Latest news with #West Yorkshire
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Hose been spoiling our summer fun?
As a long-suffering customer of Yorkshire Water, I became subject to a hosepipe ban on 11 July. The next day I read in your Saturday magazine that I should enliven my summer by turning my garden into a water park: 'All you need is a hose …' (From stargazing to slushy-making: 50 fresh ideas for a super summer on the cheap (some are even free), 12 July). Are you taking the piss? Hang on, you might just have given me an idea for keeping my garden ComaishHorsforth, West Yorkshire When Rafael Behr writes: 'Ultranationalist ideology and a personality cult around the president are embedded in all public discourse as tests of loyalty' I had to check if he was referring to President Putin or Trump (Trump isn't a reliable ally – but Nato dollars can be more persuasive than Putin's propaganda, 16 July).Kevin QuinnMusselburgh, East Lothian Having read Is your home a health hazard? 15 surprisingly filthy everyday items, from taps to toothbrushes (17 July), I concluded that, as my house is clearly a breeding ground for bugs, it's nothing short of miraculous that I've survived into my 80s with few major illnesses. It seems more likely that following the article's advice might lead to a severe attack of GladmanSwindon Reading the Guardian sometimes makes me wonder whether we need to worry about FullerAmpthill, Bedford Have an opinion on anything you've read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Times
Myleene Klass made MBE at Windsor — and other news in pictures
An inflatable sculpture by the local artist Jason Wilsher-Mills at Wakefield Exchange in West Yorkshire. Wilsher-Mills is known for his focus on themes of disability and popular culture, and has used a wheelchair since age 11 TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER JAMES GLOSSOP JULIE YATES/SOLENT NEWS & PHOTO AGENCY Australia and Japan compete in the men's water polo on day six of the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore ADAM PRETTY/GETTY IMAGES Hundreds of Bolivian dancers join a parade honouring the Virgin of Carmen in the city of El Alto. The annual festival celebrates the patron saint of the region with dance, costume, processions and theatrical performance DIEGO ROSALES/ZUMA PRESS/ALAMY ANTON L DELGADO/AP A Ukrainian servicemen of the Spartan Brigade holds a ducking during mental resilience and combat training in Dnipropetrovsk — the duckling's role is not entirely clear ROMAN PILIPEY/AFP/GETTY IMAGES Forty fibreglass bulls have been placed across Birmingham for an art trail inspired by the Bullring and organised by Birmingham Hospice, which will benefit when they are auctioned off DAVE WARREN/LNP The newlyweds Volodymyr and Oleksandra are sprinkled with grain during a traditional wedding ceremony in Ternopil, western Ukraine KOSTIANTYN LIBEROV/LIBKOS/GETTY IMAGES Swan Uppers hold cygnets after tagging them during the annual swan upping along the Thames. The tradition, which dates to the 12th century, collects information on the health of their population
BBC News
6 days ago
- BBC News
Men charged after cannabis farm found in Wyke
Two men have been charged after police discovered more than 3,000 cannabis plants during a raid in plants were found after officers executed a warrant at a business premises in Station Road, Wyke, on Wednesday, West Yorkshire Police force said two men, aged 27 and 40, have been charged with being concerned in the production of a Class B Drug and are due to appear at Bradford Magistrates' Court other men were also arrested on suspicion of producing Class B drugs, two of them have been released under investigation while a third remains in custody. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Daily Mail
12-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Inside the 'Zombieland' market town where shuffling Spice addicts buy drugs openly on the streets
Dewsbury's once-thriving market stalls hang on by a thread during the day - but as hours pass, a more sinister trade takes over. Brazen drug dealers openly hawk their wares in the late afternoon at the town's historic outdoor market, now a shadow of its former bustling self and a magnet for addicts and street drinkers. A man in his 30s lights what appears to be a crack pipe, as suspicious packages discreetly swap hands among others just feet away. A passing shopper grimaced: 'I'm surprised you haven't been knocked out by the stench of cannabis yet.' Once the beating heart of Britain's cloth industry, the West Yorkshire town now stands as a grim emblem of the nation's broken high streets and its long-suffering industrial towns. Abandoned by big-name giants like Wetherspoons, M&S and McDonald's, the town is now marked by shuttered shops, boarded-up windows, and quiet streets. Opposite Gareth Hardy's comic book and collectables shop is an abandoned pub that has lain derelict for a decade, its upper windows part-boarded and smashed. Three weeks ago, a shopping trolley was dumped outside filled with detritus. It still hasn't been cleared away. Nearby a six-foot road sign has been dumped on the ground of the neglected council-owned 104-year-old Kingsway arcade. Mr Hardy, 42, half-joked: 'I don't know where that signpost is from, but I expect it to turn up one morning and find it sticking out of my shop window.' The businessman, who has battled to keep his beloved Cosmic Toys store alive, has watched Dewsbury's decline with growing frustration. He said: 'The council keeps saying they're going to do all these wonderful things, but 20 years on none of it seems to have happened. 'When you try and have a conversation with them, they're just not interested, or they tell you you're wrong. 'It must be the only town centre in Britain that cannot even sustain a Wetherspoons and McDonalds. We've lost Marks & Spencer too. These days, Mr Hardy only opens his shop three days a week, closing on quieter days to avoid being targeted by thieves. He explained: 'It's just so the riff-raff don't come in. 'Because I know all they're doing is shoplifting and I haven't got the time to stand around watching them. 'They'll never buy anything, they just want to steal things to sell in the pub or wherever it is they're going with it.' Mr Hardy is reluctant to close his shop and revert to online sales and hopes the council may finally deliver on its regeneration promises. He said: 'I do feel like at the moment we are at the very bottom. I don't think it can get worse than how it is right now.' Mr Hardy's despair is echoed by many across Dewsbury, despite a 10-year council masterplan promising much-needed change. The market is set to be transformed under a multi-million pound regeneration scheme. For Tahir Baig, a stallholder of 35 years, the project cannot come soon enough. Looking over at a cluster of drug addicts and street drinkers loitering on market stalls, the fruit and veg trader, 64, said: 'This used to be booming. 'People from all the small towns would come to Dewsbury and look at the markets and the shops. 'There was a family atmosphere. People were fed-up sitting at home so they'd come out and have a wander. 'It was really a lovely atmosphere. 'But now, there's nothing much left here. The town centre has been killed - there's nothing left. Unless you want a kebab or a vape, or go to a charity shop. 'This town, I don't know what's happening. People used to come and walk around and talk to each other. Hustling and bustling, Now, it's dead.' The statistics paint an equally worrying picture. Dewsbury's unemployment rate stands at 5.2 per cent - higher than the national average - while youth unemployment is 8.2 per cent. Of the town's 41,500 working-age residents, nearly 15,000 are officially classed as 'economically inactive'. The town's troubled past also still casts a long shadow. In 2008, it became the focus of national horror when nine-year-old Shannon Matthews vanished - only for it to emerge that her own mother, Karen Matthews, had staged the kidnapping in a bid to claim a £50,000 reward. Three years earlier, Dewsbury was in the headlines as the hometown of Mohammed Sidique Khan, the ringleader of the 7/7 London bombings which claimed 52 innocent lives. Yet despite the town's entrenched problems - familiar to many town centres across the UK - there are those who believe there is still hope. Sue Reynard, 42, who lives in Bradford but works in Dewsbury at a charity-run bookshop, believed the town's reputation is unfair. 'When the council puts on events, it brings people into town. But nine times out of ten, it is quiet,' she admitted. 'But compared to Bradford, the people are nicer - kinder. 'Over there, you have to put padlocks on your pockets. Around here I can walk with my purse in my hands. I do feel safe here.' Others, however, have had enough and chosen to walk away. Tina Hinchliffe, 47, and her partner Lee McEvoy, 59, left Dewsbury for nearby Slaithwaite after falling out of love with the town. Mr McEvoy said: 'Many years ago, people had coach trips here. People would come from far and wide to explore the markets. 'Now they just want to get the bus out of here. 'Everything has died. There's not even a butcher's anymore. 'All you've got are bookies, casinos, kebab shops and nail salons. 'We don't miss it. Where we live now, we've got the greengrocer, the butcher, the barber, the cake shop, the DIY shop. 'It's like being in a different time zone.' Tina said the scourge of drug addicts plaguing the town had left older residents fearful of venturing into the centre. Pointing to a group converged outside a Ladbrokes bookmakers, she said: 'There's at least half a dozen fellas sat there drinking alcohol. Work is also underway to restore Victorian-era Dewsbury Arcade, which is set to reopen next year alongside the park and market revamp 'Today they're quiet because the sun's out, but they're not usually that quiet. And they have scared off a lot of the older people. 'They don't want to come into town anymore because there's always people drinking, shouting and swearing. And it's scary. 'Depending on what time they've been drinking, usually about 3 or 4pm, then they start fighting and brawling.' Kirklees Council insists that help is finally on the way, with a £15million regeneration plan promising to breathe new life into the crumbling town centre. The ambitious scheme includes revamping the market with food, drink and entertainment, as well as a new green park space with children's play areas and seating. Work is also underway to restore Victorian-era Dewsbury Arcade, which is set to reopen next year alongside the park and market revamp. Officials say Foundry Street will also be made more pedestrian-friendly, with improved public spaces to entice visitors back. Meanwhile, police claim they are cracking down on crime, targeting street drinking, theft and aggressive begging. West Yorkshire Police has put in undercover officers to reassure traders and shoppers. Inspector Liz Lockwood of Dewsbury Neighbourhood Policing Team said in April: 'We have taken a number of recent reports regarding theft and street drinking and want to make it clear that this sort of anti-social behaviour and crime will not be tolerated in the town centre.'
BBC News
12-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Heath battery farm plan recommended for approval
Plans to build a battery energy storage system (BESS) close to a West Yorkshire village have been recommended for approval by council planning officers. A report said the scheme for land near Heath in Wakefield was acceptable despite more than 1,200 objections and criticism from councillors and said the development, which would see 72 containers storing lithium ion batteries installed on farmland, could pose a fire risk to residents and harm the local conservation area. However, applicant Harmony Energy said the project would contribute to net zero targets and that there were at least 130 similar sites operating safely in the UK. A spokesperson for the company said no properties within the village of Heath would be able to see the seven-hectare site and that its cultural heritage assessment had been "robust".BESS facilities take in power from renewable energy sources and then release it back to the National Grid when demand is planning application for the site was submitted in 2022 and a council report outlines reasons for the three-year delay in a decision on the scheme, which include changes to national planning policy and the area's Local officers said the site was previously designated green belt but had been reclassified as grey said there was "considered to be no technical reasons to withhold planning permission" and have recommended the scheme be approved at a meeting on 17 July, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. A total of 130 comments in support of the proposal have been received by Wakefield a spokesperson for the I Love Heath Common campaign group previously said: "Harmony Energy is showing a blatant disregard for local feeling."There is nothing renewable about a battery storage facility. It is a standalone industrial development."They added: "Its sole purpose is as a business opportunity, and it is certainly not a source of renewable energy."Campaigners said two historical buildings – the Grade II-listed Dame Mary Bolles Water Tower and the Whittling Well – are situated less than 100m from the proposed BESS Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority (WYFRA) also previously said the risks were "very real and are becoming more common".But Harmony Energy argued: "Schemes would not be financeable or insurable if they were deemed to be a significant risk."The company lodged an appeal with the Planning Inspectorate following the three-year delay in determining the application.A four-day public inquiry is expected to be held over the matter at a date yet to be confirmed. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
