternative funding mechanism to be put in place no later than September 2025. Committee members include Lib Dem MPs Mr Carmichael and Sarah Dyke, Tory MPs Charlie Dewhirst and Sarah Bool, and Labour MPs Helena Dollimore, Jayne Kirkham, Andrew Pakes, Tim Roca, Henry Tufnell, Josh Newbury and Jenny Riddell-Carpenter. Efra chairman ad Liberal Democrat MP Alistair Carmichael said: 'The Committee has taken its work extremely seriously in developing this report and in agreeing our findings. 'There is an opportunity here to rebuild trust and confidence in the farming sector and I hope that the Government will take our recommendations seriously. 'The way in which the Government has behaved over recent months has clearly negatively affected the confidence and wellbeing of farmers.' He added that the Government appeared to be 'dismissing farmers' concerns' and ignoring the strength of feeling in the sector, despite a series of large-scale tractor protests outside the Houses of Parliament. 'We have seen that Defra's communications with farmers have been poor, with confusing and sometimes contradictory messaging,' Mr Carmichael said. 'Farmers ought to be the essential element in the Government's plans both to achieve food security and to restore and protect the environment… (they) urgently need clarity, certainty and advance notice of changes – they cannot be expected to rethink their businesses on a whim. 'It is essential that Defra focuses on rebuilding trust through good-faith communications with the sector.' The Government has been contacted for comment.
