Latest news with #uninhabitable
BBC News
6 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Flats uninhabitable after flood, says Basildon Council leader
A high-rise block of flats will be "uninhabitable" for about three months after a "major" flood, a leader of a council said. Brooke House in Basildon, Essex, was hit by flooding on 18 July which left 10 households having to move into alternative accommodation. Images on social media showed cars partly submerged in water and water levels almost up to knee height in some parts of the building. Gavin Callaghan, a Labour councillor and the leader of Basildon Borough Council, said: "That building is uninhabitable and it is not likely to be inhabited for the next three months." Workers from Essex and Suffolk Water and Morgan Sindall Property Services attended the block of flats to help with the leak and flooding, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. The Grade II-listed building, which is 14 storeys, was built in the 1960s and has 84 flats. Basildon Borough Council, which owns the block, agreed to fund a £16m regeneration of the site in June 2022. In a Facebook live video, Callaghan added: "Now unfortunately we've had a major flood with Brooke House in the basement and that has damaged the electrics in the building."He insisted the council would carry out its proposed revamp to ensure it was "safe as possible for people to live in and raise their families in". "I do not look at Grenfell and think that's a good idea, let's try and repeat that, I look at it and say how do we make these buildings as safe as possible for people to live in and raise their families in," he added. The renovation included a ground-floor extension to a new entrance, upgrades to its roof, fire escapes, CCTV, insultation, cladding and council relocated residents before the work could begin. "Right now, thanks to 25 years of chronic underinvestment in that building, it requires a £16m investment from the council and it requires a bit of structural work to be done as a consequence of this flood," Callaghan added. Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
One third of island's population apply for world's first climate visa
More than one third of the population of Tuvalu have begun the process of applying for the world's first climate visa. Amid fears that the Polynesian island could become uninhabitable within 80 years, the new visa will allow 280 Tuvalu nationals to live, work, and study in Australia each year. A secret ballot will select the 280 residents over the age of 18 every year—meaning that even the applicants who have already applied, might have to wait another 10 years before their visa is granted. Although the words climate change are not included in the visa itself, Professor Jane McAdam explains that the, 'treaty pursuant to which [the visa] was created is framed very much around the existential threat that climate change poses in our region.' When Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the treaty in 2023, he noted that the agreement 'reflects Tuvalu's special circumstances as a low-lying nation that's particularly impacted … by the threat of climate change.' The Prime Minister of Tuvalu has welcomed the visa scheme, but has continued to urge Australia to do far more to address the impacts of climate change. More than one-third of the population of Tuvalu have begun the process of applying for the world's first climate visa amid fears that the Polynesian island could become uninhabitable within 80 years. The new visa will allow 280 Tuvalu nationals to live, work and study in Australia each year. A secret ballot will select the 280 residents over the age of 18. Every year, meaning that even the applicants who have already applied might have to wait another 10 years before their visa is granted. Although the words climate change are not included in the visa itself, Professor Jane McAdam explains that the treaty pursuant to which the visa was created is framed very much around the existential threat that climate change poses in our region. When Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the treaty in 2023, he noted that the agreement reflects Tuvalu's special circumstances as a low-lying nation that's particularly impacted by the threat of climate change. The Prime Minister of Tuvalu has welcomed the visa scheme but has continued to urge Australia to do far more to address the impacts of climate change.
RNZ News
30-06-2025
- Climate
- RNZ News
Hundreds of insurance claims made after floods
Seventeen homes in Nelson and Tasman are currently uninhabitable after Friday's storm. IAG's executive general manager of claims, Stephannie Ferris, spoke to Charlotte Cook. To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
