Latest news with #SteveParry
Daily Mail
12-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Fury as Brighton Council plan for gender-neutral changing village at new pool being built by firm founded by Olympic swimmers
A new £5.5million pool in Brighton designed by a firm founded by Olympic swimming stars have provoked fury over plans suggesting a gender-neutral changing village. Campaigners say women and children could be put at risk as they raised questions about the mooted new facilities at Withdean Sports Complex. Venue owner Brighton and Hove City Council has handed the contract for the pool's design to ReCreation, a company set up by four-time Olympic medallist Dame Rebecca Adlington and fellow Olympic swimmers Steve Parry and Adrian Turner. Councillors have hailed 'plans for this much needed new swimming pool' to be built at the Withdean sports base, which has an athletics stadium that was formerly home to Brighton and Hove Albion FC between 1999 and 2011. But critics have drawn attention to how the newly published plans, put out to public consultation, promise 'Gender neutral changing village and toilets'. The local authority has since said there has been a 'misunderstanding' about the published plans, while suggesting they had been wrongly phrased. Complaints are now pouring in to the council's online questionnaire seeking reaction, with gender-critical campaigners raising concerns about single-sex only facilities potentially allowing predatory men access to women and children. Planning documents shared as part of an ongoing public consultation plan show designs for the new pool's footprint, accompanied by a page listing 'Key considerations' and headed 'Accessible for everyone'. The document says the proposals are for 'a new facility designed for inclusion and wellbeing' that would 'ensure access for all users'. The design features are listed as including 'ramped and stair access to suit all levels of mobility', a 'wheelchair-accessible changing cubicle' and 'designated wheelchair spaces in the spectator area'. Yet critics have highlighted one of the other bullet points which states: 'Gender-neutral changing village and toilets designed with inclusivity in mind.' Similar concerns have been raised over gender-neutral changing facilities at other leisure centres nationwide, with the group Women's Rights Network calling for curbs. Brighton and Hove City Council has shared a possible floor plan for the proposed new pool - saying cubicles would include 'a mix of single, double, family and accessible'. Human rights charity Sex Matters have said the floor plan did not appear to indicate provision for single-sex facilities. The organisation's director of advocacy Helen Joyce said: 'It's incomprehensible that any council would choose to build a new community pool with only "gender neutral" - that is, mixed sex - changing facilities. 'Most people, of both sexes, prefer single sex facilities for privacy and dignity, and for women they are important for safety too. 'There is increasing evidence that mixed sex changing rooms and toilets are a gift to predatory men who seek to harass, abuse and sexually assault women and girls.' She told of increasing reports of phone-related incidents in 'gender-neutral' changing rooms and toilets as well as complaints that men have been hiding cameras in such facilities to record women in a state of undress. Ms Joyce added: 'If Withdean Sports Complex really wants to be "inclusive", it shouldn't design its facilities in a way that will put off women and girls, especially those who have suffered abuse or are from religions and cultures where sharing changing rooms with men is unacceptable.' Faye McGinty, of Women's Rights Network which has been campaigning against such 'gender-neutral changing villages', called for authorities to show more concern. She said: 'We know that the changing village design for swimming pools is a magnet for predatory males. 'All over the country, women and girls are constantly put at risk of voyeurism and other forms of sexual abuse in these mixed sex changing rooms in the name of 'inclusivity'. 'Councils, architects and Sport England need to look at the overwhelming evidence of harm and review any new and ongoing projects like the Withdean Sports Complex, considering the safety of women and girls through a robust risk assessment and consultation with women's groups.' Gender-critical activist Kellie-Jay Keen warned that such gender -neutral changing villages would put women and children in danger if not safely signed. She said the quality of such facilities did vary - as she praised those at her nearest leisure centre in Wiltshire for having entirely enclosed cubicles, with walls running from floor to ceiling. But she said others made people more vulnerable to indecent exposure, voyeurism and sexual assaults. She told MailOnline: 'These gender-neutral changing villages do seem to be on the rise. I live in Wiltshire and we've got one and I was encouraged to see the cubicles do seem to be fully enclosed. 'If they are fully enclosed, right to the top from the floor and are fully impenetrable, I don't see there's anything wrong with them. 'But if, say, a mobile phone can come through any gaps or pierce a hole, then it's simply not good enough. 'Anything less than being fully enclosed puts women and children at risk.' Brighton and Hove City Council sources have suggested in response to the backlash that there had been a 'misunderstanding' following phrasing in the published plans and insisted users would be kept separate in the proposed 'village'. They said lockable toilets and changing rooms would be similar to those seen in leisure centres nationwide. And they described the phrasing in the published documents as 'something, we'll have to have a chat, the way it's been worded'. Councillor Alan Robins, cabinet member for sports, recreation and libraries, today said: 'There has been a misunderstanding over the naming of the facilities on the designs. 'But to be clear, they are for the industry standard, individual, lockable cubicles used at leisure facilities up and down the country. 'We are delighted to be consulting on a new state of the art swimming pool for residents of Brighton and Hove.' A formal planning application related to the proposed new pool is expected to be submitted to Brighton and Hove City Council later this year. But initial designs and plans for the five-lane, 25m facility were revealed this month, with councillor Mr Robins describing the unveiling as 'incredibly exciting'. He said: 'As a coastal city it's vital that all our children and young people have the chance to learn to swim at an affordable price, and that we listen to the views of our residents and do everything we can to provide modern, sustainable and affordable sporting facilities for all.' The project, given an estimated budget of £5.5million, is being overseen by swimming pool design firm ReCreation, part of the Swim network of UK-wide community pools. The company says on its website: 'Using innovative technology and designs, we deliver bespoke public leisure buildings for a fraction of the traditional cost. 'Every project we undertake becomes our passion and we offer a complete, dedicated design and delivery team that collaborates with each client on a case-by-case basis to provide an optimum, cost-effective leisure solution.' Adrian Turner, director of ReCreation, said earlier this year when the Withdean partnership was announced: 'Our guarantee is a swimming pool that the community will love. 'We will be using the latest design and engineering technologies to develop a pool that will be warm, safe and inviting. 'For 11 years in a row, more pools in the UK have closed than opened, so we are thrilled to be reversing that trend with Brighton & Hove City Council.' The firm has been described as the country's leading provider of above-ground pools, after being founded in 2009 alongside the Pools4Schools initiative. They opened Britain's first Olympic-length above-ground pool in the London borough of Barking and Dagenham in 2019. Dame Rebecca and Parry also set up Swim!, an organisation set up 'to help children to swim' - with regular sessions held weekly at pools across the country. The company describes them as 'passionate about teaching children to swim' and how they were 'achieving this by opening state-of-the-art, family-friendly centres around the UK'. Dame Rebecca, 36, won two gold medals at London 2012 - the first British swimmer to hold two golds since 1908. She followed that up with a pair of bronzes at the Summer Games in Rio four years later.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Yahoo
Woman Arrested After Police Find 37 Dead Dogs on Property Believed to Be an Animal Rescue Center
A woman has been arrested after 37 dead dogs were found in a property in Basildon, England Essex police confirmed on June 4 that the 25-year-old had been charged with suspicion of animal cruelty Police previously revealed that they had also arrested two other men, with one being released on conditional bailA woman has been arrested after 37 dogs were found dead in a property in Basildon, England. On Wednesday, June 4, Essex Police confirmed in a press release that a 25-year-old woman from London had been charged with suspicion of animal cruelty. According to the BBC, the animals were found in an address believed to be an animal shelter. 'A woman has been arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty as part of Basildon Neighborhood Policing Team's ongoing investigation into the circumstances surrounding the discovery of 37 dead dogs in Billericay,' the police's release read. Officials added, 'Working with the RSPCA, we helped to recover 21 live animals. This discovery followed a joint visit by Essex Police, the RSPCA and Basildon Council to a property in Crays Hill last month.' 'The 25-year-old woman from London was arrested this afternoon (Wednesday 4 June) and is currently in police custody,' the police continued. The statement added that further investigations at the address are being carried out by Essex Police and the RSPCA. This came after officers received 'information received by a member of the public.' Essex Police told PEOPLE in a statement that the woman has been released on conditional bail, but added that their investigation is still ongoing. PEOPLE also reached out to the RSPCA for further comment, but they did not immediately respond. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. 'The remains of four further animals were identified when buildings were dismantled by the landowner, with liaison with Essex Police, since the original scene was stood down on 14 May,' the release continued. Authorities added that they were removing the remains, with the Basildon Neighborhood Policing Team identifying if there was any link to the police's investigation. 'We understand the concerns of the local community. We would ask people not to speculate and allow us to carry out our complex and thorough investigations,' Inspector Steve Parry from the Basildon Neighborhood Policing Team said in a statement. Authorities revealed in a previous release that they had arrested two men on 'suspicion of fraud, relating to transfer of ownership of dogs, and animal cruelty offenses.' While one of the suspects was released on conditional bail, 25-year-old Ovaeed Rahman was charged with 'causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal, an offence contrary to Section 9 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006, the duty of person responsible for animal to ensure welfare and three counts of fraud by false representation." He also stood before Southend Magistrates' Court on May 15 and will remain in custody until his next hearing, which will take place at Basildon Crown Court on June 9, according to the BBC. 'Since the creation of a dedicated portal through which the public, we've seen a large number of reports submitted and each of the submissions are being reviewed by officers,' a release from authorities shared on May 16 read. Read the original article on People
ITV News
16-05-2025
- ITV News
'Significant' number of new reports to police over 37 dead dogs discovery
Police investigating the discovery of 37 dead dogs at an animal centre say they have received a "significant" number of new reports from members of the public. A 25-year-old man has been charged with animal cruelty and fraud offences after a raid at a property in Crays Hill in Billericay in Essex on Tuesday. Essex Police have set up a website on which people can submit information, but encouraged the public to avoid sending in "rumour or third-party reports". Police also found 20 live dogs at the premises, which are now being cared for. A spokesman for the force said: "Since the creation of a dedicated portal through which the public, we've seen a large number of reports submitted and each of the submissions are being reviewed by officers. "We'd also like to remind the public that the portal is open purely for the purposes of helping us to gather evidence which will help our investigation to progress. Please do not use it to submit rumour or third-party reports as this can hinder the pace at which the investigation can progress." Insp Steve Parry, of the Basildon neighbourhood policing team, said: 'I would like to thank those people who have submitted information through the portal. Officers are working incredibility hard to review every report. 'The connection people had with their pets is obvious in each case and I promise that this is not lost on us. We will be in touch with those who have submitted suitable information as soon as we can. 'Please understand this is a complex investigation with parameters which are widening by the hour and it is not something we will rush – out of fairness to everyone who has been in touch.' Basildon Council has also launched an internal inquiry to investigate the circumstances surrounding the raid. Oaveed Rahman, 25, of Hope Road, in Crays Hill has been charged with causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal, an offence under the Animal Welfare Act and three counts of fraud by false representation. Rahman appeared before Southend Magistrates' Court on Thursday and was remanded in custody until a plea hearing at Basildon Crown Court on June 9, a court official said. A second man arrested has been released on bail until July.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Yahoo
Man charged with animal cruelty as remains of 37 dogs are found in Essex raid
A 25-year-old man has been charged with multiple offences after police found the remains of 37 dogs at an address in Essex. Police officers, along with staff from the RSPCA and Basildon council, visited a property in the Crays Hill area of Billericay on Tuesday, where the remains were discovered, Essex Police said. Around 20 live dogs were also found at the property. They are being cared for while attempts are made to locate their last-known owners, the force said. Two men were arrested on suspicion of fraud relating to transfer of ownership of dogs and animal cruelty offences. Ovaeed Rahman, of Hope Road in Billericay, has since been charged with causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal. He is also charged with three counts of fraud by false representation and an offence contrary to the Animal Welfare Act 2006. He is due to appear at Southend Magistrates' Court on Thursday. The second man arrested has been conditionally bailed until July. More from Sky News: Inspector Steve Parry, from the Basildon neighbourhood policing team, said: "This has been an extremely intensive investigation - to have secured such significant charges within 36 hours of making an arrest is a real testament to the unwavering commitment of the officers." "We are also acutely aware there will be a number of people, potentially across the UK, who may have questions on the current situation or information which they want us to know about. "We have now set up a dedicated public portal through which we would ask for people to make contact." Essex Police will keep the public informed "when it is appropriate to do so," he added.
ITV News
15-05-2025
- ITV News
Billericay man charged after remains of 37 dogs found during Essex Police raid
A man has been charged after the remains of 37 dogs were found during a police raid on a property. Essex Police officers worked alongside the RSPCA and Basildon Council after a number of reports regarding an address in the Crays Hill area of Billericay, Essex. When they raided the property on Tuesday, officers found the bodies of 37 dogs and rescued another 20 dogs. Two men were arrested on suspicion of fraud, relating to transfer of ownership of dogs, and animal cruelty offences. Ovaeed Rahman, 25, of Hope Road, in Crays Hill has been charged with causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal, an offence under the Animal Welfare Act and three counts of fraud by false representation. A second man arrested has been released on bail until July. Insp Steve Parry said: 'This has been an extremely intensive investigation – to have secured such significant charges within 36 hours of making an arrest is a real testament to the unwavering commitment of the officers here in Basildon. 'The public sentiment surrounding this investigation is not lost on us, and I would continue to urge the public to be responsible when discussing this, both online and in person. 'We are also acutely aware there will be a number of people, potentially across the UK, who may have questions on the current situation or information which they want us to know about. "We have now set up a dedicated public portal through which we would ask for people to make contact. 'This will allow is to continue to collate key evidence as the case progresses through the justice system and I would urge people to please use this method to get in contact.'
