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THE APPLICATION for the Reinforcement to North Shropshire Electricity Distribution Network has been given development consent by the Secretary of State. Development consent has been given for the installation of a new 132kV overhead line Trident design, comprising of three conductors supported by mostly single wood poles. The Planning Inspectorate’s Chief Executive, Sarah Richards commented: "This is the 82nd nationally significant...

WORK has begun on a £26 million scheme to move an existing wastewater treatment works further inland due to coastal erosion. Yorkshire Water and their capital partners Ward and Burke and Van Oord, a marine specialist engineering company, have commenced work on their replacement long sea outfall for their Withernsea Wastewater Treatment Works which is located off Holmpton Road near...

A CAN of Russian bug spray, sonar equipment from Texas, thousands of nautical-themed Lego pieces and piles of broccoli are among the top 20 most unusual items found washed up on National Trust beaches, according to a list unveiled by the charity. The compilation of objects, which also includes oil-slicked chocolate bars and tiny toy soldiers, shines a spotlight on...

ORGANISATIONS supporting women and girls are invited to apply for a share of £15 million from the Tampon Tax Fund. Charities across the nation can apply for grants to fund projects which directly benefit disadvantaged women and girls, tackle violence and support their mental health and well-being. As in previous years, larger charities and foundations will be able to apply for...

THE SCOTTISH Environment Protection Agency has published its Scottish Pollutant Release Inventory data for 2018. Scottish Pollutant Release Inventory is a database of annual mass releases of specified pollutants to air, water and land from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency regulated industrial sites. Terry A’Hearn, Chief Executive of Scottish Environment Protection Agency, commented on the findings: “The most successful countries in...

A NEW financial model aims to help investors understand the financial implications of climate change on the meat sector. The Coller FAIRR Climate Risk Tool provides investors with an online model to help quantify potential downside risks and upside opportunities for meat companies in a scenario of 2°C of global warming. Jeremy Coller, Founder of FAIRR and Chief Investment Officer at Coller Capital, commented...

OVER 750,000 seagrass seeds have been planted by Sky Ocean Rescue, WWF and Swansea University at Dale Bay in Pembrokeshire in the biggest seagrass restoration project ever undertaken in the UK. 'Seagrass Ocean Rescue' aims to restore 20,000 m2 of the marine plant, following the disappearance of up to 92% of the UK’s seagrass in the last century. The huge decline has been caused...

VIRIDOR has sponsored 15 beach cleaning trommels which can be used to sift through the sand and remove microplastics from the natural environment. The company is working with community interest company Nurdle to distribute the trommels to environmental, community and beach clean groups as they clean beaches on a microplastic cleaning tour of the South West. Dan Cooke, Viridor’s Head of...

SCIENTISTS at the UK Atomic Energy Authority are working with academics at the University of Bristol in order to make diamond batteries, which could provide decades or thousands of years’ worth of energy without a recharge. Items such as computer chips, smoke alarms, pacemakers, or small satellites could all be operated by such a device. Tritium scientists at UK Atomic Energy Authority's...

NEW projects to help farmers and land managers prepare for life outside the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy have been given the green light. Nine organisations have been awarded a share of the government’s £1 million Future Farming Resilience Funding, which will support farmers as they prepare for the transition to a new farming system. Farming Minister Victoria Prentis commented on the...