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New ‘Bakers Bottom’ residents’ parking scheme starts tomorrow (November 10)

A new residents’ parking scheme comes into operation in four Brighton roads tomorrow, (November 10) to help people park nearer their homes.

Cllr Pete West
Cllr Pete West

THE SCHEME covers Bute Street, Rochester Street, Hendon Street and Livingstone Street – an area known as Bakers Bottom.

It is an extension of the existing ‘light touch’ Area U parking scheme, with restrictions for one hour in the morning (10am to 11am) and one hour in the afternoon (2pm to 3pm).

Verge parking will be tackled at the same time, with enforcement taking place on the east side of nearby Queensway.

The move follows consultation with local residents, in which 77.8% of people who responded were favour of an extension to the Area U parking scheme, and a decision at last month’s Environment, Transport and Sustainability Committee.

Councillor Pete West, chair of the committee, said: “The scheme has been drawn up at the request of residents and ward councillors and is designed to ease parking pressure for people living in these areas, improve access and provide a better environment. There have been particular concerns about access for fire engines and other emergency service vehicles.”

The resident permit costs cover enforcement of the schemes and ongoing maintenance. Any surplus is reinvested into road, travel and transport improvements in the city.

Brighton jeweller raises over £2,500 for the Royal British Legion

A Brighton based jeweller has raised over £2,500 for the Royal British Legion (RBL) by designing an exclusive silver poppy charm.

Royal British Legion

SCARLETT JEWELLERY is donating £15 from the sale of each charm to support ex-service men and women. The beautiful sterling silver poppy commemorates the centenary of the First World War and serves as a subtle, wearable memorial for people who have given their lives for peace and freedom.

The Sussex based jeweller has a long-standing commitment to The Royal British Legion and were one of the first jewellers to work with them, starting in 2005.

Charlotte Thompson, Community Fundraiser for the RBL said: “We are extremely grateful for the support of Scarlett Jewellery this year through the sale of their poppy charm. The poppy is a powerful symbol which is worn to commemorate the sacrifices of our Armed Forces and to show support to those still serving today and their loved ones.”

Managing Director of Scarlett Jewellery, Marc Rickard said the festive season should push the fundraising total to more than £3,000.

He said: “Scarlett Jewellery is delighted to have raised £2,500 for this fantastic cause but we know we can raise more. With the generous support of the public and Christmas on its way we hope to hit the £3,000 mark,.”

The enamelled silver poppy costs £35.

To purchase online, click here:

 

Building company fined for noisy construction work

Construction company Watkin Jones and Son Ltd., has been fined £6,000 and ordered to pay over £3,000 in costs at Eastbourne magistrates today (Friday, November 7) for causing noise nuisance from a building site.

Co-op Building, London Road

THE COMPANY was convicted of four charges of breaching section 61 of the Control of Pollution Act 1974 and fined £1,500 for each offence. It was instructed to pay costs of £3,511.48 to Brighton & Hove City Council and a victim surcharge of £120. The Court heard that the company was convicted of two similar charges last year in respect of the same site when they were ordered to pay fines and costs totalling £2,900.00. The company,was not represented in court, but a director acknowledged the summonses and indicated a guilty plea.

The summons were issued after residents living in and around the London Road area of Brighton were driven to distraction by noise from the redevelopment of the former Co-Op building.

The council imposed a condition that construction work be limited to between 8am and 6pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 1pm on Saturday but residents, some with young children, have complained they have been disturbed by noise through weekends, early in the morning and late at night.

Noise has included lorries moving about late at night, the noise of nail guns and saws all day Saturday, a generator running until 10pm, builders throwing items from the top floor of the new building down into a skip at ground level, skips being collected at 6.30am in the morning and forklift trucks continuously using reversing bleepers straight into a resident’s living room.

Brighton & Hove City Council’s environmental protection team successfully prosecuted the company in November last year for noise but it continued to cause problems, failing to respond to numerous letters and warnings from the council and ignoring a ‘Section 61’ agreement to minimise noise for residents and restrict hours of construction work.

Council officers witnessed the noise outside working hours and responded to residents’ numerous complaints.

 

Cllr Pete West
Cllr Pete West

Councillor Pete West, chair of the city’s environment committee, said: “Large redevelopments such as this one should be carried out within reasonable hours and with consideration to people living nearby. This company has given residents no respite, with noise from the site seven days a week causing considerable stress and disturbance. We had no hesitation in taking legal action to protect residents and make sure the company, which agreed to control noise from the site, takes steps to do so.”

The site at 94-103 London Road is being redeveloped as student accommodation.

National HIV Testing Week: November 22 – 30

HIV testing rates surge among gay and bisexual men in England, following a nationwide drive to reduce undiagnosed infection.

National HIV Testing WeekTHE NUMBERS of gay and bisexual men in England coming forward for HIV testing has surged, following a nationwide drive to encourage those in high-risk groups to test for the virus and reduce the proportion of infections that remain undiagnosed.

Data collected by Public Health England (PHE) showed a marked increase in HIV testing rates among men who have sex with men during the period from 2011 – 2012, the period when Terrence Higgins Trust and HIV Prevention England launched National HIV Testing Week.

The week was launched in November 2012 to encourage HIV testing among high-risk groups, in the largest partnership to date between NHS sexual health clinics, community based HIV testing services, and national and local HIV prevention organisations.

This year, the third National HIV Testing Week will run from November 22 – 30.

Between 2011 and 2012, the number of gay and bisexual men who had an HIV test in NHS clinics in England rose by 13% (64,270 – 72,710). In London, the increase was sharper still, with a rise of 19% (28,640 – 33,980). During the same period, the proportion of gay and bisexual men with HIV who remained undiagnosed fell from 20% to 18%.

Cary James
Cary James

Cary James, Head of Health Improvement at Terrence Higgins Trust, said: “We have been thrilled by the success of National HIV Testing Week, and particularly the speed and enthusiasm with which people all over the country have picked up the event and run with it.

“The national figures on HIV give us confidence that our ongoing drive to get more gay men testing more regularly is having an impact. Testing rates are up, diagnoses are up, and the level of undiagnosed HIV is coming down. We need to keep this momentum going, so we will be throwing everything we have behind National HIV Testing Week 2014. We want to get the message out there that together, we can stop HIV.”

In the UK, gay men and African communities are the groups most at risk of HIV. Currently, around one in five people with HIV remains undiagnosed and therefore more likely to pass the virus on than someone who has tested and is on treatment.

HIV Prevention England’s It Starts With Me campaign focuses on curbing new infections by increasing testing rates and reducing the level of undiagnosed HIV within high-risk groups.

National HIV Testing Week is supported by major public health bodies, including Public Health England, the British HIV Association (BHIVA), and the British Association of Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH).

Tom Scanlon, Brighton & Hove City Council’s Director of Public Health, said: “HIV Testing Week highlights the importance of safer sex and taking practical action to avoid this preventable disease.

“With more than a fifth of people living with HIV being unaware they are HIV positive, it is vital everyone finds out about how to reduce the risks of contracting HIV and many other sexually transmitted diseases. Information is readily available online and from local clinics which can help people make safer choices.

“Anyone sexually active should take this opportunity to have an HIV test with support from local organisations. While recognising the constructive way people living with HIV face the challenges of this life changing disease, we would like to see a reduction in the numbers of new instances in the future for the benefit of all.”

For more information on National HIV Testing Week, click here:

Half of people with hepatitis C unaware of infection

Around half of the people living with hepatitis C infections don’t know it, according to a new publication from Public Health England (PHE), “Shooting Up: Infections among people who inject drugs in the United Kingdom 2013”.

Public Health England

In total, 13,750 hepatitis C infections were diagnosed in 2013 in the UK, with around 90% acquired through injecting drug use.  Around two in five people who inject psychoactive drugs such as heroin, crack and amphetamines are now living with hepatitis C, but half of these infections remain undiagnosed.

Interventions to diagnose infections earlier, reduce transmission and treat those infected need to be continued and expanded, with the goal of reducing the prevalence of hepatitis C.

If caught early hepatitis C can be successfully treated with antiviral medications. Around a quarter of those with hepatitis C clear their infection. Often, hepatitis C infection remains asymptomatic and is only diagnosed after liver damage has occurred.  Left untreated hepatitis C infection can result in severe liver damage, liver cancer, liver failure, and even death.

Dr Vivian Hope, a PHE expert in infections among people who inject drugs, said: “With around half of those people living with hepatitis C still unaware of their infection, we need to do more to increase diagnosis rates.  Ultimately, this will help reduce the current high level of infection we’re still seeing among people who inject drugs.

“Obtaining blood from people living with hepatitis C who inject drugs can be difficult due to poor venous access. Dry Blood Spot Testing is an alternative method that avoids puncturing veins – which has been proven to be reliable and simple, and acceptable to both people who inject drugs and drug service staff. Using this new testing method has already started to improved hepatitis C diagnosis rates”.

Dr Fortune Ncube, Consultant Epidemiologist and lead for PHE on Injecting Drug Use added:  “To reduce transmission and decrease rates of hepatitis C infection it is imperative that we maintain adequate provision of effective interventions such as needle and syringe programmes, opiate substitution and other drug treatment.”

 

Manchester Pride 2014 raise £54,000 for good causes

Pride organisers publish their 2014 annual review.

Manchester Pride

MANCHESTER’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Pride charity will distribute £54,000 raised during 2014 to LGBT and HIV charities and organisations in the Greater Manchester area.

After criticism from sections of the LGBT community in Manchester which included public protests, 2014 was a year for the organisers of Manchester Pride to look at the business model they use to deliver the event. They re-engaged with local LGBT communities in Manchester through the creation of the Community Collective and local LGBT people and Pride attendees were invited to Be Involved via new Listening Groups. Measures were also introduced to reduce costs and boost fundraising following a decline in fundraising income for the past five years.

Mark Fletcher
Mark Fletcher

Mark Fletcher, Chief Executive for Manchester Pride, said: “We had a big challenge this year to begin reinventing the festival and remind the LGBT community of Manchester what an important part of the year the Manchester Pride Festival is.  The Listening Groups and Community Collective enabled us to talk to the community face to face hearing their thoughts first hand and we hope they saw the effects of their feedback throughout the year.

“I am proud that we have raised £54,000 which will again go to charitable causes and that we made a shift from the declining fundraising totals.  This was a direct result of our new strategy and programme of events and I cannot deny that the great weather over the Big Weekend and beginnings of economic recovery in the North West had an important part to play.

“As we move towards the 25th anniversary of an LGBT celebration in Manchester we will continue to implement the strategy and hope to see this figure increase further in 2015.”

Chair of the Community Collective, Manchester Pride Community Patron and prominent Canal Street businessman, Anthony D Cooper, said: “2014 has been a great year for Manchester Pride. Positive steps have been made towards re-engaging with the local LGBT community, the community collective and listening groups have seen the community working with Manchester Pride to ensure the festival is an event that the LGBT community can feel proud to be part of for the next 25 years. The results of these positive steps are there for everyone to see – a fantastic Pride Fringe, a fantastic Big Weekend and a significant improvement on the charitable donation that will help so many of the LGBT causes that Manchester Pride supports”

2014 started with the Listening Groups and the Community Collective, both of which brought together individuals and groups from within the community to share their feedback on the festival and make recommendations for the future.

Two new Trustees and three new Non-Executive Directors were also appointed to the Board.

The first fundraising event, Supersonic, saw X Factor winner Sam Bailey singing under the wings of Concorde which raised £9k for charitable causes.

August welcomed not only the Big Weekend but also the Pride Fringe with a series of art, culture, heritage, debate, sport, music and film events celebrating the great diversity of the LGBT community in Manchester.

The hugely popular and thought provoking Coming out, from Script to Screen, led by Corrie creator Tony Warren alongside writer and new Manchester Pride Patron Damon Rochefort, joined by fellow writers Debbie Oates, Jonathan Harvey and cast members Anthony Cotton and Brooke Vincent, offered debate around the concept of characters in soaps coming out and how the story moves from script to screen.

The Pride Fringe also played host to the exclusive world premier of Pride, a film recreation of the extraordinary story of a group of LGBT activists who supported the miners through the strike of 1984 bringing together two seemingly alien communities to form a surprising and ultimately triumphant partnership.  Alongside the premier, Pride Fringe also hosted a Q&A with cast member Joe Gilgun and writer Stephen Beresford.

The year’s Pride events came to a close with the Big Weekend over the August bank holiday. Highlights included the Parade headed up by Orange is the New Black star Lea DeLaria as Marshall and performances by a broad range of artists including Eurovision winner Conchita Wurst, All Saints, Pixie Lott and Anastacia.

The Big Weekend brought just over 37,000 people into Manchester’s gay village and there were 133,924 visits to the site over the four days.

To read the Manchester Pride 2014 Annual Review, click here:

For more information about Manchester Pride, click here:

 

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