Latest news with #Shropshire
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Nothing stands between rotten water companies and their suffering customers
SIR – Our property is subject to water bills on the basis of an assessed household charge, which does not reflect consumption. This April, Thames Water raised the annual charge by 37 per cent; Ofwat had announced many months before that it was authorising water companies to increase bills by an average of 35 per cent over five years. Clearly, our new charge is excessive, but when I contacted the Consumer Council for Water, it was unable to help and suggested that I get in touch with Ofwat instead. I wrote to Ofwat and, after a delay of more than three months, was told that our water company was responsible for setting, publishing and explaining its charges. In effect, I should query the increase with Thames Water, taking me full circle. No wonder that Ofwat is to be abolished (report, July 21). It appears to be a completely toothless organisation. David Bray Godalming, Surrey SIR – It is probably of little comfort to Robin Willow (Letters, July 20) – whose Thames Water bill has increased by 38 per cent this year – that Severn Trent Water has raised our charges by 43 per cent. This is in spite of Ofwat's agreement with Severn Trent that it would limit its increase to 47 per cent over the course of the next five years. Needless to say, I too have been stonewalled by Ofwat. The sooner it is replaced by a consumer-based regulator, the better it will be for all. Bob Juleff Craven Arms, Shropshire SIR – Part of the problem is that there is still a mixed system of water charging. The original system, based on the rateable value of a property, effectively charged those who could afford bigger houses more than those in small houses, whatever their consumption. That method ended in 1990 with the community charge, and all new houses had to have water meters. As they could not be made compulsory for existing customers, only those for whom it was beneficial to fit a meter made the switch. Even with an above-average rateable value, we stayed on the fixed rate until our children left home. Our water bill then fell to less than half what it had been. Our daughter and her family live in a Victorian terrace with a low rateable value, so don't have a meter, but use considerably more water than we do. If every house had to have a meter, there would be more incentive to reduce consumption. Those on low incomes with children could be supported through benefits, rather than distorting utility bills as a tax by the back door ('Middle class face higher water bills', report, July 20). Roger Jackson Stockport, Cheshire
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Pubs close suddenly after parent company folds
The Navigation Inn, Lapworth, Warwickshire, announced its closure on Facebook on Monday [Google] Two West Midlands pubs have shut suddenly after their parent company went into administration on Monday. The George in Ludlow, Shropshire, and the Navigation Inn in Lapworth, Warwickshire, made the announcements on Facebook. Oakman Inns, based in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, operated across Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and the Midlands. PwC, its administrators, confirmed "six operational sites" had closed with the loss of 159 jobs. The George and the Navigation Inn posted identical statements to their websites and social media pages. "Following the appointment of the Joint Administrators on Monday 21st July 2025 this site has ceased to trade and is now closed," it read. ADVERTISEMENT "Ross Connock, Mark James Tobias Banfield and Tom Crookham have been appointed as joint administrators of Oakman Inns and Restaurants Limited and Oakman Dev Limited to manage their affairs, business and property as their agents and without personal liability." The statements directed the public to the PwC website. The administrators said challenging conditions, such as the Covid pandemic which led to closures and "restricted trading", meant the company had to take out "additional borrowings to stabilise the business and preserve its operational footprint". PwC added it had sold one "freehold property and 13 leasehold sites to Upham Group Limited", which had secured 531 jobs. This included The Beech House, Solihull, and The Four Alls, Welford-on-Avon, Warwickshire. Council 'saddened' by closure Lapworth Parish Council said it was "saddened" about the closure of the Navigation Inn. ADVERTISEMENT "For centuries it has been a lively part of village life as a popular venue with its large canal side pub garden and restaurant," it said. "We appreciate that many pubs are struggling with increased costs at the same time as customers have reduced spending power but it is to be hoped that a new owner can be found to revitalise it as soon as possible." In a post on social media, a member of staff from The George said: "A big thank you to all of Ludlow. To everyone who supported us and made us smile. It's unfortunate that we've had to close, but we're truly grateful to each and every one of you. Thank you." Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. More on this story Related internet links
BBC News
11 hours ago
- Climate
- BBC News
Newport cleans up after 'awful' flash flooding
Residents and businesses in Newport are cleaning up after flash floods hit the town on shut in order for staff to clear its floors, and local business, Catherine's Bakery, had to sweep water out of the building. Newport Library closed on Tuesday and will remain shut on Fire and Rescue Service was called to Sandiford Crescent at 20:12 to reports of flooding affecting electrics in a property. The crew also assisted with unlocking drains and helped people in neighbouring streets."It was terrible, absolutely awful, [the water] came in through the front door and the back door," said resident Mary Kitson. "Next door alerted me because I was in bed, because I'm a night carer."She, along with other residents, said there was sewage in the water BBC has contacted Telford and Wrekin Council and Severn Trent for comment. "I've been washing all morning," she said."It's happened before, but not to this degree, this is the worst."Another resident, Ken Allen, said he saw cars floating down his street."The thunder and lightning started, and then it was just horrendous downfalls – and then the next thing we saw was the water just rising outside, all the gutters were running over on the houses.""We were lucky, we knew that, but we knew those down there [the road] weren't."It's a horrible thing to see the day after, when you see the mess that it's left." Newport Library said it would remain shut on Wednesday, but hoped to re-open on Thursday after the building dried out."There was significant flooding coming though the roof panels," said town clerk, Joanne Reay."We turned the electrics off, and came to assess damage this morning."She added that the building had been assessed and the electrics were not affected."We think we've lost about five books, so that was a massive relief." 'Only call 999 if your life is in danger' Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service said it received more than 20 calls in a short period of time from residents in the urged residents to only call 999 if their lives were in danger, and said it prioritised rescue operations over property protection."We have no statutory duty in England to attend floods - unlike other parts of the UK... our crews focus on people trapped or in danger... entering floodwaters poses serious risks to responders," it said on its Facebook said residents should isolate electrics and move pets and valuables upstairs. Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
12 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
Shropshire and Warwickshire pubs close after parent company folds
Two West Midlands pubs have shut suddenly after their parent company went into administration on George in Ludlow, Shropshire, and the Navigation Inn in Lapworth, Warwickshire, made the announcements on Inns based in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, operated across Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and the its administrators, confirmed "six operational sites" had closed with the loss of 159 jobs. The George and the Navigation Inn posted identical statements to their websites and social media pages."Following the appointment of the Joint Administrators on Monday 21st July 2025 this site has ceased to trade and is now closed," it read. "Ross Connock, Mark James Tobias Banfield and Tom Crookham have been appointed as joint administrators of Oakman Inns and Restaurants Limited and Oakman Dev Limited to manage their affairs, business and property as their agents and without personal liability."The statements directed the public to the PwC a post on social media, a member of staff from The George said: "A big thank you to all of Ludlow! To everyone who supported us and made us smile. It's unfortunate that we've had to close, but we're truly grateful to each and every one of you. Thank you!"The administrators said challenging conditions, such as the Covid pandemic which led to closures and "restricted trading", meant the company had to take out "additional borrowings to stabilise the business and preserve its operational footprint".The firm added it had sold one "freehold property and 13 leasehold sites to Upham Group Limited", which had secured 531 included The Beech House, Solihull, and The Four Alls, Welford-on-Avon, Warwickshire. Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Oasis tribute act more than DOUBLE their fees since band's reunion
An Oasis tribute act say they have almost quadrupled the price of their gigs since the band announced their reunion. Joe Birchley, who performs as Liam Gallagher in their act Supernova, says that he's been playing four gigs a week since the announcement, compared to their previous three a month. The 42-year-old has gone from charging pubs around £850 per performance to playing in football stadiums and in theatre halls. READ MORE: 5 games released in 2025 guaranteed to take you back to the good old days of gaming READ MORE: 5 retro RPGs you can play right now guaranteed to make you feel like a kid again - you won't have heard of one of them Joe and bandmate, Ben Armstrong, 40, who acts as Noel, now charge up to £3,500. 'The band was already on the up, but when Oasis announced the reunion, there was a massive outcry,' Joe, from Newport, Shropshire, told What's The Jam. 'I always knew a reunion would happen. It was just a matter of when - but it's driven the price up. "Our pricing does fluctuate massively depending on the event and venues. The market was saturated with tributes, but we wanted to be the ultimate. 'We started doing one or two gigs a month at local pubs, and we were charging from £800. Now, we're doing bigger and better venues." The band say they now perform at festivals and football stadiums, charging £2,000 on average but netting as much as £3,500 from a single performance. 'Every gig we do turns into four or five more gigs - and our calendar is so full we're filling up 2026 and 2027," Joe continued. 'It's changed the way our weekends work, so there are pros and cons. 'After the announcement, it was chaos, and we were taking eight bookings a day. We had to start turning bookings down because it's a labour of energy.' The Oasis superfans formed the band in 2020 after being introduced by a mutual friend and had their first gig in October 2021. Joe said: 'We've always been Oasis fans. There's a lot of tribute acts, but we set out to be the ultimate and to get the sound and energy completely right. He ditched his job in recruitment to dedicate his time to playing Liam. He now works part-time as a carpenter to keep him busy on his days off from the band, while band-mate Ben still has a full-time job as an education manager. Joe said: 'I could give up carpentry and do the band full time, but it's something to do in the week while recovering from the weekend's exploits. 'When Oasis announced the reunion, I did have to shelve carpentry for a month. 'Performing is very tiring, and there's a lot of travel. We can do two gigs a day that are a 380-mile round trip. It's intense. Joe is convinced that Supernova will continue even after the Oasis reunion hype has died down, as their fan base is getting younger. He added: 'Guitar music has been put back in the forefront of the media, so hopefully we'll see some more young guitar bands and bring that music back. 'We've noticed the crowds are getting younger - that's a sign it could last.
