Council tax bills will climb by nearly £37 for the average household in North Somerset, but are still among the lowest in the South West. The local authority has agreed to increase the amount it charges households by 2.75 per cent in 2019/20, raising the bill for the average resident £1,378.50. But most people in the area will still be paying the second lowest council tax in the South West, while the poorest continue to suffer, according to one opposition councillor. North Somerset Council voted through its budget for next financial year on Tuesday, February 19. It includes £600,000 extra for home-to-school transport, £250,000 for a car parking review, £75,000 more for school improvement and early years attainment, and an extra £20,000 for footpaths, verges and bins. But “savings” worth a total of £11million are also budgeted for, including £3million from service charge increases and cuts to grants and parish councils, … [Read more...] about How much council tax people in North Somerset will pay in 2019
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No waste from North Somerset will be sent to landfill from next year
PUBLISHED: 12:45 15 February 2019 Sam Frost No waste from North Somerset will be sent to landfill. Picture: Pixabay Archant North Somerset Council will cease sending rubbish to rot on landfill sites from next year after three new contracts were agreed. Peter Bryant.The authority, in conjunction with other authorities in the West Country, has turned its back on landfill in favour of more environmentally-friendly methods of dealing with rubbish.The councils have inked 10-year deals with Viridor, SUEZ and ETM which will see more than 200,000 tonnes of waste treated each year, and there is an option to extend the agreement for another decade. Previously, a whopping 24,000 tonnes of North Somerset’s kerbside and household waste was sent to landfill sites.Councillors have hailed the environmental and financial merits of the new multi-million-pound contracts.North Somerset expects to make a saving of around £90,000 each year compared to the previous … [Read more...] about No waste from North Somerset will be sent to landfill from next year
England’s top three batsmen still up in the air for this summer’s Ashes following inconclusive West Indies series
Only one Test match now stands between England and the start of this summer’s Ashes. Despite having just spent the last three weeks playing that very format in the Caribbean, they are no closer to solving their perennial problem. The phrase “first name on the team sheet” is a common one in sport; right now England don’t know who their first three names are. Top-order batting has plagued England selectors ever since Andrew Strauss retired in August 2012. The revolving position alongside Alastair Cook then turned into two problem positions when he called time on his record-breaking career in September. With captain Joe Root sticking at No4 it’s now a case of the top three positions being up for grabs. What England would give for the rock solid Cook-Strauss-Trott combination of yesteryear. England may have concluded the Test leg of their tour of the West Indies with a much-needed 232-run win in St Lucia on Tuesday, which contained a much-needed century for … [Read more...] about England’s top three batsmen still up in the air for this summer’s Ashes following inconclusive West Indies series
This Bristol company has been named the best employer in the West
A Bristol software company has been named the best employer in the West of England. Simpleweb Studio One, which is based on Willway Street, scooped the accolade at the regional Federation of Small Business (FSB) Awards. The company was recognised for investing in its people and developing an excellent team culture. Staff at the firm are given the opportunity every other week to pitch ideas, which are anonymously ranked on how innovative, useful, cool and collaborative they are. If the idea gets the seal of approval from Simpleweb’s tech and business teams, it will then become a legitimate project that can be worked on. The company also offers its staff a personal development fund and free hot lunches every day. Chief executive Mikey Howe said: “It just makes sense to invest in your people. Most importantly your business is built on the people within it and you need to invest in them so they can drive the business forwards." Mikey believes that businesses of all sizes should … [Read more...] about This Bristol company has been named the best employer in the West
Lost in translation: Wry photos challenge notions of East and West
arts Published 11th February 2019 Credit: Lost in translation: Wry photos challenge notions of East and West Written by Allyssia Alleyne, CNN Hong Kong-native Joyce Ng and South Korean-born Hanna Moon are both London-based, Asian, millennial fashion photographers who have shot for titles like Dazed, i-D and British Vogue. But, if you ask them, that's where their similarities end. "I mean, we're so different. We argue so much," jokes Moon. "We're from two different countries. I've never been to Hong Kong. We don't speak the same language." "Face Value" for Numéro China (2018) by Joyce NgCredit: Courtesy Joyce Ng However, since first meeting at Central Saint Martins almost a decade ago, the two have become like sisters, navigating the fashion and art worlds in tandem and confronting familiar stereotypes and cultural differences along the way. "We can be really sympathetic (to one another) -- how she came here at 17 and how I came here not speaking English. … [Read more...] about Lost in translation: Wry photos challenge notions of East and West