All posts tagged: goahead

Soldiers given go-ahead to grow beards as Army axes 100-year-old rule | Politics | News

Soldiers given go-ahead to grow beards as Army axes 100-year-old rule | Politics | News

Published by skeptic

Soldiers have been given the green light to grow beards following a decision by the Army to overturn a 100-year ban on facial hair. The King, who is Commander in Chief, backed the move on Thursday which means that both officers and soldiers are able to do so from today (Friday). It means soldiers on Easter leave have the opportunity to grow a beard while they are away from work, according to the Telegraph. Defence Secretary Grant Shapps had described the beard ban as “ludicrous” during discussions around the Army’s recruitment drive. Now General Sir Patrick Sanders, the head of the Army, has taken a decision that “the appearance policy will change” after a survey of both serving and reservist troops. The RAF and Royal Navy already allow its personnel to do so. According to The Times, the new policy will only allow a “full set beard”. The length must be between 2.5mm and 25.5mm (one inch) and must be trimmed off the cheekbones and neck. A document sent to soldiers also says their beards …

New train services between London and Scotland get go-ahead | Rail industry

New train services between London and Scotland get go-ahead | Rail industry

Published by skeptic

The rail regulator has given the green light for a new operator to provide services on the west coast mainline from London to Scotland, as the government aims to ramp up competition on the train network. Grand Union has been given the go-ahead by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) to start running services from London Euston to Stirling from June 2025, in a move the regulator said would increase competition and choice for passengers. Four return services to Stirling will run daily from Euston, and stop at Milton Keynes, Preston and Carlisle, directly competing with Avanti, the current franchise operator for the line. In Scotland it will stop at Whifflet, Greenfaulds, Larbert and Stirling, which do not currently have a direct service to and from London. Grand Union will run the service as an open access operator, a provider that can apply for access to lines, without requiring government subsidy and taking on full commercial risk. It is the first open access operator to use the west coast mainline. In February 2023, when …

Campaigners get go-ahead to challenge plans for oilfield in Lincolnshire Wolds | Oil

Campaigners get go-ahead to challenge plans for oilfield in Lincolnshire Wolds | Oil

Published by skeptic

Campaigners have been given permission to challenge plans for a new oilfield in an area of outstanding natural beauty – which they say threatens one of England’s “hidden rural treasures”. The proposed oil-drilling operation is in Biscathorpe in the Lincolnshire Wolds, an important habitat for nature and wildlife that has been officially designated an area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB). The plans were rejected by the local council in 2021 but the oil company Egdon appealed against the decision and in November it was overturned by the government’s Planning Inspectorate, infuriating locals and environmentalists. Now campaigners have been granted permission to seek a judicial review of the ruling in the high court. Amanda Suddaby, from the local campaign group SOS Biscathorpe, said: “It’s absolutely stunning countryside. There’s this myth that Lincolnshire is flat but you have to see the Lincolnshire Wold to understand that it is anything but, it’s beautiful rolling hills and valleys … It is terrible to think this is at risk.” The government has been widely criticised for pushing ahead with new …

Facebook’s £3bn lawsuit given go-ahead

Facebook’s £3bn lawsuit given go-ahead

Published by skeptic

A huge lawsuit against Meta, the owners of Facebook, has been given the go-ahead by a judge in a case estimated to be worth up to £3bn. The case, which claims “Facebook has struck an unfair bargain with its users,” is being brought by Dr Liza Lovdahl Gormsen on behalf of 45 million Facebook users. She first tried to sue Meta in 2023 but was unsuccessful. Upon revision, however, the new claim was accepted. This legal action, which can be heard in early 2026 at the very latest, is funded by Innsworth. The company has funded similar mass lawsuits in the past against the likes of Volkswagon, Ericsson, and Mastercard. An ‘unfair bargain’ According to legal documents, the claimant seeks £2.07-3.1bn compensation for those with Facebook accounts between February 2016 and October 2023. The lawsuit accuses Meta of giving users their data for non-Facebook products, like Instagram and other third-party websites. The documents claim that sharing data with these third parties became a condition of accessing the Facebook platform, pursuant to the “take-it-or-leave-it’ offer.’ Because …

Birmingham given go-ahead to raise council tax by up to 10% | Local government

Birmingham given go-ahead to raise council tax by up to 10% | Local government

Published by skeptic

Council tax in Birmingham is likely to increase by up to 10% after the government allowed the local authority to bypass the national cap without the need for a local referendum. The increase will affect more than 1 million people in the UK’s largest local authority, which declared itself effectively bankrupt last year due to a £300m budget gap. The levelling up secretary, Michael Gove, announced the government would not oppose the Labour council’s request to raise council tax by up to 10% from April. This would equate to an extra £191 a year for a band D property in the city. Gove also gave the green light for councils in Thurrock, Woking and Slough – all of which have issued section 114 notices in recent months signalling they are unable to fulfil their legal duty to balance the books – to increase their council tax rates by up to 10%. Usually any proposed rise above the 4.99% cap would trigger a referendum, but councils can apply to bypass this under exceptional circumstances such as …

Go-Ahead Group and partners launch £82.5m all-electric bus fleet in Oxford

Go-Ahead Group and partners launch £82.5m all-electric bus fleet in Oxford

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One of the UK’s biggest fleets of electric buses has been launched on the streets of Oxford as part of an £82.5m project. A partnership between Oxfordshire County Council, Oxford Bus Company (part of the Go-Ahead Group) and Stagecoach, the initiative will deliver a total of 159 new battery buses. Oxford Bus Company has electrified its Cowley House depot in anticipation of the launch, with each charging point providing enough electricity to power a bus for 200 miles a day. Stakeholders gathered for a launch event at Divinity School in the city centre this week to see the new buses and hear from key representatives. Visit Hampshire Biz News for bright, upbeat and positive business news from the county Matt Carney, CEO of The Go-Ahead Group’s bus division, said: “Go-Ahead is proud to be the largest operator of zero emission buses in Britain. “Electric buses make an enormous difference to air quality in cities and by decarbonising our fleet in towns and cities across the country, we aim to make a positive contribution to the fight against …

UK’s aviation regulator gives go-ahead to raise air traffic control charges | Airline industry

Published by Sam

The UK’s air traffic controller has been given the green light to increase charges by more than a quarter, weeks after a system failure caused travel chaos and resulted in more than 2,000 flights being cancelled. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said its pricing decision would give National Air Traffic Services (Nats) the ability to raise fees by about 25% between 2023 and 2027 – in effect increasing the average charge per passenger per flight by 43p to £2.08. Airlines reacted with anger to the announcement, calling it a “kick in the teeth” for passengers who would end up picking up the tab in the form of higher fares. The CAA said its decision would allow Nats to continue to recover its operating costs and finance new investment needed “to provide a high-quality level of service in the future”, as well as recovering revenues lost due to travel restrictions that were in force during the Covid-19 pandemic. There has been growing tension between the CAA and airlines, which have been seeking compensation from Nats after …

Glasgow gets go-ahead to open UK’s first drug consumption room | Glasgow

Published by Sam

Cities across Scotland are considering setting up their own safe injecting facilities after authorities in Glasgow gave the official go-ahead to the UK’s first drug consumption room. “All eyes are on Glasgow,” said Allan Casey, Glasgow city council’s addictions convener, after the plans were approved on Wednesday morning by a joint committee of NHS and council officials. “We know from experience that networks of safe injecting facilities are what is needed and we would be more than happy to work with other cities. I’m already having questions from different cities around the country looking to learn from us about opening one.” He added: “Glasgow has a huge responsibility to demonstrate the concept works here in Scotland.” The proposal – which would allow addicts to take their own drugs in a clean and safe environment under the supervision of health professionals – had been discussed for years, but can now be piloted after Scotland’s most senior law officer confirmed users would not be prosecuted. Casey said the pilot was “the missing jigsaw piece in the full …

A newt point: Boris Johnson’s pool gets go-ahead after wildlife concerns | Boris Johnson

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He’s been ousted from the job he had spent a lifetime yearning for and left parliament under a cloud in June, yet Boris Johnson can finally savour some good news. In a move paving the way for a post-Downing Street life befitting a former prime minister, Johnson has been given permission to construct a swimming pool at his Oxfordshire home. But the green light from South Oxfordshire district council comes with the proviso that steps should be taken to mitigate the risks the development might pose to nearby newts. The plans for the pool were thrown into doubt in July when a local government ecologist Edward Church objected because of a population of newts living in the grounds of the home. Johnson has been living there with his wife, Carrie, and their three children since he bought it. The newts in question are the great crested variety, or Triturus cristatus, as Johnson might well call them. A protected species under British law, the newts had previously been the focus of Johnson’s frustration in government, when …

UK gives go-ahead to develop Rosebank oil and gas field in North Sea | Energy industry

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Britain has given the go-ahead for the Oslo-listed energy company Equinor to develop the Rosebank oil and gas field in the North Sea, the government’s oil and gas regulator has announced. Equinor holds a majority stake in Rosebank, which is one of the largest undeveloped oil and gas fields on the British continental shelf, and expects to produce 300m barrels of oil from the field in its lifetime. “We have today approved the Rosebank field development plan, which allows the owners to proceed with their project,” the North Sea Transition Authority said in a statement. “The FDP is awarded in accordance with our published guidance and taking net zero considerations into account throughout the project’s lifecycle.” Environmental campaigners had called on the UK government to halt the development, arguing it contravenes Britain’s plan for a net zero economy. Britain’s Ithaca Energy is Equinor’s partner on the project, which lies north-west of Shetland. More details soon … Source link