Fees to dispose of DIY waste could be scrapped under plans to tackle fly-tipping - Sky News

Disposing DIY waste at council recycling centres in England and Wales will no longer incur fees under new government plans.

Existing legislation means that any rubbish generated through DIY, even at home, is generated as industrial waste, meaning local councils are not responsible for providing free disposal points.

This includes rubbish such as shed or fence panels, tiles, plasterboard and paving slabs.

Consultation documents published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs propose scrapping charges for getting rid of such waste, with the hope that it could help reduce fly-tipping.

"Government believes householders should not be charged to dispose of DIY waste," it says.

Advertisement

"We are proposing changes to allow householders to deposit DIY waste for free.

"This will reduce the potential risk of fly-tipping, littering and backyard burning which create additional costs for local authorities and causes environmental issues."

More from UK

Incidents of fly-tipping have surged in recent years, with more than one million recorded by local authorities in 2021, official figures show.

At the height of the first COVID lockdown, Sky News reported on how a smartphone app had also reported a huge increase in fly-tipping as people spent more time working on DIY projects at home.

Under the government's proposals, DIY waste would be re-classified as household waste, enabling it to be disposed without any charge like other rubbish and recycling.

Councils charge different amounts for getting rid of DIY waste, but the government believes its plans could save households as much as £10 per item.

The consultation is being held online and runs until 4 July.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMia2h0dHBzOi8vbmV3cy5za3kuY29tL3N0b3J5L2Rpc3Bvc2luZy1kaXktd2FzdGUtY291bGQtZ28tZnJlZS11bmRlci1uZXctcGxhbnMtdG8tdGFja2xlLWZseS10aXBwaW5nLTEyNTg3ODA40gFvaHR0cHM6Ly9uZXdzLnNreS5jb20vc3RvcnkvYW1wL2Rpc3Bvc2luZy1kaXktd2FzdGUtY291bGQtZ28tZnJlZS11bmRlci1uZXctcGxhbnMtdG8tdGFja2xlLWZseS10aXBwaW5nLTEyNTg3ODA4?oc=5

2022-04-11 03:03:45Z
1313526003

Just Stop Oil activists cause fuel shortage | News - The Times

Some petrol stations ran out of fuel at the weekend after climate change activists blockaded oil terminals.

Essex police warned that the protests by Just Stop Oil were putting lives at risk and had cost the force more than £1 million.

Sponsored

The protest group, an offshoot of Extinction Rebellion, said it had disrupted fuel supplies from oil terminals in Warwickshire, Hertfordshire and Essex. It claimed to have caused widespread shortages at petrol stations.

FairFuelUK, which campaigns for lower fuel prices, estimated from anecdotal reports from supporters that a third of petrol stations south of Birmingham had run dry for a time. It said that Cambridgeshire, Oxfordshire and parts of Hampshire and Kent had been affected most severely.

However, last night the campaign group rowed

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiWGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnRoZXRpbWVzLmNvLnVrL2FydGljbGUvanVzdC1zdG9wLW9pbC1hY3RpdmlzdHMtY2F1c2UtZnVlbC1zaG9ydGFnZS02Y2ZwcHNyd2bSAQA?oc=5

2022-04-10 23:01:00Z
1366062447

Extinction Rebellion protests block Vauxhall and Lambeth bridges - BBC

PA Media

Extinction Rebellion climate change activists have staged protests in the centre of London for a second day, blocking Vauxhall and Lambeth bridges.

Hundreds of protesters prevented cars and buses crossing but ambulances were let through.

The Met Police said 38 arrests were made on Sunday and officers had now moved protesters from the bridges.

Green Party MP Caroline Lucas earlier told the BBC the group's protests could sometimes be counterproductive.

But for some people, the rallies were the only way they felt heard, she said. The government has yet to comment.

During the earlier protests, campaigners sat in the road, waving flags and placards.

They were told by police officers there was evidence they were causing "serious disruption" to the public, warning them to leave or face arrest.

The Met said it imposed conditions under section 14 of the Public Order Act 1986 to clear protesters from around Vauxhall Bridge and officers physically removed the last of the activists - with a number being taken away in police vans.

PA Media

Doctors and nurses from a small group of medical workers who refused to leave Lambeth Bridge were among those arrested, Extinction Rebellion tweeted.

Earlier, one of the protesters - Kiri Ley, 21, a student from Birmingham - said the aim was to occupy the capital peacefully to try to force policy changes.

She said: "We tried all the other methods - we've written letters, we've marched, we've spoken to our MPs, we've done literally everything we can and time and time again we see them doing completely the opposite of what the scientific evidence says and this is what is left to us, really, we do it because we know it works."

Earlier, campaigners also spray painted red hands outside the London corporate offices of oilfield services company Schlumberger.

PA Media

Ms Lucas said: "I am sorry that it has come to this and that this is the only way that people feel they can make their voices heard."

The activists have vowed to block areas of London "for as long as possible" every day for at least a week.

A protest in Oxford Circus on Saturday brought the West End to a standstill.

Ms Lucas said: "Personally for example, if you are going to try and stop Tube trains moving around I think that is counterproductive.

"I think that being on the streets of London has been shown to be a way of capturing people's imaginations.

"People have joined those protests who have never protested before. They are doing it because they know we have to leave new fossil fuels in the ground.

"The International Energy Agency says that, the latest IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) report says that, and yet this government and this energy strategy... is foreseeing getting out even more oil and gas from the North Sea, that is frankly immoral and the UN general secretary said that is frankly both morally and economically mad."

PA Media

The Met tweeted on Sunday evening: "Both demonstrations within the Vauxhall Area have now concluded and the roads have reopened.

"As a result of today's policing operation we have made 38 arrests."

Follow BBC London on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hellobbclondon@bbc.co.uk

Related Internet Links

• Extinction Rebellion

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiNWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL3VrLWVuZ2xhbmQtbG9uZG9uLTYxMDU3ODQ10gE5aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmJjLmNvLnVrL25ld3MvdWstZW5nbGFuZC1sb25kb24tNjEwNTc4NDUuYW1w?oc=5

2022-04-10 19:19:43Z
1376549022

UK says Russia seeks to bolster armed forces after losses mount - Reuters.com

A destroyed Russian tank is seen on a highway, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Kyiv region, Ukraine, April 5, 2022. REUTERS/Gleb Garanic

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com

April 10 (Reuters) - British military intelligence sad on Sunday the Russian armed forces was seeking to strengthen troop numbers with personnel discharged from military service since 2012, as losses mount from its invasion of Ukraine.

The Russian forces' efforts to boost their fighting power also includes trying to recruit from the unrecognised Transnistria region of Moldova, the Ministry of Defence said in a regular bulletin on Twitter.

Reuters could not immediately verify the report.

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com

Reporting by Juby Babu in Bengaluru

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMibWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnJldXRlcnMuY29tL3dvcmxkL2V1cm9wZS91ay1zYXlzLXJ1c3NpYS1zZWVrcy1ib2xzdGVyLWFybWVkLWZvcmNlcy1hZnRlci1sb3NzZXMtbW91bnQtMjAyMi0wNC0xMC_SAQA?oc=5

2022-04-10 05:51:00Z
1339836261

Rishi Sunak: Whitehall inquiry launched into leak of chancellor's wife's tax status - Sky News

A Whitehall inquiry has been launched into the leak of Rishi Sunak's wife's tax status after a week in which the chancellor's approval ratings have taken a significant hit.

Akshata Murty dramatically announced on Friday that she would pay UK taxes on her global income, adding in a statement that she didn't want the issue "to be a distraction for my husband".

The revelation that she was "non-domiciled" in the UK for tax purposes had seen the chancellor face allegations of hypocrisy given recent tax rises imposed by the Treasury.

Labour said his family had potentially saved tens of millions of pounds as a result of Ms Murty's arrangement.

Experts have estimated that Ms Murty, who remains an Indian citizen, has saved £20m as a result of not having to pay taxes on her shares in Infosys, an Indian IT company founded by her father.

Advertisement

Mr Sunak has seen his approval ratings fall in light of the reports, which came hot on the heels of a Spring Statement which saw critics accuse him of not doing enough to help families with the cost of living.

This morning, a new poll by Opinium shows his approval rating dropped by three points to 28% since late March. His disapproval rating has risen by eight points to 43% for a net approval rating of -15.

More on Rishi Sunak

Related Topics:

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

0:37

'Chancellor is completely out of touch'

What do we know about the investigation?

The Whitehall investigation is already under way.

It will look into how the information about Ms Murty's taxes was first passed on to The Independent newspaper.

According to The Sunday Times, the chancellor's team believe a Labour supporting official dubbed "red throat" is responsible for the leak.

A source close to Mr Sunak said: "This will be a more aggressive version of leak inquiries, where it will not only investigate who were the keepers of the sensitive information and who had access to that information, but also who, if anyone, requested to see it.

"The inquiry will be carried out with a view to potential criminal prosecutions because it is against the law to leak someone's tax status."

Read more: Who is Rishi Sunak's wife and why is she so wealthy?

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

1:02

White House asked about Sunak

Tough set of front pages for chancellor

Mr Sunak's political future is the focus of a number of the Sunday newspaper front pages.

The storm surrounding his wife's tax status has led to Tory MPs questioning whether the chancellor - long seen as a potential successor to Boris Johnson - has the political judgement needed for the top job, says The Observer.

It comes with Mr Sunak having also faced questions about him having a US green card - permitting him residence in America - until more than a year into his time at 11 Downing Street.

But sources close to Mr Sunak have played down reports that he has moved his wife and two daughters out of the chancellor's residence in Downing Street to escape the glare of the media.

The Sunday Times reported that removal vans arrived in the street on Saturday to take their belongings away.

However, a source told PA news agency they had always intended to spend more time in their west London home as their elder daughter, Krishna, entered her final term of primary school before moving on to secondary school.

Mr Sunak is expected to stay in Downing Street during the week, while joining them at weekends.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMidGh0dHBzOi8vbmV3cy5za3kuY29tL3N0b3J5L3Jpc2hpLXN1bmFrLXdoaXRlaGFsbC1pbnF1aXJ5LWxhdW5jaGVkLWludG8tbGVhay1vZi1jaGFuY2VsbG9ycy13aWZlcy10YXgtc3RhdHVzLTEyNTg2ODU40gF4aHR0cHM6Ly9uZXdzLnNreS5jb20vc3RvcnkvYW1wL3Jpc2hpLXN1bmFrLXdoaXRlaGFsbC1pbnF1aXJ5LWxhdW5jaGVkLWludG8tbGVhay1vZi1jaGFuY2VsbG9ycy13aWZlcy10YXgtc3RhdHVzLTEyNTg2ODU4?oc=5

2022-04-10 01:55:36Z
1360387653

Rishi Sunak ponders political future as wife Akshata Murty escapes Downing Street heat - The Times

For a man who watched with incredulity and not a little disapproval when the personal and political fused into a crisis for Boris Johnson, the past week has been a difficult one for Rishi Sunak and his team.

When the news broke on Wednesday night that his wife, Akshata Murty, the daughter of a billionaire, was non-domiciled in Britain for tax purposes, the chancellor faced a choice: defend his family or put his political career first by getting her to pay tax in Britain on her foreign investments.

Sponsored

“I want to protect my wife and I think her privacy matters,” Sunak told his team. They knew something would have to give, but as the pressure and the public criticism mounted, Sunak “dug in”, refusing to

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMieGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnRoZXRpbWVzLmNvLnVrL2FydGljbGUvc3VuYWstcG9uZGVycy1wb2xpdGljYWwtZnV0dXJlLWFzLXdpZmUtZXNjYXBlcy1kb3duaW5nLXN0cmVldC1nb2xkZmlzaC1ib3dsLTVnZnRxY21ra9IBAA?oc=5

2022-04-09 23:01:00Z
1360387653

Rishi Sunak ponders political future as wife Akshata Murty escapes Downing Street goldfish bowl - The Times

For a man who watched with incredulity and not a little disapproval when the personal and political fused into a crisis for Boris Johnson, the past week has been a difficult one for Rishi Sunak and his team.

When the news broke on Wednesday night that his wife, Akshata Murty, the daughter of a billionaire, was non-domiciled in Britain for tax purposes, the chancellor faced a choice: defend his family or put his political career first by getting her to pay tax in Britain on her foreign investments.

Sponsored

“I want to protect my wife and I think her privacy matters,” Sunak told his team. They knew something would have to give, but as the pressure and the public criticism mounted, Sunak “dug in”, refusing to

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMieGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnRoZXRpbWVzLmNvLnVrL2FydGljbGUvc3VuYWstcG9uZGVycy1wb2xpdGljYWwtZnV0dXJlLWFzLXdpZmUtZXNjYXBlcy1kb3duaW5nLXN0cmVldC1nb2xkZmlzaC1ib3dsLTVnZnRxY21ra9IBAA?oc=5

2022-04-09 18:00:01Z
1360387653