All posts tagged: row

‘Monstrous’ seven-bedroom house triggers neighbour row

‘Monstrous’ seven-bedroom house triggers neighbour row

Published by Sam Flores

A “monstrous” seven-bedroom house being built on the edge of Bath has triggered a planning row with neighbours. Residents claim that the house has been built significantly higher and with a larger footprint than what was originally approved by the council. A retrospective application has been submitted to “validate” the changes to the original plans. Bath and North-East Somerset council said enforcement action would only be “considered” after the fresh application has been determined. More than 70 residents attended a recent site meeting while 100 people lodged formal objections to the seven-bedroom home. Residents are opposed to the new property – Tom Wren / SWNS Documents state that Thomas Worrall is listed as the applicant for the plans. He is also listed as a director of TKB Property Developments and TK Building Company on Companies House. Tavis Hamilton, 48, who lives next door to the house and has spent years battling developers, is one of more than 100 residents objecting to the build. Mr Hamilton called the house “monstrous” and said: “The new application has …

Furious row in UK town as England flags taken down for third time | UK | News

Furious row in UK town as England flags taken down for third time | UK | News

Published by Sam Flores

The flags were taken down this week. (Image: Getty) Flags have been taken down from a seafront in a UK seaside town for a third time after they were reportedly put up without permission. The local council has cited safety concerns and a lack of authorisation for removing the St George’s Cross and Union Jack flags from lamp posts. The have been installed in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, by social media groups Flagman UK and Bristol Flagger. However, North Somerset Council has repeatedly removed the flags and Caroline Reynolds, Weston-super-Mare Town Council Deputy Mayor (Liberal Democrat), recently confronted members of the groups while they were erecting them in the town. She posted a video on social media, claiming the flags “send a bad message to the local people and the visitors of this town.” She added: “It sounds like we’re not welcoming when we really are welcoming in Weston-super-Mare, so we really don’t want to see them. You’ve put them up twice, the council has taken them down twice and they’ll be taken down again.” Flags have …

The great Snowdon queue-skipping row – is it really OK to jump the line if you’re not taking a selfie? | Walking

The great Snowdon queue-skipping row – is it really OK to jump the line if you’re not taking a selfie? | Walking

Published by Sam Flores

Name: The Snowdon queue. Age: A decade and a half, give or take. Appearance: Frustratingly long. This isn’t new. You’re right. The press has been reporting on the queue to reach the summit of Yr Wyddfa in north Wales (known in English as Snowdon) since 2013. I have never understood that. Really? Yr Wyddfa is an important national landmark, in one of the most beautiful parts of the UK. It’s bound to attract crowds – so people should expect to queue! British people are so weird … It isn’t just British people. In 2019, people queued for so long to reach the summit of Mount Everest that some of them actually died. If you want to climb a mountain in 2026, expect to join a line. You still haven’t explained why this is suddenly newsworthy. No, I haven’t, and for good reason. What I’m about to tell you will shake you to your very core. You might want to brace yourself. This sounds awful. It’s worse than awful. Get this: people have started skipping the …

Essex Police’s full statement as Nigel Farage Clacton by-election count non-appearance row grows

Essex Police’s full statement as Nigel Farage Clacton by-election count non-appearance row grows

Published by Sam Flores

Nigel Farage was at the centre of a growing row over not attending the Clacton by-election count due to an alleged “threat” against him. Reform UK said the party leader had been “advised” by Essex Police not to go to the count due to “a credible threat against him”. But it is understood that the force did not advise any candidate not to turn up for the official declaration. Count Binface and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage (PA Wire) Mr Farage won Thursday’s contest, which the main other parties were not contesting, with 22,239 votes, or 62.8%. Count Binface came second on 9,455 votes, nearly 27%, with 32 other candidates having entered the race. If he had gone to the count, Mr Farage would have faced photos and clips of him next to the Count, the space and electoral warrior character created by comedian Jon Harvey, being beamed around the world. The Reform leader proclaimed victory before the official announcement. He said he would not attend the official declaration of the result at Clacton Leisure …

‘Posh gelato is so overpriced’: Readers defend the £3.50 Mr Whippy after ice cream price row

‘Posh gelato is so overpriced’: Readers defend the £3.50 Mr Whippy after ice cream price row

Published by Daniella Wilson

Sign up to IndyEat’s free newsletter for weekly recipes, foodie features and cookbook releases Get our food and drink newsletter for free Get our food and drink newsletter for free When Hannah Twiggs asked last week why Britons will happily pay £5 for an artisan gelato but baulk at £3.50 for a Mr Whippy, Independent readers had plenty to say in defence of the humble 99. Many argued that gelato has simply been dressed up as luxury – tasteful tubs, provenance and a queue – while soft serve takes the blame for costs it never really controlled: flakes, fuel, insurance and pitch fees among them. Others widened the debate, tying the reaction to a squeezed cost of living that is pushing spending to two extremes: doing things cheaply yourself, or paying more for something that feels like a proper treat rather than a mid-price compromise. A few pushed back on the whole premise, arguing that nostalgia is doing most of the heavy lifting in the 99’s defence, and that readers should let their children make …

Spain starts border checks on Italy after migrant row

Spain starts border checks on Italy after migrant row

Published by Sam Flores

MADRID: Spain on Saturday (Aug 8) started border checks on travellers arriving from Italy, responding to similar measures Rome imposed following a massive migrant rush into the Spanish north African enclave of Ceuta. “I don’t see a lot of the word ‘diplomacy’ used in these decisions, not by the Italian government, nor by the Spanish government,” said one 36-year-old Italian tourist, Maria Celeste Grillo, who had just flown into Madrid. She said she had not seen any added checks as she stepped off the plane, but found their implementation “sad”. Spain announced Friday it would proceed with the heightened controls, citing what it said was “persistent irregular migration pressure” facing Italy – deepening a tit-for-tat row between the EU partners and NATO allies. Spain’s left-wing government has complained that Italy’s hard-right government on July 31 unfairly imposed one month of border checks on travellers from Spain – suspending the EU’s Schengen Area visa-free travel arrangements – because of the Ceuta influx. Source link

Spain imposes border checks on Italy amid Ceuta migration row

Spain imposes border checks on Italy amid Ceuta migration row

Published by Sam Flores

Spain announced on Friday it would introduce temporary border checks on travellers from Italy in response to Rome imposing similar measures after a mass migrant rush into Ceuta. The checks, which come “amid the persistent irregular migration pressure” facing Italy, will start at midnight on Saturday and last until September 7, Spain’s interior ministry said in a statement. Hours earlier, Spain threatened Italy with countermeasures if it did not swiftly lift its own border checks, drawing a rebuff from Rome. The rare spat between the European Union and NATO allies came after tens of thousands of people crossed from Morocco to Spain’s North African territory on July 30-31 in an unprecedented, deadly rush. The scenes infuriated EU members that back a hard line on irregular immigration, including Italy which imposed a one-month suspension of its visa-free travel Schengen deal with Spain. The Spanish government slammed the measure Friday as “unfair, contrary to the EU’s interests and discriminatory for the Spanish population”. Ceuta has ‘re-exposed immigration’s divisive nature’ in the EU To display this content from …

EastEnders star Shane Richie arrested for drink driving after petrol station row

EastEnders star Shane Richie arrested for drink driving after petrol station row

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter EastEnders’ Shane Richie has been charged with a drink-driving offence after being arrested at an Essex petrol station. The actor, 62, was filmed arguing with staff at a Tesco garage on Wednesday (29 July) after being asked to stop vaping on the petrol station forecourt. The police were subsequently called, with the EastEnders star – whose real name is Shane Roche – being arrested for drink-driving. A spokesperson for the Essex Police told The Independent: “Officers were called to reports of a suspected drink driver in the area of Church Langley Way, Harlow, shortly before 11.20pm on Wednesday 29 July. “On arrival, officers arrested a man. A charge of drink driving has subsequently been authorised against Shane Roche, 62, of Tadworth, Surrey. He is due to appear at Colchester Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 9 September.” Shane Richie on ‘EastEnders’ with Jessie …