Council | Common News Update

Mar82021 by adminNo Comments

Whitehaven coal mine firm seeks judicial review of council U-turn

Science

West Cumbria Mining CompanyA company planning to build a coal mine in Cumbria is taking legal action over the county council's decision to reconsider its approval of the scheme.The authority granted West Cumbria Mining (WCM) planning permission in October but the plans had not been formalised.WCM said the decision to reconsider approval "cannot be justified" and it is seeking a judicial review.Cumbria County Council has been approached for comment.The firm's CEO Mark Kirkbride said it was "extremely regrettable that WCM has been placed in this position after committing so much time, resource and private funding"."The latest actions of the council have created a very real risk that the project will never be delivered, which would be devastating for West Cumbria, as well as the Northern Powe...

Feb102021 by adminNo Comments

Whitehaven coal mine plan to be re-examined by council

Science

West Cumbria Mining CompanyPlans for a controversial coking coal mine in Cumbria have been suspended by the county council.Councillors will reconsider the planning application for a site near Whitehaven in light of concerns about climate change. The council granted planning permission to West Cumbria Mining back in October, and the government decided recently not to challenge the decision.But now the council has said it will re-assess the permission.Guidance from the government's advisory Climate Change Committee (CCC) in December recommended that the use of coking coal should be curbed by 2035, whereas the council have granted permission to dig until 2049.A council statement said: "In light of this the council has decided that the planning application should be reconsidered by the Develop...

Nov12020 by adminNo Comments

Khan warns Londoners council tax could have to rise as TfL secures £1.8bn bailout

Business

Sadiq Khan has warned Londoners their council tax bills could have to rise because of the "draconian" conditions attached to a £1.8bn government bailout of Transport for London (TfL).The capital's transport body said the agreement will enable it to continue operating until the end of March 2021. The exact amount of money involved will be subject to passenger revenue in the coming months. Image: Sadiq Khan said the agreement was 'not ideal'. File pic It follows discussions between the Department for Transport and TfL, which is chaired by Mr Khan, to secure a six-month funding deal and prevent the collapse of the capital's bus and Tube networks.The mayor said the deal was "not ideal" but he fought hard to get to the "best possible place...

Oct142020 by adminNo Comments

China, Russia elected to U.N. Human Rights Council

World

Oct. 13 (UPI) -- The United Nations General Assembly elected Russia, China and Cuba to the Human Rights Council on Tuesday, attracting staunch criticism from the United States which accused those nations of being some of the worst violators. By secret ballot on Tuesday, the 193-member assembly elected 15 countries to join the 47-nation member Human Rights Council, filling seats in the five regions of Africa, Asia-Pacific, Eastern Europe, Latin America-Caribbean and Western Europe for a three-year rotation starting Jan. 1, 2021 Advertisement Russia and Cuba ran unopposed while Saudia Arabia lost in a five-nation contest for four spots in the Asia region with Pakistan, Nepal and Uzbekistan. China, meanwhile re-gained its seat by only 139 votes, the lowest of the 15 victorious countries and ...

Mar242020 by adminNo Comments

Sarah Wayne Callies: ‘Council’ message is ‘We’re going to be OK’

Entertainment

NEW YORK, March 24 (UPI) -- Sarah Wayne Callies said she was ready for an uplifting project after years of starring in tension-charged thrillers like Prison Break and The Walking Dead. NBC's new family drama, which is based on Bruce Feiler's book, Council of Dads, offered Callies the change she was looking for. "I've put a lot of violence into the world with the content I've created, and there was a time when our world felt so safe that that kind of exploration had so much merit and it still does," Callies recently told UPI during a press junket in New York. But the actress is now, personally, at a place where almost all she watches is standup comedy. Professionally, she wants to tell stories about decent, everyday people trying to do the right thing. "Things are bleak and they are scary...